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By NASA
Pandora, NASA’s newest exoplanet mission, is one step closer to launch with the completion of the spacecraft bus, which provides the structure, power, and other systems that will enable the mission to carry out its work.
Watch to learn more about NASA’s Pandora mission, which will revolutionize the study of exoplanet atmospheres.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center “This is a huge milestone for us and keeps us on track for a launch in the fall,” said Elisa Quintana, Pandora’s principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The bus holds our instruments and handles navigation, data acquisition, and communication with Earth — it’s the brains of the spacecraft.”
Pandora, a small satellite, will provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars in order to determine the composition of their atmospheres — especially the presence of hazes, clouds, and water. This data will establish a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and future missions that will search for habitable worlds.
Pandora’s spacecraft bus was photographed Jan. 10 within a thermal-vacuum testing chamber at Blue Canyon Technologies in Lafayette, Colorado. The bus provides the structure, power, and other systems that will enable the mission to help astronomers better separate stellar features from the spectra of transiting planets. NASA/Weston Maughan, BCT “We see the presence of water as a critical aspect of habitability because water is essential to life as we know it,” said Goddard’s Ben Hord, a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow who discussed the mission at the 245th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland. “The problem with confirming its presence in exoplanet atmospheres is that variations in light from the host star can mask or mimic the signal of water. Separating these sources is where Pandora will shine.”
Funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers program for small, ambitious missions, Pandora is a joint effort between Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and NASA Goddard.
“Pandora’s near-infrared detector is actually a spare developed for the Webb telescope, which right now is the observatory most sensitive to exoplanet atmospheres,” Hord added. “In turn, our observations will improve Webb’s ability to separate the star’s signals from those of the planet’s atmosphere, enabling Webb to make more precise atmospheric measurements.”
Astronomers can sample an exoplanet’s atmosphere when it passes in front of its star as seen from our perspective, an event called a transit. Part of the star’s light skims the atmosphere before making its way to us. This interaction allows the light to interact with atmospheric substances, and their chemical fingerprints — dips in brightness at characteristic wavelengths — become imprinted in the light.
But our telescopes see light from the entire star as well, not just what’s grazing the planet. Stellar surfaces aren’t uniform. They sport hotter, unusually bright regions called faculae and cooler, darker regions similar to sunspots, both of which grow, shrink, and change position as the star rotates.
An artist’s concept of the Pandora mission, seen here without the thermal blanketing that will protect the spacecraft, observing a star and its transiting exoplanet. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab Using a novel all-aluminum, 45-centimeter-wide (17 inches) telescope, jointly developed by Livermore and Corning Specialty Materials in Keene, New Hampshire, Pandora’s detectors will capture each star’s visible brightness and near-infrared spectrum at the same time, while also obtaining the transiting planet’s near-infrared spectrum. This combined data will enable the science team to determine the properties of stellar surfaces and cleanly separate star and planetary signals.
The observing strategy takes advantage of the mission’s ability to continuously observe its targets for extended periods, something flagship missions like Webb, which are in high demand, cannot regularly do.
Over the course of its year-long prime mission, Pandora will observe at least 20 exoplanets 10 times, with each stare lasting a total of 24 hours. Each observation will include a transit, which is when the mission will capture the planet’s spectrum.
Pandora is led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides the mission’s project management and engineering. Pandora’s telescope was manufactured by Corning and developed collaboratively with Livermore, which also developed the imaging detector assemblies, the mission’s control electronics, and all supporting thermal and mechanical subsystems. The infrared sensor was provided by NASA Goddard. Blue Canyon Technologies provided the bus and is performing spacecraft assembly, integration, and environmental testing. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will perform the mission’s data processing. Pandora’s mission operations center is located at the University of Arizona, and a host of additional universities support the science team.
Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
By Francis Reddy
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
301-286-1940
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Last Updated Jan 16, 2025 Related Terms
Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Exoplanet Atmosphere Exoplanet Exploration Program Exoplanet Science Exoplanet Transits Exoplanets Goddard Space Flight Center Studying Exoplanets The Universe View the full article
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The Skydweller Aero solar-powered, autonomous aircraft flies above the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during a September 2024 test operation. Skydweller Aero has an ongoing airspace agreement with NASA Stennis to conduct test flights of its aircraft in the area.Skydweller Aero NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has entered into an agreement with Skydweller Aero Inc. for the company to operate its solar-powered autonomous aircraft in the site’s restricted airspace, a key step towards achieving a strategic center goal.
The Reimbursable Space Act agreement marks the first between NASA Stennis and a commercial company to utilize the south Mississippi center’s unique capabilities to support testing and operation of uncrewed systems.
“There are few locations like NASA Stennis that offer a secure location, restricted airspace and the infrastructure to support testing and operation of various uncrewed systems,” said NASA Stennis Director John Bailey. “Range operations is a critical area of focus as we adapt to the changing aerospace and technology landscape to grow into the future.”
NASA Stennis and Skydweller Aero finalized the agreement in late August, paving the way for the company to begin area test flights of its autonomous, uncrewed solar-powered aircraft, which features a wingspan greater than a 747 jetliner and is designed for long-duration flights. The company announced Oct. 1 it had completed an initial test flight campaign of the aircraft, including two test excursions totaling 16 and 22.5 hours.
NASA Stennis and Skydweller Aero began talks in the summer of 2023 when the company expressed interest in utilizing NASA Stennis airspace for its all-carbon fiber aircraft. The NASA Stennis area fits the company’s needs well since it provides ready access from Stennis International Airport to the Gulf of Mexico area. NASA Stennis airspace also provides a level of privacy for aircraft testing and operation.
“Access to the restricted airspace above NASA Stennis has been tremendously helpful to our uncrewed, autonomous flight operations,” said Barry Matsumori, president and chief operating officer of Skydweller Aero. “The opportunity to use the controlled environment above Stennis helps accelerate our efforts, allowing us to transition the aircraft in and out of civil airspace, while demonstrating its reliability and unblemished safety record to the FAA.”
Companies must be conducting public aircraft operations to use any restricted airspace. In this instance, Skydweller Aero is flying its aircraft in association with the U.S. Department of Defense, allowing for the Reimbursable Space Act agreement with NASA Stennis.
The agreement provides the company Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization for future test flights in designated areas of the NASA Stennis buffer zone. It also represents a key step in the center’s effort to grow its range operations presence.
“This really opens the door for others to come here,” said Jason Peterson, NASA Stennis range officer. “There are requirements that must be met, but for those who meet them, NASA Stennis is an ideal location for test and flight operations.”
The FAA established restricted airspace at NASA Stennis in 1966 and approved its expansion in 2016. The expansion was necessary to conduct propulsion testing safely, accommodate U.S. Department of Defense missions, and support unmanned aerial systems activities.
Restricted airspace at NASA Stennis allows qualifying organizations to conduct various uncrewed flight activities. NASA Stennis personnel provide scheduling and range operation support, including reviews and evaluations to ensure safe flight operations. Processes are in place to ensure communication between aircraft operators, FAA air traffic controllers, and range safety personnel.
Peterson said he hopes the agreement with Skydweller Aero will clear the way for future collaborations as NASA Stennis continues to expand its customer-based operations. For instance, although Skydweller Aero is not located onsite, NASA Stennis is able to support ground operations for a variety of unmanned aircraft system takeoffs and landings.
Beyond that, the center also hopes to expand its operational capabilities to include marine and ground activities. In addition to a large geographic footprint, the center features a secure 7.5-mile waterway canal system for testing unmanned underwater or surface vehicles.
For information about range operations at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
Range and Airspace Operations – NASA
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Last Updated Oct 23, 2024 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related Terms
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By NASA
“Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed.” “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” “Magnificent desolation.” Three phrases that recall humanity’s first landing on and exploration of the lunar surface. In July 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin completed humanity’s first landing on the Moon. They fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s national goal, set in May 1961, to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth before the end of the decade. Scientists began examining the first Moon rocks two days after the Apollo 11 splashdown while the astronauts began a three-week postflight quarantine.
Just another day at the office. Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, left, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin arrive for work at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida four days before launch.
Left: Buzz, Mike, and Neil study their flight plans one more time. Middle: Neil and Buzz in the Lunar Module simulator. Right: Mike gets in some flying a few days before launch.
Buzz, Neil, and Mike look very relaxed as they talk to reporters in a virtual press conference on July 14.
Left: The crew. Middle: The patch. Right: The crew conquer the Moon, a TIME LIFE photograph.
Left: Breakfast, the most important meal if you’re going to the Moon. Middle: Proper attire for lunar travel. Right: Wave good-bye to all your friends and supporters before you head for the launch pad.
Left: Engineers in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida monitor the countdown. Middle: Once the rocket clears the launch tower, they turn control over to another team and they can watch it ascend into the sky. Right: Engineers in the Mission Control Center at the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, take over control of the flight once the tower is clear.
Left: Lady Bird, LBJ, and VP Agnew in the VIP stands. Right: A million more camped out along the beaches to see the historic launch.
July 16, 1969. And we’re off!! Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A.
Left: The American flag is pictured in the foreground as the Saturn V rocket for the historic Apollo 11 mission soars through the sky. Middle: First stage separation for Apollo 11. Right: Made it to orbit!
Left: Hey, don’t forget your LM! Middle: Buzz in the LM: “S’allright?” “S’allright!” Right: As the world turns smaller.
Left: Hello Moon! Middle left: Hello Earth! Middle right: See you soon, Columbia! Right: See you soon, Eagle! Happy landing!
July 20, 1969. Left: Magnificent desolation, from Buzz’s window after landing. Middle: Neil takes THE first step. Right: First image taken from the lunar surface.
Left: Neil grabs a contingency sample, just in case. Middle left: Buzz joins the party. Middle right: Neil and Buzz read the plaque. Right: Buzz sets up the solar wind experiment.
Left: Buzz and Neil set up the flag. Middle left: Neil takes that famous photo of Buzz. Middle right: You know, this famous photo! Right: Often misidentified as Neil’s first footprint, it’s actually Buzz’s to test the lunar soil.
Left: Buzz had the camera for a while and snapped one of the few photos of Neil on the surface. Middle left: Buzz, the seismometer, and the LM. Middle right: The LM and the laser retroreflector. Right: One of two photos from the surface that show both Buzz, the main subject, and Neil, the reflection.
Neil took a stroll to Little West Crater and took several photos, spliced together into this pano.
Left: Neil after the spacewalk, tired but satisfied. Middle left: Ditto for Buzz. Middle right: The flag from Buzz’s window before they went to sleep. Right: The same view, and the flag moved! Not aliens, it settled in the loose lunar regolith overnight.
July 21, 1969. Left: Liftoff, the Eagle has wings again! Middle left: Eagle approaches Columbia, and incidentally everyone alive at the time is in this picture, except for Mike who took it. Middle right: On the way home, the Moon gets smaller. Right: And the Earth gets bigger.
July 24, 1969. Left: Splashdown, as captured from a recovery helicopter. Middle: Upside down in Stable 2, before balloons inflated to right the spacecraft. Right: Wearing his Biological Isolation Garment (BIG), Clancy Hatleberg, the decontamination officer, sets up his decontamination canisters. He’s already handed the astronauts their BIGs, who are donning them inside the spacecraft.
Left: Hatleberg, left, with Neil, Buzz, and Mike in the decontamination raft. Middle: Taken by U.S. Navy UDT swimmer Mike Mallory in a nearby raft, Hatleberg prepares to capture the Billy Pugh net for Neil, while Buss and Mike wave to Mallory. Right: The same scene, taken from the recovery helicopter, the Billy Pugh net visible at the bottom of the photo.
Left: Once aboard the U.S.S. Hornet, Mike, Neil, and Buzz wearing their BIGs walk the 10 steps from the Recovery One helicopter to the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF), with NASA flight surgeon Dr. William Carpentier, in orange suit, following behind. Middle left: NASA engineer John Hirasaki filmed the astronauts as they entered the MQF. Middle right: Changed from their BIGs into flight suits, Mike, Neil, and Buzz chat with President Nixon through the MQF’s window. Right: Neil, playing the ukelele, Buzz, and Mike inside the MQF.
Follow the Moon rocks from the Hornet to Ellington AFB. Left: NASA technician receives the first box of Moon rocks from the MQF’s transfer lock. Middle Left: Within a few hours of splashdown, the first box of Moon rocks departs Hornet bound for Johnston Island, where workers transferred it to a cargo plane bound for Houston. Middle right: Workers at Houston’s Ellington Air Force Base unload the first box of Moon rocks about eight hours later. Right: Senior NASA managers hold the first box of Moon rocks.
July 25, 1969. Follow the Moon rocks from Ellington to the glovebox in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). Left: NASA officials Howard Schneider and Gary McCollum carry the first box of Moon rocks from the cargo plane to a waiting car for transport to the LRL at MSC. Middle right: In the LRL, technicians at MSC unpack the first box of Moon rocks. Middle right: Technicians weigh the box of Moon rocks. Right: The first box of Moon rocks inside a glovebox.
July 26, 1969. Follow the Moon rocks in the LRL glovebox. Left: The first box of Moon rocks has been unwrapped. Middle: The box has been opened, revealing the first lunar samples. Right: The first rock to be documented, less than 48 hours after splashdown.
July 26, 1969. Follow the astronauts from Hornet to Honolulu. Left: Two days after splashdown, the U.S.S. Hornet docks at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. Middle left: Workers lift the MQF, with Neil, Mike, and Buzz inside, onto the pier. Middle right: A large welcome celebration for the Apollo 11 astronauts. Right: The MQF seen through a lei.
Follow the astronauts from Pearl Harbor to Ellington AFB. Left: Workers truck the MQF from Pearl Harbor to nearby Hickam AFB. Middle left: Workers load the MQF onto a cargo plane at Hickam for the flight to Houston. Middle right: During the eight-hour flight, NASA recovery team members pose with Neil, Mike, and Buzz, seen through the window of the MQF. Right: Workers unload the MQF at Houston’s Ellington AFB.
July 27, 1969. Follow the astronauts from Ellington to working in the LRL. Left: At Ellington, Neil, Mike, and Buzz reunite with their wives Jan, Pat, and TBS. Middle left: The MQF docks at the LRL. Middle right: Neil, Mike, and Buzz address the workers inside the LRL. Right: It’s back to work for Neil, Mike, and Buzz as they hold their debriefs in a glass-walled conference room in the LRL.
Follow the spacecraft from splashdown to Hawaii. Left: Sailors hoist the Command Module Columbia onto the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet. Middle left: The flexible tunnel connects the CM to the MQF, allowing for retrieval of the Moon rocks and other items. Center: U.S. Marines guard Columbia aboard the Hornet. Middle right: Columbia brought on deck as Hornet docks in Pearl Harbor. Right: NASA engineers safe Columbia on Ford Island in Honolulu.
July 31, 1969. Follow the spacecraft from Hawaii to the LRL. Left: Airmen load Columbia onto a cargo plane at Hickam AFB for the flight to Houston. Middle: Columbia arrives outside the LRL, where the MQF is still docked. Right: Hirasaki opens the hatch to Columbia in the LRL.
To be continued …
News from around the world in July 1969:
July 1 – Investiture of Prince Charles, age 21, as The Prince of Wales.
July 3 – 78,000 attend the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.
July 4 – John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band release the single “Give Peace a Chance.”
July 11 – David Bowie releases the single “Space Oddity.”
July 11 – The Rolling Stones release “Honky Tonk Woman.”
July 14 – “Easy Rider,” starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, and Jack Nicholson, premieres.
July 18 – NASA Administrator Thomas O. Paine approves the “dry” workshop concept for the Apollo Applications Program, later renamed Skylab.
July 26 – Sharon Sites Adams becomes the first woman to solo sail the Pacific Ocean.
July 31 – Mariner 6 makes close fly-by of Mars, returning photos and data.
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By NASA
Key adapters for the first crewed Artemis missions are manufactured at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The cone-shaped payload adapter, left, will debut on the Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket beginning with Artemis IV, while the Orion stage adapters, right, will be used for Artemis II and Artemis III. NASA/Sam Lott A test version of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s payload adapter is ready for evaluation, marking a critical milestone on the journey to the hardware’s debut on NASA’s Artemis IV mission.
Comprised of two metal rings and eight composite panels, the cone-shaped payload adapter will be part of the SLS Block 1B configuration and housed inside the universal stage adapter atop the rocket’s more powerful in-space stage, called the exploration upper stage. The payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration of the first three Artemis missions that sits at the topmost portion of the rocket and helps connect the rocket and spacecraft.
“Like the Orion stage adapter and the launch vehicle stage adapter used for the first three SLS flights, the payload adapter for the evolved SLS Block 1B configuration is fully manufactured and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama,” said Casey Wolfe, assistant branch chief for the advanced manufacturing branch at Marshall. “Marshall’s automated fiber placement and large-scale integration facilities provide our teams the ability to build composite hardware elements for multiple Artemis missions in parallel, allowing for cost and schedule savings.”
Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article.NASA Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article.NASA Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article.NASA Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and move the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structural test article. NASA At about 8.5 feet tall, the payload adapter’s eight composite sandwich panels, which measure about 12 feet each in length, contain a metallic honeycomb-style structure at their thickest point but taper to a single carbon fiber layer at each end. The panels are pieced together using a high-precision process called determinant assembly, in which each component is designed to fit securely in a specific place, like puzzle pieces.
After manufacturing, the payload adapter will also be structurally tested at Marshall, which manages the SLS Program. The first structural test series begins this spring. Test teams will use the engineering development unit – an exact replica of the flight version of the hardware – to check the structure’s strength and durability by twisting, shaking, and applying extreme pressure.
While every Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket will use a payload adapter, each will be customized to fit the mission’s needs. The determinant assembly method and digital tooling ensure a more efficient and uniform manufacturing process, regardless of the mission profile, to ensure hardware remains on schedule. Data from this test series will further inform design and manufacturing processes as teams begin manufacturing the qualification and flight hardware for Artemis IV.
NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft and Gateway in orbit around the Moon and commercial human landing systems, next-generational spacesuits, and rovers on the lunar surface. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.
News Media Contact
Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov
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By Space Force
Guardian Arena is a two-day event, challenging participants to operationalize the Guardian Ideal and Guardian Spirit in a healthy competition.
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