SpaceMan

Katie Burlingame is an ETHOS (Environmental and Thermal Operating Systems) flight controller and instructor in the Flight Operations Directorate supporting the International Space Station. Burlingame trains astronauts and flight controllers on the International Space Station’s environmental control systems, internal thermal control systems, and emergency response. Burlingame shares about their path to NASA, what Pride Month means to them, and more. Read on to learn more! Where are you from? My dad was in the Coast Guard, so I lived in a few different places growing up, mostly along the East Coast and Southeast. I lived near Orlando, Florida in high school, so that’s usually what I’ll go with for a short answer. Tell us about your role at NASA. I ******** and plan operations in the Mission Control Center. I train flight controllers and astronauts, specifically for the International Space Station’s environmental control systems, internal thermal control systems, and emergency response. Katie Burlingame demonstrates how to use new emergency response hardware during Starliner-1 crew training. How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be familiar with NASA? For anyone who has seen Apollo 13, I usually say I’m one of the people who figures out what to do in response to “Houston, we have a problem.” Environmental control systems are basically what makes sure there is clean air to breathe and water to drink. Internal thermal control systems are the water lines running throughout the space station that keeps all the computers and other hardware cool. As far as training goes, the biggest part is training on emergency response, so what to do if there is a ***** on the space station or if you start losing air overboard due to a ***** in the structure. We have life-size replicas of the space station and simulators that can replicate all its data. This allows us to create opportunities for crew and new flight controllers to practice responding in the situations they could experience aboard the station – sometimes I even get to use a smoke machine! How long have you been working for NASA? I have been with the agency for 11 years. What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA? Follow the things that you find most interesting. We need people with all kinds of skills in the space industry, so don’t feel like you have to stick to the most traditional path. What was your path to NASA? In college, I worked in a lab that built small satellites, which led me to opportunities to participate in the reduced gravity aircraft program and internships at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. I got a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and was originally planning to work on medical devices after college. While at my first job, the industry I was in was experiencing a wave of layoffs, so when I heard about an opportunity back at Johnson, I decided to apply and have been here ever since. Katie Burlingame discusses ammonia measurement hardware with Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 emergency training in the SVMF (Space Vehicle Mockup Facility). Is there someone in the space, aerospace, or science industry that has motivated or inspired you to work for the space program? Or someone you discovered while working for NASA who inspires you? I’m inspired by the teammates I get to work with every day. Seeing the different skills that people bring to the table, how they handle difficult situations, and come up with creative solutions impresses me and motivates me to keep growing and learning. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you? How does it guide you in your work at NASA? To me, diversity has a lot of aspects because it encompasses all of the things that contribute to someone’s unique experience and perspective. Spaceflight is hard, and solving tough problems requires creative and integrated solutions, which requires teams with a diversity of thought, skills, perspectives, and experiences. It means ensuring that NASA is comprised of a workforce that reflects the full spectrum of the country we represent, and then making sure that everyone has the resources they need to thrive and are part of a community that welcomes and respects their full selves. I try to keep this as a guiding priority throughout my work, in day-to-day things like the language and assumptions I make when talking with people and in looking for and advocating for larger systemic ways to make improvements. Having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace is the just and fair thing to do, but it also helps us do the best work to accomplish NASA’s missions. Katie Burlingame with other ETHOS (Environmental and Thermal Operating Systems) instructors outside the International Space Station mockups in the SVMF. What is your favorite NASA memory? I had the opportunity to work on several aspects of the first U.S. crewed vehicle missions. Working with NASA, commercial partners, and the international partner teams to figure out how to best ******** training and emergency response was an interesting technical problem and it is great to see all of the things we worked on being used regularly now. What do you love sharing about station? What’s important to get across to general audiences to help them understand the benefits to life on Earth? There have been people continuously on the International Space Station for more than 23 years! That’s amazing as a technical achievement, but also an example of successful and sustained international partnership. What does Pride Month mean to you? Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community and the progress that has been made. It’s also a call to action for allies and community members to protect and support LGBTQIA+ community members and their rights, especially the most marginalized. What does it mean to embrace LGBTQIA+ pride? To me, embracing pride is embracing the understanding that we are each worthy of honor and respect as we are and creating an environment where others can do the same. Katie Burlingame out for a bike ride west of Houston. Who are some of your LGBTQIA+ role models? My role models are all of the advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights, past and present, and everyone who shows up in small and big ways as themselves. What are your hobbies/things you enjoy outside of work? I like going to see plays and musicals and exploring Houston’s restaurants, coffee shops, and bookstores. When the Houston heat isn’t too bad, I like exploring parks, riding my bike, and doing triathlons (very slowly). Day launch or night launch? Night launch! Favorite space movie? I don’t have a strong favorite space movie, but my current favorite space books are “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir and “The Long Way to a Small, ****** Planet” by Becky Chambers. NASA “worm” or “meatball” logo? Meatball. Every day, we’re conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore further into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It’s a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you. Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on Twitter, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram. View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA test pilot Wayne Ringelberg sits in the air taxi virtual reality flight simulator during a test at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in March 2024.NASA/Steve Freeman A new custom virtual reality flight simulator built by NASA researchers will allow them to explore how passengers experience air taxi rides and collect data that will help designers create new aircraft with passenger comfort in mind. Wayne Ringelberg, a test pilot at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, recently completed a series of test rides in the new simulator to help the team make adjustments before other users are involved for the first research study later this year. “This project is leveraging our research and test pilot aircrew with vertical lift experience to validate the safety and accuracy of the lab in preparation for test subject evaluations,” said Ringelberg. “The experiments in the ride quality lab will inform the advanced air mobility community about the acceptability of the motions these aircraft could make, so the general public is more likely to adopt the new technology.” Ringelberg was secured into the seat on top of the simulator’s platform, wearing a virtual reality headset and headphones. His simulated air taxi ride started with a takeoff from a conceptual vertiport on top of a parking garage in downtown San Francisco, California, constructed by NASA engineers in the virtual world. As the programed ride took him through downtown San Francisco and landed at another vertiport on top of a skyscraper, Ringelberg evaluated the realism and consistency of the simulation’s visual, motion, and audio cues. He then provided feedback to the research team. NASA researchers Curt Hanson (background) and Saravanakumaar Ramia (foreground) control the air taxi virtual reality flight simulator from computers during a test at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in March 2024.NASA/Steve Freeman With pilot checkouts complete, NASA researchers will conduct a series of human subject research studies over the next four years. The goal is to gather information that will help the industry better understand what makes flying in an air taxi comfortable and enjoyable for customers. This simulator is the centerpiece of NASA Armstrong’s virtual reality passenger ride quality laboratory. The laboratory combines virtual reality visuals, physical motion cues, and spatialized rotor sounds to create an immersive air taxi passenger experience. The work is managed by the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project under NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program in support of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission, which seeks to deliver data to guide the industry’s development of electric air taxis and drones. Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactTeresa Whiting*****@*****.tldLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAdvanced Air MobilityAdvanced Air Vehicles ProgramAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateAmes Research CenterDrones & YouFlight InnovationGlenn Research CenterLangley Research CenterRevolutionary Vertical Lift Technology Explore More 5 min read Langley Celebrates Pride Month: Derek Bramble Article 2 hours ago 4 min read NASA Parachute Sensor Testing Could Make EPIC Mars Landings Article 3 hours ago 1 min read Liftoff! Redesigned NASA Ames Visitor Center Engages Kids, Families Article 3 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Aeronautics Advanced Air Mobility Mission NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) research will transform our communities by bringing the movement of people and goods off the ground, on… Armstrong Programs & Projects View the full article

Six of the seven members of the NASA Kennedy Space Center team recognized by the White House on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, during the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards stand next to an electric vehicle (EV) charging station in front of Kennedy’s Central Campus Headquarters Building. Those members are, from left to right, center services division chief Gustavo Diaz, partnership development office chief Matthew Jimenez, then branch chief Gerald “Jay” Green, sustainability lead Lashanda Battle, transportation officer Melissa Coleman, and then transportation specialist Spencer Davis. This EV station is one of 28 installed on center through a partnership with local utility provider Florida Power & Light, allowing up to 56 electric vehicles to be charged at the same time. An additional 31 EV stations are planned at Kennedy by fall 2024, increasing the center’s vehicle charging capacity by up to 118 vehicles simultaneously once they’re operational.Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett A team of seven NASA Kennedy employees was recognized by the White House for charging ahead with the expansion of the agency’s sustainable electric vehicle (EV) fleet at Kennedy Space Center. They did so at minimal cost to taxpayers while also offering zero emission EV charging for any workers and visitors willing to pay out of their pocket for the service. The employees received an honorable mention in the “Electrifying the Federal Fleet” category at the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards for working with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), the local utility provider, to deploy FPL EVolution EV chargers throughout the center. Three of them attended the June 25 award ceremony inside the Indian Treaty Room at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC. NASA Kennedy’s first EV chargers were installed in August 2021, but the team’s efforts to add more increased after President Joe Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 14057 in December 2021, which mandates that federal agencies lead the way in creating an ********* electricity sector with no carbon pollution by the year 2035 and net-zero emissions throughout the economy by 2050. “The team found a way to help NASA take one step closer toward a future of net-zero carbon emissions,” said Janet Petro, director of the Florida spaceport. “We’re proud of how they created a model for other NASA centers and federal government agencies to follow, leaving a cleaner environment for all of us to enjoy.” The following employees were recognized, all of whom are part of NASA Kennedy’s Spaceport Integration and Services directorate or the Center Planning & Development Office: Gustavo Diaz, Center Services Division Chief Matthew Jimenez, Partnership Development Office Chief Gerald “Jay” Green, then Branch Chief Lisa Williams, then Deputy Chief of Logistics Lashanda Battle, Kennedy Sustainability Lead Melissa Coleman, Transportation Officer Spencer Davis, then Transportation Specialist The NASA Kennedy team worked closely with FPL to create a customized electrification plan for the center, including design coordination, installation, and operations management for the EV charging infrastructure. FPL installed 28 dual head charging stations, each of which can charge two vehicles at once, meaning that the center currently has the capacity to charge up to 56 electric vehicles at the same time. An additional 31 stations are scheduled to be operational at Kennedy by September 2024, increasing the center’s charging capacity by up to 118 vehicles simultaneously once they go online. The FPL EVolution chargers are in the parking lots of various facilities within Kennedy, including the Central Campus Headquarters Building, the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the Space Station Processing Facility, Operations Support Buildings I and II, and the Logistics Facility. Those locations were chosen by the NASA Kennedy team following consultations with Kennedy employees. “This partnership gives NASA Kennedy access to FPL’s charging infrastructure, saving the government about $1 million in construction costs,” said Maria Collura, director of NASA Kennedy’s Spaceport Integration and Services. “It also allowed Kennedy to replace 19 gas-powered vehicles in its fleet with electric models, making this a win-win for the ********* taxpayer and the environment.” Three of the seven NASA Kennedy Space Center team members recognized by the White House during the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards ceremony on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, stand in front of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. Those members are then transportation specialist Spencer Davis (top left), sustainability lead Lashanda Battle (center, holding honorable mention certificate), and partnership office chief Matthew Jimenez (top right). The Kennedy team crafted a partnership with local utility provider Florida Power & Light to create 59 electric vehicle charging stations on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also in the photo are Denise Thaller (bottom left), deputy assistant administrator, NASA’s Office of Strategic Infrastructure, and Andrew Mayock (bottom right), Federal Chief Sustainability OfficerPhoto credit: Department of Interior/Tami Heilemann NASA Kennedy’s FPL EVolution workplace charging stations have been used over 16,000 times since May 2022, leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of nearly 230,000 kilograms and a gasoline savings of nearly 40,000 gallons. Personal vehicles make up most of those charging sessions, which users pay for before each charge, so the service comes at no additional cost to taxpayers. NASA Kennedy is the first of the agency’s centers to offer workplace EV charging for employees and visitors. The team which spearheaded that project is now working with other NASA centers interested in offering the same to their employees and visitors. To ensure proper use of the chargers and plan future agency-wide transportation efforts, the team collects data from all charging stations and reports it to NASA’s Agency Transportation Officer for inclusion in the yearly Fixing America’s Surface Transportation report submitted to the Department of Energy. EV chargers are just one way NASA Kennedy is implementing EO 14057’s mandate of zero emissions by 2035. The center also uses hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels such as E85 and biodiesel as part of its comprehensive approach to a cleaner environment. View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Derek Bramble is a HR Business Partner with NASA’s Langley Research Center. Over his 14-year career at NASA Langley, Bramble has served in a variety of mission and program support roles.NASA/Ryan Torrisi Derek Bramble has served in a variety of mission and program support roles over his 14-year career at NASA Langley. He currently serves as an HR Business Partner in LaRC’s Human Capital Office, where he works closely with a number of organizations across the Center providing them with strategic and operational HR support. Derek previously served as program support for NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program where he supported the Center’s efforts to leverage SBIR funding for critical technology development. Prior to that, he served in LaRC’s Office of Procurement as a supporting Contract Specialist. He holds an MBA from the College of William & Mary and a Bachelors Degree in Communications/Journalism from the University of Miami. For the last 7 years, he’s served as co-Chair of the LEAG (LGBTQ+ Employee Alliance Group) ERG, where he’s worked with Center and Agency leadership to improve awareness of the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community at LaRC. Hailing from the great state of Maryland, he currently lives in Williamsburg, VA with his husband Mike, Siberian ****** Jaxon, and tabby cat CiCi. Who or what inspired you to choose your career and why?  I sort of stumbled into my career at NASA. What started out as a contractor job 14 years ago has evolved and blossomed into a full blown CS career supporting the NASA workforce as an HR professional. My story goes to show that regardless of one’s background and skillsets, there’s a place for anyone and everyone at NASA and there’s considerable room to learn and grow here if you have the interest. What do you find most rewarding about working with NASA?    The people and relationships. Most folks I encounter and work with here are super bright, accomplished, passionate individuals. Getting to know the people behind the Agency’s mission is a real treat and something I never take for granted. As impressive as NASA’s workforce is, I still am reminded that they’re humans with personal lives and hobbies and interests outside of work. It’s finding those little connection points and getting to know people on a somewhat personal level that makes my work and time here so rewarding. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?    What don’t I enjoy doing outside of work is the more appropriate question! I’m pretty active in my downtime, and so I enjoy a variety of activities when not at work – my husband and I are avid boaters and enjoy exploring the local waterways of the Tidewater area. I’m also into wine, fitness, travel, craft cocktails, interior design, and helping craft my neighborhood’s electronic newsletters. What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in pursuing a career at NASA?  To never limit yourself or think that you aren’t good enough for NASA. We work for an esteemed Agency, and its reputation precedes itself. While that’s got its advantages, I think it too often leads some folks out there to think they aren’t cut out for a career here when that couldn’t be further from the truth. It can be intimidating I realize, but we as the Agency’s workforce need to do better at bridging that gap for these folks. Use my career as an example. I started out 14 years ago as a support contractor and never thought I’d still fit in here all this time later. NASA is a special place, it’s a privilege to work here – but don’t for one second think it’s unattainable if you aren’t an aerospace engineer with perfect credentials from some top tier university. The Agency is more diverse and welcoming than that – and we need to do better at telling that story. How does your background contribute to your perspective and approach in your role at NASA?   Experience and a sense of purpose drive my judgment and thought processes – I’m always applying that to how I do my job and accomplish my work. We are all unique creatures with super specific skillsets, experiences, judgments, interests, passions, thought processes, etc. I understand and appreciate diversity of thought and life experience, and truly believe that when working together and using those differently ******** lenses we all have and applying them to a work challenge that really creative solutions can be designed and implemented. What does Pride month mean to you? While I do believe Pride is 365 days a year, the month of June is really a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community’s achievements toward equality while also spotlighting its ongoing challenges. Trans folks are facing record levels of legislation across the country that target their ability to live full and authentic lives. This legislation is also driving more public hatred and misunderstanding of the community than ever before. NASA has centers in some of these states that are openly hostile towards the trans community – what does that mean for some trans members of our very own workforce who are trying to live their lives and do their jobs? It’s critical that allies, both within and outside of the LGBTQ+ community, educate and advocate on behalf of all community members more than ever before – because today it might be trans folks who are targeted, but tomorrow it could be someone else. Progress is never a guarantee for any marginalized community – when they come for one of us, they can come for all of us. Facebook logo @NASALaRC @NASA_Langley Instagram logo @NASA_Langley Linkedin logo @NASA-Langley-Research-Center Explore More 4 min read NASA Parachute Sensor Testing Could Make EPIC Mars Landings Article 2 hours ago 4 min read Jake Cupani: Increasing Visibility in Data Science Article 2 days ago 3 min read Johnson Celebrates LGBTQI+ Pride Month: Eva Granger Article 3 days ago View the full article

4 min read Mapping the Red Planet with the Power of Open Science This image of Perseverance’s backshell sitting upright on the surface of Jezero Crater was collected from an altitude of 26 feet (8 meters) by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight at Mars on April 19, 2022. NASA/JPL-Caltech Mars rovers can only make exciting new discoveries thanks to human scientists making careful decisions about their next stop. The Mars 2020 mission is aimed at exploring the geology of Jezero Crater and seeking signs of ancient microbial life on Mars using the Perseverance rover. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California used novel mapping techniques to direct both the rover and the flights of the Ingenuity helicopter, which rode to Mars on Perseverance — and they did it all with open-source tools. JPL mapping specialists Dr. Fred Calef III and Dr. Nathan Williams used geospatial analysis to help the scientific community and NASA science leadership select Jezero Crater as the landing site for Perseverance and Ingenuity. Before the vehicles arrived on Mars, they helped create maps of the terrain using data from orbiting satellites. “Maps and images are a common language between different people — scientists, engineers, and management,” Williams said. “They help make sure everyone’s on the same page moving forward, in a ******* front to achieve the best science that we can.” Maps and images are a common language between different people. Nathan Williams NASA JPL Geologist and Systems Engineer After the mission touched down on Mars in February 2021, the Ingenuity helicopter opportunistically scouted ahead to take photos. The team then generated more detailed maps from both rover and helicopter image data to help plan the Perseverance rover’s path and science investigations. To enable this full-scale mapping of Mars, Calef created the Multi-Mission Geographic Information System (MMGIS), an open-source web-based mapping interface. Online demos of the software, pre-loaded with Mars imagery taken from orbit, allow visitors to explore the paths of Perseverance, Ingenuity, and the Curiosity rover, a sister Mars mission that landed in 2012. This image of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover at the rim of Belva Crater was taken by the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during the rotorcraft’s 51st flight on April 22, 2023. The rover is in the upper left of the image, parked at a light-toned rocky outcrop. NASA/JPL-Caltech The open nature of the software was key to the mission’s success. “We have people literally all over the world who are working on the mission, and we need to be able to give them fast and quick access to software and data,” Calef said. MMGIS aimed to help people understand the full scope of Martian geography. By combining images from orbit and augmenting with images from Perseverance and Ingenuity, the JPL team allows researchers to zoom in to see individual boulders and zoom out to see all of Mars. This variety of viewpoints gives the team a sense of scale and context to properly understand the landscape around the Perseverance rover, and how to optimally achieve their science goals within the available terrain. This image of an area the Mars Perseverance rover team calls “Faillefeu” was captured by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 13th flight at Mars on Sept. 4, 2021. Images of the geologic feature were taken at the request of the Mars Perseverance rover science team, which was considering visiting the geologic feature during the first science campaign. NASA/JPL-Caltech The impact of the tools developed by the JPL team went beyond the Mars 2020 mission. The team wanted their software to help other researchers easily visualize their data without needing to be data visualization experts themselves. Thanks to this open-source approach, other teams have now used MMGIS to map Earth and other planetary bodies. In keeping with this open philosophy, the images taken by Perseverance and Ingenuity over the course of the Mars 2020 mission are freely available to the public. By sharing these data with the rest of the world, the results from the mission can be used to educate, inspire, and enable further research. It’s being able to share data between people … getting a higher order of science. Fred Calef NASA JPL Geologist and Data Scientist As Mars scientists look to the future, with the Perseverance rover team deploying even more advanced tools powered by AI, open science will pave the way for further exploration. JPL is now working on designs for potential future Mars helicopters that are far more capable and complex than Ingenuity. Payload mass, flight range, and affordability are at the forefront of their minds. Existing open-source tools will help address those concerns. Not only are open-source applications free to use, but the large amount of collaboration in creating and testing them means that they’re often highly reliable. Ultimately, the JPL team views its work as part of the cycle of open science, using open tools to make its job easier while also developing new features in the tools for others to use in the future. “Every mission is contributing back to the other missions and future missions in terms of new tools and techniques to develop,” Calef said. “It’s not just you working on something. It’s being able to share data between people … getting a higher order of science.” By Lauren Leese Web Content Strategist for the Office of the Chief Science Data Officer Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related Terms Open Science Explore More 4 min read NASA-IBM Collaboration Develops INDUS Large Language Models for Advanced Science Research Article 2 days ago 4 min read Marshall Research Scientist Enables Large-Scale Open Science Article 7 days ago 2 min read NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Coby Asselin, from left, Adam Curry, and L. J. Hantsche set up the data acquisition systems used during testing of a senor to determine parachute canopy material strength at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The sensor tests seek to quantify the limits of the material to improve computer models and make more reliable supersonic parachutes.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Landing rovers and helicopters on Mars is a challenge. It’s an even ******* challenge when you don’t have enough information about how the parachutes are enduring strain during the descent to the surface. Researchers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are experimenting with readily available, highly elastic sensors that can be fixed to a parachute during testing to provide the missing data. Knowing how the canopy material stretches during deployment can enhance safety and performance by quantifying the limits of the fabric and improving existing computer models for more reliable parachutes for tasks such as landing astronauts on Earth or delivering scientific instruments and payloads to Mars. This is the work Enhancing Parachutes by Instrumenting the Canopy, or EPIC, seeks to advance the ability to measure the strain on a parachute. “We are aiming to prove which sensors will work for determining the strain on parachute canopy material without compromising it,” said L.J. Hantsche, project manager. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the team’s work through the Early Career Initiative project. Starting with 50 potential sensor candidates, the team narrowed down and tested 10 kinds of different sensors, including commercially available and developmental sensors. The team selected the three most promising sensors for continued testing. Those include a silicone-based sensor that works by measuring a change in storage of electrical charge as the sensor is stretched. It is also easy to attach to data recording systems, Hantsche explained. The second sensor is a small, stretchable braided sensor that measures the change in electrical storage. The third sensor is made by printing with a metallic ink onto a thin and pliable plastic. The test team prepares a test fixture with a nylon fabric sample at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The fabric in the test fixture forms a bubble when pressure is applied to the silicone bladder underneath. A similar test can be performed with a sensor on the fabric to verify the sensor will work when stretched in three dimensions.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Pressure is applied to a test fixture with a nylon fabric sample until it fails at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The fabric in the test fixture forms a bubble when pressure is applied to the silicone bladder underneath. In this frame, the silicone bladder is visible underneath the torn fabric after it was inflated to ********. A similar test can be performed with a sensor on the fabric to verify the sensor will work when stretched in three dimensions.NASA/Genaro Vavuris Determining methods to bond each of the sensors to super thin and slippery canopy material was hard, Hantsche said. Once the team figured out how to attach the sensors to the fabric, they were ready to begin testing. “We started with uniaxial testing, where each end of the parachute material is secured and then pulled to ********,” she said. “The test is important because the stretching of the sensor causes its electrical response. Determining the correlation of strain and the sensor response when it is on the fabric is one of our main measurement goals.” This stage of testing was accomplished in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. A high-speed version of this test, which simulates the speed of the parachute deployment, was performed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The team used a bubble test for the sensors, which simulates testing of a 3D parachute. It consists of the fabric sample and a silicone membrane sandwiched between a four-inch-diameter ring and the test structure. When it is pressurized from the inside, the silicone membrane expands the fabric and sensor into a bubble shape. The test is used to validate the sensor’s performance as it bends and is compared to the other test results. Erick Rossi De La Fuente, from left, John Rudy, L. J. Hantsche, Adam Curry, Jeff Howell, Coby Asselin, Benjamin Mayeux, and Paul Bean pose with a test fixture, material, sensor, and data acquisition systems at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The sensor tests seek to quantify the limits of the material to improve computer models and make more reliable supersonic parachutes.NASA/Genaro Vavuris With the EPIC project nearing completion, follow-on work could include temperature tests, developing the data acquisition system for flight, determining if the sensor can be packed with a parachute without adverse effects, and operating the system in flight. The EPIC team is also working with researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to flight test their sensors later this year using the center’s drone test, which drops a capsule with a parachute. In addition, the EPIC team is partnering with the Entry Systems Modeling Group at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley to propose an all-encompassing parachute project aimed at better understanding parachutes through modeling and test flights. The collaborative NASA project may result in better parachutes that are safer and more dependable for the approaching era of exploration. Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAmes Research CenterGlenn Research CenterJet Propulsion LaboratoryLangley Research CenterSpace Technology Mission Directorate Explore More 1 min read Liftoff! Redesigned NASA Ames Visitor Center Engages Kids, Families Article 50 mins ago 5 min read NASA’s Mars Odyssey Captures Huge Volcano, Nears 100,000 Orbits Article 1 hour ago 5 min read Detective Work Enables Perseverance Team to Revive SHERLOC Instrument Article 22 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Armstrong Programs & Projects Armstrong Technologies Armstrong Flight Research Center History View the full article

ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Tan (Chal This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image presents a visually striking collection of interstellar gas and dust. Named RCW 7, the nebula is located just over 5,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation Puppis. Nebulae are areas rich in the raw material needed to form new stars. Under the influence of gravity, parts of these molecular clouds collapse until they coalesce into very young, developing stars, called protostars, which are still surrounded by spinning discs of leftover gas and dust. The protostars forming in RCW 7 are particularly massive, giving off strongly ionizing radiation and fierce stellar winds that transformed the nebula into a H II region. H II regions are filled with hydrogen ions — H I refers to a normal hydrogen atom, while H II is hydrogen that lost its electron making it an ion. Ultraviolet radiation from the massive protostars excites the hydrogen in the nebula, causing it to emit light that gives this nebula its soft pinkish glow. The Hubble data in this image came from the study of a particularly massive protostellar binary named IRAS 07299-1651, still in its glowing cocoon of gas in the curling clouds toward the top of the image. To expose this star and its siblings, astronomers used Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 in near-infrared light. The massive protostars in this image are brightest in ultraviolet light, but they emit plenty of infrared light too. Infrared light’s longer wavelength lets it pass through much of the gas and dust in the cloud allowing Hubble to capture it. Many of the larger-looking stars in this image are foreground stars that are not part of the nebula. Instead, they sit between the nebula and our solar system. The creation of an H II region marks the beginning of the end for a molecular cloud like RCW 7. Within only a few million years, radiation and winds from the massive stars will gradually disperse the nebula’s gas — even more so as the most massive stars come to the end of their lives in supernova explosions. New stars in this nebula will incorporate only a fraction of the nebula’s gas, the rest will spread throughout the galaxy to eventually form new molecular clouds. View the full article

Experienced spacewalkers, university students, flight controllers, and NASA team members at all stages of their career recently came together at Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) for an anniversary celebration that looked to the future as much as the past. The Office of STEM Engagement’s Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT) marked a decade of inspiring the next generation of space explorers with four days of exciting hands-on experiences and events commemorating those who have shaped the annual challenge. Students pose at NASA Johnson’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) before beginning test week with their projects that will benefit future Artemis missions. Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford From June 2-5, NASA welcomed 17 student teams from 13 U.S. colleges and universities to the NBL for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The 87 students spent months designing and building devices or tools that could support lunar surface spacewalks and future Artemis missions, earning a chance to test their unique prototypes at the NBL. Teams chose from four design challenge options – create an anchoring device for a lunar flagpole, design a lunar mapbook, develop a lunar tool carrier, or create a target recognition system camera for post-landing search and rescue operations – and submitted technical proposals for Micro-g NExT staff to review in October 2023. The selected student teams were announced in November and introduced to their mentors in December. Those mentors provided continuous support and expertise as teams manufactured their prototypes, submitted their preliminary design review, and completed initial tests prior to traveling to Houston. Mentors represented Johnson organizations including the Flight Operations Directorate, Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, Engineering, and the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate. Another familiar face at Johnson was involved in the challenge, as well: former NASA astronaut Steve Swanson, who was the Boise State University team’s faculty advisor. Swanson is a three-time spaceflight veteran who completed four spacewalks and logged and a total of 195 days in space, which enabled him to provide the students with valuable design insights. Former NASA astronaut Steve Swanson with members of the Boise State University Micro-g NExT team at the NBL. NASA/David DeHoyos Once they arrived at the NBL, students received a pre-test briefing from Flight Director Rebecca Wingfield about best practices for communication from a mission control perspective. She also debriefed with teams to provide students with feedback that enhanced their learning experience and gave them a deeper understanding of their projects’ impact on the Artemis campaign. NASA Flight Director Rebecca Wingfield conducts a pre-test briefing for Micro-g NExT teams. Credit: NASA/James Blair NASA astronaut Nicole Mann supported students in the test control room as they underwent testing and were in direct communication with the diver using their prototype in the pool. Mann also conducted a series of post-test debriefs with several teams to give them insight on how their designs were helpful and how they can improve. NASA astronaut Nicole Mann in the NBL control room with Micro-g NExT participants.NASA/James Blair Students also had the opportunity to participate in a poster session at Johnson’s Teague Auditorium to showcase their products and the process from proposal to completion of testing. Artemis Student Challenge Awards were presented to top teams in three categories – Innovation, Pay it Forward (for community engagement and outreach), and Artemis Educator (for a team’s faculty advisor). Micro-g NExT poster session in the lobby of Johnson Space Center’s Teague Auditorium. NASA/David DeHoyos The whirlwind week kicked off with a reception for Micro-g NExT alumni who were recognized for their past efforts and dedication to space exploration. Certificates of appreciation were given to the program’s ‘pioneers’ – the NASA employees, contractors, and interns who helped to create Micro-g NExT 10 years ago. Several tools made by student teams during prior challenges were on display, including a zip-tie cutter designed by the Lone Star College-Cy Fair team in spring 2019 that was used aboard the International Space Station by ********* Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. Members of that team shared their Micro-g NExT experience with reception attendees. “It gives students the best real-world experience and learning opportunity I have seen,” said James Philippi. Students and staff also heard from several Micro-g NExT alumni during a Q&A panel. Panelists included Harriet Hunt, CRONUS flight controller ********; Aaron Simpson, xEMU Portable Life Support System engineer intern; Alexis Vance, environmental systems flight controller; Kim Wright, electrical, mechanical, and external thermal systems engineer; and Sam Whitlock, spaceflight systems engineering intern at Axiom Space. Each shared how Micro-g NExT impacted them personally and professionally, underscoring the long-term value of participating in the challenge and the program’s ability to attract next-generation talent to the agency. Micro-g NExT alumni during a Q&A session with this year’s challenge participants and NASA team members. NASA/James Blair Adding to this legacy, two of the 2024 Micro-g NExT participants ended their challenge experience by starting work with NASA. Alana Falter from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign returned to NASA as a Pathways Intern, and Adrian Garcia from the University of Houston-Clear Lake returned as a contractor with Barrios Technology. Another nod to the challenge’s impact was a special 10-year patch and logo designed by Justin Robert from the Michoud Assembly Facility through the NASA Spark challenge to commemorate the Micro-g NExT milestone. 10-year anniversary of Micro-g NExT logos.Credit: NASA “Student design challenges have been a critical pipeline for both NASA internship participants and preparing students to be successful in STEM careers,” said Jamie Semple, NASA activity manager for Micro-g NExT. “By participating in these activities, students have the opportunity to create a product that could be part of spaceflight history, all while building essential skills for the next step in their career.” Semple added, “We also see the challenge’s impact with former participants now becoming our Micro-g NExT challenge owners. These people are now leading the program into the future and continuing the legacy of creating leaders in the STEM workforce and for the NASA community.” Reflecting on their experience, Smith Juback from Clemson University said working cooperatively with teammates was their favorite part of this design challenge. “We all had different ideas and ways to solve different problems and being able to incorporate everyone’s ideas together made us all smarter in the end,” he said. “I think we all learned so much individually about how to make and design a product, and we grew as people, students, and designers.” Students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln team said, “Working with astronauts in a professional environment like the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory is about precision since time is so valuable and you have to make the most of it. Back at home, we have several hours to test our project and if it breaks it breaks. But in the NBL, we have 12 minutes to run through seven tests. This experience is something you can only get here at Micro-g NExT.” A Micro-g NExT participant directs testing from the NBL control room. Credit: NASA After four days of learning, testing, and networking, Micro-g NExT has reached a decade of providing greater knowledge and inspiration to youth across the country. As one of NASA’s Artemis student challenges, Micro-g NExT will continue to offer undergraduate students the opportunity to design and create mission-ready hardware to benefit the future of deep space exploration. Learn more about Micro-g NExT and other Artemis student challenges at [Hidden Content]. Students in the control room at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory test their projects underwater with a diver in the pool. Credit: NASA/James Blair A student team works on their project before testing at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.Credit: NASA/James Blair NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and a diver from NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory brief with two students about their lunar flagpole before testing underwater. Credit: NASA/James Blair A student team being awarded a ‘Pay It Forward’ award at Micro-g NExT at Johnson Space Center. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos A student team from Boise State University poses with an ‘Innovation Award’ they received at Micro-g NExT at Johnson Space center. Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos Students, mentors, and NASA personnel pose with two awards, the ‘Artemis Educator Award’ and the ‘Pay It Forward Award’, at Johnson Space Center in Houston.Credit: NASA/David DeHoyos View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Chabot Space & Science Center director Adam Tobin, right, welcomes NASA Ames center director Eugene Tu, left, and deputy center director David Korsmeyer, center, to the updated NASA Ames Visitor Center. NASA/Donald Richey The San Francisco Bay Area has a new and interactive way to learn more about the innovative work of NASA’s Ames Research Center. A newly redesigned NASA Ames Visitor Center at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California, reopened to the public June 22 at the NASA Fest at Chabot celebration. The two-day festival included hands-on activities, workshops, and conversations with NASA Ames experts, as well as presentations from local STEM organizations. “Curiosity and inspiration are the core of what we do at NASA,” said Eugene Tu, center director at Ames. “This new exhibit is a chance for us to share a bit of what happens behind the scenes that makes our work possible and inspire the next generation.” The NASA Ames Visitor Center includes exhibits and activities, sharing the work of NASA in Silicon Valley with the public. NASA/Donald Richey The updated visitor center includes a fully reimagined 360-degree experience, featuring new exhibits, models, and more. An interactive exhibit puts visitors in the shoes of a NASA Ames scientist, designing and testing rovers, planes, and robots for space exploration. The NASA Ames Visitor Center first opened at Chabot in November 2021. The newly reimagined space is one way NASA seeks to engage and excite kids and families in science and technology. Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related TermsAmes Research Center Explore More 5 min read NASA’s ELaNa 43 Prepares for Firefly Aerospace Launch Article 6 days ago 4 min read NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response In early May, widespread flooding and landslides occurred in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande… Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health NASA’s Open Science Data Repository provides valuable information to researchers studying the impact of space… Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Ames Research Center About Ames Ames Research Center History Visit Ames Research Center View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter captured this single image of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, on March 11, 2024. Besides providing an unprecedented view of the volcano, the image helps scientists study different layers of material in the atmosphere, including clouds and dust.NASA/JPL-Caltech/**** The 23-year-old orbiter is taking images that offer horizon-wide views of the Red Planet similar to what astronauts aboard the International Space Station see over Earth. NASA’s longest-lived Mars ****** is about to mark a new milestone on June 30: 100,000 trips around the Red Planet since launching 23 years ago. During that time, the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has been mapping minerals and ice across the Martian surface, identifying landing sites for future missions, and relaying data to Earth from NASA’s rovers and landers. Scientists recently used the orbiter’s camera to take a stunning new image of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system. The image is part of a continuing effort by the Odyssey team to provide high-altitude views of the planet’s horizon. (The first of these views was published in late 2023.) Similar to the perspective of Earth astronauts get aboard the International Space Station, the view enables scientists to learn more about clouds and airborne dust at Mars. Taken on March 11, the most recent horizon image captures Olympus Mons in all its glory. With a base that sprawls across 373 miles (600 kilometers), the shield volcano rises to a height of 17 miles (27 kilometers). “Normally we see Olympus Mons in narrow strips from above, but by turning the spacecraft toward the horizon we can see in a single image how large it looms over the landscape,” said Odyssey’s project scientist, Jeffrey Plaut of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission. “Not only is the image spectacular, it also provides us with unique science data.” In addition to offering a freeze frame of clouds and dust, such images, when taken across many seasons, can give scientists a more detailed understanding of the Martian atmosphere. This infographic highlights just how much data and how many images NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has collected in its 23 years of operation around the Red Planet.NASA/JPL-Caltech A bluish-white band at the bottom of the atmosphere hints at how much dust was present at this location during early fall, a ******* when dust storms typically start kicking up. The purplish layer above that was likely due to a mixture of the planet’s red dust with some bluish water-ice clouds. Finally, toward the top of the image, a blue-green layer can be seen where water-ice clouds reach up about 31 miles (50 kilometers) into the sky. How They Took the Picture Named after Arthur C. Clarke’s classic science-fiction novel “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the orbiter captured the scene with a heat-sensitive camera called the Thermal Emission Imaging System, or THEMIS, which Arizona State University in Tempe built and operates. But because the camera is meant to look down at the surface, getting a horizon shot takes extra planning. By ******* thrusters located around the spacecraft, Odyssey can point THEMIS at different parts of the surface or even slowly roll over to view Mars’ tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos. The recent horizon imaging was conceived as an experiment many years ago during the landings of NASA’s Phoenix mission in 2008 and Curiosity rover in 2012. As with other Mars landings before and after those missions touched down, Odyssey played an important role relaying data as the spacecraft barreled toward the surface. Laura Kerber, deputy project scientist for NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter, explains how and why the spacecraft in May 2023 captured a view of the Red Planet similar to the International Space Station’s view of Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech To relay their vital engineering data to Earth, Odyssey’s antenna had to be aimed toward the newly arriving spacecraft and their landing ellipses. Scientists were intrigued when they noticed that positioning Odyssey’s antenna for the task meant that THEMIS would be pointed at the planet’s horizon. “We just decided to turn the camera on and see how it looked,” said Odyssey’s mission operations spacecraft engineer, Steve Sanders of Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Lockheed Martin built Odyssey and helps conduct day-to-day operations alongside the mission leads at JPL. “Based on those experiments, we designed a sequence that keeps THEMIS’ field-of-view centered on the horizon as we go around the planet.” The Secret to a Long Space Odyssey What’s Odyssey secret to being the longest continually active mission in orbit around a planet other than Earth? “Physics does a lot of the hard work for us,” Sanders said. “But it’s the subtleties we have to manage again and again.” These variables include fuel, solar power, and temperature. To ensure Odyssey uses its fuel (hydrazine gas) sparingly, engineers have to calculate how much is left since the spacecraft doesn’t have a fuel gauge. Odyssey relies on solar power to operate its instruments and electronics. This power varies when the spacecraft disappears behind Mars for about 15 minutes per orbit. And temperatures need to stay balanced for all of Odyssey’s instruments to work properly. “It takes careful monitoring to keep a mission going this long while maintaining a historical timeline of scientific planning and ********** — and innovative engineering practices,” said Odyssey’s project manager, Joseph Hunt of JPL. “We’re looking forward to collecting more great science in the years ahead.” More about Odyssey: [Hidden Content] News Media Contacts Andrew Good Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-2433 *****@*****.tld Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 / 202-802-5345 *****@*****.tld / charles.e*****@*****.tld 2024-092 Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related TermsMars OdysseyDeimosJet Propulsion LaboratoryMarsMars MoonsPhobos Explore More 5 min read Detective Work Enables Perseverance Team to Revive SHERLOC Instrument Article 21 hours ago 6 min read NASA’s Juno Gets a Close-Up Look at Lava Lakes on Jupiter’s Moon Io Article 23 hours ago 5 min read Why Scientists Are Intrigued by Air in NASA’s Mars Sample Tubes Article 7 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

2 min read NASA eClips Engages Families at 2024 STEM Community Day On Saturday, June 1, 2024, thousands of community members attended the Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) Community Day hosted by Christopher Newport University in partnership with Newport News Public Schools in Virginia. The event showcased many different facets of STEM fields and careers and offered hands-on experiences by nearly 100 exhibitors. Educators from the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrated STEM Education (NIA-CISE) engaged learners of all ages at this annual event with a 13-foot tree. Participants learned how to measure tree height using a clinometer and why NASA collects this data with the help of volunteers, also knowns as “citizen scientists” (e.g. one reason is to calculate how much carbon trees and forests take in or release into the atmosphere). Each family was able to take home a kit to make their own clinometers. Another activity offered by the NIA-CISE team involved learning about Earth’s energy balance (e.g. participants selected cards of activities that either reflect energy back to space or are absorbed by Earth and had to decide whether those activities belonged to the “in” or “out” side of Earth’s energy balance). NASA eClips is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: [Hidden Content] A community member performs the hands-on activity to calculate the height of a tree using a clinometer at the NASA eClips exhibit booth during CNU’s Community STEM Day. Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Citizen Science Community Partners Science Activation Explore More 2 min read Happy Birthday, Redshift Wrangler! Article 1 week ago 2 min read North Carolina Volunteers Work Toward Cleaner Well Water When the ground floods during a storm, floodwaters wash bacteria and other contaminants into private… Article 2 weeks ago 1 min read Mountain Rain or Snow Volunteers Broke Records This Winter Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Perseverance Rover This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial… Parker Solar Probe On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona… Juno NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to… View the full article

5 min read Alphabet Soup: NASA’s GOLD Finds Surprising C, X Shapes in Atmosphere Who knew Earth’s upper atmosphere was like alphabet soup? NASA’s Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission has revealed unexpected C- and X-shaped formations in an electrified layer of gas high above our heads called the ionosphere. While these alphabetical shapes have been observed before, GOLD sees them more clearly than other instruments have and is now finding them where and when scientists didn’t expect. Their surprise appearances prove that we have more to learn about the ionosphere and its effects on communication and navigation signals that pass through it. Earth’s Dynamic Interface to Space Extending some 50 to 400 miles overhead, the ionosphere becomes electrically charged during the daytime when sunlight strikes our planet and its energy knocks electrons off atoms and molecules. This creates a soup of charged particles, known as plasma, that allows radio signals to travel over long distances. Near Earth’s magnetic equator, charged particles are funneled upward and outward along magnetic field lines, creating two dense bands of particles north and south of the equator that scientists call crests. As night falls and the Sun’s energy fades, low-density pockets in the plasma, called bubbles, can form in the ionosphere. Because of their varying density, the crests and bubbles can interfere with radio and GPS signals. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Under the combined influence of gravity and Earth’s electric and magnetic fields, charged particles in the ionosphere flow upward and outward away from Earth’s magnetic equator, forming two dense bands, or crests, to the north and south of the equator. Learn more here. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio While previous observations provided brief glimpses of crests and bubbles in the ionosphere, GOLD monitors these features over extended periods of time. That’s thanks to its geostationary orbit, which circles our planet at the same rate Earth rotates, allowing GOLD to hover over the Western Hemisphere. Unexpected X-Shaped Crests from Quiet Conditions The ionosphere is sensitive to disturbances from both space and terrestrial weather. GOLD has previously revealed that after a solar storm or huge volcanic eruption, the crests in the ionosphere can merge to form an X shape. But now, GOLD has seen an X shape form on multiple occasions when there were no such disturbances — what scientists refer to as “quiet time.” “Earlier reports of merging were only during geomagnetically ********** conditions — it is an unexpected feature during geomagnetic quiet conditions,” said Fazlul Laskar, of the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), who is the lead author of a paper about this discovery published in April 2024 by the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. Observations from NASA’s GOLD mission shows charged particles in the ionosphere forming an X shape on Oct. 7, 2019. (The colors indicate the intensity of the ultraviolet light emitted, with yellow and white indicating the strongest emission, or highest ionospheric density.) F. Laskar et al. These unexpected appearances tell scientists that something else must be involved in forming these X shapes. Computer models suggest that the X could develop when changes in the lower atmosphere pull plasma downward. “The X is odd because it implies that there are far more localized driving factors,” said Jeffrey Klenzing, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who studies the ionosphere. “This is expected during the extreme events, but seeing it during ‘quiet time’ suggests that the lower atmosphere activity is significantly driving the ionospheric structure.” To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This visualization shows a bright, horizontal X-shaped feature appearing in the ionosphere on Oct. 7, 2019, as observed by NASA’s GOLD mission. Each of GOLD’s observations cover about 45 degrees in longitude and proceed from east to west, alternating between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Rayleigh is a unit for measuring the amount of light (in this case, ultraviolet light). NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio C-Shaped Bubbles Point to Strong Turbulence GOLD has also found surprising C-shaped plasma bubbles that point to other puzzling dynamics influencing the ionosphere. Most plasma bubbles appear long and straight, forming along magnetic field lines. But some bubbles are curved into C shapes and reverse-C shapes, which scientists think are shaped by terrestrial winds. Computer models suggest a C-shape forms if winds increase with altitude at the magnetic equator and a reverse-C forms if the winds decrease with altitude. “It’s a little like a tree growing in a windy area,” explains Klenzing. “If the winds are typically to the east, the tree starts to tilt and grow in that direction.” In a paper published in November 2023 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, LASP scientist Deepak Karan and colleagues report that GOLD has observed C-shaped and reverse-C-shaped plasma bubbles appearing surprisingly close together — as close as about 400 miles apart (roughly the distance between Baltimore and Boston). Images from NASA’s GOLD mission show C-shaped and reverse-C-shaped plasma bubbles appearing close together in the ionosphere on Oct. 12, 2020, and Dec. 26, 2021. D. Karan et al. “Within that close proximity, these two opposite-shaped plasma bubbles had never been thought of, never been imaged,” said Karan. To have wind patterns change course in such a small area, Karan thinks some sort of strong turbulence — like a vortex, wind shear, or tornado-like activity — is likely at play in the atmosphere. “The fact that we have very different shapes of bubbles this close together tells us that the dynamics of the atmosphere is more complex than we expected,” Klenzing said. These close pairings appear to be rare, with only two instances recorded by GOLD so far. Yet because these features can disrupt critical communication and navigation technology, “It’s really important to find out why this is happening,” Karan said. “If a vortex or a very strong shear in the plasma has happened, this will completely distort the plasma over that region. Signals will be lost completely with a strong disturbance like this.” To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This visualization shows C-shaped and reverse-C-shaped plasma bubbles appearing close together in the ionosphere on Oct. 12, 2020, and Dec. 26, 2021, as observed by NASA’s GOLD mission. The bubbles appear as dark blue vertical features extending between two bright (dense) crests. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Scientists hope GOLD’s continued observations, combined with those from other heliophysics missions, can help unlock these mysteries of the ionosphere and their effects on our lives. By Vanessa Thomas NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Related Terms Earth’s Atmosphere Goddard Space Flight Center GOLD (Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk) Heliophysics Ionosphere The Sun Explore More 6 min read Pillars of Creation Star in New Visualization from NASA’s Hubble and Webb Telescopes Article 1 day ago 2 min read Hubble Captures Infant Stars Transforming a Nebula Article 6 days ago 6 min read First of Its Kind Detection Made in Striking New Webb Image Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

22 Min Read The Marshall Star for June 26, 2024 Blasting into Summer: Thousands Enjoy NASA in the Park By Wayne Smith It was a super Saturday in the park to celebrate space and the Rocket City. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center joined Downtown Huntsville Inc. and other community partners to host NASA in the Park, a public outreach event that attracted thousands to Big Spring Park East in Huntsville on June 22. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, second from left, presented Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, third from left, with an Artemis I Certificate of Appreciation during NASA in the Park on June 22 at Huntsville’s Big Spring Park East. They are joined by Larry Leopard, Marshall associate director, technical, far left, and Rae Ann Meyer, Marshall deputy director. NASA/Charles Beason And the reach of the event may go far beyond North Alabama in the years ahead, according to Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “Marshall Space Flight Center is the soul of space exploration,” said Battle, who was presented with an Artemis I Certificate of Appreciation by Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey at the event. “Huntsville is proud of NASA’s leadership in space, and it was exciting for locals to see all of Marshall’s cool projects on display at NASA in the Park. Seeing thousands of people, particularly young people, engaged at the event shows the enthusiasm for space and science. This event may have inspired a future astronaut or scientist who will take man back to the Moon, and one day to Mars.” Visitors to NASA in the Park get some relief from the heat underneath shade trees surrounding the canal that runs through Big Spring Park.NASA/Charles Beason Attendees of all ages packed the park to enjoy NASA exhibits and science demonstrations, giveaways, food vendors, and live music at the event, which was from 10–2 p.m. About 14,000 people attended, according to official estimates. The greenspace in the heart of Huntsville offered a welcome respite from temperatures that reached the upper 90s on the first Saturday of summer. An RS-25 engine display attracts visitors during NASA in the Park. The display was one of several exhibits at Big Spring Park East highlighting NASA missions.NASA/Charles Beason “Thank you to all our Marshall team members who helped make this year’s NASA in the Park a huge success,” said Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey. “It was truly incredible to see the overwhelming support and participation we received from our partners in government, industry, academia, and the community.” Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey, left, interviews NFL quarterback Joshua Dobbs at NASA in the Park. In addition to his football career, Dobbs has an aerospace engineering degree and is engaged in STEM outreach through his foundation, ASTROrdinary.NASA/Charles Beason The exhibits at the park included NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Program, which is managed by Marshall, the RS-25 engine that will power the rocket, and the Human Landing System, which is also managed by Marshall. Visitors to NASA in the Park participate in a game of ********* in front of a display featuring Artemis and NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System). NASA/Charles Beason Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top SLS Spotlight: Getting Ready for the First Crewed SLS Flights for Artemis The featured business unit for June at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is SLS. Building off the legacies of the Mercury-Redstone rocket, mighty Saturn V, and the space shuttle, teams at Marshall are preparing for the first crewed missions under the agency’s Artemis campaign with NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Marshall manages the SLS Program. Marshall teams are finishing outfitting and integration work on the major adapters for the SLS Block 1 configuration that will launch Artemis II and Artemis III. Beginning with Artemis IV, SLS will evolve into a larger, more powerful configuration called Block 1B. Already, development, test, manufacturing, and operation teams across Marshall – and across the country – are readying for its debut flight. Learn more about SLS. Below, meet some of the Marshall teammates who are working on the mega rocket. Structural materials engineer Lauren Fisher stands in front of the launch vehicle stage adapter for the SLS rocket. The hardware will be used for the agency’s Artemis III mission that will land astronauts on the lunar surface. Being part of the Artemis Generation is incredibly inspiring for Fisher, who takes pride in her work supporting the first three Artemis missions, including Artemis II, the first crewed mission under Artemis, in 2025. “I’m literally building the hardware that will send the first woman to deep space,” Fisher said. “Watching our rocket take shape, I’m like ‘you see that thing? I did that; that’s mine. See that one? My team did that one. We did that, and see this?’” She beams with pride. “You can do that, too. Just being a part of the generation that’s changing the workforce and changing the space program – it gives me goosebumps.” (NASA/Sam Lott) Bruce Askins ******* to explore other worlds always made him want to be an astronaut. Though he did not become an astronaut, Askins has built a 42-year career at NASA, and, as the infrastructure management lead for NASA’s SLS Program at Marshall, Askins is an integral part for the next generation of explorers. Askins and his team are the gatekeepers and protectors of data and responsible for both cybersecurity and physical security for the SLS Program. Under Askins’ leadership, his team ensures all data is stored properly, that information about the rocket shared outside NASA is done with proper data markings, and access is given to those that need it. (NASA/Sam Lott) Casey Wolfe. Casey Wolfe, a Huntsville native, joined Marshall first as a Pathways intern in 2012. Now the assistant branch chief of the advanced manufacturing branch within the Materials and Processing Laboratory at Marshall, Wolfe and her branch support Artemis through composites and additive manufacturing work for the key elements of both the Block 1 and Block 1B SLS configurations. Wolfe led the manufacturing efforts on the composite payload adapter that will be housed inside the universal stage adapter as part of the Block 1B configuration, beginning with Artemis IV. The engineering development unit is currently undergoing structural testing in the West Test Area. “It’s an incredible feeling knowing that you are part of an effort that helps to inspire so many people,” Wolfe said. “My work has helped move the Artemis campaign forward in many different, directly helping to build and lay the foundation for the materials, processes, and manufacturing efforts that are assisting the advancement of humankind in space exploration.” (NASA/Sam Lott) Launching a rocket to the Moon takes perseverance and diligence. Josh Whitehead – a world-class engineer, race-winning long-distance runner, and father – knows that it also takes a good attitude. “Positive energies are vital, particularly when working through challenges,” Whitehead said. “Challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. There’s always more than one way; always more than one solution.” Whitehead’s job as the associate manager for the SLS Stages Office supports design, development, certification, and operation of the 212-foot-tall SLS core stage. The massive core stage with two propellant tanks that collectively hold more than 733,000 gallons of super-cold propellant is one of the largest cryogenic propulsion rocket stages. Whitehead and his team are currently preparing to deliver the core stage that will power Artemis II and send a crew of four around the Moon to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. (NASA/Sam Lott) Mat Bevill, the associate chief engineer for NASA’s SLS Program, stands in front of a four-segment solid rocket booster that powered the space shuttle at Marshall. As the associate chief engineer for the SLS Program, Bevill assists the program chief engineer by interfacing with each of the element chief engineers and helping make critical decisions for the development and flight of the SLS mega rocket that will power NASA’s Artemis campaign. With the launch of Artemis II, the first crewed test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft, Bevill’s technical leadership and support for the SLS Chief Engineer’s Office will place him, once again, at a notable moment in time. “Think of me as the assistant coach,” Bevill said. “While the head coach is on the front line leading the team, I’m on the sidelines providing feedback and advising those efforts.” As a jack-of-all-trades, he enables progress in any way that he can, something he’s familiar with after 37 years with NASA. (NASA/Brandon Hancock) Brent Gaddes got his start at Marshall supporting the Space Shuttle Program as it made history in low Earth orbit. Now, his work is taking human deep space exploration to the Moon and beyond with NASA’s SLS rocket. As the lead for the Orion stage adapter and payload adapter in the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office, Gaddes is responsible for managing the teams that design, test, and build the Orion stage adapter for the first three Artemis flights, as well as the payload adapter for the future SLS Block 1B configuration. It means having his eye on a lot of moving parts: the Artemis II Orion stage adapter is awaiting shipment to NASA Kennedy later this year, while the major structure for the Artemis III Orion stage adapter is complete with installations of its avionics unit and diaphragm to come as Marshall test teams continue testing and analysis on an engineering development unit of the Artemis IV payload adapter. Gaddes was born in Decatur, Alabama, but grew up a few hours away in Brentwood, Tennessee. His love of space has stayed with him most of his life: “Seeing the Apollo missions on TV as a child led to a fascination with one of humankind’s most remarkable achievements,” Gaddes said. “To work for NASA has fulfilled a dream of mine, and now to be involved with sending humans back to the Moon is truly an incredible privilege and blessing!” (NASA/Sam Lott) Gwen Artis started her career at NASA as one of the first high school summer interns at Marshall. Although she briefly relocated to Houston to work with retired astronaut Mae Jemison – the first woman of ****** to go to space – the majority of Artis’ 40-year career has centered at Marshall, where she has worked on a variety of programs including Spacelab, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, in-space propulsion, SERVIR, and SLS. As systems engineer professional expert for Jacobs with the Jacobs Space Exploration Group ESSCA contract, Artis assists with the management and oversite of the production for each of the launch vehicle stage adapters for the first three SLS flights for Artemis I, II, and III. The cone-shaped adapter partially encloses the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage and serves as a key connector to the core stage below it and the upper stage above it. “Marshall has made and led countless contributions in technology advancement and human space exploration and to be a small part of that legacy, and particularly a part of the Artemis Generation, is inconceivable,” Artis said. “I constantly share with great enthusiasm how blessed I am to endeavor into this next great era of human space exploration in hopes that my experiences, my personal story, will embolden others and encourage future engineers, scientists, astronauts, technologists, and all other contributors of space exploration.” (NASA/Sam Lott) › Back to Top Marshall Juneteenth Festival Honors ****** History, Accomplishments ****** Employees and Allies at Marshall (BEAM), NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, and Harambee hosted a Juneteenth Festival on June 17. The event was in Activities Building 4316 for Marshall team members. From left, Marshall’s Tawnya Laughinghouse and Alix Martin, and Joseph Price from Jacobs participate in a panel discussion June 17 during the Juneteenth Festival at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The festival’s theme was “Their Wildest Dreams.”NASA/Charles Beason The theme for Juneteenth 2024 was “Their Wildest Dreams,” in honor of ****** history and the present accomplishments of ******** ********* employees. The festival featured panelists, vendors, food trucks, and more. “The Juneteenth Festival has become an event that BEAM looks forward to planning for Marshall team members, and we have enjoyed seeing the growth in attendance over the past four years,” said Amanda Otieno, an equal employment specialist in the Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity and a BEAM member. “Inclusion and cultural awareness are vital for creating a safe and supporting workforce and it’s great to see the center come together to celebrate the significance of the day, but also to learn about and appreciate different cultures. Together we are building a workforce that not only respects but thrives on diversity.” Marshall team member Andrea Brown sings with her daughter, Jaya Brown, at the Juneteenth Festival.NASA/Charles Beason Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated event marking the end of slavery in the ******* States. BEAM is an employee resource group at Marshall, and Harambee is an employee resource group for Jacobs. To learn more or join BEAM, Marshall team members can email Otieno. › Back to Top ****** Space Week 2024: A Conversation with the ‘Passtronaut’ – NFL quarterback Joshua Dobbs As part of ****** Space Week (June 16-22), NASA had a conversation with NFL quarterback Joshua Dobbs, also known as the “Passtronaut.” In addition to his football career, Dobbs holds an aerospace engineering degree, and has a passion for space and STEM education. NASA’s Gary Willis sat down for a conversation about Dobbs’ life on and off the field, and how his interests guide his professional and personal journey. Dobbs also attended the NASA in the Park event June 22 at Huntsville’s Big Spring Park East. The event was hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Downtown Huntsville Inc. (NASA) › Back to Top Take 5 with Andrew Schnell By Wayne Smith Andrew Schnell grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, just a two-hour trip from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. Being nearby, the museum was an obvious attraction because of Schnell’s interest in space exploration as a child. So, too, was a journey toward a long career with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Andrew Schnell is the acting manager of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA/Charles Beason “I remember being fascinated with NASA and the Space Shuttle Program from the beginning, and my parents were happy to foster my interest,” said Schnell, the acting manager of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at Marshall. “We probably visited the Space & Rocket Center once a year, and we toured Kennedy Space Center when I was young. So, when I decided to pursue engineering, NASA was just the obvious place for me.” As Chandra’s acting project manager today, Schnell and his team monitor the observatory’s operations, “making sure it continues to meet its obligations to the international community of astronomers and astrophysicists that we serve.” Launched July 23, 1999, NASA is celebrating 25 years of Chandra helping to unravel the secrets of the universe. The observatory is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around ****** holes. Marshall has served as home for the Chandra Program Office since its inception. NASA’s flagship mission for X-ray astronomy, Chandra continues to make contributions to astronomers and astrophysicists. Schnell said what he impresses him most about the observatory is Chandra’s ability to actively contribute to other science missions. “Over the past year, more than 50 Chandra observations were coordinated with observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble, and Marshall’s own IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer),” Schnell said. “Our team can respond to a request in a few days, giving astronomers the unique opportunity to observe the same phenomena in multiple wavelengths.” And 15 years into his NASA career, Schnell said the entire Chandra team continues to motivate him. “Every one of them is a world-class scientist or engineer,” Schnell said. “Many of them have spent their entire careers keeping Chandra thriving for almost 25 years now with no servicing missions. They know the observatory inside and out, down to the wiring. It’s amazing watching them troubleshoot a problem in real time. They motivate me to do the best job I can do. I don’t want to let such an amazing team down.” Question: What excites you most about the future of human space exploration, or your NASA work, and your team’s role it? Schnell: The thing that excites me the most about working with Chandra is that not only are we helping scientists rewrite our understanding of the universe today, but the data we collect with Chandra now will answer questions that scientists haven’t even asked yet. Years from now, an astrophysicist, maybe one who hasn’t been born yet, is going to have a theory about how some aspect of the universe works, and they’re going to use the data we’re collecting right now to test their theory. Schnell smiles during a visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in 1984. Photo courtesy of Andrew Schnell Chandra is the only X-ray observatory of its caliber flying today, and its replacement isn’t even on the drawing board. It’s really important that we continue to keep it operating, pulling in every bit of data we can for tomorrow’s astrophysicists. Question: What has been the proudest moment of your career and why? Schnell: A few years ago, I coached a team of summer interns as they built a CubeSat-scale pulsed plasma thruster and tested it in a vacuum chamber. They won one of the research awards at the expo that summer, with a big check and everything. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of. Question: Who or what inspired you to pursue an education/career that led you to NASA and Marshall? Schnell: I was a summer intern at Marshall in 2001 and 2002, working with Mike Tinker, who was a structural engineer here in the Engineering Directorate. Mike would mentor several interns every summer, pushing us to write conference papers based on our projects. I will never forget his kindness and his willingness to work with interns every summer, all while managing his other tasks. He inspired me, not only to pursue a career at NASA, but to seek out opportunities to serve as a mentor for interns, co-ops, and younger engineers. Question: What advice do you have for employees early in their NASA career or those in new leadership roles? Schnell: I’ve seen how easy it is for younger engineers to lose some confidence when they start working here. They’ll measure themselves against their coworkers and think they’ll never be that good, that they’re imposters, that it’s a fluke that they’re working here. I would tell them that no one becomes a NASA employee or a NASA contractor by accident. You are meant to be here. Be kind to yourself, bring your full self to work every day, and you’ll be an expert in your discipline before you realize it. Question: What do you enjoy doing with your time while away from work? Schnell: I enjoy drawing and making comics. And as a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, I try to watch as many Cincinnati Reds games as I can during baseball season. Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Chandra Peers into Densest, Weirdest Stars The supernova remnant 3C 58 contains a spinning neutron star, known as PSR J0205+6449, at its center. Astronomers studied this neutron star and others like it to probe the nature of matter inside these very dense objects. A new study, made using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton, reveals that the interiors of neutron stars may contain a type of ultra-dense matter not found anywhere else in the Universe. In this image of 3C 58, low-energy X-rays are ******** red, medium-energy X-rays are green, and the high-energy band of X-rays is shown in blue. The X-ray data have been combined with an optical image in yellow from the Digitized Sky Survey. The Chandra data show that the rapidly rotating neutron star (also known as a “pulsar”) at the center is surrounded by a torus of X-ray emission and a jet that extends for several light-years.X-ray: NASA/CXC/ICE-CSIC/A. Marino et al.; Optical: SDSS; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major In this image of 3C 58, low-energy X-rays are ******** red, medium-energy X-rays are green, and the high-energy band of X-rays is shown in blue. The X-ray data have been combined with an optical image in yellow from the Digitized Sky Survey. The Chandra data show that the rapidly rotating neutron star (also known as a “pulsar”) at the center is surrounded by a torus of X-ray emission and a jet that extends for several light-years. The optical data shows stars in the field. The team in this new study analyzed previously released data from neutron stars to determine the so-called equation of state. This refers to the basic properties of the neutron stars including the pressures and temperatures in different parts of their interiors. The authors used machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to compare the data to different equations of state. Their results imply that a significant fraction of the equations of state – the ones that do not include the capability for rapid cooling at higher masses – can be ruled out. The researchers capitalized on some neutron stars in the study being located in supernova remnants, including 3C 58. Since astronomers have age estimates of the supernova remnants, they also have the ages of the neutron stars that were created during the explosions that created both the remnants and the neutron stars. The astronomers found that the neutron star in 3C 58 and two others were much cooler than the rest of the neutron stars in the study. The team thinks that part of the explanation for the rapid cooling is that these neutron stars are more massive than most of the rest. Because more massive neutron stars have more particles, special processes that cause neutron stars to cool more rapidly might be triggered. One possibility for what is inside these neutron stars is a type of radioactive decay near their centers where neutrinos – low mass particles that easily travel through matter – carry away much of the energy and heat, causing rapid cooling. Another possibility is that there are types of exotic matter found in the centers of these more rapidly cooling neutron stars. The Nature Astronomy paper describing these results is available here. The authors of the paper are Alessio Marino (Institute of Space Sciences (ICE) in Barcelona, Spain), Clara Dehman (ICE), Konstantinos Kovlakas (ICE), Nanda Rea (ICE), J. A. Pons (University of Alicante in Spain), and Daniele Viganò (ICE). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. › Back to Top Growing Interest: Marshall Hosts Pollinator Week Event Team members at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center learn about the center’s pollinator garden from Joni Melson, left, and Kristen Wagner during a Pollinator Week event June 17. The Pollinator Club at Marshall hosted the event, showing the benefits of cultivating a healthy biosphere of flowering plants and other greenery to support local populations of bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. Attendees also received free native plants and seeds. The event was part of Pollinator Week, the annual nationwide environmental activity held this year from June 17-23. The center’s pollinator garden is situated between Building 4315 and the Redstone Arsenal walking trail. The garden is a volunteer-maintained collection of more than 160 plants, mostly drought-tolerant perennials which will draw pollinating insects. The habitat, a registered Monarch Waystation, is certified with the North ********* Butterfly Association.​​​​​​​ Marshall team members can learn more about the Pollinator Club on Inside Marshall. (NASA/Charles Beason) › Back to Top NASA, Partners Conduct Fifth Asteroid Impact Exercise, Release Summary For the benefit of all, NASA released a summary June 20 of the fifth biennial Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, in partnership with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State Office of Space Affairs, convened the tabletop exercise to inform and assess our ability as a nation to respond effectively to the threat of a potentially hazardous asteroid or comet. Representatives from NASA, FEMA, and the planetary defense community participate in the 5th Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise to inform and assess our ability as a nation to respond effectively to the threat of a potentially hazardous asteroid or comet.NASA/JHU-APL/Ed Whitman Although there are no known significant asteroid impact threats for the foreseeable future, hypothetical exercises provide valuable insights by exploring the risks, response options, and opportunities for collaboration posed by varying scenarios, from minor regional damage with little warning to potential global catastrophes predicted years or even decades in the future. “The uncertainties in these initial conditions for the exercise allowed participants to consider a particularly challenging set of circumstances,” said Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer emeritus NASA Headquarters. “A large asteroid impact is potentially the only natural disaster humanity has the technology to predict years in advance and take action to prevent.” During the exercise, participants considered potential national and global responses to a hypothetical scenario in which a never-before-detected asteroid was identified that had, according to initial calculations, a 72% chance of hitting Earth in approximately 14 years. The preliminary observations described in the exercise, however, were not sufficient to precisely determine the asteroid’s size, composition, and long-term trajectory. To complicate this year’s hypothetical scenario, essential follow-up observations would have to be delayed for at least seven months – a critical loss of time – as the asteroid passed behind the Sun as seen from Earth’s vantage point in space. Conducting exercises enable government stakeholders to identify and resolve potential issues as part of preparation for any real-world situation. It was held in April at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, and brought together nearly 100 representatives from across U.S. government agencies and, for the first time, international collaborators on planetary defense. “Our mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters,” said Leviticus “L.A.” Lewis, FEMA detailee to NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. “We work across the country every day before disasters happen to help people and communities understand and prepare for possible risks. In the event of a potential asteroid impact, FEMA would be a leading player in interagency coordination.” This exercise was the first to use data from NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, the first in-space demonstration of a technology for defending Earth against potential asteroid impacts. The DART spacecraft, which impacted the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos on Sept. 26, 2022, confirmed a kinetic impactor could change the trajectory of an asteroid. Applying this or any type of technology to an actual impact threat would require many years of advance planning. To help ensure humanity will have the time needed to evaluate and respond to a potentially hazardous asteroid or comet, NASA continues the development of its NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor), an infrared space telescope designed specifically to expedite our ability to discover and characterize most of the potentially hazardous near-Earth objects many years before they could become an impact threat. The agency’s NEO Surveyor’s proposed launch date is set for June 2028. NASA will publish a complete after-action report for the tabletop exercise later, which will include strengths and gaps identified from analysis of the response, other discussions during the exercise, and recommendations for improvement. “These outcomes will help to shape future exercises and studies to ensure NASA and other government agencies continue improving planetary defense preparedness,” said Johnson. NASA established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office in 2016 to manage the agency’s ongoing planetary-defense efforts. Johns Hopkins APL managed the DART mission for NASA as a project of the agency’s Planetary Missions Program Office, which is at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Learn more about planetary defense at NASA. › Back to Top View the full article

NASA logo NASA is fostering continued scientific, educational, and technological developments in low Earth orbit to benefit humanity, while also supporting deep space exploration at the Moon and Mars. As the agency transitions to commercially owned space destinations closer to home, it is crucial to prepare for the safe and responsible deorbit of the International Space Station in a controlled manner after the end of its operational life in 2030. NASA announced SpaceX has been selected to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle that will provide the capability to deorbit the space station and ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas. “Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations. This decision also supports NASA’s plans for future commercial destinations and allows for the continued use of space near Earth,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The orbital laboratory ******** a blueprint for science, exploration, and partnerships in space for the benefit of all.” While the company will develop the deorbit spacecraft, NASA will take ownership after development and operate it throughout its mission. Along with the space station, it is expected to destructively breakup as part of the re-entry process. Since 1998, five space agencies, CSA (********* Space Agency), ESA (********* Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), and State Space Corporation Roscosmos, have operated the International Space Station with each agency responsible for managing and controlling the hardware it provides. The station was designed to be interdependent and relies on contributions from across the partnership to function. The ******* States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA have committed to operating the station through 2030. Russia has committed to continued station operations through at least 2028. The safe deorbit of the International Space Station is the responsibility of all five space agencies. The single-award contract has a total potential value of $843 million. The launch service for the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle will be a future procurement. In its 24th year of continuously crewed operations, the space station is a unique scientific platform where crew members conduct experiments across multiple disciplines of research, including Earth and space science, biology, human physiology, physical sciences, and technology demonstrations not possible on Earth. Crews living aboard station are the hands of thousands of researchers on the ground having conducted more than 3,300 experiments in microgravity. Station is the cornerstone of space commerce, from commercial crew and cargo partnerships to commercial research and national lab research, and lessons learned aboard International Space Station are helping to pass the torch to future commercial stations. Learn more about space station operations at: [Hidden Content] -end- Josh Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-356-1100 *****@*****.tld Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p*****@*****.tld View the full article

In 1983, NASA received delivery of Discovery, the third space qualified vehicle in the agency’s space shuttle fleet. During the launch attempt for the STS-41D mission on June 26, 1984, Discovery’s onboard computers halted the countdown four seconds before liftoff, and after two of its main engines had already ignited. The six astronauts safely egressed the orbiter. This first on-the-pad abort of the shuttle program required the vehicle’s return to its assembly building for replacement of the faulty engine that caused the shutdown. The resulting two-month delay caused a shuffling of the mission’s payloads, but Discovery finally lifted off on Aug. 30, and the astronauts completed a successful six-day mission, deploying three commercial satellites, testing a new solar array, and conducting a commercial biotechnology experiment. Left: Space shuttle Discovery rolls out of Rockwell’s Palmdale facility. Middle: Discovery atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during the cross-country ferry flight. Right: Discovery arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery rolled out of Rockwell International’s plant in Palmdale, California, on Oct. 16, 1983. Five of the six crew members assigned to its first flight attended the ceremony. Workers trucked Discovery overland from Palmdale to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). Discovery arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Nov. 9 after a cross-country ferry flight from Edwards, following a two-day stopover at Vandenberg Air Force, now Space Force, Base in California, atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. Discovery, named after several historical ships of exploration, incorporated manufacturing lessons learned from the first orbiters as well as through the use of more advanced materials. The new vehicle weighed nearly 8,000 pounds less than its sister ship Columbia and 700 pounds less than Challenger. Left: The STS-41D crew patch. Right: The STS-41D crew of R. Michael “Mike” Mullane, front row left, Steven A. Hawley, Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield, and Michael D. Coats; and Charles D. Walker, back row left, and Judith A. Resnik. To fly Discovery’s first flight, originally designated STS-12 and later renamed STS-41D, in February 1983 NASA assigned Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, a veteran of STS-4, and first-time flyers Pilot Michael L. Coats, and Mission Specialists R. Michael Mullane, Steven A. Hawley, and Judith A. Resnik, all from the 1978 class of astronauts. In May 1983, NASA announced the addition of Charles D. Walker, an employee of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, to the crew, flying as the first commercial payload specialist. He would operate the company’s Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) experiment. The mission’s primary payloads included the Leasat-1 (formerly known as Syncom IV-1) commercial communications satellite and OAST-1, three experiments from NASA’s Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, including the Solar Array Experiment, a 105-foot long lightweight deployable and retractable solar array. Left: Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida lift Discovery to mate it with its external tank and solid rocket boosters. Middle: Initial rollout of Discovery from the VAB to Launch Pad 39A on May 19, 1984. Right: The Flight Readiness ******* on June 2. The day after its arrival at KSC, workers towed Discovery from the SLF to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to being preparing it for its first space flight. Between Dec. 9, 1983, and Jan. 10, 1984, it entered temporary storage in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to allow postflight processing of Columbia in the OPF following STS-9. Workers returned Discovery to the OPF for final processing, towing it to the VAB on May 12 for mating with its External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The completed stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on May 19. On June 2, engineers successfully completed an 18-second Flight Readiness ******* of the shuttle main engines. Post test inspections revealed a debonding of a thermal shield in main engine number 1’s combustion chamber, requiring its replacement at the pad. The work pushed the planned launch date back three days to June 25. Left: The June 26 launch abort. Right: Discovery’s three main engines hours after the launch abort. The ******** of the shuttle’s backup General Purpose Computer (GPC) caused a one-day delay of the first launch attempt on June 25. On June 26, the countdown proceeded smoothly and at T ****** 6.6 seconds the orbiter’s GPCs began the serial ignition sequence of the three main engines. Normally, the three engines ignite at 0.12-second intervals to ease stress on the system and to allow onboard computers to diagnose any problems. Engines number 2 and 3, forming the base of the triangle closest to the body flap, ignited as planned, but engine number 1 at the apex of the triangle and nearest the vertical tail, did not ignite at all. This caused the Redundant Set Launch Sequencer (RSLS) to shut the two working engines down, calling an abort to the countdown at T ****** 4 seconds. To ease the tension, Hawley reportedly said, “Gee, I thought we’d be a little higher at main engine cutoff.” The fact that engine number 1 had never ignited caused some momentary confusion as displays showed that the RSLS had not shut it down. A single engine still burning with the shuttle still on the pad would have led to a disaster. Once controllers and the onboard crew realized what had actually happened, they calmed down somewhat. What no one realized at the time is that a hydrogen *****, invisible to the ****** eye, had broken out at the aft end of the orbiter. Had the crew evacuated at that time, they would have run through the invisible flames. The pad’s ***** suppression system came on to deal with the *****, and when the crew did finally egress the shuttle, they received a good dousing of water. The crew returned safely, if a little drenched, to crew quarters. After ground teams assessed the cause of the abort, they made the decision to roll the stack back to the VAB, demate Discovery from the ET and SRBs and tow it back to the OPF. Workers replaced the faulty engine, and Discovery rolled back out to the launch pad on Aug. 9 for another launch attempt 20 days later, delayed by one day due to a software issue, and finally on Aug. 30, Discovery roared off its launch pad on a pillar of flame and within 8 minutes, NASA’s newest orbiter reached low Earth orbit. Left: Gemini VI launch pad abort in December 1965. Right: Gemini VI crew of Thomas P. Stafford, left, and Walter M. Schirra. Although the first on the pad abort of the space shuttle program, the June 1984 attempt to launch Discovery on STS-41D represented the second such incident in the ********* human spaceflight program. The dubious honor of the first on the pad abort belongs to Gemini VI. On Dec. 12, 1965, astronauts Walter M. Schirra and Thomas P. Stafford strapped into the spacecraft for their second launch attempt to rendezvous with Gemini VII. The countdown clock ticked down to zero, and the Titan-II rocket’s first stage engines ignited. And shut off after just 1.2 seconds. Although the mission clock aboard the spacecraft had started, the rocket had not lifted off, and Schirra made the split-second decision not to eject himself and Stafford from the spacecraft. Engineers later traced the cause of the abort to a dust cap inadvertently left in the engine compartment. After workers took care of that issue, Schirra and Stafford tried to launch again on Dec. 15, and the third time proved to be the charm. Four space shuttle on-the-pad aborts. STS-51F in August 1985, left, STS-55 in March 1993, STS-51 in August 1993, and STS-68 in August 1994. In the 10 years following the June 1984 abort, four additional shuttle launch attempts ended with an RSLS abort after at least one main engine had ignited. July 12, 1985, STS-51F space shuttle Challenger The RSLS ********* a shutdown at T ****** 3 seconds, after all three main engines had ignited, because the number two main engine’s chamber coolant valve did not close as rapidly as needed for startup. Investigations revealed a faulty sensor as the real culprit, and workers replaced it at the pad. Challenger launched successfully on July 29, but during ascent engine number 1 shut down, the only inflight ******** of a main engine, resulting in the only abort to orbit of the program. Although the shuttle achieved a slightly lower than planned orbit, the mission met most of its science objectives. March 22, 1993, STS-55 space shuttle Columbia Following a trouble-free countdown, Columbia’s three main engines came to life at as planned, but three seconds later, the RSLS shut them all down when it detected that engine number 3 had not come up to full power. A tiny fragment of rubber caused a valve in the liquid oxygen system to *****, preventing the engine from fully starting. Columbia borrowed three main engines from Endeavour, and STS-55 took off on April 26 to carry out its ******* Spacelab-D2 mission. Aug. 12, 1993, STS-51 space shuttle Discovery After a trouble-free preflight processing and countdown, Discovery’s three main engines ignited as planned at T ****** 6.6 seconds. Three seconds later, all three engines shut down. Investigation revealed the cause as a faulty sensor that monitors fuel flow through main engine number 2. Workers replaced all three engines at the pad, and Discovery took off on Sept. 12 to carry out its mission. Aug. 18, 1994, STS-68 space shuttle Endeavour Following a smooth countdown, Endeavour’s three main engines began their startup sequence at T ****** 6.6 seconds. The GLS computers detected a problem with the No. 3 main engine’s High Pressure Oxidizer Turbine. One of its sensors detected a dangerously high discharge temperature, exceeding the rules of the Launch Commit Criteria, and Endeavour’s computers halted the countdown a mere 1.9 seconds before liftoff. Workers rolled Endeavour back to the VAB, replacing its three main engines with ones borrowed from Atlantis. STS-68 finally took off on Sept. 30 and successfully completed its radar mapping mission. NASA astronaut Daniel W. Bursch holds the distinction as the only person to have experienced two on-the-pad aborts, as he served as a mission specialist on both STS-51 and STS-68. The lessons learned from these on-the-pad abort experiences can inform current and future programs. For example, the Space Launch System (SLS) uses main engines leftover from the space shuttle program to power its booster stage. And operationally, other launcher systems can learn from these experiences and safely manage similar future events. Read recollections of the STS-41D mission by Hartsfield, Coats, Mullane, Hawley, and Walker in their ***** histories with the JSC History Office. Explore More 5 min read The 1998 Florida Firestorm and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Article 6 hours ago 15 min read 55 Years Ago: One Month Until the Moon Landing Article 6 days ago 2 min read Giant Batteries Deliver Renewable Energy When It’s Needed Article 6 days ago View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Imagery captured by a navigation camera aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover on Jan. 23 shows the position of a cover on the SHERLOC instrument. The cover had become stuck several weeks earlier but the rover team has since found a way to address the issue so the instrument can continue to operate.NASA/JPL-Caltech After six months of effort, an instrument that helps the Mars rover look for potential signs of ancient microbial life has come back online. The SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has analyzed a rock target with its spectrometer and camera for the first time since encountering an issue this past January. The instrument plays a key role in the mission’s search for signs of ancient microbial life on Mars. Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed on June 17 that the instrument succeeded in collecting data. “Six months of running diagnostics, testing, imagery and data analysis, troubleshooting, and retesting couldn’t come with a better conclusion,” said SHERLOC principal investigator Kevin Hand of JPL. Imagery captured by a navigation camera aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover on Jan. 23 shows the position of a cover on the SHERLOC instrument. The cover had become stuck several weeks earlier but the rover team has since found a way to address the issue so the instrument can continue to operate.NASA/JPL-Caltech Mounted on the rover’s robotic arm, SHERLOC uses two cameras and a laser spectrometer to search for organic compounds and minerals in rocks that have been altered in watery environments and may reveal signs of past microbial life. On Jan. 6, a movable lens cover designed to protect the instrument’s spectrometer and one of its cameras from dust became frozen in a position that prevented SHERLOC from collecting data. Analysis by the SHERLOC team pointed to the malfunction of a small motor responsible for moving the protective lens cover as well as adjusting focus for the spectrometer and the Autofocus and Context Imager (ACI) camera. By testing potential solutions on a duplicate SHERLOC instrument at JPL, the team began a long, meticulous evaluation process to see if, and how, the lens cover could be moved into the open position. Perseverance’s team used the SHERLOC instrument’s Autofocus and Context Imager to capture this image of its calibration target on May 11 to confirm an issue with a stuck lens cover had been resolved. A silhouette of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes is at the center of the target.NASA/JPL-Caltech SHERLOC Sleuthing Among many other steps taken, the team tried heating the lens cover’s small motor, commanding the rover’s robotic arm to rotate the SHERLOC instrument under different orientations with supporting Mastcam-Z imagery, rocking the mechanism back and forth to loosen any debris potentially jamming the lens cover, and even engaging the rover’s percussive drill to try jostling it loose. On March 3, imagery returned from Perseverance showed that the ACI cover had opened more than 180 degrees, clearing the imager’s field of view and enabling the ACI to be placed near its target. “With the cover out of the way, a line of sight for the spectrometer and camera was established. We were halfway there,” said Kyle Uckert, SHERLOC deputy principal investigator at JPL. “We still needed a way to focus the instrument on a target. Without focus, SHERLOC images would be blurry and the spectral signal would be weak.” Like any good ophthalmologist, the team set about figuring out SHERLOC’s prescription. Since they couldn’t adjust the focus of the instrument’s optics, they relied on the rover’s robotic arm to make minute adjustments in the distance between SHERLOC and its target in order to get the best image resolution. SHERLOC was commanded to take pictures of its calibration target so that the team could check the effectiveness of this approach. This image of NASA’s Perseverance rover gathering data on the “Walhalla Glades” abrasion was taken in the “Bright Angel” region of Jezero Crater by one of the rover’s front hazard avoidance cameras on June 14. The WATSON camera on the SHERLOC instrument is closest to the Martian surface.NASA/JPL-Caltech “The rover’s robotic arm is amazing. It can be commanded in small, quarter-millimeter steps to help us evaluate SHERLOC’s new focus position, and it can place SHERLOC with high accuracy on a target,” said Uckert. “After testing first on Earth and then on Mars, we figured out the best distance for the robotic arm to place SHERLOC is about 40 millimeters,” or 1.58 inches. “At that distance, the data we collect should be as good as ever.” Confirmation of that fine positioning of the ACI on a Martian rock target came down on May 20. The verification on June 17 that the spectrometer is also functional checked the team’s last box, confirming that SHERLOC is operational. “Mars is hard, and bringing instruments back from the brink is even *******,” said Perseverance project manager Art Thompson of JPL. “But the team never gave up. With SHERLOC back online, we’re continuing our explorations and sample collection with a full complement of science instruments.” Perseverance is in the later stages of its fourth science campaign, looking for evidence of carbonate and olivine deposits in the “Margin Unit,” an area along the inside of Jezero Crater’s rim. On Earth, carbonates typically form in the shallows of freshwater or alkaline lakes. It’s hypothesized that this also might be the case for the Margin Unit, which formed over 3 billion years ago. More About the Mission A key objective of Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including caching samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (********* Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. For more about Perseverance: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance News Media Contacts DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-9011 *****@*****.tld Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters 202-385-1600 / 202-802-5345 *****@*****.tld / charles.e*****@*****.tld 2024-091 Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 Related TermsPerseverance (Rover)Jet Propulsion LaboratoryMarsMars 2020 Explore More 6 min read NASA’s Juno Gets a Close-Up Look at Lava Lakes on Jupiter’s Moon Io Article 2 hours ago 5 min read Why Scientists Are Intrigued by Air in NASA’s Mars Sample Tubes Article 6 days ago 2 min read Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments The spacecraft has resumed gathering information about interstellar space. NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is conducting… Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

SpaceX A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) satellite lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25, 2024. GOES-U is the fourth and final satellite in the current series of advanced weather satellites; it will provide continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions across much of the Western Hemisphere. In addition to its critical role in predicting weather on Earth, the GOES series of satellites helps forecasters predict space weather near Earth that can interfere with satellite electronics, GPS, and radio communications. The GOES-U satellite has a new space weather instrument, the Compact Coronograph-1, which blocks the Sun’s bright light so scientists can observe the relatively fainter solar atmosphere. GOES-U will take about two weeks to reach geostationary orbit. Once there, the satellite will be renamed GOES-19. Follow GOES-U’s journey. Image Credit: SpaceX View the full article

Bricks produced using mycelium, yard waste and wood chips as a part of the myco-architecture project. Similar materials could be used to build habitats on the Moon or Mars.Credits: NASA As NASA prepares for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars for the benefit of all, a habitat-growing concept selected Wednesday by the agency could help “grow” homes using fungi for future explorers. A team of researchers at NASA Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will receive new funding under the NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (*****) program to propel their habitat research. The Phase III ***** award will provide $2 million over two years to continue technology development of the Mycotecture Off Planet project in preparation for a potential future demonstration mission. The work is led by Lynn Rothschild, a senior research scientist at NASA Ames. “As NASA prepares to explore farther into the cosmos than ever before, it will require new science and technology that doesn’t yet exist” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA’s space technology team and the ***** program unlock visionary ideas – ideas that make the impossible, possible. This new research is a steppingstone to our Artemis campaign as we prepare to go back to the Moon to live, to learn, to invent, to create – then venture to Mars and beyond.” Some habitats, such as landers and rovers, will be delivered to planetary surfaces. However, the mycotecture project team is developing technologies that could “grow” habitats on the Moon, Mars, and beyond using fungi and the underground threads that comprise the main part of fungi, known as mycelia. With this development, explorers could travel with a compact habitat built out of lightweight material containing dormant fungi. By adding water, fungi can potentially grow around that framework into a fully functional human habitat, while being safely contained to avoid contaminating the environment. “We are committed to advancing technologies to transport our astronauts, house our explorers, and facilitate valuable research,” said Walt Engelund, associate administrator for Programs in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We invest in these technologies throughout their lifecycle, recognizing their potential to help us accomplish our goals – benefiting industry, our agency, and humanity.” The mycotecture project could enable a new, multi-use material for in-space construction, reducing mass and saving resources for additional mission priorities. The proof of concept for this technology was demonstrated through earlier ***** awards. The team created multiple combinations of fungal-based biocomposites, fabricated prototypes, tested materials in a planetary simulator, evaluated enhancements including incorporating radiation protection, and drafted detailed mycelium-based Moon habitat designs. This project also has uses on Earth in addition to applications on other worlds. Mycelia could be used for water filtration and systems that extract minerals from wastewater. From deep space human exploration to advanced propulsion and robotics, NASA aims to change the possible by supporting early-stage space technology research that could radically change the future. “Mycotecture Off Planet exemplifies how advanced concepts can change how we envision future exploration missions,” said John Nelson, ***** Program Executive. “As NASA embarks on the next era of space exploration, ***** helps the agency lay the necessary groundwork to bring innovative visions to life.” Work under the Phase III award will allow the research team to optimize material properties. It also will enable the team to progress toward testing in low Earth orbit. Future applications of this project could include integration into commercial space stations or infusion into missions to the Moon with the ultimate goal of use on Mars. NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts supports visionary, early-stage research ideas through multiple progressive phases of study. In January 2024, NASA announced 19 Phase I and Phase II proposal selections. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is responsible for developing the new cross-cutting technologies and capabilities the agency needs to achieve its current and future missions, funds ***** activities. For more information about NASA’s investments in space technology, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Jasmine Hopkins Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSpace Technology Mission DirectorateNASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (*****) ProgramScience & Research View the full article

6 Min Read Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample A microscope image of a dark Bennu particle, about a millimeter long, with a crust of bright phosphate. To the right is a smaller fragment that broke off. Credits: From Lauretta & Connolly et al. (2024) Meteoritics & Planetary Science, doi:10.1111/maps.14227. Early analysis of the asteroid Bennu sample returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission has revealed dust rich in carbon, nitrogen, and organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. Dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, the sample mirrors the type of rock found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth. The magnesium-sodium phosphate found in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from an ancient, small, primitive ocean world. The phosphate was a surprise to the team because the mineral had not been detected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft while at Bennu. While a similar phosphate was found in the asteroid Ryugu sample delivered by JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa2 mission in 2020, the magnesium-sodium phosphate detected in the Bennu sample stands out for its purity (that is, the lack of other materials included in the mineral) and the size of its grains, unprecedented in any meteorite sample. Scientists have eagerly awaited the opportunity to dig into the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine asteroid Bennu sample collected by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission since it was delivered to Earth last fall. They hoped the material would hold secrets of the solar system’s past and the prebiotic chemistry that might have led to the origin of life on Earth. An early analysis of the Bennu sample, published June 26 in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, demonstrates this excitement was warranted. The OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found that Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system. The asteroid’s dust is rich in carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. The sample also contains magnesium-sodium phosphate, which was a surprise to the research team, because it wasn’t seen in the remote sensing data collected by the spacecraft at Bennu. Its presence in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from a long-gone, tiny, primitive ocean world. A Phosphate Surprise Analysis of the Bennu sample unveiled intriguing insights into the asteroid’s composition. Dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, the sample mirrors the type of rock found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth, where material from the mantle, the layer beneath Earth’s crust, encounters water. This interaction doesn’t just result in clay formation; it also gives rise to a variety of minerals like carbonates, iron oxides, and iron sulfides. But the most unexpected discovery is the presence of water-soluble phosphates. These compounds are components of biochemistry for all known life on Earth today. A tiny fraction of the asteroid Bennu sample returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, shown in microscope images. The top-left pane shows a dark Bennu particle, about a millimeter long, with an outer crust of bright phosphate. The other three panels show progressively zoomed-in views of a fragment of the particle that split off along a bright vein containing phosphate, captured by a scanning electron microscope.From Lauretta & Connolly et al. (2024) Meteoritics & Planetary Science, doi:10.1111/maps.14227. While a similar phosphate was found in the asteroid Ryugu sample delivered by JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa2 mission in 2020, the magnesium-sodium phosphate detected in the Bennu sample stands out for its purity — that is, the lack of other materials in the mineral — and the size of its grains, unprecedented in any meteorite sample. The finding of magnesium-sodium phosphates in the Bennu sample raises questions about the geochemical processes that concentrated these elements and provides valuable clues about Bennu’s historic conditions. “The presence and state of phosphates, along with other elements and compounds on Bennu, suggest a watery past for the asteroid,” said Dante Lauretta, co-lead author of the paper and principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson. “Bennu potentially could have once been part of a wetter world. Although, this hypothesis requires further investigation.” “OSIRIS-REx gave us exactly what we hoped: a large pristine asteroid sample rich in nitrogen and carbon from a formerly wet world,” said Jason Dworkin, a co-author on the paper and the OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. From a Young Solar System Despite its possible history of interaction with water, Bennu ******** a chemically primitive asteroid, with elemental proportions closely resembling those of the Sun. “The sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now,” said Lauretta. This composition offers a glimpse into the early days of our solar system, over 4.5 billion years ago. These rocks have retained their original state, having neither melted nor resolidified since their inception, affirming their ancient origins. Hints at Life’s Building Blocks The team has confirmed the asteroid is rich in carbon and nitrogen. These elements are crucial in understanding the environments where Bennu’s materials originated and the chemical processes that transformed simple elements into complex molecules, potentially laying the groundwork for life on Earth. “These findings underscore the importance of collecting and studying material from asteroids like Bennu — especially low-density material that would typically ***** up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere,” said Lauretta. “This material holds the key to unraveling the intricate processes of solar system formation and the prebiotic chemistry that could have contributed to life emerging on Earth.” What’s Next Dozens more labs in the ******* States and around the world will receive portions of the Bennu sample from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in the coming months, and many more scientific papers describing analyses of the Bennu sample are expected in the next few years from the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team. “The Bennu samples are tantalizingly beautiful extraterrestrial rocks,” said Harold Connolly, co-lead author on the paper and OSIRIS-REx mission sample scientist at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. “Each week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.” Launched on Sept. 8, 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and collected a sample of rocks and dust from the surface. OSIRIS-REx, the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid, delivered the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provided overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The university leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provided flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace were responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Curation for OSIRIS-REx takes place at NASA Johnson. International partnerships on this mission include the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter instrument from CSA (********* Space Agency) and asteroid sample science collaboration with JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Find more information about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission at: [Hidden Content] By Mikayla Mace Kelley University of Arizona, Tuscon News Media Contacts Karen Fox / Erin Morton NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-385-1287 / 202-805-9393 *****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Rani Gran NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-332-6975 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 EditorRob GarnerLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsOSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer)AsteroidsAstrobiologyAstromaterialsBennuGoddard Space Flight CenterJohnson Space CenterPlanetary ScienceThe Solar System View the full article

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured two volcanic plumes rising above the horizon of Jupiter’s moon Io. The image was taken Feb. 3 from a distance of about 2,400 miles (3,800 kilometers).Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS, Image processing by Andrea Luck (CC BY) Infrared imagery from the solar-powered spacecraft heats up the discussion on the inner workings of Jupiter’s hottest moon. New findings from NASA’s Juno probe provide a fuller picture of how widespread the lava lakes are on Jupiter’s moon Io and include first-time insights into the volcanic processes at work there. These results come courtesy of Juno’s Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument, contributed by the Italian Space Agency, which “sees” in infrared light. Researchers published a paper on Juno’s most recent volcanic discoveries on June 20 in the journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment. Io has intrigued the astronomers since 1610, when Galileo Galilei first discovered the Jovian moon, which is slightly larger than Earth. Some 369 years later, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft captured a volcanic eruption on the moon. Subsequent missions to Jupiter, with more Io flybys, discovered additional plumes — along with lava lakes. Scientists now believe Io, which is stretched and squeezed like an accordion by neighboring moons and massive Jupiter itself, is the most volcanically active world in the solar system. But while there are many theories on the types of volcanic eruptions across the surface of the moon, little supporting data exists. In both May and October 2023, Juno flew by Io, coming within about 21,700 miles (35,000 kilometers) and 8,100 miles (13,000 kilometers), respectively. Among Juno’s instruments getting a good look at the beguiling moon was JIRAM. Infrared data collected Oct. 15, 2023, by the JIRAM instrument aboard NASA’s Juno shows Chors Patera, a lava lake on Jupiter’s moon Io. The team believes the lake is largely covered by a thick, molten crust, with a hot ring around the edges where lava from Io’s interior is directly exposed to space.NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM/MSSS Designed to capture the infrared light (which is not visible to the human eye) emerging from deep inside Jupiter, JIRAM probes the weather layer down to 30 to 45 miles (50 to 70 kilometers) below the gas giant’s cloud tops. But during Juno’s extended mission, the mission team has also used the instrument to study the moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. The JIRAM Io imagery showed the presence of bright rings surrounding the floors of numerous hot spots. “The high spatial resolution of JIRAM’s infrared images, combined with the favorable position of Juno during the flybys, revealed that the whole surface of Io is covered by lava lakes contained in caldera-like features,” said Alessandro Mura, a Juno co-investigator from the National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome. “In the region of Io’s surface in which we have the most complete data, we estimate about 3% of it is covered by one of these molten lava lakes.” (A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses.) *****-Breathing Lakes JIRAM’s Io flyby data not only highlights the moon’s abundant lava reserves, but also provides a glimpse of what may be going on below the surface. Infrared images of several Io lava lakes show a thin circle of lava at the border, between the central crust that covers most of the lava lake and the lake’s walls. Recycling of melt is implied by the lack of lava flows on and beyond the rim of the lake, indicating that there is a balance between melt that has erupted into the lava lakes and melt that is circulated back into the subsurface system. This animation is an artist’s concept of Loki Patera, a lava lake on Jupiter’s moon Io, made using data from the JunoCam imager aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft. With multiple islands in its interior, Loki is a depression filled with magma and rimmed with molten lava. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS “We now have an idea of what is the most frequent type of volcanism on Io: enormous lakes of lava where magma goes up and down,” said Mura. “The lava crust is forced to break against the walls of the lake, forming the typical lava ring seen in Hawaiian lava lakes. The walls are likely hundreds of meters high, which explains why magma is generally not observed spilling out of the paterae” — bowl-shaped features created by volcanism — “and moving across the moon’s surface.” JIRAM data suggests that most of the surface of these Io hot spots is composed of a rocky crust that moves up and down cyclically as one contiguous surface due to the central upwelling of magma. In this hypothesis, because the crust touches the lake’s walls, friction keeps it from sliding, causing it to deform and eventually break, exposing lava just below the surface. An alternative hypothesis ******** in play: Magma is welling up in the middle of the lake, spreading out and forming a crust that sinks along the rim of the lake, exposing lava. “We are just starting to wade into the JIRAM results from the close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024,” said Scott Bolton, principal investigator for Juno at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. “The observations show fascinating new information on Io’s volcanic processes. Combining these new results with Juno’s longer-term campaign to monitor and map the volcanoes on Io’s never-before-seen north and south poles, JIRAM is turning out to be one of the most valuable tools to learn how this tortured world works.” Juno ********* its 62nd flyby of Jupiter — which included an Io flyby at an altitude of about 18,175 miles (29,250 kilometers) — on June 13. The 63rd flyby of the gas giant is scheduled for July 16. More About the Mission NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft. More information about Juno is available at: [Hidden Content] News Media Contacts DC Agle Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-393-9011 *****@*****.tld Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters 202-385-1287 / 202-802-5345 *****@*****.tld / charles.e*****@*****.tld Deb Schmid Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio 210-522-2254*****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 Related TermsJunoJet Propulsion LaboratoryJupiterJupiter Moons Explore More 5 min read Why Scientists Are Intrigued by Air in NASA’s Mars Sample Tubes Article 6 days ago 2 min read Voyager 1 Returning Science Data From All Four Instruments The spacecraft has resumed gathering information about interstellar space. NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is conducting… Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response In early May, widespread flooding and landslides occurred in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande… Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist concept depicting a new novel aerospace concept for ***** Phase III 2024.Credit: Lynn Rothschild Lynn Rothschild NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) A turtle carries its habitat. While reliable, it costs energy in transporting mass. NASA makes the same trade-off when it transports habitats and other structures off planet “on the back” of its missions. While this approach is reliable, to save upmass and increase mission flexibility, NASA must be more like a bird, low mass, agile and building structures from local resources. We identified a novel biology-based solution to the in situ production of usable structures for space exploration: using fungal mycelial (myco) composites to grow structures off-planet, from habitats to furniture to tableware. As a living material it has the potential to self heal, self replicate, be bioengineered, and enhanced with materials such as metals and melanin. Prior performance: During Phase 1, we raised the TRL to 2 by assessing the growth of fungi on different food substrates and analyzing their use on Mars and Earth. In Phase II we completed TRL 3 for an integrated system of inflatables and myco-material production. We designed prototypes and subsystems. We performed proof-of-concepts analyzing myco-material function before and after exposure to relevant environments in a planetary simulator. Our Phase II report and publications documented analytical and experimental results on fungal and inflatable components of the system validating prediction of key parameters. Phase II developed the Phase I mission concept, with an Artemis-inspired focus towards lunar habitats with a “feed forward to Mars” concept. We assessed fungal/algal/bacterial mixtures by testing different combinations at different temperatures with different food sources, and developed a high throughput, reproducible method for producing fungal materials. We tested sand and regolith simulant composites for in situ material construction. We developed prototypes in silicone scale models, and a 4X4 m model of inflatable architecture and grew a mycelium dome on top. We determined the effect of simulated extraterrestrial conditions on materials showing hyphal damage under UV. By tuning different steps of production, we can change the mechanical properties of the mycelium biocomposites as they undergo compression. We incorporated melanin-producing strains into experiments and models for radiation protection. We drafted designs for mycelium-based lunar habitats. We utilized the 500-Day DRM to the Apollo 15 Hadley-Apenine Region to define science objective and infrastructure requirements to support extended exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, identifying critical gaps that can be filled by mycotecture. Archetypes were drafted per this DRM. Terrestrial applications demonstrated the spin-off potential of the ***** technology from habitats to tableware. Innovation and Benefits: If we succeed in developing a fungal biocomposite that can grow itself, we will provide NASA with a radically new, cheaper, faster, more flexible, lighter and sustainable material for extended duration Lunar and Mars mission habitats, as well as for furniture and other structures in flight or at destination. Milestones and Transition Strategy: The mission context of Phase I was Martian habitats. Mindful of the more immediate focus on Artemis, Phase II focused on a lunar implementation, with a DRM for a 500 day mission to the Apollo 15 Hadley-Max region and the south polar region. En route to realizing these visions, we have identified two intermediate opportunities, both of which require ***** Phase III funding. They are to (1) test mycotecture suitability and growth in LEO by the integration into an orbiting space station, Starlab, and (2) test mycotecture habitat prototypes on the lunar surface through a CLPS mission. To participate in Starlab, we will develop prototypes for this application and then team with Starlab LLC to raise funding to produce flight-ready structures. To be competitive for a CLPS mission, we will use ***** funding to raise the technology to TRL6 for this lunar demo mission. Back to ***** 2024 Facebook logo @NASATechnology @NASA_Technology Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts ***** Funded Studies About ***** Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 EditorLoura Hall Related TermsNASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (*****) Program***** Studies View the full article

6 Min Read Pillars of Creation Star in New Visualization from NASA’s Hubble and Webb Telescopes A mosaic of visible-light (Hubble) and infrared-light (Webb) views from the same Pillars of Creation visualization frame. Credits: Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, ********** Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, and Frank Summers (STScI), NASA’s Universe of Learning Made famous in 1995 by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the Pillars of Creation in the heart of the Eagle Nebula have captured imaginations worldwide with their arresting, ethereal beauty. Now, NASA has released a new 3D visualization of these towering celestial structures using data from NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. This is the most comprehensive and detailed multiwavelength movie yet of these star-birthing clouds. “By flying past and amongst the pillars, viewers experience their three-dimensional structure and see how they look different in the Hubble visible-light view versus the Webb infrared-light view,” explained principal visualization scientist Frank Summers of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, who led the movie development team for NASA’s Universe of Learning. “The contrast helps them understand why we have more than one space telescope to observe different aspects of the same object.” Image: Hubble Model and Webb Model In the Hubble version of the model (left), the pillars feature dark brown, opaque dust and bright yellow ionized gas set against a greenish-blue background. The Webb version (right) showcases orange and orange-brown dust that is semi-transparent, with light blue ionized gas against a dark blue background. Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, ********** Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, and Frank Summers (STScI), NASA’s Universe of Learning The four Pillars of Creation, made primarily of cool molecular hydrogen and dust, are being eroded by the fierce winds and punishing ultraviolet light of nearby hot, young stars. Finger-like structures larger than the solar system protrude from the tops of the pillars. Within these fingers can be embedded, embryonic stars. The tallest pillar stretches across three light-years, three-quarters of the distance between our Sun and the next nearest star. The movie takes visitors into the three-dimensional structures of the pillars. Rather than an artistic interpretation, the video is based on observational data from a science paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the ******* Kingdom. McLeod also served as a scientific advisor on the movie project. “The Pillars of Creation were always on our minds to create in 3D. Webb data in combination with Hubble data allowed us to see the Pillars in more complete detail,” said production lead Greg Bacon of STScI. “Understanding the science and how to best represent it allowed our small, talented team to meet the challenge of visualizing this iconic structure.” Image: Pillars of Creation Visualization A mosaic of visible-light (Hubble) and infrared-light (Webb) views of the same frame from the Pillars of Creation visualization. The visualization sequence fades back and forth between these two models as the camera flies past and amongst the pillars. These contrasting views illustrate how observations from the two telescopes complement each other. Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, ********** Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, and Frank Summers (STScI), NASA’s Universe of Learning The new visualization helps viewers experience how two of the world’s most powerful space telescopes work together to provide a more complex and holistic portrait of the pillars. Hubble sees objects that glow in visible light, at thousands of degrees. Webb’s infrared vision, which is sensitive to cooler objects with temperatures of just hundreds of degrees, pierces through obscuring dust to see stars embedded in the pillars. “When we combine observations from NASA’s space telescopes across different wavelengths of light, we broaden our understanding of the universe,” said Mark Clampin, Astrophysics Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The Pillars of Creation region continues to offer us new insights that hone our understanding of how stars form. Now, with this new visualization, everyone can experience this rich, captivating landscape in a new way.” Produced for NASA by STScI with partners at Caltech/IPAC, and developed by the AstroViz Project of NASA’s Universe of Learning, the 3D visualization is part of a longer, narrated video that combines a direct connection to the science and scientists of NASA’s Astrophysics missions with attention to the needs of an audience of youth, families, and lifelong learners. It enables viewers to explore fundamental questions in science, experience how science is done, and discover the universe for themselves. Several stages of star formation are highlighted in the visualization. As viewers approach the central pillar, they see at its top an embedded, infant protostar glimmering bright red in infrared light. Near the top of the left pillar is a diagonal jet of material ejected from a newborn star. Though the jet is evidence of star birth, viewers can’t see the star itself. Finally, at the end of one of the left pillar’s protruding “fingers” is a blazing, brand-new star. Video: Pillars of Creation Visualization Using data from NASA’s Hubble and Webb space telescopes, astronomers and artists modeled the iconic Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16 or M16) in three dimensions, creating a movie that allows viewers to fly past and among the pillars. Credit: Producers: Greg Bacon and Frank Summers (STScI), NASA’s Universe of Learning; Visualization: Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, Danielle Kirshenblat, ********** Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, and Frank Summers (STScI), Robert L. Hurt (Caltech, IPAC); Science Advisor: Anna McLeod (Durham University); Music: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) A bonus product from this visualization is a new 3D printable model of the Pillars of Creation. The base model of the four pillars used in the visualization has been adapted to the STL file format, so that viewers can download the model file and print it out on 3D printers. Examining the structure of the pillars in this tactile and interactive way adds new perspectives and insights to the overall experience. More visualizations and connections between the science of nebulas and learners can be explored through other products produced by NASA’s Universe of Learning such as ViewSpace, a video exhibit that is currently running at almost 200 museums and planetariums across the ******* States. Visitors can go beyond video to explore the images produced by space telescopes with interactive tools now available for museums and planetariums. NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Pasadena, California, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory, La Cañada Flintridge, California. Explore More Eagle Nebula Resources from NASA’s Universe of Learning Interactive: Explore the Pillars of Creation at Multiple Wavelengths Hubble Goes High-Definition to Revisit Iconic ‘Pillars of Creation’ Haunting Portrait: NASA’s Webb Reveals Dust, Structure in Pillars of Creation Hubble’s Messier Catalog: The Eagle Nebula (M16) Downloads Hubble Model and Webb Model Image Pillars of Creation Visualization Image Pillars of Creation Visualization Video All Image and Video Products for this Article Media Contacts Laura Betz – laura.e*****@*****.tld Rob Gutro – *****@*****.tld Claire Andreoli – *****@*****.tld NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Ann Jenkins – *****@*****.tld, Christine Pulliam – *****@*****.tld Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD Facebook logo @NASAHubble@NASAWebb @NASAHubble@NASAWebb Instagram logo @NASAHubble@NASAWebb Related For Kids The Amazing Hubble Telescope What is the Webb Telescope? Interactive: Hubble’s Name that Nebula Game Interactive: What Did Hubble See on Your Birthday? SpacePlace for Kids En Español Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños Share Details Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Missions Nebulae Star-forming Nebulae The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Hubble Images Webb Image Galleries View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A lightning strike at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 2014. Bolts like this are a regular occurrence in central Florida. Similar lightning strikes sparked the 1998 Florida Firestorm.NASA Lightning Crashes East central Florida’s natural environment and climate have shaped, and delayed, Kennedy Space Center launch operations since the 1960s. Torrential pop-up thunderstorms, Atlantic hurricanes, roasting heat, and other climatic phenomena, including lightning and *****, repeatedly hampered mission timelines and created dangerous conditions for astronauts and workers. Kennedy Space Center personnel understood the dangers of lightning strikes all too well by 1998. In 1969, two bolts famously struck the Apollo 12 launch vehicle shortly after liftoff. A few years earlier, a worker was ******* when lightning hit a Kennedy launch pad. These and other events motivated NASA to install new lightning rods and create new launch procedures. The opening segment of this video highlights the two lightning bolts that struck the Apollo 12 launch vehicle shortly after launch. ***** in the Sky Although NASA officials were familiar with the dangers lightning posed as the twenty-first century dawned, a 1998 lightning strike created an unprecedented environmental threat to Kennedy Space Center and its launch operations. In May 1998, lightning sparked a ***** in a wooded area of eastern central Florida. This lightning strike and ***** were not extraordinary events. Quite the contrary. Over the course of central Florida’s long history, lightning regularly ignited wildfires in pine forests. These blazes were often short lived, but they served an important function. Namely, they burned off flammable undergrowth and rejuvenated Florida’s wilderness environments. This photograph of an area of the 1998 Firestorm was taken from a NASA Huey UH-1 helicopter. The helicopter was outfitted with a Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) camera and a portable global positioning satellite (GPS) system to support Florida’s Division of Forestry as they fought the *****.NASA But the 1998 ***** was different. Instead of a lightning strike creating a small *****, which rain and other natural conditions eventually extinguished, it grew into a colossal inferno dubbed the 1998 Firestorm. It was an inferno fed by other lightning sparked fires, a rainy winter, spring drought conditions, and ***** suppression tactics. Beginning in the mid-1900s, residents and ***** officials in central Florida regularly extinguished wildfires before they had a chance to ***** off flammable undergrowth. This led to a buildup of combustible material in the area’s woodlands. It was especially the case after a rainy winter season in early 1998 led to an abundance of low-lying vegetation. Fed by this tinder and a springtime drought, the summer fires spread quickly. They ultimately burned roughly 500,000 acres and created massive clouds of billowing smoke and other environmental hazards. At one point the smoke from the fires was so thick, officials closed a 140-mile stretch of Interstate 95 and NASCAR officials postponed the annual 400-mile race at Daytona International Speedway, traditionally held on July 4th. The scene inside a NASA Huey UH-1 helicopter while it flies over fires burning in Volusia County, Florida. NASA Battling the Blaze In response to the flames, Brevard County ***** official Jeffrey Mahoney publicly requested that Florida Governor Lawton Chiles provide more firefighters and resources. Mahoney argued, and many agreed, that the 500 firefighters valiantly battling the blaze in an effort to save homes and property were no match for the raging *****. “We are asking them to do the impossible,” Mahoney told a reporter during the early days of the *****. We are asking them to do the impossible." Jeffrey Mahoney Brevard County Assistant ***** Chief Understanding the severity of the situation, Governor Chiles and federal officials allocated more resources to fighting the fires. Ultimately, thousands of firefighters fought the blazes that raged throughout the state, including on Kennedy Space Center property. Flames Threaten Kennedy During the early weeks of the wildfire outbreak, NASA operations continued as usual. In early June, the agency successfully launched and landed STS-91. But ultimately the fires spread to center property and created operational concerns. This photo of a burned wooded area on Kennedy property was taken on June 22, 1998. Around the time of this photo, ***** threatened Kennedy Space Center’s South Repeater Building and other structures.NASA In late June, firefighters had to battle back a blaze that threatened the South Repeater Building, a fiber-optics relay station and storage facility on the south side of center property. By June 22, fires had burned 3,000 acres of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge that surrounded Kennedy Space Center. The *****’s intensity and smoke even forced officials to temporarily close State Road 3. Kennedy employee Lisa Braden was one of the last people to drive on the road before it was closed. “The smoke was so thick, you couldn’t see the road,” Braden told a reporter. “I went out on a job, and when I came back, the ***** was crossing the street.” Fortunately, by mid-July the arrival of long-hoped-for summer rains and successful ***** control techniques helped extinguish most of the fires. Still, NASA launch officials remembered the firestorm in the weeks leading up to the October 1998 launch of STS-95. Smoke and Shuttle Launches It was in the shadows, or perhaps the smoke, of the fires that NASA created the STS-95 Flight Readiness Review. The document provides a window into the thinking and concerns of safety officials, launch controllers, NASA engineers, and more, just weeks before launch. During the Shuttle Era, NASA’s readiness reviews accompanied the final readiness meeting the agency held two weeks before each launch. At this meeting, those involved in the mission ensured that earlier technical issues, and other concerns, had been satisfactorily resolved. Most importantly, a “go” or “no-go” launch decision was made at the end of this meeting. Each readiness review document and meeting were unique. They each provide a window into the particulars of individual shuttle launches. The two Smoke Plume Rule diagrams in the STS-95 Flight Readiness Review, make it clear that launch officials had wildfire smoke on their minds. This illustration is from the STS-95 Readiness Review. It reminded launch officials that a launch was a “no-go” if the shuttle was going to travel through a cumulus cloud attached to a smoke plume. Note the burning vegetation to the left of the shuttle.NASA/Kennedy Space Center Archive This second illustration is also from the STS-95 Flight Readiness Review. It highlights the part of the Smoke Plume Rule that states a shuttle should not be launched through a cumulus cloud that developed from a smoke plume, for at least 60 minutes after the cloud separates from the plume.NASA/Kennedy Space Center Archive STS-95 launched on a clear smoke-free day on October 29, 1998. Still, the charred Florida landscape Space Shuttle Discovery soared away from after liftoff stood as testament to the dangers of wildfire. With this in mind, officials took action to help ensure a ***** event as widespread as the 1998 Firestorm never happened again. Only You? Since 1998, controlled burns have been regularly conducted throughout wooded areas of Florida and on Kennedy Space Center property. These prescribed burns were, in part, a legacy of the 1998 Firestorm. Along with prescribed burns, NASA developed and used other technologies and tactics to control wildfires on Kennedy property after 1998. NASA used Huey UH-1 helicopters for security and medical evacuations before the 1998 fires. After the fires, NASA outfitted the helicopters with buckets designed to scoop up Florida coastal waters and drop them on wildfires. This photo, from 2000, shows a helicopter and bucket at work.NASA As the number of launches at Kennedy increases (in 2023 there were a record 72 orbital launches from Kennedy Space Center), and climate change makes severe weather more prevalent, prescribed burns and other wildfire control strategies are essential components of mission preparedness and environmental stewardship in and around the center. On May 15, 2012, Smokey the Bear traveled to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Joe Acaba. As a recognized symbol for wildfire prevention, Smokey’s 2012 space adventure highlighted NASA initiatives dedicated to helping researchers better understand wildfires.NASA About the AuthorBrad MasseyNASA HistorianBrad Massey is a historian at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. His research focuses on NASA's earth science initiatives and Florida's environmental history. Share Details Last Updated Jun 25, 2024 Related TermsNASA HistoryKennedy Space CenterWildfires Explore More 2 min read NASA Invites Public to Share Excitement of NOAA GOES-U Launch Article 5 days ago 15 min read 55 Years Ago: One Month Until the Moon Landing Article 6 days ago 2 min read Giant Batteries Deliver Renewable Energy When It’s Needed Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA NASA History Kennedy Space Center Climate Change NASA is a global leader in studying Earth’s changing climate. Launch Services Program View the full article

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The GOES-U satellite is the final satellite in the GOES-R series, which serves a critical role in providing continuous coverage of the Western Hemisphere, including monitoring tropical systems in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans.Credits: SpaceX NASA successfully launched the fourth and final satellite in a series of advanced weather satellites for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) at 5:26 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) will benefit the nation by providing continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions across much of the Western Hemisphere. The satellite launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Mission managers confirmed at 10:18 p.m. the spacecraft’s solar arrays successfully deployed, and the spacecraft was operating on its own power. “As communities across the country and the world feel the effects of extreme weather, satellites like GOES-U keep a close watch to monitor weather in real time,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA and NOAA have worked together for several decades to bring critical data back down to Earth to prepare for severe storms, ***** detection, and much more. This fleet of advanced satellites is strengthening resilience to our changing climate, and protecting humanity from weather hazards on Earth, and in space.” In addition to its critical role in terrestrial weather prediction, the GOES constellation of satellites helps forecasters predict space weather near Earth that can interfere with satellite electronics, GPS, and radio communications. The GOES-U satellite goes beyond the capabilities of its predecessors with a new space weather instrument, the Compact Coronograph-1, which blocks the Sun’s bright light so scientists can observe the relatively fainter solar atmosphere. “There are so many applications for GOES data – many of which directly impact our everyday lives here on Earth,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “GOES-U will add to the global data record, allowing NASA and NOAA to track changes in our climate and also provide critical information before severe weather and natural disasters strike. NASA looks forward to teaming up with NOAA again as we enter the next generation of Earth-observing satellites.” Once GOES-U is in a geostationary orbit, about 22,200 miles above Earth, it will be renamed GOES-19. Following a successful orbital checkout of its instruments and systems, GOES-19 will go into service, keeping watch of the weather over most of North America, including the contiguous ******* States and Mexico, as well as Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of *******. “The data that GOES-U will provide is critical to protecting the safety of people in the Western Hemisphere,” said John Gagosian, director, NASA’s ****** Agency Satellite Division. “With this successful launch, forecasters will have a resource to better inform and educate the public.” NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversaw the acquisition of the GOES-R series spacecraft and instruments and built the magnetometer for GOES-U and its predecessor, GOES-T. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, provided launch management for the mission. The GOES-R Series Program is overseen by NOAA, through an integrated NOAA-NASA office that manages the ground system, operates the satellites, and distributes data to users worldwide. Lockheed Martin designs, builds, and tests the GOES-R series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager and the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception. For more information about GOES, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Liz Vlock Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld Peter Jacobs Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 301-286-0535 *****@*****.tld Leejay Lockhart Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-747-8310 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jun 25, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsGOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite)Earth ScienceKennedy Space CenterNOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)Science & ResearchScience Mission Directorate View the full article

3 min read NASA Selects Participating Scientists to Join ESA’s Hera Mission NASA has selected 12 participating scientists to join ESA’s (********* Space Agency) Hera mission, which is scheduled to launch in October 2024. Hera will study the binary asteroid system Didymos, including the moonlet Dimorphos, which was impacted by NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft on Sept. 26, 2022. The objectives of DART and Hera collectively aim to validate the kinetic impact method as a technology to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, if one is ever discovered, and to learn more about the near-Earth asteroids that are the source of this natural hazard. This artist’s concept shows ESA’s Hera spacecraft and its CubeSats in orbit around the Dimorphos moonlet. NASA has selected 12 participating scientists to join the Hera mission. ESA-Science Office Hera is scheduled to arrive at the Didymos/Dimorphos binary asteroid system at the end of 2026, where it will gather otherwise unobtainable data about the mass and makeup of both bodies and assess the changes caused by the DART spacecraft’s kinetic impact. The goal of NASA’s Hera Participating Scientist Program is to support scientists at U.S. institutions to participate on the Hera mission and address outstanding questions in planetary defense and near-Earth asteroid science. The participating scientists will become Hera science team members during their 5-year tenure with the mission. The newly selected participating scientists are: Bonnie Buratti – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Southern California Ingrid Daubar – Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island Carolyn Ernst – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Dawn Graninger – Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Mark Haynes – NASA JPL Masatoshi Hirabayashi – Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Tim Lister – Las Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California Ryan Park – NASA JPL Andrew Rivkin – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Daniel Scheeres – University of Colorado, Boulder Timothy Titus – U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona Yun Zhang – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor DART was the first planetary defense test mission from NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which oversees the agency’s ongoing efforts in planetary defense. International participation in DART and Hera, including the Hera Participating Scientist Program, has been enabled by an ongoing worldwide collaboration in the planetary defense research community known as the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment. DART was designed, built, and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which oversees the agency’s ongoing efforts in planetary defense. To learn more about NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- News Media Contact Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters 202-385-1287 / 202-802-5345 *****@*****.tld / charles.e*****@*****.tld Facebook logo @NASA@Asteroid Watch @NASA@AsteroidWatch Instagram logo @NASA Linkedin logo @NASA Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Planetary Science Early Career Workshop Asteroids Solar System View the full article