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

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

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

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

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

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

NASA Science Live: Climate Edition - Rising Heat

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

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

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

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

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

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 Sol 4225: Sliding Down Horsetail Falls This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4219 (2024-06-19 02:21:53 UTC). NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Monday, June 24, 2024 This will be an important week for chemistry on our latest drill sample “Mammoth Lakes 2.” Curiosity’s primary goal today was a preconditioning of the SAM instrument in preparation for its chemical analysis. Due to the large amounts of power required by SAM, today’s science block was limited to one hour, although it grew a bit at the cost of next sol’s science allocation. Today’s planning only covers one sol (4225), as our usual Wednesday planning day will not have Deep Space Network availability. We will plan 3 sols on Tuesday as a result. Over the weekend, the “Mammoth Lakes 2” drill sample was dropped off to CheMin for analysis. Mastcam change detection observations of “Walker Pass 2” and “Finch Lake” were begun and will complete on Sol 4225. Remote science on “Whitebark Pass,” “Quarry Peak,” “Broken Finger Peak,” and “Shout of Relief Pass” completed successfully. On Sol 4225, the focus for remote science was a ChemCam laser spectroscopic characterization and Mastcam imaging of “Horsetail Falls,” an area near the edge of the “Whitebark Pass” workspace slab. The Navcam image below shows the rough surface of “Horsetail Falls” as a stripe of dark rubbly material near the top just right of center edge of the light colored “Whitebark Pass” slab. “Horsetail Falls” is an example of bedrock texture diversity. This target is named for an iconic 270 ft waterfall emerging from Agnew Lake and easily seen from the June Lake Loop road. “Shout of Relief Pass” honors the 11000 ft pass on the Sierra High Route trail which is a gateway to much easier terrain for the next 25 miles of the trail. All targets in this area of Mount Sharp are named after the Bishop geological quadrangle in the High Sierra and Owens Valley of California. ChemCam RMI will also image an 11×1 mosaic of the nearby channel floor where there are interesting color variations. Atmospheric observations in this science block consist of a dust devil survey. In the next plan, SAM will complete its initial analysis. Based on the SAM and CheMin results, the team will then decide whether to do more chemistry at this intriguing location or continue our drive up Mount Sharp. Written by Deborah Padgett, Curiosity Operations Product Generation Subsystem Lead Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Share Details Last Updated Jun 25, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Sols 4222-4224: A Particularly Prickly Power Puzzle Article 4 days ago 2 min read A Bright New Abrasion Last week, Perseverance arrived at the long-awaited site of Bright Angel, named for being a… Article 5 days ago 6 min read Sols 4219-4221: It’s a Complex Morning… Article 1 week 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

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Credits: NASA NASA and the Hudson Square Business Improvement District are launching an open call to New York-based artists and artist teams to design and install a large-scale, space-themed neighborhood mural. The NASA x Hudson Square partnership was developed to inspire the surrounding Manhattan Hudson Square community by showcasing NASA’s work and missions. Artists are encouraged to submit proposals for the project and detail how their mural will illustrate the impact of NASA’s priorities, such as the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope, climate science and innovation, and the Artemis campaign exploring the Moon. Applications are due by Friday, June 28. The selected project will receive a $20,000 award for design fees, materials, labor, and equipment, with a portion of funds provided by NASA and matched by Hudson Square Business Improvement District. The mural installation is expected to be complete by September. NASA continues to seek opportunities to inspire the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – through collaborations with partners like the Hudson Square Business Improvement District. Details about submitting project proposals are available on the Hudson Square web page. For questions about applying to the NASA x Hudson Square mural project, contact PublicArt@HudsonSquareBID.org. Share Details Last Updated Jun 25, 2024 Related TermsGeneral Explore More 5 min read Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall Article 2 hours ago 2 min read NASA Infrared Detector Technical Interchange Article 4 hours ago 3 min read Gateway: Up Close in Stunning Detail Witness Gateway in stunning detail with this video that brings the future of lunar exploration… Article 8 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

A powerful symbol of pride waved high above Earth aboard the International Space Station in December 2021, reflecting NASA’s commitment to a collaborative and inclusive environment in human spaceflight. The Pride flag was unveiled by NASA astronauts to celebrate our identities and unite in our commitment to equality and acceptance for all individuals. At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, leveraging diverse talents is key to achieving the ambitious goals of space exploration. Johnson supports its employees by standing in solidarity and providing resources such as the Out & Allied Employee Resource Group that recognize the unique strengths of the LGBTQI+ workforce and encourage individuals to bring their authentic selves to the workplace. That support extends all the way to low Earth orbit and beyond. The Pride flag flows aboard the International Space Station inside the cupola during Expedition 66.Credit: NASA/Raja Chari NASA astronaut Raja Chari, as a flight engineer for Expedition 66, captured a monumental image of the Pride flag flowing freely aboard the orbiting laboratory inside the Cupola. “As government astronauts, we explore on behalf of all humankind,” said Chari. “Whether it’s on the International Space Station or developing the Artemis vehicles that will take us back to the Moon, it’s NASA’s goal to make space accessible to everyone.” Reflecting on his experiences aboard the space station, Chari expressed gratitude for the global support network that supported him along the way. “Nothing I did in space would have been possible without leveraging the diversity of thought that makes human spaceflight possible,” he said. At Johnson, the Progress Pride flag was proudly flown in front of building 1 in June 2022, symbolizing the center’s commitment to embracing and recognizing the unique talents of all its employees. The Progress Pride flag, bottom right, flows at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/Norah Moran Chari also stressed the importance of diverse perspectives in overcoming the technical challenges of space exploration. “Every day I’m in meetings and testing events where we are tasked with the very real technical challenges of sustaining humans on the Moon and eventually Mars,” he said. “There is no way we will solve the problems on or off our planet if we don’t take advantage of having the most diverse team we can to ensure we don’t overlook a possible solution.” “Being in the Cupola with the Pride flag was a way to thank and encourage people to be proud of who they are, and bring their whole selves to work, because we’ll need all of them to get back to the Moon.” View the full article

5 Min Read Six Adapters for Crewed Artemis Flights Tested, Built at NASA Marshall Six adapters for the next of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rockets for Artemis II through Artemis IV are currently at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. Engineers are analyzing data and applying lessons learned from extensive in-house testing and the successful uncrewed Artemis I test flight to improve future iterations of the rocket. Credits: NASA/Sam Lott As a child learning about basic engineering, you probably tried and failed to join a square-shaped toy with a circular-shaped toy: you needed a third shape to act as an adapter and connect them both together. On a much larger scale, integration of NASA’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the Orion spacecraft for the agency’s Artemis campaign would not be possible without the adapters being built, tested, and refined at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Marshall is currently home to six adapters designed to connect SLS’s upper stages with the core stages and propulsion systems for future Artemis flights to the Moon. Preparing Block 1 Adapters for Upcoming Crewed Flights The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch with the assistance of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. The propulsion stage is sandwiched between two adapters: the launch vehicle stage adapter and the Orion stage adapter. The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter provides structural strength and protects the rocket’s flight computers and other delicate systems from acoustic, thermal, and vibration effects. “The inside of the launch vehicle stage adapter for the SLS rocket uses orthogrid machining – also known as waffle pattern machining,” said Keith Higginbotham, launch vehicle stage adapter hardware manager supporting the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. “The aluminum alloy plus the grid pattern is lightweight but also very strong.” The launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis II is at Marshall and ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, while engineering teams are completing outfitting and integration work on the launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis III. These cone-shaped adapters differ from their Artemis I counterpart, featuring additional avionics protection for crew safety. Just a few buildings over, the Orion stage adapter for Artemis II, with its unique docking target that mimics the target on the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to test Orion’s handling during the piloting demonstration test, is in final outfitting prior to shipment to Kennedy for launch preparations. The five-foot-tall, ring-shaped adapter is small but mighty: in addition to having space to accommodate small secondary payloads, it contains a diaphragm that acts as a barrier to prevent gases generated during launch from entering Orion. The Artemis III Orion stage adapter’s major structure is complete and its avionics unit and diaphragm will be installed later this year. Following the first flight of SLS with Artemis I, technicians adjusted their approach to assembling the launch vehicle stage adapter by introducing the use of a rounding tool to ensure that no unintended forces are placed on the hardware.NASA/Sam Lott The Orion stage adapter is complete at Marshall, including welding, painting, and installation of the secondary payload brackets, cables, and avionics unit. The adapter is protected by a special conductive paint that prevents electric arcing in space. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch viewed the hardware during a Nov. 27 visit to Marshall.NASA/Charles Beason SLS Block 1B’s payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration, but each will be unique and customized to fit individual mission needs. “Both the Orion stage adapter and the payload adapter are being assembled in the same room at Marshall,” said Brent Gaddes, lead for the Orion stage adapter in the Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. “So, there’s a lot of cross-pollination between teams.”NASA/Sam Lott Unlike the flight hardware, the universal stage adapter’s development test article has flaws intentionally included in its design to test if fracture toughness predictions are correct. Technicians are incorporating changes for the next test article, including alterations to the vehicle damping system mitigating vibrations on the launch pad.NASA/Brandon Hancock Block 1B Adapters Support Bolder Missions Beginning with Artemis IV, a new configuration of SLS, the SLS Block 1B, will use the new, more powerful exploration upper stage to enable more ambitious missions to deep space. The new stage requires new adapters. The cone-shaped payload adapter – containing two aluminum rings and eight composite panels made from a graphite epoxy material – will be housed inside the universal stage adapter atop the rocket’s exploration upper stage. The payload adapter test article is being twisted, shaken, and placed under extreme pressure to check its structural strength as part of testing at Marshall. Engineers are making minor changes to the design of the flight article, such as the removal of certain vent holes, based on the latest analyses. The sixth adapter at Marshall is a development test article of the universal stage adapter, which will be the largest composite structure from human spaceflight missions ever flown at 27.5 feet in diameter and 32 feet long. It is currently undergoing modal and structural testing to ensure it is light, strong, and ready to connect SLS Block 1B’s exploration upper stage to Orion. “Every pound of structure is equal to a pound of payload,” says Tom Krivanek, universal stage adapter sub-element project manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Glenn manages the adapter for the agency. “That’s why it’s so valuable that the universal stage adapter be as light as possible. The universal stage adapter separates after the translunar insertion, so NASA will need to demonstrate the ability to separate cleanly in orbit in very cold conditions.” The Future of Marshall Is Innovation With its multipurpose testing equipment, innovative manufacturing processes, and large-scale integration facilities, Marshall facilities and capabilities enable teams to process composite hardware elements for multiple Artemis missions in parallel, providing for cost and schedule savings. Lessons learned from testing and manufacturing hardware for the first three SLS flights in the Block 1 configuration have aided in designing and integrating the SLS Block 1B configuration. “NASA learns with every iteration we build. Even if you have a room full of smart people trying to foresee everything in the future, production is different from development. It’s why NASA builds test articles and doesn’t just start with the flight article as the first piece of hardware.” Brent Gaddes Lead for the Orion stage adapter in the Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution Office Both adapters for the SLS Block 1 are manufactured using friction stir welding in Marshall’s Materials and Processes Laboratory, a process that very reliably produces materials that are typically free of flaws. Pioneering techniques such as determinant assembly and digital tooling ensure an efficient and uniform manufacturing process and save NASA and its partners money and time when building Block 1B’s payload adapter. Structured light scanning maps each panel and ring individually to create a digital model informing technicians where holes should be drilled. “Once the holes are put in with a hand drill located by structured light, it’s simply a matter of holding the pieces together and dropping fasteners in place,” Gaddes said. “It’s kind of like an erector set.” From erector sets to the Moon and beyond – the principles of engineering are the same no matter what you are building. NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch. News Media Contact Corinne Beckinger Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256.544.0034 corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov View the full article

When/Where August 27-28, 2024 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA Who may attend? Invited participants from the NASA Centers, NASA HQ, and the broader community of IR technology developers and stakeholders. All participants must be U.S. Persons – the meeting will be held at the CUI level and presentations may contain ITAR material. Registration will be available, soon! Purpose The purpose of the TIM is to openly discuss and review the current state of IR technology in the 2-1000 µm wavelength range. This workshop is intended to evaluate existing relevant NASA-needed technologies and developments, identify opportunities for investments and collaboration, and formulate agency-level strategies to meet its near- and far- term needs for science and exploration missions. The presentations and contact information list will be captured in a proceedings package that will be available to all attendees and NASA stakeholders. Background IR detector technology is critical for NASA’s future missions, many of which require state-of-the-art infrared payloads in support Science Mission Directorate (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), and Exploration Mission Directorate (EOMD). IR sensors utilized in infrared missions span a wide gamut, including multispectral, polarimetric imaging, point-source detection, scanning dispersive hyperspectral imaging, staring interferometric hyperspectral imaging, and astronomical imaging. Space-qualified IR detectors are a leading item on NASA’s critical technology lists as they are key enablers for many science missions. The objectives and IR sensor needs for future NASA missions are described in the most recent decadal surveys for Earth Science, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, and Astronomy and Astrophysics: Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032 Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s To promote knowledge sharing among science and engineering practitioners external- and internal-to NASA, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Sensors & Instrumentation Technical Discipline Team (S&I TDT) recently established an IR Detector Community of Practice (IR CoP). View the full article

Jake Cupani, a data science specialist, focuses on the intersection between data visualization and user experience — UX — design. Name: Jake Cupani Title: Financial analytics support specialist Organization: Financial Analytics and Systems Office, Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Code 156) Jake Cupani is a financial analytics support specialist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Photo courtesy of Jake Cupani What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? I create data visualizations and dashboards to help visualize some of the key metrics including demographics, budgeting, and forecasting. I enjoy helping our office modernize and automate their processes. What is your educational background? In 2020, I got a B.S. in information science with a minor in astronomy from the University of Maryland. In 2022, I got a master’s in information management and data analytics also from the University of Maryland. How did you come to Goddard? After graduating, I did some consulting. I came to Goddard in 2023, but I had interned for Goddard throughout my academic career. My office knew about my work and recruited me. You describe yourself as a data science specialist. What do you mean? Data science encompasses everything from data visualization to analysis and specifics as well as data preparation. Data visualization focuses on taking any sort of data, be it spreadsheets or tables, and creating graphs and interactive charts to explain the data and gather insights on the data. What is most important to you as a data science specialist? What I think is important is the intersection between the visualization and the user experience. You have to make it easy for people to digest the analytics so that they can understand the ideas you are trying to get across and the overall trends. As a person fairly new to Goddard, what are your initial impressions? What is great about Goddard is that everyone seems really open to helping. Everyone works collaboratively. You can always ask questions. Goddard has a collegial environment. It is very refreshing to be in an environment that is so open and welcoming. People from all different walks of life work at Goddard and this diversity enables us to accomplish all the things that we do. People are willing to listen to other people’s ideas. Who is your mentor and what have you learned? My mentor is my boss, John Brady. I thank him for being such a good leader and listener. He taught me about Goddard’s culture and how decisions are made. What is your involvement with the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group? Although not in a leadership role, I attend the monthly meetings where we get together and have lunch. Sometimes we have speakers, other times we just talk. These lunches help me engage with the LGBTQ+ community. “What I think is important is the intersection between the visualization and the user experience,” said Jake. “You have to make it easy for people to digest the analytics so that they can understand the ideas you are trying to get across and the overall trends.”Photo courtesy of Jake Cupani What one thing you would tell somebody just starting their career at Goddard? I would tell them that working at Goddard is an amazing opportunity that will allow them to meet a lot of really smart people who also very welcoming. I would tell them not to be shy and to talk to as many people as they can. Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I want to still work in data visualization and continue to learn as much as I can to grow my expertise. Beyond that, I don’t know what is in the future for me. What do you do for fun? I like baking cookies, brownies, and cakes. I am also a big fan of playing video games, especially Pokémon. By Elizabeth M. Jarrell 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 Jun 25, 2024 EditorMadison OlsonContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsPeople of GoddardPeople of NASA Explore More 12 min read Ted Michalek: Engineering from Apollo to Artemis Article 3 weeks ago 10 min read Kan Yang: Translating Science Ideas into Engineering Concepts Article 1 month ago 5 min read Shawnta M. Ball Turns Obstacles into Opportunities in Goddard’s Education Office Article 3 months ago View the full article

4 min read NASA-IBM Collaboration Develops INDUS Large Language Models for Advanced Science Research Named for the southern sky constellation, INDUS (stylized in all caps) is a comprehensive suite of large language models supporting five science domains. NASA By Derek Koehl Collaborations with private, non-federal partners through Space Act Agreements are a key component in the work done by NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT). A collaboration with International Business Machines (IBM) has produced INDUS, a comprehensive suite of large language models (LLMs) tailored for the domains of Earth science, biological and physical sciences, heliophysics, planetary sciences, and astrophysics and trained using curated scientific corpora drawn from diverse data sources. INDUS contains two types of models; encoders and sentence transformers. Encoders convert natural language text into numeric coding that can be processed by the LLM. The INDUS encoders were trained on a corpus of 60 billion tokens encompassing astrophysics, planetary science, Earth science, heliophysics, biological, and physical sciences data. Its custom tokenizer developed by the IMPACT-IBM collaborative team improves on generic tokenizers by recognizing scientific terms like biomarkers and phosphorylated. Over half of the 50,000-word vocabulary contained in INDUS is unique to the specific scientific domains used for its training. The INDUS encoder models were used to fine tune the sentence transformer models on approximately 268 million text pairs, including titles/abstracts and questions/answers. By providing INDUS with domain-specific vocabulary, the IMPACT-IBM team achieved superior performance over open, non-domain specific LLMs on a benchmark for biomedical tasks, a scientific question-answering benchmark, and Earth science entity recognition tests. By designing for diverse linguistic tasks and retrieval augmented generation, INDUS is able to process researcher questions, retrieve relevant documents, and generate answers to the questions. For latency sensitive applications, the team developed smaller, faster versions of both the encoder and sentence transformer models. Validation tests demonstrate that INDUS excels in retrieving relevant passages from the science corpora in response to a NASA-curated test set of about 400 questions. IBM researcher Bishwaranjan Bhattacharjee commented on the overall approach: “We achieved superior performance by not only having a custom vocabulary but also a large specialized corpus for training the encoder model and a good training strategy. For the smaller, faster versions, we used neural architecture search to obtain a model architecture and knowledge distillation to train it with supervision of the larger model.” NASA Chief Scientist Kate Calvin gives remarks in a NASA employee town hall on how the agency is using and developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to advance missions and research, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. The INDUS suite of models will help facilitate the agency’s AI goals. NASA/Bill Ingalls INDUS was also evaluated using data from NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division. Dr. Sylvain Costes, the NASA BPS project manager for Open Science, discussed the benefits of incorporating INDUS: “Integrating INDUS with the Open Science Data Repository (OSDR) Application Programming Interface (API) enabled us to develop and trial a chatbot that offers more intuitive search capabilities for navigating individual datasets. We are currently exploring ways to improve OSDR’s internal curation data system by leveraging INDUS to enhance our curation team’s productivity and reduce the manual effort required daily.” At the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES-DISC), the INDUS model was fine-tuned using labeled data from domain experts to categorize publications specifically citing GES-DISC data into applied research areas. According to NASA principal data scientist Dr. Armin Mehrabian, this fine-tuning “significantly improves the identification and retrieval of publications that reference GES-DISC datasets, which aims to improve the user journey in finding their required datasets.” Furthermore, the INDUS encoder models are integrated into the GES-DISC knowledge graph, supporting a variety of other projects, including the dataset recommendation system and GES-DISC GraphRAG. Kaylin Bugbee, team lead of NASA’s Science Discovery Engine (SDE), spoke to the benefit INDUS offers to existing applications: “Large language models are rapidly changing the search experience. The Science Discovery Engine, a unified, insightful search interface for all of NASA’s open science data and information, has prototyped integrating INDUS into its search engine. Initial results have shown that INDUS improved the accuracy and relevancy of the returned results.” INDUS enhances scientific research by providing researchers with improved access to vast amounts of specialized knowledge. INDUS can understand complex scientific concepts and reveal new research directions based on existing data. It also enables researchers to extract relevant information from a wide array of sources, improving efficiency. Aligned with NASA and IBM’s commitment to open and transparent artificial intelligence, the INDUS models are openly available on Hugging Face. For the benefit of the scientific community, the team has released the developed models and will release the benchmark datasets that span named entity recognition for climate change, extractive QA for Earth science, and information retrieval for multiple domains. The INDUS encoder models are adaptable for science domain applications, and the INDUS retriever models support information retrieval in RAG applications. A paper on INDUS, “INDUS: Effective and Efficient Language Models for Scientific Applications,” is available on arxiv.org. Learn more about the Science Discovery Engine here. Share Details Last Updated Jun 24, 2024 Related Terms Open Science Explore More 4 min read Marshall Research Scientist Enables Large-Scale Open Science Article 5 days ago 2 min read NASA’s Repository Supports Research of Commercial Astronaut Health Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A detailed 3D animation of NASA's Gateway space station, showcasing its modules and structural components from various angles against the backdrop of deep space.NASA/Bradley Reynolds, Alberto Bertolin NASA and its international partners will explore the scientific mysteries of deep space with Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon. Starting with the Artemis IV mission in 2028, the international teams of astronauts living, conducting science, and preparing for missions to the lunar South Pole region on Gateway will be the first humans to make their home in deep space. This artist’s computer-generated animation presents an exterior tour of Gateway in stunning detail. Depicted Gateway elements are the: Power and Propulsion Element that will make Gateway the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown. The module will use the Sun’s energy to power the space station’s subsystems and ionize xenon gas to produce the thrust that will maintain Gateway’s unique polar orbit around the Moon. HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), Gateway’s command and control nexus providing communications between Earth and the lunar surface with the Lunar Link system provided by ESA (European Space Agency). HALO will house life support systems, including exercise equipment, and science payload banks. Lunar I-Hab, provided by ESA with hardware contributions from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), will host environmental control and life support systems, sleeping quarters, and a galley, among other features. Lunar View, provided by ESA, will have refueling capabilities for the Power and Propulsion Element, cargo storage, and large windows. Crew and Science Airlock, provided by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates, for crew and hardware transfer from Gateway’s interior to the vacuum of space. Canadarm3 advanced external robotic system provided by CSA (Canadian Space Agency). Deep Space Logistics spacecraft that will transport cargo to Gateway to support Artemis missions. Initial Gateway science payloads that will study solar and cosmic radiation, a little-understood phenomenon that is a chief concern for people and hardware traveling through deep space, including Mars. The payloads visible in this video are ERSA (European Radiation Sensors Array), provided by ESA, attached to the Power and Propulsion Element, and the NASA-led HERMES (Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite) is attached to HALO. A third radiation science payload, IDA (Internal Dosimeter Array), provided by ESA and JAXA, will be inside of HALO. This video also depicts: The Orion spacecraft docked to the Crew and Science Airlock. Orion will transport international teams of astronauts and three modules (Lunar I-Hab, Lunar View and the Crew and Science Airlock) to the Gateway space station. Government-reference Human Landing System (HLS) that will ferry astronauts to and from the lunar South Pole region. SpaceX and Blue Origin are on contract to provide the Starship HLS and Blue Moon HLS, respectively. Gateway is part of the Artemis architecture to return humans to the lunar surface for scientific discovery and chart a path for human exploration further into the solar system, such as to Mars and beyond. Learn More About Gateway Facebook logo @NASAGateway @NASA_Gateway Instagram logo @nasaartemis Share Details Last Updated Jun 25, 2024 EditorBriana R. ZamoraContactBriana R. Zamorabriana.r.zamora@nasa.govLocationJohnson Space Center Related TermsGateway Space StationArtemisGateway ProgramGeneralJohnson Space Center Explore More 2 min read Through Astronaut Eyes, Virtual Reality Propels Gateway Forward NASA astronauts are using virtual reality to explore Gateway. When they slip on their headsets,… Article 3 months ago 6 min read NASA’s Artemis IV: Building First Lunar Space Station Article 3 months ago 4 min read NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne Put Gateway Thruster System to the Test Testing of Gateway’s revolutionary propulsion system, known as the Advanced Electric Propulsion System, begins at… Article 12 months ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Gateway Built with international and commercial partners, Gateway will be humanity’s first space station around the Moon as a vital component… Artemis Moon to Mars Architecture Orion Spacecraft View the full article

Eva Granger firmly believes that anyone can launch a career at NASA. As the events and milestones lead for the Orion Program’s strategic communications team, she dedicates her time to engaging with the public and educating them not only about the Orion spacecraft but also about the various opportunities to contribute to the agency’s mission. “I have met so many people who don’t think aerospace is possible for them, but it’s easy to clear up that assumption. There are artists, nurses, psychologists, administrative assistants, and more working at NASA,” she said. “There are opportunities for everyone to build a life and career here, and telling someone that, and seeing something spark, is always rewarding.” Eva Granger, events and milestones lead for the Orion Program’s strategic communications team. Image courtesy of Eva Granger When Granger started working as a full-time contractor in October 2023 at Johnson Space Center in Houston, she was already familiar with her role. An internship in 2022 gave her experience with the program’s event planning and coordination, as well as an exciting opportunity to support and staff the Artemis I launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “During those few days, I met individuals who flew from all over the world to watch the launch. The commitment and excitement that I felt from the global audience was tangible, and impressed on me the importance and impact of the work we do,” she said. “It’s one thing to know the world is watching, but it’s a whole different experience to meet them and be told they’re rooting for your program.” Eva Granger (far left) stands with fellow Orion Program interns and Orion Program Manager Howard Hu in front of the Artemis III crew module in the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image courtesy of Eva Granger Granger is an active member of Johnson’s Out & Allied Employee Resource Group (ERG) and is currently working to organize the group’s participation in the Houston Pride Parade. “We want to have fun with the parade, but it also gives us an avenue to put together an event that is visible and that anyone at Johnson can attend and be excited about together,” she said. She believes that continually being present and engaged is the best way to support and champion an equitable and inclusive environment. “The ERG has been amazing in giving us a structured opportunity to make a difference,” she said. “If we show up at the JSC Chili Cookoff or at intern events, people know that we’re here. It shows our closeted friends that there is a support network here at Johnson, and it allows the greater Johnson community to learn about our group and engage with us.” Eva Granger (front row, left) with Out & Allied ERG volunteers at the Montrose Center’s Hatch Prom for LGBTQI+ youth. Image courtesy of Eva Granger The ERG also provides valuable professional development resources and networking opportunities. “As a young professional, it is crucial to have mentors, and Out & Allied is full of people who are excited to spend their time building up our members and our community,” Granger said. She encourages colleagues to connect with others outside their usual social and professional circles as a way to support diversity and inclusion. “There are hundreds of people on campus and all of them have something interesting to share if you stop and say hi,” she said. “Little interactions go a long way.” View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Marcia Rieke, a scientist who worked on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope, has received the Gruber Foundation’s 2024 Cosmology Prize. Rieke will receive the award and gold laureate pin at a ceremony August 8, 2024, at the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Cape Town, South Africa. Marcia Rieke is Regents’ Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona and was the principal investigator for the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on the Webb telescope.University of Arizona Rieke was awarded the prize “for her pioneering work on astronomical instrumentation to reveal the breadth and details of the infrared universe. Her contributions to flagship space missions have opened new avenues for understanding the history and mechanisms of star and galaxy formation. She enabled the development and delivery of premier instruments providing groundbreaking sensitivity to near-infrared wavelengths to both the Webb and the Hubble telescopes. Through these substantive contributions along with earlier work, Marcia Rieke has had a lasting impact on our understanding of the universe,” according to the Gruber Foundation’s announcement. The Cosmology Prize honors a leading cosmologist, astronomer, astrophysicist, or scientific philosopher for theoretical, analytical, conceptual, or observational discoveries leading to fundamental advances in our understanding of the universe. Since 2001, the Cosmology Prize has been cosponsored by the International Astronomical Union. Presented annually, the Cosmology Prize acknowledges and encourages further exploration in a field that shapes the way we perceive and comprehend our universe. Rieke is Regents’ Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona and was the principal investigator for the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on the Webb telescope. As principal investigator for the NIRCam, Rieke was responsible for ensuring that the instrument was built and delivered on time and on budget. She worked with the engineers at Lockheed Martin who built NIRCam and helped them decipher and meet the instruments’ requirements. “As principal investigator of the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam instrument, Dr. Rieke’s vision, dedication, and leadership were inspirational to the entire team and a key contribution to the success of the Webb telescope,” said Lee Feinberg, Webb telescope manager and optics lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Rieke’s research interests include infrared observations of the center of the Milky Way and of other galactic nuclei. She has served as the deputy principal investigator on the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer for the Hubble Space Telescope (NICMOS), and the outreach coordinator for NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope. “As a leading scientist on a premiere Hubble Space Telescope science camera, NICMOS, Dr. Rieke’s expertise enabled ground-breaking discoveries on everything from star formation to distant galaxies,” said Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, Hubble Space Telescope senior project scientist at NASA Goddard. “Subsequent cameras on Hubble, and infrared space telescopes like Spitzer and Webb, have built upon Dr. Rieke’s pioneering work.” “Dr. Rieke has also poured herself into wide international scientific leadership, leading countless scientific panels that envision and shape the best instruments for future powerful astronomical discovery,” Wiseman said. “There’s a story beginning to emerge,” Rieke said about the science Webb has returned in the first two years of its mission. “But we still need some more pieces to the story.” For the duration of Webb’s lifetime, many of those pieces will emerge from the instrument that Rieke led. 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 (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). Media Contact Rob Gutro NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 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… Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Infrared Waves What are Infrared Waves? Infrared waves, or infrared light, are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. People encounter Infrared waves every… The Electromagnetic Spectrum Video Series & Companion Book View the full article

NASA/Ben Smegelsky On June 14, 2024, NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) last Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-U, started its journey from the Astrotech Space Operations facility to the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. GOES-U is the final weather-observing and environmental monitoring satellite in NOAA’s GOES-R Series. GOES-U will enhance meteorologists’ ability to provide advanced weather forecasting and warning capabilities. It also will improve detection and monitoring of space weather hazards using a new compact coronagraph instrument. Get updates on the GOES blog. Image Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky 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 3 min read Sols 4222-4224: A Particularly Prickly Power Puzzle This image was taken by Mast Camera (Mastcam) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4219 (2024-06-19 02:22:26 UTC). Earth planning date: Friday, June 21, 2024 All our patient waiting has been rewarded, as we were greeted with the news that our drill attempt of “Mammoth Lakes 2” was successful! You can see the drill hole in the image above, as well as the first place we attempted just to the left. The actual drilling is only the beginning – we want to see what it is we’ve drilled. We’re starting that process this weekend by using our laser spectrometer (LIBS) to check out the drill hole before delivering some of the drilled material to CheMin (the Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction instrument) to do its own investigations. The next step in a drill campaign is usually to continue the analysis with SAM (the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite), which tends to be quite power hungry. As a result, we want to make sure we’re going into the next plan with enough power for that. That meant that even though we’ve got a lot of free time this weekend, with three sols and CheMin taking up only the first overnight, we needed to think carefully about how we used that free time. Sometimes, when the science teams deliver our plans, we’re overly optimistic. At times this optimism is rewarded, and we’re allowed to keep the extra science in the plan. Today we needed to strategize a bit more, and the midday science operations working group meeting (or SOWG, as it’s known) turned into a puzzle session, as we figured out what could move around and what we had to put aside for the time being. An unusual feature of this weekend’s plan was a series of short change-detection observations on “Walker Lake” and “Finch Lake,” targets we’ve looked at in past plans to see wind-driven movement of the Martian sand. These were peppered through the three sols of the plan, to see any changes during the course of a single sol. While these are relatively short observations – only a few minutes – we do have to wake the rover to take them, which eats into our power. Luckily, the science team had considered this, and classified the observations as high, middle, or low priority. This made it easy to take out the ones that were less important, to save a bit of power. Another power-saving strategy is considering carefully where observations go. A weekend plan almost always includes an “AM ENV Science Block” – dedicated time for morning observations of the environment and atmosphere. Usually, this block goes on the final sol of the plan, but we already had to wake up the morning of the first sol for CheMin to finish up its analysis. This meant we could move the morning ENV block to the first sol, and Curiosity got a bit more time to sleep in, at the end of the plan. Making changes like these meant not only that we were able to finish up the plan with enough power for Monday’s activities, but we were still able to fit in plenty of remote science. This included a number of mosaics from both Mastcam and ChemCam on past targets such as “Whitebark Pass” and “Quarry Peak.” We also had two new LIBS targets: “Broken Finger Peak” and “Shout of Relief Pass.” Aside from our morning block, ENV was able to sneak in a few more observations: a dust-devil movie, and a line-of-sight and tau to keep an eye on the changing dust levels in the atmosphere. Written by Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University Share Details Last Updated Jun 21, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 2 min read A Bright New Abrasion Last week, Perseverance arrived at the long-awaited site of Bright Angel, named for being a… Article 1 day ago 6 min read Sols 4219-4221: It’s a Complex Morning… Article 3 days ago 2 min read Perseverance Finds Popcorn on Planet Mars After months of driving, Perseverance has finally arrived at ‘Bright Angel’, discovering oddly textured rock… Article 3 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

NASA/Kevin O’Brien NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in the Block 1B cargo configuration will launch for the first time beginning with Artemis IV. This upgraded and more powerful SLS rocket will enable SLS to send over 38 metric tons (83,700 lbs.) to the Moon, including NASA’s Orion spacecraft and its crew, along with heavy payloads for more ambitious missions to deep space. While every SLS rocket retains the core stage, booster, and RS-25 engine designs, the Block 1B features a more powerful exploration upper stage with four RL10 engines for in-space propulsion and a new universal stage adapter for greater cargo capability and volume. As NASA and its Artemis partners aim to explore the Moon for scientific discovery and in preparation for future missions to Mars, the evolved Block 1B design of the SLS rocket will be key in launching Artemis astronauts, modules or other exploration spacecraft for long-term exploration, and key components of Gateway lunar space station. View the full article