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What to Look for in July The scorpion’s star clusters, and Mars reveals elusive Uranus Follow the tail of Scorpius to locate star clusters M6 and M7, let Mars guide you to observe planet Uranus, and see the Moon gather a group of planets in the morning. Highlights All month – Two easy-to-spot star clusters – M7, aka Ptolemy’s Cluster, and M6, the Butterfly Cluster – are both located about 5 degrees east of the the bright stars that mark the “stinger” end of the scorpion’s tail. They reach their highest point in the sky around 10 or 11 pm local time. July 2 & 3 – The crescent Moon will join Jupiter and Mars in the east before sunrise. Looking for them before the sky starts to brighten, you’ll also find the Pleiades star cluster above Jupiter, and bright stars Capella and Aldebaran nearby. July 5 – New moon July 7 & 8 – Those with an unobstructed view of the western horizon can spot Mercury shining brightly, low in the sky with a slim crescent Moon. Look for them starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets. July 13 – For the first few hours after dark, look to the southwest to find the first-quarter Moon snuggled up to bright bluish-white star Spica. For much of the lower 48 U.S. and most of Mexico, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Spica – an event called an occultation. Check your favorite skywatching app for the view from your location. July 14-16 – Grab your binoculars and have a look at Mars in the early morning before the sky starts to brighten, and you’ll find the distant planet Uranus quite close by. July 21 – Full moon July 30 – Look for a close gathering of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon with the bright stars of the constellation Taurus in the a.m. sky before dawn. Sky chart showing the position of Uranus relative to Mars on July 15. NASA/JPL-Caltech Transcript What’s Up for July? The Moon gets the band back together, find planet Uranus with some help from Mars, and the star clusters that feel the Scorpion’s sting. All month in July, as in June, the planetary action is in the a.m. sky. Find Saturn rising around midnight, and climbing high into the south by sunrise. Mars rises a couple of hours later, with Jupiter trailing behind it, and shifting higher in the sky each day. On July 2nd and 3rd before sunrise, the crescent Moon will join Jupiter and Mars in the east. Looking for them before the sky starts to brighten, you’ll also find the Pleiades star cluster above Jupiter, as well as bright stars Capella and Aldebaran. As the Moon swings around the planet in its orbit, this same group gets back together at the end of the month, but as a much tighter gathering of Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon with the bright stars of the constellation Taurus. Sky chart showing the pre-dawn sky on July 30, with Jupiter, Mars, and the crescent Moon, plus several bright stars in the constellation Taurus. NASA/JPL-Caltech Then on the evening of July 7th and 8th, those with an unobstructed view of the western horizon can spot Mercury shining brightly, low in the sky with a slim crescent Moon. Look for them starting 30 to 45 minutes after the Sun sets. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will find Mercury a good bit higher in the northwest sky all month after sunset. On July 13, for the first few hours after dark, look to the southwest to find the first quarter Moon snuggled up to bright bluish-white star Spica. For much of the lower 48 ******* States and most of Mexico, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Spica – an event called an occultation. Next, over three days in mid-July, grab your binoculars and have a look at Mars in the early morning before the sky starts to brighten, and you’ll find the distant planet Uranus quite close by. Uranus is not too difficult to see with binoculars or a small telescope anytime it’s reasonably high above the horizon at night, but you really need to know where to look for it, or use an auto-guided telescope. But occasionally the Moon or one of the brighter planets will pass close to Uranus in the sky, making for a great opportunity to find it with ease. This sky chart shows the evening sky in July, with constellation Scorpius low in the south. The locations of star clusters M6 and M7 are indicated near the mythical scorpion’s tail. NASA/JPL-Caltech The winding form of constellation Scorpius, adorned with the bright red star Antares, is a feature of the night sky around the world this time of year. And at the tip of the scorpion’s tail are two well-known star clusters that are well placed for viewing at this time of year. M7, aka Ptolemy’s Cluster, and M6, the Butterfly Cluster, are both located about 5 degrees east of the the bright stars that mark the “stinger” end of the scorpion’s tail. They reach their highest point in the sky around 10 or 11 pm local time. To find M7, imagine a line toward the east through the “stinger stars,” Lesath and Shaula, and it will lead you straight to the star cluster. M6 is just a couple of degrees above M7. Both are “open star clusters,” meaning they’re loose groupings of stars that formed together, in the same region of space, and they’re only loosely bound together by gravity, so they’ll eventually go their separate ways. Zoomed sky chart showing where M7 and M6 are located relative to the bright stars that form the stinger of the scorpion constellation. Both are 5-6 degrees west of Shoala and Lesath, with M6 being placed about 5 degrees above, or north of, M7. NASA/JPL-Caltech M7 is just visible to the unaided eye under dark skies as a hazy patch just left of the tip of the scorpion’s tail. But it’s best seen with binoculars or a telescope with a wide field of view. Its stars are located at a distance of about 1000 light years from us, and they formed about 200 million years ago. The cluster was discovered by Greek-Roman astronomer Ptolemy in the year 130, hence its other name. M6 is about half the apparent size of M7, and contains fewer stars. It’s also a bit farther away from us, at around 1600 light years. It’s estimated to be about half as old as M7, at an age of around 100 million years. It was discovered by Italian astronomer and contemporary of Galileo, Giovanni Battista Hodierna, in 1654. These two clusters are easy to observe in July, and their location in Scorpius makes them pretty straightforward to locate on a clear night. So there’s no reason to ***** of this scorpion’s sting. Instead, let it guide you to two distant star clusters, and see for yourself two little families of stars in the process of spreading out into the Milky Way. Here are the phases of the Moon for July. The phases of the Moon for July 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech Stay up to date on NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month. Skywatching Resources​ NASA’s Night Sky Network NASA’s Watch the Skies Blog Daily Moon Observing Guide About the ‘What’s Up’ Production Team “What’s Up” is NASA’s longest running web video series. It had its first episode in April 2007 with original host Jane Houston Jones. Today, Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje are the space enthusiasts who produce this monthly video series at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Additional astronomy subject matter guidance is provided by JPL’s Bill Dunford, Gary Spiers, Lyle Tavernier, and the Night Sky Network’s Kat Troche. View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This artist’s concept depicts an asteroid drifting through space. Many such objects frequently pass Earth. To help prepare for the discovery of one with a chance of impacting our planet, NASA leads regular exercises to figure out how the international community could respond to such a threat.NASA/JPL-Caltech The fifth Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise focused on an asteroid impact scenario designed by NASA JPL’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. A large asteroid impacting Earth is highly unlikely for the foreseeable future. But because the damage from such an event could be great, NASA leads hypothetical asteroid impact “tabletop” exercises every two years with experts and decision-makers from federal and international agencies to address the many uncertainties of an impact scenario. The most recent exercise took place this past April, with a preliminary report being issued on June 20. Making such a scenario realistic and useful for all involved is no small task. Scientists from the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which specializes in the tracking and orbital determination of asteroids and comets and finding out if any are hazards to Earth, have played a major role in designing these exercises since the first 11 years ago. “These hypothetical scenarios are complex and take significant effort to design, so our purpose is to make them useful and challenging for exercise participants and decision-makers to hone their processes and procedures to quickly come to a plan of action while addressing gaps in the planetary defense community’s knowledge,” said JPL’s Paul Chodas, the director of CNEOS. The Impact Scenario This year’s scenario: A hypothetical asteroid, possibly several hundred yards across, has been discovered, with an estimated 72% chance of impacting Earth in 14 years. Potential impact locations include heavily populated areas in North America, Southern Europe, and North *******, but there is still a 28% chance the asteroid will miss Earth. After several months of being tracked, the asteroid moves too close to the Sun, making further observations impossible for another seven months. Decision-makers must figure out what to do. Explore asteroids and near-Earth objects in real-time 3D Leading the exercise was NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), the Federal Emergency Management Agency Response Directorate, and the Department of State Office of Space Affairs. Over the course of two days in April, participants gathered at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, which hosted the event, to consider the potential national and global responses to the scenario. “This was a very successful tabletop exercise, with nearly 100 participants from U.S. government agencies and, for the first time, international planetary defense experts,” said Terik Daly from APL, who coordinated the exercise. “An asteroid impact would have severe national and international ramifications, so should this scenario play out for real, we’d need international collaboration.” Reality Informs Fiction In real life, CNEOS calculates the orbit of every known near-Earth object to provide assessments of future potential impact hazards in support of NASA’s planetary defense program. To make this scenario realistic, the CNEOS team simulated all the observations in the months leading up to the exercise and used orbital determination calculations to simulate the probability of impact. “At this point in time, the impact was likely but not yet certain, and there were significant uncertainties in the object’s size and the impact location,” said Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at JPL and CNEOS, who led the design of the asteroid’s orbit. “It was interesting to see how this affected the decision-makers’ choices and how the international community might respond to a real-world threat 14 years out.” Options to Deflect Preparation, planning, and decision-making have been key focal points of all five exercises that have taken place over the past 11 years. For instance, could a reconnaissance spacecraft be sent to the asteroid to gather additional data on its orbit and better determine its size and mass? Would it also be feasible to attempt deflecting the asteroid so that it would miss Earth? The viability of this method was recently demonstrated by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which impacted the asteroid moonlet Dimorphos on Sept. 26, 2022, slightly changing its trajectory. Other methods of deflection have also been considered during the exercises. But any deflection or reconnaissance mission would need many years of preparation, requiring the use of advanced observatories capable of finding hazardous asteroids as early as possible. NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor, or NEO Surveyor, is one such observatory. Managed by JPL and planned for launch in late 2027, the infrared space telescope will detect light and dark asteroids, including those that orbit near the Sun. In doing so, NEO Surveyor will support PDCO’s objectives to discover any hazardous asteroids as early as possible so that there would be more time to launch a deflection mission to potential threats. To find out the outcome of the exercise, read NASA’s preliminary summary. For more information about CNEOS, visit: [Hidden Content] NASA Study: Asteroid’s Orbit, Shape Changed After DART Impact NASA Program Predicted Impact of Small Asteroid Over Ontario, Canada Classroom Activity: Modeling an Asteroid News Media Contacts Ian J. O’Neill Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-2649 *****@*****.tld Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters 202-358-1600 / 202-802-5345 *****@*****.tld / charles.e*****@*****.tld 2024-095 Share Details Last Updated Jul 02, 2024 Related TermsAsteroidsNEA Scout (Near Earth Asteroid Scout)NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor Space Telescope)Planetary DefensePlanetary Defense Coordination OfficePotentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) Explore More 5 min read NASA’s NEOWISE Infrared Heritage Will Live On Article 18 hours ago 6 min read Surprising Phosphate Finding in NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Article 6 days ago 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… Article 7 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 Min Read NASA’s Webb Captures Celestial Fireworks Around Forming Star L1527, shown in this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). The colors within this mid-infrared image reveal details about the central protostar’s behavior. The cosmos seems to come alive with a crackling ********** of pyrotechnics in this new image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Taken with Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), this fiery hourglass marks the scene of a very young object in the process of becoming a star. A central protostar grows in the neck of the hourglass, accumulating material from a thin protoplanetary disk, seen edge-on as a dark line. The protostar, a relatively young object of about 100,000 years, is still surrounded by its parent molecular cloud, or large region of gas and dust. Webb’s previous observation of L1527, with NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), allowed us to peer into this region and revealed this molecular cloud and protostar in opaque, vibrant colors. Image A: L1527 – Webb/MIRI L1527, shown in this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is a molecular cloud that harbors a protostar. It resides about 460 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. The more diffuse blue light and the filamentary structures in the image come from organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while the red at the center of this image is an energized, thick layer of gases and dust that surrounds the protostar. The region in between, which shows up in white, is a mixture of PAHs, ionized gas, and other molecules. This image includes filters representing 7.7 microns light as blue, 12.8 microns light as green, and 18 microns light as red. Both NIRCam and MIRI show the effects of outflows, which are emitted in opposite directions along the protostar’s rotation axis as the object consumes gas and dust from the surrounding cloud. These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud, which appear as filamentary structures throughout. They are also responsible for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or excite, the surrounding matter and cause the regions above and below it to glow. This creates an effect reminiscent of fireworks brightening a cloudy night sky. Unlike NIRCam, however, which mostly shows the light that is reflected off dust, MIRI provides a look into how these outflows affect the region’s thickest dust and gases. The areas ******** here in blue, which encompass most of the hourglass, show mostly carbonaceous molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The protostar itself and the dense blanket of dust and a mixture of gases that surround it are represented in red. (The sparkler-like red extensions are an artifact of the telescopes’s optics). In between, MIRI reveals a white region directly above and below the protostar, which doesn’t show as strongly in the NIRCam view. This region is a mixture of hydrocarbons, ionized neon, and thick dust, which shows that the protostar propels this matter quite far away from it as it messily consumes material from its disk. As the protostar continues to age and release energetic jets, it’ll consume, ********, and push away much of this molecular cloud, and many of the structures we see here will begin to fade. Eventually, once it finishes gathering mass, this impressive display will end, and the star itself will become more apparent, even to our visible-light telescopes. The combination of analyses from both the near-infrared and mid-infrared views reveal the overall behavior of this system, including how the central protostar is affecting the surrounding region. Other stars in Taurus, the star-forming region where L1527 resides, are forming just like this, which could lead to other molecular clouds being disrupted and either preventing new stars from forming or catalyzing their development.The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (********* Space Agency) and CSA (********* Space Agency). The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (********* Space Agency) and CSA (********* Space Agency). Downloads Right click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu. View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Media Contacts Laura Betz – laura.e*****@*****.tld, Rob Gutro – *****@*****.tld NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Hanna Braun *****@*****.tld Christine Pulliam – *****@*****.tld Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Related Information ARTICLE/IMAGE: Webb’s previous observation of L1527, with NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) VIDEO: Fly-through the star-forming Pillars of Creation INTERACTIVE: Explore star formation via a multi-wavelength view of Herbig-Haro 46/47 POSTER: L1527 NIRCam poster VIDEO: Science Snippets Video: Dust and the formation of Planetary Systems More Webb News More Webb Images Webb Mission Page Related For Kids What is a nebula? What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español ¿Qué es una nebulosa? Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Galaxies Stars Universe Share Details Last Updated Jul 02, 2024 Editor Stephen Sabia Contact Laura Betz laura.e*****@*****.tld Related Terms Astrophysics James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Nebulae Protostars Science & Research Star-forming Nebulae Stars The Universe View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NASA astronaut Mike Barratt processes brain organoid samples inside the life science glovebox for a neurodegenerative disorder study. NASA plans to use future commercial low Earth orbit destinations for the continuation of scientific research.NASA NASA hosted a meeting to share knowledge with companies developing future commercial destinations at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The discussion could aid in developing safe, reliable, innovative, and cost-effective space stations. Industry representatives from more than 20 companies attended. The program focused on NASA’s planned use of commercial destinations, draft utilization requirements, and the payload life cycle. A primary interest for the use of commercial stations includes the continuation of scientific research in low Earth orbit, such as human research, technology demonstrations, biological and physical science, and Earth observation. David Caponio from Vast Space presents a five-minute lightning talk on the company’s capabilities during the program NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Vast is working with NASA under the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities initiative for technologies and operations required for its microgravity and artificial gravity stations, including the Haven-1 commercial destination.NASA/Josh Valcarcel “NASA has benefited from the unique microgravity environment of low Earth orbit to conduct important science investigations and technology demonstrations for more than two decades,” said Dr. Kirt Costello, utilization manager for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program. “As commercial companies make progress in the design and development of their own space stations, it is important that we share NASA’s needs and requirements as well as foster an open dialogue between government and private industry.” The program builds on a request for information released last year, seeking feedback from industry as the agency refines its requirements for new commercial space destinations. Vergel Romero of Sierra Space speaks with representatives from other commercial companies during a networking opportunity. Sierra Space is working with Blue Origin on the development of Orbital Reef, and also holds an unfunded Space Act Agreement with NASA for the development of its commercial low Earth orbit ecosystem.NASA/Josh Valcarcel Since then, the feedback has helped develop and refine a utilization requirements strategy, including a concept of operations, basic laboratory capabilities, and common payload standards for heritage hardware. NASA will continue to refine its future requirements and incorporate future low Earth orbit needs of other U.S. government agencies and international partners. NASA uses a two-phase strategy to support the development of commercial destinations and enable the agency to purchase services as one of many customers. Phase 1 efforts extend through 2025, before NASA plans to transition to Phase 2, which will be to certify commercial destinations and purchase services. Eleasa Kim, payload operations lead for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, presents on NASA’s planned utilization activities for commercial destinations and expectations for provider support.NASA/Josh Valcarcel The agency’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit will provide the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost and enable the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions. Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at: [Hidden Content] Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Low Earth Orbit Economy Commercial Space Artemis In Space Production Applications View the full article

Bente Eegholm is an optical engineer working to ensure missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope have stellar vision. When it launches by May 2027, the Roman mission will shed light on many astrophysics topics, like dark energy, which are currently shrouded in mystery. Bente’s past work has included Earth-observing missions and the James Webb Space Telescope. Name: Bente Eegholm Title: Goddard Optics Lead for Roman Space Telescope gaming platforms (Optical Telescope Assembly) Formal Job Classification: Optical Engineer Organization: Optics Branch (Code 551) Bente Eegholm stands by the NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mirror at L3Harris in Rochester, New York, in 2022, before telescope integration. (The ****** lines are resistor wires. They will be obscured by the secondary mirror struts). NASA/Chris Gunn What do you do and what is most interesting about your role at Goddard? I am an optical engineer, and I work on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as the Goddard optics lead on the observatory’s gaming platforms (Optical Telescope Assembly). My work is a combination of optical systems work, technical meetings, and hands-on work in the labs and integration facilities. The most interesting part is that we are creating unique, one-of-a-kind instruments, which enable NASA, as well as anyone around the world, to become more knowledgeable about our universe, including our own planet. How will your current work influence the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s future observations? The quality of Roman’s future observations is directly tied to the telescope’s optical quality. As an optical engineer I am involved with providing the best imaging possible for the telescope and its science instruments. I work closely with the gaming platforms management, and optical and system engineers at Goddard and at L3Harris in Rochester, New York, a mission partner that is building the gaming platforms. The gaming platforms consists of a series of total 10 mirrors. I am frequently on site in Rochester, most recently for the very important first light test and ensuing alignment process of the telescope. We are striving to get every photon possible delivered to Roman’s two instruments, the WFI (Wide Field Instrument) and coronagraph technology demonstration. What motivates you as an engineer? And what was your path to your current role? It motivates me to support a great purpose, pioneer technology for spaceflight, and to conquer the challenges that inevitably occur along the way. I also enjoy being a mentor for newer engineers, as well as giving Roman tours and presentations to Goddard visitors. I received my M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in my native Denmark. The path to my current role really started in 2004 after I had obtained my green card and gotten a position with Swales Aerospace, supporting NASA Goddard’s Optics Branch, Code 551. I was a contractor for eight years, supporting the James Webb Space Telescope. This was a magnificent project to work on; it was very rewarding in terms of the optical technology to accomplish this mission, as well as the amazing and talented people with whom I was working. I supported the development and test of a speckle interferometer which we used to prove the stability of the backplane structure for Webb’s primary mirror. Bente stands in front of the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror in the clean room overlook at Goddard.Photo courtesy of Bente Eegholm After becoming a U.S. citizen, I obtained a civil ******** position in 2012. I was appointed the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope product development lead for the ICESat-2 mission, an Earth-observing mission to measure sea ice thickness from space. Both a flight and a spare telescope were built, and after successful testing and delivery of the ATLAS flight telescope, the ATLAS spare telescope was a perfect match for GEDI (the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation), a mission to measure forest canopies from the International Space Station. That naturally led to me to continue to GEDI, where I was the alignment lead. GEDI launched in December 2018. In 2019 I started working on the Roman Space Telescope and was thrilled to work on a large astronomy mission again, and in two capacities to boot. Concurrently with my role on the telescope I was optics lead on the prism assembly (a slitless spectrometer which helps enable the WFI’s study of dark energy) from 2019 until its completion and delivery to the WFI in September 2022. I feel very fortunate to have experience from both astronomy and Earth-observing missions! It definitely widens your technical experience. Often, the telescopes and science instruments for astronomy missions typically take longer to develop and implement than the ones for Earth-observing missions. With the shorter time to launch, you have the opportunity to see the fruits of your labor fly into space within a few years, and it is beneficial to go through the steps of an entire development and launch cycle. How do you stay updated on the latest technological advancements? How do you apply that knowledge to your work? I enjoy learning something new every day, either by individual research or via professional organizations. I use it in my own work and in working with many optics vendors, and being a reviewer on projects and proposals. Bringing new technology to Goddard is important, and we must approve each technology for space flight before we can use it in our next missions. Bente with the GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation) telescope at Goddard.NASA/Desiree Stover What is your favorite project or challenge you’ve worked on so far in your career? That is a really hard question. Just like you can’t choose between your children! All four of the missions I have worked on have been awesome experiences. A recent amazing event, though, was on Roman, watching the first fringes emerge on the gaming platforms interferometer screen at the “first light” session in the integration facility. This was the result of several years of hard work for many people, and it indicated that all the 10 telescope mirrors were well-positioned, boding well for the successful final alignment, which we achieved. What do you like best about working for NASA? I enjoy working on unique projects, always reaching for the stars, and using new technology and methods. NASA is a unique organization, known by everyone around the globe. For example, it has been a great honor to hear from many people who follow our work how much they appreciate Webb. NASA’s work is very visible, and that commits us and holds us accountable. And we are up to the challenge! What hobbies fill your time outside of work? I love yoga, and hiking in nature. I also love singing in choir, especially classical music. The magnificent sound we can achieve with 75 singers, and how the different types of voices merge to convey the music, is an example of collaboration that is a bit like succeeding in a flight mission. All the different people, tasks and parts synchronized and coming together to make it work! What advice do you have for others who are interested in working in engineering? Maybe I am a bit biased, since both my husband and I are engineers, my son is in grad school for engineering, and my daughter is in grad school for ocean science. In my opinion, an engineering degree offers highly transferable skills, and is a great path for everyone who enjoys math and physics. People skills are also important in engineering, as most projects are performed in teams. Make sure to select math and science classes in high school, and aim for internships in college. An engineering degree requires effort and dedication, but it’s worth it! By Ashley Balzer NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage. Share Details Last Updated Jul 02, 2024 Related TermsPeople of GoddardCareersDark EnergyGlobal Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI)Goddard Space Flight CenterICESat (Ice, Clouds and Land Elevation Satellite)James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)Nancy Grace Roman Space TelescopePeople of NASATech Demo MissionsTechnologyWomen at NASA Explore More 8 min read Joshua Schlieder: Feet on the Ground, Head in the Stars Goddard astrophysicist Dr. Joshua Schlieder supports NASA's Roman Space Telescope and Swift Observatory with creativity,… Article 6 months ago 7 min read Jeffrey Kruk Helping the World See the Big Picture in the Sky Article 4 years ago 4 min read Sanetra Bailey – The Brains Behind the Brains of the Roman Mission Article 2 years ago View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NASA Stennis Autonomous Systems Laboratory Project Engineer Travis Martin monitors successful data delivery from the center’s ASTRA payload aboard the orbiting Sidus Space LizzieSat-1 satellite. The ASTRA autonomous systems hardware/software payload represents the first-ever in-space mission for NASA Stennis. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA’s Stennis Space Center and partner Sidus Space Inc. announced primary mission success July 2 for the center’s historic in-space mission – an autonomous systems payload aboard an orbiting satellite. “Our ASTRA (Autonomous Satellite Technology for Resilient Applications) payload is active and operational,” NASA Stennis Center Director John Bailey said. “This is an incredible achievement for Stennis, our first-ever in-space mission flying on a new state-of-the-art satellite. We are all celebrating the news.” ASTRA is the on-orbit payload mission developed by NASA Stennis and is an autonomous systems hardware/software payload. The NASA Stennis ASTRA technology demonstrator is a payload rider aboard the Sidus Space premier satellite, LizzieSat-1 (LS-1) small satellite. Partner Sidus Space is responsible for all LS-1 mission operations, including launch and satellite activation, which allowed the NASA Stennis ASTRA team to complete its primary mission objectives. LS-1 launched into space on the SpaceX Transporter 10 rideshare mission March 4 and deployed the same day. The LS-1 satellite commissioning began after deployment and was completed on May 12. Sidus Space’s next step was to begin activation of payloads, including ASTRA. After the payload was activated, the NASA Stennis Autonomous Systems Laboratory (ASL) team confirmed they had established a telemetry link to send and receive data in the ASTRA Payload Operation Command Center. The ASL team continued to checkout and verify operation of ASTRA and has confirmed that ASTRA primary mission objectives have been successfully achieved. “This is just a remarkable and inspiring accomplishment for the entire team,” said Chris Carmichael, NASA Stennis ASL branch chief. “So many people put in a tremendous effort to bring us to this point. It is a great demonstration of the team’s vision and capabilities, and I am excited to see what the future holds.” The NASA Stennis ASL works to create safe-by-design autonomous systems. ASTRA demonstrates technology that is required by NASA and industry for upcoming space missions. The ASTRA computer on the satellite runs a digital twin of satellite systems, which detects and identifies the causes of anomalies, and autonomously generates plans to resolve those issues. Ultimately, ASTRA will demonstrate autonomous operations of LS-1. “Achieving ASTRA’s primary mission objectives underscores our dedication and commitment to driving innovation while advancing space technology alongside NASA, our trusted partner,” said Carol Craig, Founder and CEO of Sidus Space. “We are proud to support such groundbreaking projects in our industry and eagerly anticipate the continued progress of our LizzieSat-1 mission.” The success of the ASTRA mission comes as NASA Stennis moves forward with strategic plans to design autonomous systems that will help accelerate development of intelligent aerospace systems and services for government and industry. For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit: Stennis Space Center – NASA Share Details Last Updated Jul 02, 2024 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompson*****@*****.tld / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related TermsStennis Space Center Explore More 9 min read Lagniappe for June 2024 Explore the Lagniappe for June 2024 issue, featuring an innovative approach to infrastructure upgrades, how… Article 4 weeks ago 12 min read NASA’s Stennis Space Center Employees Receive NASA Honor Awards Article 4 weeks ago 4 min read NASA Stennis Helps Family Build a Generational Legacy Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Stennis About NASA Stennis NASA Stennis Front Door Autonomous Systems NASA Stennis Media Resources View the full article

Four dedicated explorers—Jason Lee, Stephanie Navarro, Shareef Al Romaithi, and Piyumi Wijesekara—just returned from a 45-day simulated journey to Mars, testing the boundaries of human endurance and teamwork within NASA’s HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) habitat at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Their groundbreaking work on HERA’s Campaign 7 Mission 2 contributes to NASA’s efforts to study how future astronauts may react to isolation and confinement during deep-space journeys. NASA’s HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) Campaign 7 Mission 2 crew members outside the analog environment on June 24, 2024. From left: Piyumi Wijesekara, Shareef Al Romaithi, Jason Lee, and Stephanie Navarro. Credit: NASA/James Blair Credit: NASA/James Blair Throughout their mission, the crew conducted operational tasks and participated in 18 human health studies. These studies focused on behavioral health, team dynamics, and human-system interfaces, with seven being collaborative efforts with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the ******* ***** Emirates (UAE) and the ********* Space Agency. These experiments assessed the crew’s physiological, behavioral, and psychological responses in conditions designed to be similar to a mission to Mars. The HERA Campaign 7 Mission 2 crew experience a simulated landing on their return home. Credit: NASA/James Blair As their mission concluded, the HERA crew watched real footage from the Artemis I mission to simulate their landing. HERA operations lead Ted Babic rang the bell outside the habitat nine times to celebrate the crew’s egress—seven for the campaign and two for the mission—saying, “All in a safe passage to Mars and a safe return to Earth. May this vessel be a safe home to future HERA crews.” Babic then presented the crew with their mission patch, which they placed on the door of the HERA habitat. The HERA Campaign 7 Mission 2 crew members place their mission patch on the habitat’s airlock door after egress. Credit: NASA/James Blair The crew expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in the mission, including NASA and MBRSC, the HERA mission control center, NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) team, Analog Mission Control, medical teams, and their family and friends. Wijesekara shared, “This was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. I’d like to thank my crewmates for making this experience memorable and enjoyable.” The HERA Campaign 7 Mission 2 crew members at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston after their 45-day simulated mission to Mars. From left: Piyumi Wijesekara, Shareef Al Romaithi, Jason Lee, and Stephanie Navarro.Credit: NASA/James Blair Connecting With Students On June 21, three days before crew egress, about 200 people gathered at Space Center Houston’s theater for a live Q&A session where students had the opportunity to share their questions with crew members Al Romaithi and Wijesekara. They discussed team dynamics, adapting to unexpected circumstances, and coping with isolation. When asked about what prompted her to apply for the mission, Wijesekara emphasized the importance of helping NASA collect data that could help future long-duration space flights, saying, “This will be very useful when we get to the Moon with Artemis missions and even beyond that when we go to Mars.” The HERA Campaign 7 Mission 2 crew members Piyumi Wijesekara and Shareef Al Romaithi join a groundlink Q&A with students at Space Center Houston on June 21, 2024. Credit: Space Center Houston/Jennifer Foulds Inside HERA, mealtimes were bonding moments where the crew shared stories, laughed, and supported each other. When a student asked about building stronger teams, Wijesekara advised, “Spend time with your crewmates, get to know them deeply, and be a good listener.” Al Romaithi, who hails from the UAE, shared that his academic background in aerospace engineering and aviation helped him stand out in the application process. In addition, this HERA campaign is focused on cultural diversity, which opened the opportunity for him to apply through a partnership between HERA and MBRSC. Discussing the mental effects of isolation, Al Romaithi highlighted the comfort provided by personal items, books, and board games. Wijesekara noted that the white noise of instruments running became their constant companion that her senses adjusted to over time. Wijesekara told the audience her favorite experience was performing spacewalks and “flying drones on Mars,” via virtual reality, which allowed them to observe Martian landscapes and even lava caves. Through the habitat’s window screens, they could see simulated views of space and Martian landscapes. The crew addressed the challenges they faced inside the analog environment, such as communication delays, which taught them teamwork, patience, and precise planning. They utilized a 3D printer aboard HERA to address equipment issues. A curious student asked what happens to the crew and the mission in case of an outside emergency, like a hurricane. Both crew members explained that HERA provided them with step-by-step emergency instructions. Medical evaluations and nutrition-specific meal plans were crucial for the mission, Al Romaithi and Wijesekara noted, with daily monitoring of the crew’s physical and mental health. The crew also grew lettuce hydroponically and had four **** triops shrimp named Buzz, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. When a student asked what food he missed most, Al Romaithi replied, “Home-cooked meals.” Wijesekara shared the first thing she plans to do post-mission is see her family and visit a list of restaurants with her crewmates. She also looks forward to running on the beach. Reflecting on their experience, Al Romaithi noted, “We’ve become more disciplined and efficient in our daily activities.” What was the most valuable lesson learned? “The importance of teamwork and communication,” he said. Both crewmembers also gave students in the audience some advice. “Never hesitate or be shy to ask for help,” Al Romaithi said. “Always push for your biggest dreams, don’t let self-doubt slow you down, and believe in yourself.” “And keep studying!” added Wijesekara. Students ask HERA crew members questions at the Space Center Houston theater. Credit: Space Center Houston/Jennifer Foulds Credit: Space Center Houston/Jennifer Foulds Students ask HERA crew members questions at the Space Center Houston theater. Credit: Space Center Houston/Jennifer Foulds View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Mars Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions All Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets 5 min read Sols 4232-4233: Going For a Ride, Anyone? This image shows some of the sand ripples we spot all around the rover between the rocks. It was taken by Mast Camera (Mastcam) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4225 (2024-06-25 01:10:39 UTC). Earth planning date: Monday, July 1, 2024 Have you ever wondered what it might look like to ride along with the rover? Probably not as much as we have here on the planning team, where we are looking at the images on a daily basis. I always wish I could walk around there myself, or drive around in a vehicle, maybe. As you likely know, we don’t even get video, “just” images. But of course those images are stunning and the landscape is unique and – apart from being scientifically interesting – so very, very beautiful. And some cameras record images so often that it’s actually possible to create the impression of a movie. The front hazard camera is among them. And that can create a stunning impression of looking out of the front window! If you want to see that for yourself, you can! If you go to the NASA interactive tool called “Eyes on the Solar System” there is a Curiosity Rover feature that allows you to do just that: simulate a drive between waypoints and look out of the window, which is the front hazard camera. Here is the link to “Experience Curiosity.” The drive there is a while back, but the landscape is just so fascinating, I can watch and rewatch that any number of times! Now, after reminiscing about the past, what did we do today? First of all: change all plans we ever had. We don’t have – as scheduled – the SAM data on Earth just yet. But we have a good portion of the sample still in the drill, and if SAM gets their data and wants to do more analysis with that sample, then we can’t move the arm as we originally had planned. Why didn’t we consider that to begin with? Normally, there isn’t enough sample for all the analysis; you may have seen this blog post: “Sols 4118-4119: Can I Have a Second Serving, Please? Oh, Me Too!” But it’s the sample that dictates how much we get to begin with, and how much we need, which only becomes clear as the data come in. And there is an unusually lucky combination here that would avoid us having to drill a second ***** for getting the second helping. Instead, we just sit here carefully holding the arm still so we do not lose sample. That saves a lot of rover resources. But then, once we had settled how we adjust to keeping our current position, we also learnt that the uplink time might shift from the original slot we had been allocated to a later one… And all of this with a pretty new-to-the-role Science Operations Working Group (SOWG) chair (me) and a similarly new Geology and Mineralogy theme group science lead. Well, we managed, with lots of help from the great team around us. Those sudden-change planning days are so tricky because there is so much more to remember. It’s not, “This is what we came to do…,” and it had been carefully pre-planned, and it is all in the notes. Instead, the pre-planning preparation doesn’t fit the new reality anymore, and all that work has to be redone. So we have to do all the pre-planning work, and the actual planning work, and sometimes also account for some “if… then…” scenarios in the same amount of time we usually have to do the planning on the basis of all the pre-planning work. Sounds stressful? Yes, I can tell you it is! Once we had changed all the skeleton plans, the team got very excited about the extra time. This is such an interesting area, there are rocks that are almost white, there are darker rocks, very interesting sand features with beautiful ripples, so much to look at! Mars has much to offer here, so the team got to work swiftly and the plan filled up with a great set of observations. ChemCam used LIBS on the target “Tower Peak,” which is one of those white-ish rocks, and on “Quarry Peak.” Mastcam delivers all the pictures to go along with these two activities and gets its own science, too. These are mainly so-called “change detection” images, where the same area is pictured repeatedly to see what particles might move in the time between the two images. ChemCam uses its long-distance imaging capability to add to the stunning images they are getting from faraway rocks. They have two mosaics on a target called “Edge Bench.” There is also a lot of atmospheric science in the plan; looking for dust devils and the opacity of the atmosphere are just two examples. REMS and DAN are also active throughout, to assess the wind, and the water underground, respectively. And as if that weren’t enough, CheMin also performs another night of analysis. We get to uplink a full plan, and we’ll see what the data say and what decisions we’ll make for next Wednesday. Written by Susanne Schwenzer, Planetary Geologist at The Open University Share Details Last Updated Jul 02, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4229-4231: More Analyses of the Mammoth Lakes 2 Sample! Article 11 hours ago 2 min read Sols 4226-4228: A Powerful Balancing Act Article 4 days ago 2 min read Interesting Rock Textures Galore at Bright Angel Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is no place for the faint-hearted. It’s dry, rocky, and bitter cold. The fourth planet from the Sun, Mars… All Mars Resources Rover Basics Mars Exploration Science Goals View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Mars Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions All Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets 2 min read Sols 4229-4231: More Analyses of the Mammoth Lakes 2 Sample! The inlet into to the SAM instrument open and awaiting sample delivery. This image was taken by Right Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4226 (2024-06-26 11:06:46 UTC). Earth Planning Date: Friday, June 28, 2024 After reviewing results from the Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) experiment that were downlinked yesterday afternoon (Sols 4226-4228: A Powerful Balancing Act), the SAM team decided they’d like to go ahead with a second experiment to analyze the Mammoth Lakes 2 drilled sample. This experiment is known as the Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) experiment. SAM, whose full name is Sample Analysis at Mars, is actually a suite of three different analytical instruments that are used to measure the composition of gases which come off drilled samples as we bake them in SAM’s ovens. The three analytical instruments are called a gas chromatograph, quadrupole mass spectrometer, and tunable laser spectrometer. Each one is particularly suited for measuring specific kinds of compounds in the gases, and these include things like water, methane, carbon, or organic (carbon-containing) molecules. In the EGA experiment that we ran in our last plan, we baked the Mammoth Lakes 2 sample and measured the gas compositions using the tunable laser spectrometer and quadrupole mass spectrometer. In this plan, we’ll deliver a new pinch of sample to the SAM oven and then measure the composition of the gases that are released using the gas chromatograph and quadrupole mass spectrometer. By running both experiments, we’ll have a more thorough understanding of the materials that are in this rock. The SAM GCMS experiment takes a lot of power to run, so it will be the focus of today’s three-sol plan. However, we still managed to fit in some other science activities around the experiment, including a ChemCam RMI mosaic of some far-off ridges, a ChemCam LIBS observation of a nodular target named “Trail Lakes,” environmental monitoring activities, and a couple Mastcam mosaics to continue imaging the terrain around the rover. Should be another fun weekend of science in Gale crater! Written by Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Share Details Last Updated Jul 01, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read Sols 4226-4228: A Powerful Balancing Act Article 4 days ago 2 min read Interesting Rock Textures Galore at Bright Angel Article 4 days ago 2 min read Sol 4225: Sliding Down Horsetail Falls Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is no place for the faint-hearted. It’s dry, rocky, and bitter cold. The fourth planet from the Sun, Mars… All Mars Resources Rover Basics Mars Exploration Science Goals View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Moving across a background of stars, the six red dots in this composite picture indicate the location of six sequential detections of the first near-Earth object discovered by NEOWISE after the spacecraft came out of hibernation in 2013: the asteroid 2013 YP139. The inset shows a zoomed-in view of one of the detections.NASA/JPL-Caltech Observed by NASA’s WISE mission, this image shows the entire sky seen in infrared light. Running through the center of the image and seen predominantly in cyan are the stars of the Milky Way. Green and red represent interstellar dust.NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA NASA’s near-Earth-object-hunting mission NEOWISE is nearing its conclusion. But its work will carry on with NASA’s next-generation infrared mission: NEO Surveyor. After more than 14 successful years in space, NASA’s NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission will end on July 31. But while the mission draws to a close, another is taking shape, harnessing experience gained from NEOWISE: NASA’s NEO Surveyor (Near Earth Object Surveyor), the first purpose-built infrared space telescope dedicated to hunting hazardous near-Earth objects. Set for launch in late 2027, it’s a major step forward in the agency’s planetary defense strategy. “After developing new techniques to find and characterize near-Earth objects hidden in vast quantities of its infrared survey data, NEOWISE has become key in helping us develop and operate NASA’s next-generation infrared space telescope. It is a precursor mission,” said Amy Mainzer, principal investigator of NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor at the University of California, Los Angeles. “NEO Surveyor will seek out the most difficult-to-find asteroids and comets that could cause significant damage to Earth if we don’t find them first.” Seen here in a clean room at the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah, the WISE mission’s telescope is worked on by engineers. Avionics hardware and solar panels would later be attached before the spacecraft’s launch on Dec. 14, 2009. SDL WISE Beginnings NEOWISE’s end of mission is tied to the Sun. About every 11 years, our star experiences a cycle of increased activity that peaks during a ******* called solar maximum. Explosive events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, become more frequent and heat our planet’s atmosphere, causing it to expand. Atmospheric gases, in turn, increase drag on satellites orbiting Earth, slowing them down. With the Sun currently ramping up to predicted maximum levels of activity, and with no propulsion system for NEOWISE to keep itself in orbit, the spacecraft will soon drop too low to be usable. The infrared telescope is going out of commission having exceeded scientific objectives for not one, but two missions, beginning as WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer). Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, WISE launched in December 2009 with a six-month missionto scan the entire infrared sky. By July 2010, WISE had achieved this with far greater sensitivity than previous surveys, and NASA extended the mission until 2011. During this phase, WISE studied distant galaxies, outgassing comets, exploding white dwarf stars, and brown dwarfs. It identified tens of millions of actively feeding supermassive ****** holes. It also generated data on circumstellar disks — clouds of gas, dust, and rubble spinning around stars — that citizen scientists continue to mine through the Disk Detective project. In addition, it excelled at finding main belt asteroids, as well as near-Earth objects, and discovered the first known Earth ******* asteroid. What’s more, the mission provided a census of dark, faint near-Earth objects that are difficult for ground-based telescopes to detect, revealing that these objects constitute a sizeable fraction of the near-Earth object population. Comet NEOWISE was discovered by its namesake mission on March 27, 2020, and became a dazzling celestial object visible in the Northern Hemisphere for several weeks that year. It was one of 25 comets discovered by the mission.SDL/Allison Bills Infrared Heritage Invisible to the ****** eye, infrared wavelengths are emitted by warm objects. To keep the heat generated by WISE itself from interfering with its infrared observations, the spacecraft relied on cryogenic coolant. By the time the coolant had run out, WISE had mapped the sky twice, and NASA put the spacecraft into hibernation in February 2011. Soon after, Mainzer and her team proposed a new mission for the spacecraft: to search for, track, and characterize near-Earth objects that generate a strong infrared signal from their heating by the Sun. “Without coolant, we had to find a way to cool the spacecraft down enough to measure infrared signals from asteroids,” said Joseph Masiero, NEOWISE deputy principal investigator and a scientist at IPAC, a research organization at Caltech in Pasadena, California. “By commanding the telescope to stare into deep space for several months, we determined it would radiate only enough heat to reach lower temperatures that would still allow us to acquire high-quality data.” NASA reactivated the mission in 2013 under the Near-Earth Object Observations Program, a precursor to the agency’s current planetary defense program, with the new name NEOWISE. By repeatedly observing the sky from low Earth orbit, NEOWISE has made 1.45 million infrared measurements of over 44,000 solar system objects to date. That includes more than 3,000 NEOs, 215 of which the space telescope discovered. Twenty-five of those are comets, among them the famed comet NEOWISE that was visible in the night sky in the summer of 2020. “The spacecraft has surpassed all expectations and provided vast amounts of data that the science community will use for decades to come,” said Joseph Hunt, NEOWISE project manager at JPL. “Scientists and engineers who worked on WISE and through NEOWISE also have built a knowledge base that will help inform future infrared survey missions.” The space telescope will continue its survey until July 31. Then, on Aug. 8, mission controllers at JPL will send a command that puts NEOWISE into hibernation for the last time. Since its launch, NEOWISE’s orbit has been dropping closer to Earth. NEOWISE is expected to ***** up in our planet’s atmosphere sometime between late 2024 and early 2025. More About the Mission NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor support the objectives of NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 directed NASA to discover and characterize at least 90% of the near-Earth objects more than 140 meters (460 feet) across that come within 30 million miles (48 million kilometers) of our planet’s orbit. Objects of this size can cause significant regional damage, or worse, should they impact the Earth. JPL manages and operates the NEOWISE mission for PDCO within the Science Mission Directorate. The Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah, built the science instrument. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, built the spacecraft. Science data processing, archiving, and distribution is done at IPAC at Caltech. Caltech manages JPL for NASA. For more information about NEOWISE, visit: [Hidden Content] NASA’s NEOWISE Celebrates 10 Years, Plans End of Mission Classroom Activity: How to Explore an Asteroid Mission: Near-Earth Object Surveyor Media Contacts Ian J. O’Neill Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-2649 *****@*****.tld Karen Fox / Charles Blue NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 / 202-802-5345 *****@*****.tld / charles.e*****@*****.tld 2024-094 Share Details Last Updated Jul 01, 2024 Related TermsNEOWISECometsJet Propulsion LaboratoryNear-Earth Asteroid (NEA)NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor Space Telescope)Planetary DefensePlanetary Defense Coordination OfficeWISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) Explore More 4 min read NASA Parachute Sensor Testing Could Make EPIC Mars Landings Article 4 days ago 5 min read NASA’s Mars Odyssey Captures Huge Volcano, Nears 100,000 Orbits Article 4 days ago 5 min read Detective Work Enables Perseverance Team to Revive SHERLOC Instrument Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft captured this last “eyeful” of Saturn and its rings on March 27, 2004, as it continued its way to orbit insertion. This natural ****** image shows the ****** variations between atmospheric bands and features in the southern hemisphere of Saturn, subtle ****** differences across the planet’s middle B ring, as well as a bright blue sliver of light in the northern hemisphere – sunlight passing through the Cassini Division in Saturn’s rings and being scattered by the cloud-free upper atmosphere. Cassini-Huygens, at 12,593 pounds one of the heaviest planetary probes ever, was launched on Oct. 15, 1997, on a Titan IVB/Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Although that was the most powerful expendable launch vehicle available, it wasn’t powerful enough to send the massive Cassini-Huygens on a direct path to Saturn. Instead, the spacecraft relied on several gravity assist maneuvers to achieve the required velocity to reach the ringed planet. This seven-year journey took it past Venus twice, the Earth once, and Jupiter once, gaining more velocity with each flyby for the final trip to Saturn. On July 1, 2004, with the Huygens lander still attached, Cassini fired its main engine for 96 minutes and entered an elliptical orbit around Saturn, becoming the first spacecraft to do so. Thus began an incredible 13-year in-depth exploration of the planet, its rings and its satellites, with scores of remarkable discoveries. The Cassini mission ended on Saturn in 2015, when operators deliberately plunged the spacecraft into the planet to ensure Saturn’s moons remain pristine for future exploration. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NAS visualization & data sciences lead Chris Henze demonstrates the newly upgraded hyperwall visualization system to Ames center director Eugene Tu, deputy center director David Korsmeyer, and High-End Computing Capability manager William Thigpen.NASA/Brandon Torres Navarette In May, the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility, located at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, celebrated the newest generation of its hyperwall system, a wall of LCD screens that display supercomputer-scale visualizations of the very large datasets produced by NASA supercomputers and instruments. The upgrade is the fourth generation of hyperwall clusters at NAS. The LCD panels provide four times the resolution of the previous system, now spanning across a 300-square foot display with over a billion pixels. The hyperwall is one of the largest and most powerful visualization systems in the world. Systems like the NAS hyperwall can help researchers visualize their data at large scale, across different viewpoints or using different parameters for new ways of analysis. The improved resolution of the new system will help researchers “zoom in” with greater detail. The hyperwall is just one way researchers can utilize NASA’s high-end computing technology to better understand their data. The NAS facility offers world-class supercomputing resources and services customized to meet the needs of about 1,500 users from NASA centers, academia and industry. Share Details Last Updated Jul 01, 2024 Related TermsAmes Research CenterAmes Research Center's Science Directorate Explore More 4 min read Doing More With Less: NASA’s Most Powerful Supercomputer Article 2 years ago 5 min read 5 Ways Supercomputing is Key to NASA Mission Success Article 2 years ago 4 min read Rocket Exhaust on the Moon: NASA Supercomputers Reveal Surface Effects Article 8 months ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics About Ames Technology Computing Core Area of Expertise: Supercomputing View the full article

A photo of MPLAN principal investigator awardees from various *********-serving institutions at the 2023 NASA Better Together conference in San Jose, California.Credits: NASA NASA has selected 23 *********-serving institutions to receive $1.2 million to grow their research and technology capabilities, collaborate on research projects, and contribute to the agency’s missions for the benefit of humanity. Through NASA’s ********* University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Partnership Learning Annual Notification (MPLAN) award, selected institutions will receive up to $50,000 each for a six-month ******* to work directly on STEM projects with subject matter experts in NASA’s mission directorates. “As NASA looks to inspire the next generation, the Artemis Generation, we are intentional in increasing access for all,” said Shahra Lambert, NASA senior advisor for engagement and equity. “It’s a daring task to return to the Moon then venture to Mars, but NASA is known to make the impossible possible. By funding partnerships such as MPLAN, and tapping into all pools of STEM resources, including MSIs, we are ensuring the future of our missions are in good hands.” The awards will contribute to research opportunities in preparation for larger funding programs such as NASA’s annual Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer solicitation, the Space Technology Research Grant Program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, the University Leadership Initiative within the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and the Human Research Program within NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. “These awards will help unlock the full potential of students traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research and careers,” said Torry Johnson, deputy associate administrator of STEM Engagement Projects at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Through this award, universities receive support, resources, and guidance directly from NASA experts, which can be a game changer for the work they do to develop technological innovations that contribute to NASA missions and benefit all of humanity.” The awardees are as follows: Arizona State University Drones for Contact-inclusive Planetary Exploration California State University-Dominguez Hills Bioinspired Surface Design for Thermal Extremes California State University-Fresno Human-Centric Digital Twins in NASA Space Missions California State University-Northridge Repurposing Lander Parts into Geodesic Assemblies California State University, Monterey Bay Crafting Biofuels via Molecular Insights CUNY New York City College of Technology Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate for Seed Growth: Microgreens in Space Delgado Community College, New Orleans, Louisiana Freshmen Access to CubeSat Education Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, North Carolina New Tech for Storm Tracking with Machine Learning Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia Sustained Approach for Energetic Lunar Operation New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Information-Theoretic Multi-****** Exploration Portland State University, Portland, Oregon ****** Leg Design for Lunar Exploration Regents of New Mexico State University Extreme Aerodynamics Over Small Air Vehicles San Diego State University Enhanced Aero-Composites: Reinforcement Innovation San Francisco State University Early Non-invasive Diagnosis of Heart ********* San Jose State University Designing Resilient Battery System for Space Southern University and A & M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana X-Ray 3D Printing of Nanocomposites for AME Plant Antimicrobial in Space Exploration using AI Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia Non-contact Optical Sensor for Biomedicine The Research Foundation of CUNY on behalf of City College, New York Soft Tendril-inspired ****** for Space Exploration The University of Texas at San Antonio Hydrodynamic Stability of Jets via Neural Networks Low-SWaP Water Electrolyzer for Lunar/Martian In-Situ Resource Utilization The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Tuneable NanoEnergetic Microthruster Cartridges University of California, Irvine Flexible Modular Robots for Extreme Access University of Hawaii at Manoa Ultrasound methods for monitoring carcinogenesis University of New Mexico All-climate and Ultrafast Aluminum Ion Batteries The awarded institutions and their partners are invited to meet with NASA researchers and MUREP representatives throughout the remainder of 2024. The meetings serve as training sessions to pursue future NASA opportunities. These trainings focus primarily on fostering collaboration, enhancing technical skills, and providing insights into NASA’s research priorities to better prepare participants for future opportunities. To learn more about MPLAN, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Gerelle Dodson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 gerelle.q*****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jul 01, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSTEM Engagement at NASAGet InvolvedGrants & OpportunitiesMUREP View the full article

9 Min Read Behind the Scenes of a NASA ‘Moonwalk’ in the Arizona Desert NASA astronauts Kate Rubins (left) and Andre Douglas. Credits: NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas recently performed four moonwalk simulations to help NASA prepare for its Artemis III mission. Due to launch in September 2026, Artemis III will land two, yet-to-be-selected, astronauts at the Moon’s South Pole for the first time. Traveling to space requires immense preparation, not just for the astronauts, but for the hundreds of people who work in the background. That’s why Earth-based simulations are key. They allow spacesuit and tool designers to see their designs in action. Flight controllers who monitor spacecraft systems and the crew’s activities get to practice catching early signs of technical issues or threats to astronaut safety. And scientists use simulations to practice making geologic observations from afar through descriptions from astronauts. Between May 13 and May 22, 2024, Rubins and Douglas trudged through northern Arizona’s San Francisco Volcanic Field, a geologically Moon-like destination shaped by millions of years of volcanic eruptions. There, they made observations of the soil and rocks around them and collected samples. After the moonwalks, the astronauts tested technology that could be used on Artemis missions, including a heads-up display that uses augmented reality to help with navigation, and lighting beacons that could help guide a crew back to a lunar lander. Dozens of engineers and scientists came along with Rubins and Douglas. Some were in the field alongside the crew. Others joined remotely from a mock mission control center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in a more realistic imitation of what it’ll take to work with a crew that’s some 240,000 miles away on the lunar surface. Here’s a look behind the scenes of a “moonwalk.” My experience in Arizona was incredible! I worked with several teams, explored an exotic landscape, and got a taste of what it’s like to be on a mission with a crew. Andre Douglas NASA Astronaut Practice to Prepare In this May 13, 2024, photo, Rubins (left), a molecular biologist who has done several expeditions to the space station, and Douglas, an engineer and member of the 2021 astronaut class, prepared for moonwalk rehearsals. During the May 14 moonwalk, above, Rubins and Douglas worked to stay in the simulation mindset while a cow looked on. They wore backpacks loaded with equipment for lighting, communication, cameras, and power for those devices. There are, of course, no cows on the Moon. But there is a region, called Marius Hills, that geologically resembles this Arizona volcanic field. Like the Arizona site, Marius Hills was shaped by ancient volcanic eruptions, so the composition of rocks at the two locations is similar. The Arizona simulation site also resembles the Moon’s south polar region in the subtle changes in the size, abundance, and groupings of rocks that can be found there. Noting such faint differences in rocks on the Moon will help reveal the history of asteroid collisions, volcanic activity, and other events that shaped not only the Moon, but also Earth and the rest of our solar system. “So this ‘landing site’ was a good analog for the types of small changes in regolith astronauts will look for at the lunar South Pole,” said Lauren Edgar, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Ariz., who co-led the science team for the simulation. To the delight of Edgar and her colleagues, Rubins and Douglas correctly identified faint differences in the Arizona rocks. But, despite their accomplishment, the day’s moonwalk had to be cut short due to strong winds. As with cows, there’s no wind on the mostly airless Moon. Science at the Table Earth and planetary scientists at NASA Johnson followed the moonwalks via a live video and audio feed broadcast in the Science Evaluation Room, pictured above. These experts developed detailed plans for each simulated moonwalk and provided geology expertise to mission control. Everyone in the room had a role. One person communicated information between the science team and the flight control team. Others monitored the crew’s science tasks to ensure the astronauts stayed on track. A small group analyzed images of rocks, soil, and outcrops sent back by the crew on the ground in Arizona. The information they gleaned helped determine whether the crew’s science tasks for each traverse needed to change. The decision to update tasks or not was made by a small group of experts from NASA and other institutions. Known as the “scrum,” this group of scientists, who are sitting around the table in the picture above, represented disciplines such as volcanology and mineralogy. They evaluated the information coming in from the crew and analyses from the science team to quickly decide whether to change the day’s science tasks because of an unplanned discovery. Serving at the scrum table was a high-pressure job, as updating the plan to spend more time at one intriguing site, for instance, could mean giving up time at another. The Arizona moonwalks also gave scientists an opportunity to test their skills at making geologic maps using data from spacecraft orbiting many miles above the surface. Such maps will identify scientifically valuable rocks and landforms at the South Pole to help NASA pick South Pole landing sites that have the most scientific value. Scientists will use data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to map the geology around the Artemis III landing site on the Moon. But to map the Arizona volcanic field, they relied on Earth satellite data. Then, to test whether their Arizona maps were accurate, a couple of scientists compared the crew’s locations along their traverses — self-reported based on the land features around them — to the geologic features identified on the maps. Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, wearing a green and yellow cap, and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, during geology training at Cinder Lake Crater Field in Flagstaff, Ariz. In this 1972 image the NASA astronauts are driving a geologic rover, or “Grover,” which was a training replica of the roving vehicle they later drove on the Moon. In the months leading up to the Arizona moonwalks, scientists taught Rubin and Douglas about geology, a discipline that’s key to deciphering the history of planets and moons. Geology training has been commonplace since the Apollo era of the 1960s and early ’70s. In fact, Apollo astronauts also trained in Arizona. These pioneer explorers spent hundreds of hours in the classroom and in the field learning geology. Artemis astronauts will have similarly intensive training. Operating in Moon-Like Conditions In the image above, Douglas stands to Rubins’ left reviewing procedures, while Rubins surveys instruments on the cart. Both are wearing 70-pound mockup planetary spacesuits that make moving, kneeling and grasping difficult, similar to how it will feel to do these activities on the Moon. A NASA team member, not visible behind the cart in the foreground, is shining a spotlight toward the astronauts during a one-and-a-half-hour nighttime moonwalk simulation on May 16. The spotlight was used to imitate the lighting conditions of the Moon’s south polar region, where the Sun doesn’t rise and set as it does on Earth. Instead, it just moves across the horizon, skimming the surface like a flashlight lying on a table. This visualization shows the unusual motions of Earth and the Sun as viewed from the South Pole of the Moon. Credit: NASA/Ernie Wright The position of the Sun at the Moon has to do with the Moon’s 1.5-degree tilt on its axis. This slight tilt means neither of the Moon’s northern or southern hemispheres tips noticeably toward or away from the Sun throughout the year. In contrast, Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt allows the northern and southern hemispheres to lean closer (summer) or farther (winter) from the Sun depending on the time of year. Thus, the Sun appears higher in the sky during summer days than it does during winter days. Compared to the daytime moonwalks, when the astronauts could easily see and describe the conditions around them, the crew was relatively quiet during the night expedition. With their small helmet lights, Rubins and Douglas could see just the area around their feet. But the duo tested supplemental portable lights and reported a big improvement in visibility of up to 20 feet around themselves. Night simulations show us how tough it is for the astronauts to navigate in the dark. It’s pretty eye opening. Cherie achilles Mineralogist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who co-led the simulation science team. The Science Evaluation Room during the nighttime moonwalk simulation on May 16. Scientists sit at their workstations while a screen at the front of the room presents live video and audio of the astronauts in the field. Engineers pictured above, in Houston’s mock mission control area, tested custom-designed software for managing moonwalks. One program automatically catalogs hours of audio and video footage, plus hundreds of pictures, collected during moonwalks. Another helps the team plan moonwalks, keep track of time and tasks, and manage limited life-support supplies such as oxygen. Such tracking and archiving will provide contextual data for generations of scientists and engineers.   It’s important that we make software tools that allow flight controllers and scientists to have flexibility and creativity during moonwalks, while helping keep the crew safe. Ben Feist Software engineer in NASA Johnson’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science division, pointing in the image above. Learning a Common Language The audio stream used by the Houston team to communicate during spacewalks is a dizzying cacophony of voices representing all the engineering and science roles of mission control. A well-trained mission control specialist can block out the noise and focus only on information they need to act on. One of the goals of the simulations, then, was to train scientists how to do this. “On the science side, we’re the newbies here,” Achilles said. During the Arizona moonwalks, scientists learned how to communicate their priorities succinctly and clearly to the flight control team, which then talked with the astronauts. If scientists needed to change the traverse plan to return to a site for more pictures, for instance, they had to rationalize the request to the flight director in charge. If the director approved, a designated person communicated the information to the crew. For this simulation, that person was NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, pictured above, who’s a geologist by training. NASA’s strict communication rules are meant to limit the distractions and hazards to astronauts during physically and intellectually demanding spacewalks. Coming Up Next In the weeks after the May moonwalk simulations, flight controllers and scientists have been debriefing and documenting their experiences. Next, they will revisit details like the design of the Science Evaluation Room. They’ll reconsider the roles and responsibilities of each team member and explore new tools or software upgrades to make their jobs more efficient. And at future simulations, still in the planning stages, they’ll do it all again, and again, and again, all to ensure that the real Artemis moonwalks — humanity’s first steps on the lunar surface in more than 50 years — will be perfectly choreographed. View More Images from the Recent Moonwalk Simulations By Lonnie Shekhtman NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Jul 01, 2024 Editor Lonnie Shekhtman Contact Lonnie Shekhtman *****@*****.tld Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Artemis Artemis 3 Artemis Campaign Development Division Astronauts Candidate Astronauts Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Goddard Space Flight Center Humans in Space Johnson Space Center Johnson’s Mission Control Center Missions NASA Centers & Facilities NASA Directorates Planetary Science Planetary Science Division Science & Research Science Mission Directorate Spacesuits The Solar System xEVA & Human Surface Mobility Explore More 4 min read What is Artemis? With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of ****** on… Article 5 years ago 5 min read Moon’s South Pole is Full of Mystery, Science, Intrigue Lee esta historia en español aquí. NASA has its sights set on the lunar South Pole… Article 2 years ago 4 min read How Data from a NASA Lunar Orbiter is Preparing Artemis Astronauts As astronauts prepare to head back to the Moon for the first time since 1972,… Article 10 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft approaches the International Space Station. Cygnus will deliver science experiments, crew supplies, and station hardware (Credits: NASA). Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This launch is the 21st Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency and will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. NASA, Northrop Grumman, and SpaceX are targeting early August to launch the Cygnus spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Following launch, the space station’s Canadarm2 will grapple Cygnus and the spacecraft will attach to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading. Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, July 19. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at: [Hidden Content] Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc*****@*****.tld. For other questions, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center newsroom at: 321-867-2468. Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese **** Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: *****@*****.tld o *****@*****.tld. Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space. In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Cygnus will deliver research, including supplies for a new STEMonstration and several test articles to observe water flow in microgravity. Other investigations aboard include vascularized liver tissue and a bioreactor to demonstrate the production of blood and immune stem cells. Researchers will learn more about biomanufacturing in microgravity to create higher quality treatments for people on Earth. NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative also is sending two CubeSats to deploy from the orbiting laboratory, CySat-1 from Iowa State Universityand DORA from Arizona State University, making up ELaNa 52 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites). Crews have occupied the space station continuously since November 2000. In that time, 280 people from 21 countries have visited the orbital outpost. The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis, and ultimately, human exploration of Mars. Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply missions at: [Hidden Content] -end- Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 *****@*****.tld / claire.a.o’*****@*****.tld Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott Kennedy Space Center, Fla. 321-876-2468 *****@*****.tld / steven.p*****@*****.tld / *****@*****.tld Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p*****@*****.tld Ellen Klicka Northrop Grumman, Cygnus 703-402-4404 *****@*****.tld View the full article

3 Min Read July’s Night Sky Notes: A Hero, a Crown, and Possibly a Nova! Like shiny flakes sparkling in a snow globe, over 100,000 stars whirl within the globular cluster M13, one of the brightest star clusters visible from the Northern Hemisphere. Located 25,000 light-years from Earth with an apparent magnitude of 5.8, this glittering metropolis of stars in the constellation Hercules can be spotted with a pair of binoculars most easily in July. Credits: NASA by Vivan White of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific High in the summer sky, the constellation Hercules acts as a centerpiece for late-night stargazers. At the center of Hercules is the “Keystone,” a near-perfect square shape between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus that is easy to recognize and can serve as a guidepost for some amazing sights. While not the brightest stars, the shape of the hero’s torso, like a smaller Orion, is nearly directly overhead after sunset. Along the edge of this square, you can find a most magnificent jewel – the Great Globular Cluster of Hercules, also known as Messier 13. Look up after sunset during summer months to find Hercules! Scan between Vega and Arcturus, near the distinct pattern of Corona Borealis. Once you find its stars, use binoculars or a telescope to hunt down the globular clusters M13 (and a smaller globular cluster M92). If you enjoy your views of these globular clusters, you’re in luck – look for another great globular, M3, near the constellation Boötes. Credit: Stellarium Globular clusters are a tight ball of very old stars, closer together than stars near us. These clusters orbit the center of our Milky Way like tight swarms of bees. One of the most famous short stories, Nightfall by Isaac Asimov, imagines a civilization living on a planet within one of these star clusters. They are surrounded by so many stars so near that it is always daytime except for once every millennium, when a special alignment (including a solar eclipse) occurs, plunging their planet into darkness momentarily. The sudden night reveals so many stars that it drives the inhabitants ****. Back here on our home planet Earth, we are lucky enough to experience skies full of stars, a beautiful Moon, and regular eclipses. On a clear night this summer, take time to look up into the Keystone of Hercules and follow this sky chart to the Great Globular Cluster of Hercules. A pair of binoculars will show a faint, fuzzy patch, while a small telescope will resolve some of the stars in this globular cluster. A red giant star and white dwarf orbit each other in this animation of a nova similar to T Coronae Borealis. The red giant is a large sphere in shades of red, orange, and white, with the side facing the white dwarf the lightest shades. The white dwarf is hidden in a bright glow of white and yellows, which represent an accretion disk around the star. A stream of material, shown as a diffuse cloud of red, flows from the red giant to the white dwarf. When the red giant moves behind the white dwarf, a nova ********** on the white dwarf ignites, creating a ball of ejected nova material shown in pale orange. After the fog of material clears, a small white spot ********, indicating that the white dwarf has survived the **********. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Bonus! Between Hercules and the ice-cream-cone-shaped Boötes constellation, you’ll find the small constellation Corona Borealis, shaped like the letter “C.” Astronomers around the world are watching T Coronae Borealis, also known as the “Blaze Star” in this constellation closely because it is predicted to go nova sometime this summer. There are only 5 known nova stars in the whole galaxy. It is a rare observable event and you can take part in the fun! The Astronomical League has issued a Special Observing Challenge that anyone can participate in. Just make a sketch of the constellation now (you won’t be able to see the nova) and then make another sketch once it goes nova. Tune into our mid-month article on the Night Sky Network page, as we prepare for the Perseids! Keep looking up! View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Credits: NASA NASA has selected the University of Hawaii in Honolulu to maintain and operate the agency’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea in Hilo, Hawaii. The Management and Operations of NASA’s IRTF is a hybrid firm-fixed-price contract with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity provision. The contract has a maximum potential value of approximately $85.5 million, with a base ******* of performance from Monday, July 1 to June 30, 2025. Nine optional periods, if exercised, would extend the contract through Dec. 31, 2033. Under this contract, the University of Hawaii will provide maintenance and operation services for NASA at the telescope facility. The university will also develop and implement an operations strategy so that the facility can be used by the scientific community through peer-reviewed competition to assist NASA in achieving its goals in scientific discovery, mission support, and planetary defense. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: [Hidden Content] -end- Tiernan Doyle Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jun 28, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA Centers & FacilitiesScience & Research View the full article

4 Min Read NASA Announces Winners of Inaugural Human Lander Challenge NASA’s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum brought 12 university teams from across the ******* States to Huntsville, Alabama, near the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, to showcase their innovative concepts for addressing the complex issue of managing lunar dust. The 12 finalists, selected in March 2024, presented their final presentations to a panel of NASA and industry experts from NASA’s Human Landing Systems Program at the HuLC Forum in Huntsville June 25-27. NASA’s lunar exploration campaign Artemis is working to send the first woman, first person of ******, and first international partner astronaut to the Moon and establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities. Dust mitigation during landing is one of the key challenges NASA and its Artemis partners will have to address in exploring the lunar South Pole region and establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon. Participants in the 2024 Human Lander Challenge developed proposed systems-level solutions that could be potentially implemented within the next 3-5 years to manage or prevent clouds of dust – called lunar plume surface interaction – that form as a spacecraft touches down on the Moon. NASA announced the University of Michigan team, with their project titled, “ARC-LIGHT: Algorithm for Robust Characterization of Lunar Surface Imaging for Ground Hazards and Trajectory” as the selected overall winner and recipient of a $10,000 award June 27. 12 university teams gathered in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, June 25-27 to participate in the final round of NASA’s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum.NASA/Ken Hall The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign took second place and a $5,000 award with their project, “HINDER: Holistic Integration of Navigational Dynamics for Erosion Reduction,” followed by University of Colorado Boulder for their project, “Lunar Surface Assessment Tool (LSAT): A Simulation of Lunar Dust Dynamics for Risk Analysis,” and a $3,000 award. “Managing and reducing the threat of lunar dust is a formidable challenge to NASA and we are committed to real solutions for our long long-term presence on the Moon’s surface,” said Don Krupp, associate program manager for the HLS Program at Marshall. “A key part of NASA’s mission is to build the next generation of explorers and expand our partnerships across commercial industry and the academic community to advance HLS technologies, concepts, and approaches. The Human Lander Challenge is a great example of our unique partnership with the academic community as they help provide innovative and real solutions to the unique risks and challenges of returning to the Moon.” Two teams received the excellence in systems engineering award: Texas A&M University, “Synthetic Orbital Landing Area for Crater Elimination (SOLACE) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, “Plume Additive for Reducing Surface Ejecta and Cratering (PARSEC) NASA selected the University of Michigan as the overall winner of NASA’s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum June 27. NASA/Ken Hall “The caliber of solutions presented by the finalist teams to address the challenges of lunar-plume surface interaction is truly commendable,” said Esther Lee, HuLC judging panel chair and aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “Witnessing the development of these concepts is an exciting glimpse into the promising future of aerospace leadership. It’s inspiring to see so many brilliant minds coming together to solve the challenges of lunar landings and exploration. We may all come from different educational backgrounds, but our shared passion for space unites us.” Student and faculty advisor participants had the opportunity to network and interact with NASA and industry subject matter experts who are actively working on NASA’s Human Landing System capabilities giving participants a unique insight to careers and operations that further the Agency’s mission of human space exploration. NASA’s Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by Human Landing System Program and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace. For more information about NASA Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, please visit: [Hidden Content] News Media Contact Corinne Beckinger Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256.544.0034 *****@*****.tld View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NASA/JPL-Caltech This labyrinth – with a silhouette of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes at its center – is used as a calibration target for the cameras and laser that are part of SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals), one of the instruments aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. The image was captured by the Autofocus and Context Imager on SHERLOC on May 11, 2024, as the rover team sought to confirm it had successfully addressed an issue with a stuck lens cover. The Perseverance rover searches for signs of ancient microbial life, to advance NASA’s quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. The rover is collecting core samples of Martian rock and soil (broken rock and soil), for potential pickup by a future mission that would bring them to Earth for detailed study. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Bronco Space team assembles its Bronco Ember technology, which uses a short-wave infrared camera with AI to improve early wildfire detection.Credit: Bronco Space NASA’s public competitions can catalyze big changes – not just for the agency but also for participants. Bronco Space, the CubeSat laboratory at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, matured more than just space technology as a result of winning funds from NASA’s TechLeap Prize competition. It grew from its roots in a broom closet to a newly built lab on campus, expanding its capacity to mature space technologies long into the future. The TechLeap Prize seeks to rapidly identify and develop space technologies through a series of challenges that each address a specific technology need for NASA and the nation. In addition to a cash prize, winners receive access to a suborbital or orbital flight opportunity on a commercial flight platform. Bronco Space won $500,000 in the inaugural TechLeap Prize, Autonomous Observation Challenge, launched in 2021. The challenge sought small spacecraft technologies that could autonomously detect, locate, track, and collect data on transient events on Earth and beyond. The team, made up of both undergraduate and graduate students, developed and launched a wildfire detection system called Bronco Ember, which used a short-wave infrared camera with AI (artificial intelligence) to improve early wildfire detection. Zachary Gaines was an undergraduate student when he participated in the first challenge through TechLeap with Bronco Space. He has since graduated and now supervises the lab at Cal Poly Pomona. Gaines notes how the prize gave the team flexibility to invest in their lab and expand the university’s technology development and maturation capabilities. “Because TechLeap gave us prize money rather than a grant, we had the freedom to invest those funds,” said Gaines. “If we want to make a real-world impact, which we always want to do, we needed a real lab with equipment. Thanks to TechLeap, we now have space in an innovation village right outside of campus.” In 2022, Gaines was also involved in Bronco Space’s second time participating in TechLeap as part of the first Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge. The competition sought sensing systems to detect surface hazards from at least 250 meters high and process the data in real-time to generate a terrain map suitable for a spacecraft to land safely in the dark. As one of three winners eligible to receive up to $650,000 each, Bronco Space developed a system using a light projector to create an initial geometry map for landing. The system then uses LIDAR (light detection and ranging) along with advances in computer vision, machine learning, robotics, and computing to generate a map that reconstructs lunar terrain. A demo of the 3D digital “twin” app created by PRISM Intelligence for NASA’s Entrepreneurs Challenge.Credit: Bronco Space From the experience with TechLeap, Gaines and other team members formed the small business Pegasus Intelligence and Space, now PRISM Intelligence, and participated in another challenge – NASA’s Entrepreneurs Challenge. This competition seeks the development and commercialization of lunar payloads and climate science through an entrepreneurial and venture lens to advance the Agency’s science exploration goals. The company’s technology, also called PRISM, is a 3D digital map of the world that uses AI to make the “twin” world searchable. The challenge encouraged Gaines and the PRISM team to bridge the gap between available data and consumer end-users. PRISM was a Round 2 winner of the challenge, receiving a share of the $1 million prize as well as exposure to external funders and investors. Gaines traces the success of PRISM back to his first TechLeap experience: “The company wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t done TechLeap. It helped me understand how to develop technologies for industry.” The company and the university continue to secure NASA support. In December 2023, Cal Poly Pomona was selected to receive a two-year funded cooperative agreement through NASA’s University SmallSat Technology Partnership. “When people invest in your ideas and continue to support them, they help you get smarter and increase your understanding of people’s needs,” said Gaines. “Building technologies with the goal of a real-world impact is really motivating.” Members of Bronco Space developed a sensing system that generates a map for precise spacecraft landing as part of NASA’s second TechLeap competition.Credit: Bronco SpaceView the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Technological innovations make headlines every day, and NASA’s In Space Production Applications (InSPA) Portfolio of awards are driving these innovations into the future. InSPA awards help U.S. companies demonstrate in-space manufacturing of their products and move them to market, propelling U.S. industry toward the development of a sustainable, scalable, and profitable non-NASA demand for services and products manufactured in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit for use on Earth. Latest News: A Meta-Analysis of Semiconductor Materials Fabricated in Microgravity (June 26, 2024) ISSRDC Announces “Steps to Space” Session to Educate Future Researchers (June 27, 2024) Innovation in Focus: Technology Development (June 13, 2024) Optical Fiber Production – Science in Space: March 2024 (March 25, 2024) ISS National Lab Releases In Space Production Applications Funding Opportunity (March 6, 2024) NASA Aims to Boost In Space Production Applications (May 15, 2023) White Paper: The Benefits of Semiconductor Manufacturing in Low-Earth Orbit for Terrestrial Use (November 9, 2023) Station InSPA: The Next Industrial Revolution? (September 1, 2022) Keep Exploring Discover More Topics In Space Production Applications Low Earth Orbit Economy Opportunities and Information for Researchers Latest News from Space Station Research View the full article

2 min read NASA@ My Library and Partners Engage Millions in Eclipse Training and Preparation The Space Science Institute, with funding from the NASA Science Mission Directorate and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, provided unprecedented training, support, and supplies to 15,000 libraries in the U.S. and territories in support of public engagement during the 2023 and 2024 eclipses. From September 2022 to September 2024, these efforts included: Co-development efforts with 3 NASA@ My Library Partner Libraries in the “Square of Awesome” (where both the total and annular eclipse crossed) led to the distribution of 50 NASA@ My Library Solar Science Kits to libraries with a high percentage of Spanish speaking patrons. Over 6 million solar viewers distributed to approximately 15,000 public libraries (with some school libraries included), distributed to every US state and territory. Over 2,000 in-person workshop attendees at 78 in-person solar science workshops in almost every state and territory Final workshops scheduled for Hawaii (4 islands) and ********* Samoa A total of 217 Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) Solar Science Kits distributed to State Libraries Over 49,062 programs held at public libraries reaching more than 2.8 million patrons One public library staff member had this to say: “People who haven’t been into the library for 20+ years came in to get glasses, and we had a lot of new library cards generated in late March. Our door counts were over pre-pandemic for the first time since 2019. Thank you for making this possible!” The NASA@ My Library project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AE30A 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] Students celebrate the partial solar eclipse in April in Los Angeles, with glasses and programs provided by the Los Angeles Public Library System. LA Unified School District Share Details Last Updated Jun 28, 2024 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms 2023 Solar Eclipse 2024 Solar Eclipse Earth Science For Kids and Students Heliophysics Science Activation Science Mission Directorate Explore More 1 min read An Eclipse Megamovie Megastar Article 2 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Examines an Active Galaxy Near the Lion’s Heart Article 5 hours ago 2 min read NASA eClips Engages Families at 2024 STEM Community Day Article 1 day 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

1 Min Read An Eclipse Megamovie Megastar Nasmus Nazir’s High Dynamic Range image, created with processed photographs of the Sun’s corona taken during the total solare eclipse on April 8th, 2024. Nazmus “Naz” Nasir is a software engineer by day, and an astrophotographer by night….and sometimes by day as well! This April, Naz participated in NASA’s Eclipse Megamovie 2024 project, photographing the total solar eclipse. He posted online a spectacular video composed of stabilized and aligned photographs of the sun taken during totality. The video includes links to tutorials Naz created to teach viewers the techniques he used. “I have had an interest in astronomy since childhood,” Naz says on his website, Naztronomy. “Until recently, I was unable to pursue my dreams of being an astronomer. But now, I have my own telescope which allows me to view the heavens like never before.” We hope you’ll share your eclipse photographs and videos like Naz has done. Eclipse Megamovie will be accepting photographs from the April 8th solar eclipse again in June, so if you have a photograph of the eclipse, please send it in! Your photographs will help us investigate the secret lives of solar jets and plasma plumes. Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share Details Last Updated Jun 28, 2024 Related Terms Citizen Science Heliophysics Explore More 2 min read NASA eClips Engages Families at 2024 STEM Community Day Article 23 hours ago 5 min read Alphabet Soup: NASA’s GOLD Finds Surprising C, X Shapes in Atmosphere Article 23 hours ago 2 min read Happy Birthday, Redshift Wrangler! Article 1 week ago View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) View of the Nova-C landing area near Malapert A in the South Pole region of the Moon. North is to the right. Taken by LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera) NAC (Narrow Angle Camera).NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University NASA has released two white papers associated with the agency’s Moon to Mars architecture efforts. The papers, one on lunar mobility drivers and needs, and one on lunar surface cargo, detail NASA’s latest thinking on specific areas of its lunar exploration strategy. While NASA has established a yearly cadence of releasing new documents associated with its Moon to Mars architecture, the agency occasionally releases mid-cycle findings to share essential information in areas of interest for its stakeholders. “Lunar Mobility Drivers and Needs” discusses the need to move cargo and assets on the lunar surface, from landing sites to points of use, and some of the factors that will significantly impact mobility systems. “Lunar Surface Cargo” analyses some of the current projected needs — and identifies current capability gaps — for the transportation of cargo to the lunar surface. The Moon to Mars architecture approach incorporates feedback from U.S. industry, academia, international partners, and the NASA workforce. The agency typically releases a series of technical documents at the end of its annual analysis cycle, including an update of the Architecture Definition Document and white papers that elaborate on frequently raised topics. Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of ******, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. You can find all of NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture documents at: [Hidden Content] Share Details Last Updated Jun 28, 2024 Related TermsHumans in Space Explore More 2 min read Unity in Orbit: Astronauts Soar with Pride Aboard Station Article 3 days ago 5 min read Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall Article 3 days ago 5 min read Lakita Lowe: Leading Space Commercialization Innovations and Fostering STEM Engagement Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

2 min read Hubble Examines an Active Galaxy Near the Lion’s Heart This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the elliptical galaxy Messier 105. ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Sarazin et al. It might appear featureless and unexciting at first glance, but NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observations of this elliptical galaxy — known as Messier 105 — show that the stars near the galaxy’s center are moving very rapidly. Astronomers have concluded that these stars are zooming around a supermassive ****** ***** with an estimated mass of 200 million Suns! This ****** ***** releases huge amounts of energy as it consumes matter falling into it, making the system an active galactic nucleus that causes the galaxy’s center to shine far brighter than its surroundings. Hubble also surprised astronomers by revealing a few young stars and clusters in Messier 105, a galaxy thought to be “*****” and incapable of star formation. Astronomers now think that Messier 105 forms roughly one Sun-like star every 10,000 years. Astronomers also spotted star-forming activity in a vast ring of hydrogen gas encircling both Messier 105 and its closest neighbor, the lenticular galaxy NGC 3384. Discovered in 1781, Messier 105 ***** about 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (The Lion) and is the brightest elliptical galaxy within the Leo I galaxy group. Text Credit: ********* Space Agency (ESA) Download the image Explore More Hubble Space Telescope Hubble’s Galaxies Hubble’s Messier Catalog: Messier 105 Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD *****@*****.tld Share Details Last Updated Jun 27, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Elliptical Galaxies Galaxies Galaxies, Stars, & ****** Holes Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions The Universe Keep Exploring Explore More With Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. What Did Hubble See on Your Birthday? Name That Nebula Hubble E-books View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]