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By European Space Agency
Video: 00:01:36 On Wednesday 12 March 2025 ESA’s Hera spacecraft for planetary defence performs a flyby of Mars. The gravity of the red planet shifts the spacecraft’s trajectory towards its final destination of the Didymos binary asteroid system, shortening its trip by months and saving substantial fuel.
Watch the livestream release of images from Hera’s flyby by the mission’s science team on Thursday 13 March, starting at 11:50 CET!
Hera comes to around 5000 km from the surface of Mars during its flyby. It will also image Deimos, the smaller of Mars’s two moons, from a minimum 1000 km away (while venturing as close as 300 km). Hera will also image Mars’s larger moon Phobos as it begins to move away from Mars.
Launched on 7 October 2024, Hera on its way to visit the first asteroid to have had its orbit altered by human action. By gathering close-up data about the Dimorphos asteroid, which was impacted by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022, Hera will help turn asteroid deflection into a well understood and potentially repeatable technique.
Hera will reach the Didymos asteroid and its Dimorphos moonlet in December 2026. By gathering crucial missing data during its close-up crash scene investigation, Hera will turn the kinetic impact method of asteroid deflection into a well understood technique that could potentially be used for real when needed.
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By NASA
James Gentile always wanted to fly. As he prepared for an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy to become a pilot, life threw him an unexpected curve: a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. His appointment was rescinded.
With his dream grounded, Gentile had two choices—give up or chart a new course. He chose the latter, pivoting to aerospace engineering. If he could not be a pilot, he would design the flight simulations that trained those who could.
Official portrait of James Gentile. NASA/Robert Markowitz As a human space vehicle simulation architect at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Gentile leads the Integrated Simulation team, which supports the Crew Compartment Office within the Simulation and Graphics Branch. He oversees high-fidelity graphical simulations that support both engineering analysis and flight crew training for the Artemis campaign.
His team provides critical insight into human landing system vendor designs, ensuring compliance with NASA’s standards. They also develop human-in-the-loop simulations to familiarize teams with the challenges of returning humans to the lunar surface, optimizing design and safety for future space missions.
“I take great pride in what I have helped to build, knowing that some of the simulations I developed have influenced decisions for the Artemis campaign,” Gentile said.
One of the projects he is most proud of is the Human Landing System CrewCo Lander Simulation, which helps engineers and astronauts tackle the complexities of lunar descent, ascent, and rendezvous. He worked his way up from a developer to managing and leading the project, transforming a basic lunar lander simulation into a critical tool for the Artemis campaign.
What began as a simple model in 2020 is now a key training asset used in multiple facilities at Johnson. The simulation evaluates guidance systems and provides hands-on piloting experience for lunar landers.
James Gentile in the Simulation Exploration and Analysis Lab during a visit with Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke. From left to right: Katie Tooher, Charlie Duke, Steve Carothers, Mark Updegrove, and James Gentile. NASA/James Blair Before joining Johnson as a contractor in 2018, Gentile worked in the aviation industry developing flight simulations for pilot training. Transitioning to the space sector was challenging at first, particularly working alongside seasoned professionals who had been part of the space program for years.
“I believe my experience in the private sector has benefited my career,” he said. “I’ve been able to bring a different perspective and approach to problem-solving that has helped me advance at Johnson.”
Gentile attributes his success to never being afraid to speak up and ask questions. “You don’t always have to be the smartest person in the room to make an impact,” he said. “I’ve been able to show my value through my work and by continuously teaching myself new skills.”
As he helps train the Artemis Generation, Gentile hopes to pass on his passion for aerospace and simulation development, inspiring others to persevere through obstacles and embrace unexpected opportunities.
“The most important lessons I’ve learned in my career are to build and maintain relationships with your coworkers and not to be afraid to step out of your comfort zone,” he said.
James Gentile with his son at NASA’s Johnson Space Center during the 2024 Bring Youth to Work Day. His journey did not go as planned, but in the end, it led him exactly where he was meant to be—helping humanity take its next giant leap.
“I’ve learned that the path to your goals may not always be clear-cut, but you should never give up on your dreams,” Gentile said.
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By NASA
Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 captured an image March 6, 2025, after landing in a crater from the Moon’s South Pole. The lunar lander is on its side about 820 feet from the intended landing site, Mons Mouton. In the center of the image between the two lander legs is the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1 suite, which shows the drill deployed.Credit: Intuitive Machines Shortly after touching down inside a crater on the Moon, carrying NASA technology and science on its IM-2 mission, Intuitive Machines collected some data for the agency before calling an early end of mission at 12:15 a.m. CST Friday.
As part of the company’s second Moon delivery for NASA under the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, the IM-2 mission included a drill to bring lunar soil to the surface and a mass spectrometer to look for the presence of volatiles, or gases, that could one day help provide fuel or breathable oxygen to future Artemis explorers.
Planned to land at Mons Mouton, IM-2 touched down at approximately 11:30 a.m. March 6, more than 1,300 feet (400 meters) from its intended landing site. Intuitive Machines said images collected later confirmed the lander was on its side, preventing it from fully operating the drill and other instruments before its batteries were depleted.
The IM-2 mission landed closer to the lunar South Pole than any previous lander.
“Our targeted landing site near the lunar South Pole is one of the most scientifically interesting, and geographically challenging locations, on the Moon,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow, and we will use this lesson to propel our efforts to advance science, exploration, and commercial development as we get ready for human exploration of Mars.”
The Nova-C lander, named Athena, captured and transmitted images of the landing site before activating the technology and science instruments. Among the data collected, NASA’s PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1) suite, which includes the lunar drill known as TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain), successfully demonstrated the hardware’s full range of motion in the harsh environment of space. The Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) as part of the PRIME-1 suite of instruments, detected elements likely due to the gases emitted from the lander’s propulsion system.
“While this mission didn’t achieve all of its objectives for NASA, the work that went into the payload development is already informing other agency and commercial efforts,” said Clayton Turner, associate administrator for space technology, NASA Headquarters. “As we continue developing new technologies to support exploration of the Moon and Mars, testing technologies in-situ is crucial to informing future missions. The CLPS initiative remains an instrumental method for achieving this.”
Despite the lander’s configuration, Intuitive Machines, which was responsible for launch, delivery, and surface operations under its CLPS contract, was able to complete some instrument checkouts and collect 250 megabytes of data for NASA.
“Empowering American companies to deliver science and tech to the Moon on behalf of NASA both produces scientific results and continues development of a lunar economy,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. “While we’re disappointed in the outcome of the IM-2 mission, we remain committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they navigate the very difficult task of landing and operating on the Moon.”
NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array, a passive instrument meant to provide a reference point on the lunar surface and does not power on, will remain affixed to the top deck of the lander. Although Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Hopper and Nokia’s 4G/LTE Tipping Point technologies, funded in part by NASA, were only able to complete some objectives, they provided insight into maturing technologies ready for infusion into a commercial space application including some checkouts in flight and on the surface.
Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission launched at 6:16 p.m., Feb. 26, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Intuitive Machines has two more deliveries on the books for NASA in the future, with its IM-3 mission slated for 2026, and IM-4 mission in 2027.
To date, five vendors have been awarded a total of 11 lunar deliveries under CLPS and are sending more than 50 instruments to various locations on the Moon, including the Moon’s far side and South Pole region. CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028.
Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:
https://www.nasa.gov/clps
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Cheryl Warner / Jasmine Hopkins
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
cheryl.m.warner@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
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Last Updated Mar 07, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Artemis Earth's Moon Science & Research Science Mission Directorate Space Technology Mission Directorate View the full article
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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA is seeking design ideas from global creators for a zero gravity indicator that will fly aboard the agency’s Artemis II test flight. Zero gravity indicators are small, plush items carried aboard spacecraft to provide a visual indication of when the spacecraft and its crew reach space.
This opportunity, with a submission deadline of May 27, asks for original designs representing the significance of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the mission, or exploration and discovery, and meet specific requirements for materials and size.
“What better way to fly a mission around the Moon than to invite the public inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft with us and ask for help in designing our zero gravity indicator?” asked Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The indicator will float alongside Victor, Christina, Jeremy, and me as we go around the far side of the Moon and remind us of all of you back on Earth.”
Up to 25 finalists, including from a K-12 student division, will be selected. The Artemis II crew will choose one design that NASA’s Thermal Blanket Lab will fabricate to fly alongside them in Orion. Imagine seeing your creation floating weightlessly with astronauts on their way around the Moon.
For complete contest details, visit:
http://www.freelancer.com/moon-mascot
Crowdsourcing company Freelancer is hosting the challenge, called Moon Mascot: NASA Artemis II ZGI Design Contest, on behalf of the agency through the NASA Tournament Lab, managed by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
NASA has a long history of flying zero gravity indicators for human spaceflight missions. Many missions to the International Space Station include a plush item. A plush Snoopy rode inside Orion during NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission.
Artemis II will be the first test flight of the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground system with crew aboard. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will venture around the Moon and back. The mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step toward missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human missions to Mars.
All major elements for Artemis II are readying for flight. Engineers recently completed stacking the twin solid rocket boosters for the SLS (Space Launch System) on their launch platform and are preparing for integration of the SLS core stage in the coming weeks. Teams also recently installed the solar array wings on the Orion spacecraft that will carry the four astronauts on their journey around the Moon and home.
Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Learn more about Artemis II at:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/
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Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov
Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Mar 07, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Humans in Space Artemis 2 Astronauts Johnson Space Center NASA Headquarters
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