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News Update on Upcoming NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 Mission
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By NASA
This image shows nine candidate landing regions for NASA’s Artemis III mission, with each region containing multiple potential sites for the first crewed landing on the Moon in more than 50 years. The background image of the lunar South Pole terrain within the nine regions is a mosaic of LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) WAC (Wide Angle Camera) images.Credit: NASA As NASA prepares for the first crewed Moon landing in more than five decades, the agency has identified an updated set of nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for its Artemis III mission. These areas will be further investigated through scientific and engineering study. NASA will continue to survey potential areas for missions following Artemis III, including areas beyond these nine regions.
“Artemis will return humanity to the Moon and visit unexplored areas. NASA’s selection of these regions shows our commitment to landing crew safely near the lunar South Pole, where they will help uncover new scientific discoveries and learn to live on the lunar surface,” said Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office.
NASA’s Cross Agency Site Selection Analysis team, working closely with science and industry partners, added, and excluded potential landing regions, which were assessed for their science value and mission availability.
The refined candidate Artemis III lunar landing regions are, in no priority order:
Peak near Cabeus B Haworth Malapert Massif Mons Mouton Plateau Mons Mouton Nobile Rim 1 Nobile Rim 2 de Gerlache Rim 2 Slater Plain These regions contain diverse geological characteristics and offer flexibility for mission availability. The lunar South Pole has never been explored by a crewed mission and contains permanently shadowed areas that can preserve resources, including water.
“The Moon’s South Pole is a completely different environment than where we landed during the Apollo missions,” said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “It offers access to some of the Moon’s oldest terrain, as well as cold, shadowed regions that may contain water and other compounds. Any of these landing regions will enable us to do amazing science and make new discoveries.”
To select these landing regions, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers analyzed the lunar South Pole region using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and a vast body of lunar science research. Factors in the selection process included science potential, launch window availability, terrain suitability, communication capabilities with Earth, and lighting conditions. Additionally, the team assessed the combined trajectory capabilities of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and Starship HLS (Human Landing System) to ensure safe and accessible landing sites.
The Artemis III geology team evaluated the landing regions for their scientific promise. Sites within each of the nine identified regions have the potential to provide key new insights into our understanding of rocky planets, lunar resources, and the history of our solar system.
“Artemis III will be the first time that astronauts will land in the south polar region of the Moon. They will be flying on a new lander into a terrain that is unique from our past Apollo experience,” said Jacob Bleacher, NASA’s chief exploration scientist. “Finding the right locations for this historic moment begins with identifying safe places for this first landing, and then trying to match that with opportunities for science from this new place on the Moon.”
NASA’s site assessment team will engage the lunar science community through conferences and workshops to gather data, build geologic maps, and assess the regional geology of eventual landing sites. The team also will continue surveying the entire lunar South Pole region for science value and mission availability for future Artemis missions. This will include planning for expanded science opportunities during Artemis IV, and suitability for the LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) as part of Artemis V.
The agency will select sites within regions for Artemis III after it identifies the mission’s target launch dates, which dictate transfer trajectories, or orbital paths, and surface environment conditions.
Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.
For more information on Artemis, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis
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James Gannon / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
james.h.gannon@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Oct 28, 2024 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Artemis Artemis 3 Earth's Moon Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Human Landing System Program Humans in Space Space Launch System (SLS) View the full article
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By European Space Agency
The two CubeSat passengers aboard ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defence have exchanged their first signals with Earth, confirming their nominal status. The pair were switched on to check out all their systems, marking the first operation of ESA CubeSats in deep space.
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By Space Force
U.S. Space Forces - Space supports NASA human space flight by planning, integrating, executing, and assessing space operations, providing continuous space situational awareness monitoring for the International Space Station and visiting spacecraft.
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By NASA
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 members, from left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, are seen inside the Dragon spacecraft shortly after having landed off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, on Oct. 25, 2024. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission successfully splashed down at 3:29 a.m. EDT Friday, off Pensacola, Florida, concluding a nearly eight-month science mission and the agency’s eighth commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station.
After launching March 3 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, spent 232 days aboard the space station.
Recovery teams from NASA and SpaceX quickly secured the spacecraft and assisted the astronauts during exit. The crew now will head to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while the Dragon spacecraft will return to SpaceX facilities at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for inspection and refurbishment for future missions.
During their mission, crew members traveled nearly 100 million miles and completed 3,760 orbits around Earth. They conducted new scientific research to advance human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit human life on Earth. Research and technology demonstrations included conducting stem cell research to develop organoid models for studying degenerative diseases, exploring how fuel temperature affects material flammability, and studying how spaceflight affects immune function in astronauts. Their work aims to improve astronaut health during long-duration spaceflights, contributing to critical advancements in space medicine and benefitting humanity.
Crew-8’s return follows the arrival of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 to the orbiting laboratory Sept. 29. These missions are part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which provides reliable access to space, maximizing the use of the station for research and development and supporting future missions beyond low Earth orbit by partnering with private companies to transport astronauts to and from the space station.
Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
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Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Leah Cheshier / Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
Steve Siceloff / Stephanie Plucinsky
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Oct 25, 2024 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Commercial Crew Humans in Space International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research View the full article
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By NASA
5 min read
NASA Science on Health, Safety to Launch on 31st SpaceX Resupply Mission
New science experiments for NASA are set to launch aboard the agency’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The six investigations aim to contribute to cutting-edge discoveries by NASA scientists and research teams. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will liftoff aboard the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Science experiments aboard the spacecraft include a test to study smothering fires in space, evaluating quantum communications, analyzing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, examining health issues like blood clots and inflammation in astronauts, as well as growing romaine lettuce and moss in microgravity.
Developing Firefighting Techniques in Microgravity
Putting out a fire in space requires a unique approach to prioritize the safety of the spacecraft environment and crew. The SoFIE-MIST (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction – Material Ignition and Suppression Test) is one of five investigations chosen by NASA since 2009 to develop techniques on how to contain and put out fires in microgravity. Research from the experiment could strengthen our understanding of the beginning stages of fire growth and behavior, which will assist in building and developing more resilient space establishments and creating better plans for fire suppression in space
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins services components that support the SOFIE (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction) fire safety experiment inside the International Space Station’s combustion integrated rack Credit: NASA Combating Antibiotic Resistance
Resistance to antibiotics is as much of a concern for astronauts in space as it is for humans on Earth. Research determined that the impacts of microgravity can weaken a human’s immune system during spaceflight, which can lead to an increase of infection and illness for those living on the space station.
The GEARS (Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space) investigation scans the orbiting outpost for bacteria resistant to antibiotics and these organisms are studied to learn how they thrive and adapt to microgravity. Research results could help increase the safety of astronauts on future missions as well as provide clues to improving human health on Earth.
A sample media plate pictured aboard the International Space Station. The GEARS (Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space) investigation surveys the orbiting laboratory for antibiotic-resistant organisms. Genetic analysis could provide knowledge that informs measures to protect astronauts on future long-duration missions Credit: NASA Understanding Inflammation and Blood Clotting
Microgravity takes a toll on the human body and studies have shown that astronauts have had cases of inflammation and abnormally regulated blood clotting. The MeF-1 (Megakaryocytes Orbiting in Outer Space and Near Earth: The MOON Study (Megakaryocyte Flying-One)) investigation will conduct research on how the conditions in microgravity can impact the creation and function of platelets and bone-marrow megakaryocytes. Megakaryocytes, and their progeny, platelets, are key effector cells bridging the inflammatory, immune, and hemostatic continuum.
This experiment could help scientists learn about the concerns caused by any changes in the formation of clots, inflammation, and immune responses both on Earth and during spaceflight.
A scanning electron-microscopy image of human platelets taken at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory NASA Space Radiation Laboratory Building the Space Salad Bar
The work continues to grow food in the harsh environment of space that is both nutritious and safe for humans to consume. With Plant Habitat-07, research continues on ‘Outredgeous’ romaine lettuce, first grown on the International Space Station in 2014.
This experiment will sprout this red lettuce in microgravity in the space station’s Advanced Plant Habitat and study how optimal and suboptimal moisture conditions impact plant growth, nutrient content, and the plant microbiome. The knowledge gained will add to NASA’s history of growing vegetables in space and could also benefit agriculture on Earth.
Pace crop production scientist Oscar Monje harvests Outredgeous romaine lettuce for preflight testing of the Plant Habitat-07 experiment inside a laboratory at the Space Systems Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida NASA/Ben Smegelsky Mixing Moss with Space Radiation
ARTEMOSS (ANT1 Radiation Tolerance Experiment with Moss in Orbit on the Space Station) continues research that started on Earth with samples of Antarctic moss that underwent simulated solar radiation at the NASA Space Radiation Lab at Brookhaven National Lab in Upton, New York.
After exposure to radiation some of the moss samples will spend time on the orbiting outpost in the microgravity environment and some will remain on the ground in the 1g environment. ARTEMOSS will study how Antarctic moss recovers from any potential damage from ionizing radiation exposure when plants remain on the ground and when plants grow in spaceflight microgravity. This study leads the way in understanding the effects of combined simulated cosmic ionizing radiation and spaceflight microgravity on live plants, providing more clues to plant performance in exploration missions to come.
An example of moss plants grown for the ARTEMOSS mission Credit: NASA Enabling Communication in Space Between Quantum Computers
The SEAQUE (Space Entanglement and Annealing Quantum Experiment) will experiment with technologies that, if successful, will enable communication on a quantum level using entanglement. Researchers will focus on validating in space a new technology, enabling easier and more robust communication between two quantum systems across large distances. The research from this experiment could lead to developing building blocks for communicating between equipment such as quantum computers with enhanced security.
A quantum communications investigation, called SEAQUE (Space Entanglement and Annealing Quantum Experiment), is pictured as prepared for launch to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission. The investigation is integrated on a MISSE-20 (Materials International Space Station Experiment) device, which is a platform for experiments on the outside of space station exposing instrumentation directly to the space environment. SEAQUE will conduct experiments in quantum entanglement while being exposed to the radiation environment of space Credit: NASA Related resources:
SoFIE-MIST (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction – Material Ignition and Suppression Test) SoFIE (Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction) | Glenn Research Center | NASA GEARS Space Station to Host ‘Self-Healing’ Quantum Communications Tech Demo – NASA MeF1 (Megakaryocyte Flying-One) ARTEMOSS NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division pioneers scientific discovery and enables exploration by using space environments to conduct investigations not possible on Earth. Studying biological and physical phenomenon under extreme conditions allows researchers to advance the fundamental scientific knowledge required to go farther and stay longer in space, while also benefitting life on Earth.
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