Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site
-
Similar Topics
-
By NASA
NASA/Joel Kowsky A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crew members including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The crew arrived at the space station the same day, bringing the number of residents to 10 for the next two weeks. Expedition 73 will begin on Saturday, April 19, following the departure of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, as they conclude a seven-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Throughout his eight-month stay aboard the orbital outpost, Kim will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, and human research.
Follow space station activities on the International Space Station blog.
Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
View the full article
-
By NASA
Explore This Section Science Science Activation NASA Science Supports Data… Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science 3 min read
NASA Science Supports Data Literacy for K-12 Students
Data – and our ability to understand and use it – shapes nearly every aspect of our world, from decisions in our lives to the skills we need in the workplace and more. All of us, as either producers or consumers of data, will experience how it can be used to problem-solve and think critically as we navigate the world around us. For that reason, Data Science has become an increasingly essential and growing field that combines the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and sharing of data in virtually every area of life. As more data become more openly available, our Data Science skills will be of increasing importance. And yet, there is a widening gap between what students learn in school and the skills they will need to succeed in a data-driven world. The integration of Data Science into K-12 education opens doors to higher education, high-paying careers, and empowering learners to eventually participate in the creation of new knowledge and understanding of our world, and at least 29 states have reported some level of data science implementation at the K-12 level, including standard or framework adoption, course piloting, and educator professional learning.
In February 2025, the first-ever Data Science Education K-12: Research to Practice Conference (DS4E) took place in San Antonio, TX. A number of representatives from NASA’s Science Activation program and other NASA partners attended and presented along with over 250 educators, researchers, and school leaders from across the nation. Science Activation projects share a passion for helping people of all ages and backgrounds connect with NASA science experts, content, experiences, and learning resources, and the AEROKATS & ROVER Education Network (AREN); Place-Based Learning to Advance Connections, Education, and Stewardship (PLACES); Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Mission Earth; and My NASA Data teams did just that. Their presentations at the conference included:
“BYOD – Build or Bring Your Own Data: Developing K-12 Datasets” (PLACES) “Using NASA Data Resources as a Tool to Support Storytelling with Data in K-12 Education” (My NASA Data) “Place-Based Data Literacy: Real People, Real Places, Real Data” (AREN) Conference participants expressed interest in learning more about NASA assets, including data and subject matter experts. Stemming from their participation in this first DS4E, several Science Activation teams are collaborating to potentially host regional events next year under the umbrella of this effort (PLACES in particular), a wonderful example of how Science Activation project teams help lead the charge in the advancement of key Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, such as Data Science, to activate minds and promote a deeper understanding of our world and beyond.
Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
Data Science Education K-12 Research to Practice Conference Share
Details
Last Updated Apr 09, 2025 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms
Science Activation Earth Science Grades 5 – 8 for Educators Grades 9-12 for Educators Grades K – 4 for Educators Opportunities For Educators to Get Involved Opportunities For Researchers to Get Involved Explore More
3 min read Findings from the Field: A Research Symposium for Student Scientists
Article
1 day ago
34 min read Style Guidelines for ‘The Earth Observer’ Newsletter
Article
1 day ago
5 min read Connected Learning Ecosystems: Educators Gather to Empower Learners and Themselves
Article
2 days ago
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
James Webb Space Telescope
Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
Perseverance Rover
This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…
Parker Solar Probe
On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…
Juno
NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…
View the full article
-
By NASA
7 min read
Eclipses, Science, NASA Firsts: Heliophysics Big Year Highlights
One year ago today, a total solar eclipse swept across the United States. The event was a cornerstone moment in the Heliophysics Big Year, a global celebration of the Sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system. From October 2023 to December 2024 — a period encompassing two solar eclipses across the U.S., two new NASA heliophysics missions, and one spacecraft’s history-making solar flyby — NASA celebrated the Sun’s widespread influence on our lives.
An infographic showing key numbers summarizing the activities and events of the Heliophysics Big Year, which spanned from Oct. 14, 2023 – Dec. 24, 2024. NASA/Miles Hatfield/Kristen Perrin Annular Solar Eclipse
An annular (or “ring of fire”) solar eclipse occurred Oct. 14, 2023, and kicked off the Helio Big Year with a bang. Millions of people across North America witnessed the Moon crossing in front of the Sun, creating this brilliant celestial event. NASA’s live broadcast had more than 11 million views across different platforms.
On Oct. 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse crossed North, Central, and South America. Visible in parts of the United States, Mexico, and many countries in South and Central America, millions of people in the Western Hemisphere were able to experience this “ring of fire” eclipse. NASA’s official broadcast and outreach teams were located in Kerrville, TX, and Albuquerque, NM, to capture the event and celebrate with the communities in the path of annularity.
Credit: NASA/Ryan Fitzgibbons Before the eclipse, NASA introduced the 2023 Eclipse Explorer, an interactive map to explore eclipse details for any location in the United States. NASA shared tips on eclipse safety, including through a video with NSYNC’s Lance Bass and even with an augmented reality filter.
Scientists also studied conditions during the annular eclipse with sounding rockets, balloons, and amateur radio.
Total Solar Eclipse
On April 8, 2024, millions of people across North America experienced a total solar eclipse that darkened parts of 15 U.S. states in the path of totality.
Ahead of the event, NASA hosted a widespread safety campaign, handed out over 2 million solar viewing glasses, and produced an interactive map to help viewers plan their viewing experience. On eclipse day, NASA also hosted a live broadcast from locations across the country, drawing over 38 million views.
Researchers studied the eclipse and its effects on Earth using a variety of techniques, including international radar networks, scientific rockets, weather balloons, and even high-altitude NASA WB-57 jets. Several NASA-funded citizen science projects also conducted experiments. These projects included more than 49,000 volunteers who contributed an astounding 53 million observations.
This infographic shares metrics from citizen science projects that occurred during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. NASA/Kristen Perrin “We have opened a window for all Americans to discover our connection to the Sun and ignited enthusiasm for engaging with groundbreaking NASA science, whether it’s through spacecraft, rockets, balloons, or planes,” said Kelly Korreck, a Heliophysics program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Sharing the excitement of NASA heliophysics with our fellow citizens has truly been amazing.”
Science Across the Solar System
NASA’s heliophysics missions gather data on the Sun and its effects across the solar system.
The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Nov. 9, 2023, and was installed on the International Space Station nine days later. This mission studies atmospheric gravity waves, how they form and travel through Earth’s atmosphere, and their role in space weather.
Orbital footage from the International Space Station shows NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) as it was extracted from SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft. NASA/International Space Station On Nov. 4, 2024, the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) mission also launched to the space station, where it studies the solar wind, with a focus on what heats it and propels it through space.
Pictured is the CODEX instrument inside the integration and testing facility at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA/CODEX team The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) mission ended after 16 years studying Earth’s highest clouds, called polar mesospheric clouds.
An artist’s concept shows the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft orbiting Earth. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight/Center Conceptual Image Lab NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) also ended after three successful years studying the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere, called the ionosphere.
NASA’s ICON, shown in this artist’s concept, studied the frontiers of space, the dynamic zone high in our atmosphere where terrestrial weather from below meets space weather above. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab Voyager has been operating for more than 47 years, continuing to study the heliosphere and interstellar space. In October 2024, the Voyager 1 probe stopped communicating. The mission team worked tirelessly to troubleshoot and ultimately reestablish communications, keeping the mission alive to continue its research.
In this artist’s conception, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has a bird’s-eye view of the solar system. The circles represent the orbits of the major outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 visited the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The spacecraft is now 13 billion miles from Earth, making it the farthest and fastest-moving human-made object ever built. In fact, Voyager 1 is now zooming through interstellar space, the region between the stars that is filled with gas, dust, and material recycled from dying stars. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope is observing the material along Voyager’s path through space. NASA/STSci While the goal of the NASA heliophysics fleet is to study the Sun and its influence, these missions often make surprising discoveries that they weren’t originally designed to. From finding 5,000 comets to studying the surface of Venus, NASA highlighted and celebrated these bonus science connections during the Helio Big Year.
Solar Maximum
Similar to Earth, the Sun has its own seasons of activity, with a solar minimum and solar maximum during a cycle that lasts about 11 years. The Helio Big Year happened to coincide with the Sun’s active period, with NASA and NOAA announcing in October 2024 that the Sun had reached solar maximum, the highest period of activity. Some of the largest solar storms on current record occurred in 2024, and the largest sunspot in nearly a decade was spotted in the spring of 2024, followed by a colossal X9.0 solar flare Oct. 3, 2024.
Sunspots are cooler, darker areas on the solar surface where the Sun’s magnetic field gets especially intense, often leading to explosive solar eruptions. This sunspot group was so big that nearly 14 Earths could fit inside it! The eruptions from this region resulted in the historic May 2024 geomagnetic storms, when the aurora borealis, or northern lights, were seen as far south as the Florida Keys.
Credit: NASA/Beth Anthony Viewers across the U.S. spotted auroras in their communities as a result of these storms, proving that you can capture amazing aurora photography without advanced equipment.
The Big Finale: Parker’s Close Approach to the Sun
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe holds the title as the closest human-made object to the Sun. On Dec. 24, 2024, Parker made history by traveling just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface at a whopping 430,000 miles per hour.
“Flying this close to the Sun is a historic moment in humanity’s first mission to a star,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters.
Controllers have confirmed NASA’s mission to “touch” the Sun survived its record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface on Dec. 24, 2024.
Credit: NASA/Joy Ng Parker Solar Probe’s close approach capped off a momentous Heliophysics Big Year that allowed NASA scientists to gather unprecedented data and invited everyone to celebrate how the Sun impacts us all. In the growing field of heliophysics, the Helio Big Year reminded us all how the Sun touches everything and how important it is to continue studying our star’s incredible influence.
A Big Year Ahead
Though the Helio Big Year is over, heliophysics is only picking up its pace in 2025. We remain in the solar maximum phase, so heightened solar activity will continue into the near future. In addition, several new missions are expected to join the heliophysics fleet by year’s end.
The PUNCH mission, a set of four Sun-watching satellites imaging solar eruptions in three dimensions, and EZIE, a trio of Earth-orbiting satellites tracing the electrical currents powering Earth’s auroras, have already launched. The LEXI instrument, an X-ray telescope studying Earth’s magnetosphere from the Moon, also launched through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative.
Future missions slated for launch include TRACERS, which will investigate the unusual magnetic environment near Earth’s poles, and ESCAPADE, venturing to Mars to measure the planet’s unique magnetic environment.
The last two missions will share a ride to space. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will look back at home, studying ultraviolet light emitted by the outermost boundaries of our planet’s atmosphere. The IMAP mission will instead look to the outermost edges of our heliosphere, mapping the boundaries where the domain of our Sun transitions into interstellar space.
By Desiree Apodaca
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Share
Details
Last Updated Apr 08, 2025 Editor Miles Hatfield Related Terms
Heliophysics Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Division NASA Centers & Facilities NASA Directorates Science & Research Science Mission Directorate The Solar System The Sun Explore More
5 min read Connected Learning Ecosystems: Educators Gather to Empower Learners and Themselves
Article
21 hours ago
2 min read Hubble Studies a Nearby Galaxy’s Star Formation
Article
4 days ago
3 min read Hubble Spots Stellar Sculptors in Nearby Galaxy
Article
4 days ago
Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
Missions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
View the full article
-
By NASA
As an Air Force veteran from Spartanburg, South Carolina, Alex Olley now serves as a contract specialist in the International Space Station Procurement Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Olley joined NASA as a Pathways intern in January 2023 to turn his lifelong goal into a reality—bringing his unique experience in the defense and space industries to support one of humanity’s most ambitious endeavors.
Official portrait of Alex Olley.NASA Olley manages the procurement of supplies, services, and research for the International Space Station. His role requires sharp attention to federal regulations and a deep understanding of business practices, all while supporting the astronauts who live and work 250 miles above Earth.
“I take great pride in the opportunity that I get to contribute to NASA’s mission each day,” he said. “I’m incredibly grateful for my time here, and it feels like a significant achievement, especially because many of my friends and family have shared how inspired they are to pursue their own goals as a result.”
Alex Olley prepares for an Air Force training at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek City, South Korea. Image courtesy of Alex Olley A quote shared by Johnson’s director of the Office of Procurement, Bradley Niese, became a guiding principle that has shaped Olley’s NASA experience: “People are the mission, and if we take care of the people, the mission will take care of itself.”
That mindset has taught him the value of building relationships within the office, which, he says, often leads to smoother operations and greater motivation.
“It’s much easier to be passionate about the mission when you know everyone around you shares the same dedication,” he said. “With such a strong support system, I’ve learned that I can achieve anything, no matter how challenging or confusing the task may seem at first.”
Early on, however, he struggled with imposter syndrome. “I felt like I didn’t belong or wasn’t good enough to contribute meaningfully toward our goals,” said Olley. “I overcame that feeling by taking a chance and sharing my thoughts on a work process.”
To his surprise, his team embraced the idea—and implemented it. That moment became a turning point, eventually leading to Olley becoming one of the office leaders for a wellness initiative called Better toGether—a creative nod to their office code, “BG.” The program was designed to promote physical and mental well-being in the workplace through activities like NASA Moves, an agencywide challenge that encourages employees to track their steps and commit to at least 20 minutes of physical activity each day. Twice a week, Olley leads brief team meetings focused on desk-friendly wellness tips such as stretches to prevent carpal tunnel and improve posture.
Alex Olley records a YouTube video at Rocket Park about how to become a NASA intern.Image courtesy of Alex Olley As NASA looks toward the Moon and Mars through Artemis, Olley is focused on uplifting the Artemis Generation.
“I want to pass on my perspective on Johnson’s mission: Dare, Unite, and Explore,” he said. “DARE to take on the challenge and face it head on, UNITE with your peers, and never be afraid to EXPLORE the unknown.”
View the full article
-
By NASA
A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crew members: NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy, onboard, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky) NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, arrived at the International Space Station on Tuesday, bringing the number of residents to 10 for the next two weeks.
The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft carrying Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky docked to the Prichal module at 4:57 a.m. EDT, following a three-hour, two-orbit journey to the space station. They launched at 1:47 a.m. (10:47 a.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
When hatches open at approximately 7:20 a.m., the trio will join the Expedition 72 crew, including NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Don Pettit, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Ivan Vagner, and Alexey Ovchinin.
NASA’s live coverage of hatch opening will begin at 7 a.m. on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms.
Expedition 73 will begin on Saturday, April 19, following the departure of Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner, as they conclude a seven-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Watch the ceremonial change of command at 2:40 p.m. on Friday, April 18, as Ovchinin transfers the distinction to Onishi, live on NASA+.
Throughout his eight-month stay aboard the orbital outpost, Kim will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research, and more. This is the first flight for Kim and Zubritsky, and the third for Ryzhikov.
Learn more about space station activities at:
https://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-
Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
Share
Details
Last Updated Apr 08, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Humans in Space International Space Station (ISS) 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.