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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 NASA
Teams from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), including NASA astronaut Stan Love (far right) and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano (far left) help conduct human factors testing inside a mockup for the Gateway lunar space station. Thales Alenia Space Teams at NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and Thales Alenia Space, including astronauts Stan Love and Luca Parmitano, came together in Turin, Italy, this summer for a test run of Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon.
The group conducted what is known as human factors testing inside a mockup of Lunar I-Hab, one of four Gateway modules where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the Moon’s South Pole region. The testing is an important step on the path to launch by helping refine the design of spacecraft for comfort and safety.
Lunar I-Hab is provided by ESA and Thales Alenia Space and is slated to launch on Artemis IV. During that mission, four astronauts will launch inside the Orion spacecraft atop an upgraded version of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and deliver Lunar I-Hab to Gateway in orbit around the Moon.
ESA, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates are providing major hardware for Gateway, including science experiments, the modules where astronauts will live and work, robotics, and life support systems.
International teams of astronauts will explore the scientific mysteries of deep space with Gateway as part of the Artemis campaign to return to the Moon for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars and beyond.
A mockup of ESA’s Lunar I-Hab module, one of four elements of the Gateway space station where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole Region.Thales Alenia Space An artist’s rendering of ESA’s Lunar I-Hab module in orbit around the Moon, one of four elements of the Gateway space station where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole Region.NASA/Alberto Bertolin, Bradley Reynolds Learn More About Gateway Share
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Last Updated Oct 22, 2024 EditorBriana R. ZamoraContactDylan Connelldylan.b.connell@nasa.govLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms
Gateway Space Station Artemis Artemis 4 Earth's Moon Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Gateway Program Humans in Space Johnson Space Center Explore More
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By NASA
3 min read
NASA Selects Two Teams to Advance Life Sciences Research in Space
NASA announced two awards Thursday to establish scientific consortia – multi-institutional coalitions to conduct ground-based studies that help address the agency’s goals of maintaining a sustained human presence in space. These consortia will focus on biological systems research in the areas of animal and human models, plants, and microbiology. When fully implemented, the awards for these consortia will total about $5 million.
Space biology efforts at NASA use the unique environment of space to conduct experiments impossible to do on Earth. Such research not only supports the health and welfare of astronauts, but results in breakthroughs on diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders to help protect humanity down on the ground.
The awards for the two consortia are for the following areas:
Studying space biosphere. The Biology in Space: Establishing Networks for DUrable & REsilient Systems consortium involves a collaborative effort between human/animal, plant, and microbial biologists to ensure an integrated view of the space flight biosphere by enhancing data acquisition, modeling, and testing. It will include participation of more than thirty scientists and professionals working together from at least three institutions. Led by Kristi Morgansen at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Converting human waste into materials for in-space biomanufacturing. The Integrative Anaerobic Digestion and Phototrophic Biosystem for Sustainable Space Habitats and Life Supports consortium will develop an anaerobic digestion process that converts human waste into organic acids and materials that can be used for downstream biomanufacturing applications in space. It will include eight scientists from six different institutions in three different states, including Delaware and Florida. The consortium is led by Yinjie Tang at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Proposals for these consortia were submitted in response to ROSES 2024 Program Element E.11 Consortium in Biological Sciences for a consortium with biological sciences expertise to carry out research investigations and conduct activities that address NASA’s established interests in space life sciences.
NASA’s Space Biology Program within the agency’s Biological and Physical Sciences division conducts research across a wide spectrum of biological organization and model systems to probe underlying mechanisms by which organisms acclimate to stressors encountered during space exploration (including microgravity, ionizing radiation, and elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide). This research informs how biological systems regulate and sustain growth, metabolism, reproduction, and development in space and how they repair damage and protect themselves from infection and disease.
For more information about NASA’s fundamental space-based research, visit https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical
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Last Updated Oct 17, 2024 Contact NASA Science Editorial Team Location NASA Headquarters Related Terms
Biological & Physical Sciences For Researchers Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) Science & Research View the full article
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By NASA
Mars: Perseverance (Mars 2020) Perseverance Home Mission Overview Rover Components Mars Rock Samples Where is Perseverance? Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Mission Updates Science Overview Objectives Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Perseverance Raw Images Images Videos Audio More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 2 min read
Just Keep Roving
Image from Perseverance’s Right Navigation Camera, looking back towards rover tracks from past drives, into Jezero crater. The camera is located high on the rover mast, and here the rover is looking back in the direction of the Jezero crater floor. This image was acquired on October 4th, 2024 (Sol 1288) at the local mean solar time of 12:51:26. NASA/JPL-Caltech Throughout the past week, Perseverancehas continued marching up the Jezero crater rim. This steep ascent through the Martian regolith (soil) can prove to be slow driving for the rover, as the wheels can slip on the steepest areas. This is like trying to run up a hill of sand on a beach – with every step forward, you also slip back a little way down the hill! This just means the Science and Engineering teams work together closely to plan slow and steady drives through this tricky terrain.
Driving through the Mount Ranier quadrangle, the team identified a relatively obstacle-free path to reach the crater rim which they designated Summerland Trail, aptly named from a very popular hiking trail that ascends Mount Ranier. Perseverance is trekking to the next waypoint near an outcrop of rocks called Pico Turquino, where the science team hopes to perform its next proximity science investigations with its instruments PIXL and back-online SHERLOC.
While roving along Summerland Trail, Perseverance is constantly observing the surrounding terrain. SuperCam and Mastcam-Z have been observing rocks on the ground and on a distant hill, called Crystal Creek. In addition, during this time Perseverance can put its eyes to the sky to make observations of the sun and atmosphere. Last week, the Mastcam-Z camera captured images of Phobos (one of Mars’ two moons) transiting in front of the sun!
This image, showing Phobos transiting in front of the sun, was acquired using Perseverance’s Left Mastcam-Z camera. Acquired on September 30th, 2024 (Sol 1285) at the local mean solar time of 11:10:04. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU While the Mars2020 team is itching to reach the ancient stratigraphy exposed in the crater rim, for now, the focus is on documenting our surroundings while navigating the ascent.
Written by Eleanor Moreland, Ph.D. Student Collaborator at Rice University
Reference Links
Rover Tracks Image: Mars Perseverance Sol 1288: Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) Quadrangles: NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Mission Honors Navajo Language Hiking Trail: Summerland Trailhead (U.S. National Park Services) SHERLOC: Perseverance Matters – NASA Science Mars Moons – NASA Science Phobos Transit Image: Mars Perseverance Sol 1285 – Left Mastcam-Z Camera Crater Rim: Reaching New Heights to Unravel Deep Martian History! Share
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Last Updated Oct 17, 2024 Related Terms
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