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By NASA
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
ESI24 Zou Quadchart
Min Zou
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Lunar dust, with its highly abrasive and electrostatic properties, poses serious threats to the longevity and functionality of spacecraft, habitats, and equipment operating on the Moon. This project aims to develop advanced bioinspired surface textures that effectively repel lunar dust, targeting critical surfaces such as habitat exteriors, doors, and windows. By designing and fabricating innovative micro-/nano-hierarchical core-shell textures, we aim to significantly reduce dust adhesion, ultimately enhancing the performance and durability of lunar infrastructure. Using cutting-edge fabrication methods like two-photon lithography and atomic layer deposition, our team will create resilient, dust-repelling textures inspired by natural surfaces. We will also conduct in-situ testing with a scanning electron microscope to analyze individual particle adhesion and triboelectric effects, gaining critical insights into lunar dust behavior on engineered surfaces. These findings will guide the development of durable surfaces for long-lasting, low-maintenance lunar equipment, with broader applications for other dust-prone environments.
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By NASA
MuSat2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, prior to launch. MuSat2 leverages a dual-frequency science antenna developed with support from NASA to measure phenomena such as ocean wind speed. Muon Space A science antenna developed with support from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) is now in low-Earth orbit aboard MuSat2, a commercial remote-sensing satellite flown by the aerospace company Muon Space. The dual-frequency science antenna was originally developed as part of the Next Generation GNSS Bistatic Radar Instrument (NGRx). Aboard MuSat2, it will help measure ocean surface wind speed—an essential data point for scientists trying to forecast how severe a burgeoning hurricane will become.
“We’re very interested in adopting this technology and pushing it forward, both from a technology perspective and a product perspective,” said Jonathan Dyer, CEO of Muon.
Using this antenna, MuSat2 will gather signals transmitted by navigation satellites as they scatter off Earth’s surface and back into space. By recording how those scattered navigation signals change as they interact with Earth’s surface, MuSat2 will provide meteorologists with data points they can use to study severe weather.
“We use the standard GPS signals you know—the navigation signals that work for your car and your cell phone,” explained Chris Ruf, director of the University of Michigan Space Institute and principal investigator for NGRx.
Ruf designed the entire NGRx system to be an updated version of the sensors on NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), another technology he developed with support from ESTO. Since 2016, data from CYGNSS has been a critical resource for people dedicated to forecasting hurricanes.
The science antenna aboard MuSat2 enables two key improvements to the original CYGNSS design. First, the antenna allows MuSat2 to gather measurements from satellites outside the U.S.-based GPS system, such as the European Space Agency’s Galileo satellites. This capability enables MuSat2 to collect more data as it orbits Earth, improving its assessments of conditions on the planet’s surface.
Second, whereas CYGNSS only collected cross-polar radar signals, the updated science antenna also collects co-polar radar signals. This additional information could provide improved information about soil moisture, sea ice, and vegetation. “There’s a whole lot of science value in looking at both polarization components scattering from the Earth’s surface. You can separate apart the effects of vegetation from the effects of surface, itself,” explained Ruf.
Hurricane Ida, as seen from the International Space Station. NASA-developed technology onboard MuSat2 will help supply the U.S. Air Force with critical data for producing reliable weather forecasts. NASA For Muon Space, this technology infusion has been helpful to the company’s business and science missions. Dallas Masters, Vice President of Muon’s Signals of Opportunity Program, explains that NASA’s investments in NGRx technology made it much easier to produce a viable commercial remote sensing satellite. According to Masters, “NGRx-derived technology allowed us to start planning a flight mission early in our company’s existence, based around a payload we knew had flight heritage.”
Dyer agrees. “The fact that ESTO proves out these measurement approaches – the technology and the instrument, the science that you can actually derive, the products from that instrument – is a huge enabler for companies like ours, because we can adopt it knowing that much of the physics risk has been retired,” he said.
Ultimately, this advanced antenna technology for measuring ocean surface wind speed will make it easier for researchers to turn raw data into actionable science products and to develop more accurate forecasts.
“Information is absolutely precious. When it comes to forecast models and trying to understand what’s about to happen, you have to have as good an idea as you can of what’s already happening in the real world,” said oceanographer Lew Gramer, an Associate Scientist with the Cooperative Institute For Marine And Atmospheric Studies and NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division.
Project Lead: Chris Ruf, University of Michigan
Sponsoring Organizations: NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office and Muon Space
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Last Updated Nov 12, 2024 Related Terms
CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System) Earth Science Earth Science Division Earth Science Technology Office Oceans Science-enabling Technology Technology Highlights Explore More
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
About 20,000 guests visited NASA’s tent at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California, Sept. 27-29, 2024. NASA Lee esta historia en Español aquí.
In September, the three NASA centers in California came together to share aerospace innovations with thousands of guests at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California. Agency experts talked about the exciting work NASA does while exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.
Under a large tent near the airfield, guests perused exhibits from different centers and projects, like a model of the Innovator rover or the Alta-X drone, from Sept. 27 through 29. Agency employees from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California; and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California guided guests through tours and presentations and shared messages about NASA missions.
“The airshow is about the people just as much as it is about the aircraft and technology,” said Derek Abramson, chief engineer for the Subscale Flight Research Laboratory at NASA Armstrong. “I met many new people, worked with an amazing team, and developed a comradery with other NASA centers, talking about what we do here as a cohesive organization.”
Experts like flight controls engineer Felipe Valdez shared the NASA mission with air show guests, and explained the novelty of airborne instruments like the Alta-X drone at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California, Sept. 27-29, 2024.NASA On Sept. 29, pilots from Armstrong joined the event to take photos with guests and answer questions from curious or enthusiastic patrons. One air show guest had a special moment with NASA pilot Jim Less.
“One of my favorite moments was connecting with a young man in his late teens who stopped by the exhibit tent numerous times, all in hopes of being able to meet Jim Less, our X-59 pilot,” said Kevin Rohrer, chief of Communications at NASA Armstrong. “It culminated with a great conversation with the two and Jim [Less] autographing a model of the X-59 aircraft the young man had been carrying around.”
“I look forward to this tradition continuing, if not at this venue, at some other event in California,” Rohrer continued. “We have a lot of minds hungry and passionate to learn more about all of NASA missions.”
The Miramar Air Show is an annual event that happens at the Miramar Air Base in San Diego, California.
Professionals like Leticha Hawkinson, center right, and Haig Arakelian, center left, shared learning and career opportunities for NASA enthusiasts visiting the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California, Sept. 27-29, 2024.NASA Share
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Last Updated Oct 30, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms
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By USH
Over the years, numerous mysterious events have been witnessed in the sky, defying explanation. Recently, yet another unusual sky phenomenon was observed over Southern Australia capturing attention and sparking curiosity.
Video footage reveals what appears to be a dome-shaped structure, with an even stranger detail: lightning seems to bounce off or perhaps even originate from within the dome.
The mysterious formation has led to numerous theories. Some viewers suggest it could be a unique (red) rainbow or a rare weather event like a haboob (sandstorm). Others speculate it might be the result of weather manipulation or even an energy field projected over the region.
Opinions also vary on the lightning, some say it’s bouncing off the dome, while others believe it could be emanating from within. Although it may just be an unusual natural phenomenon, the seemly strange interaction with the lightning remains unexplained.
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