NASA

6 Min Read Science Launches to Space Station on NASA’s 20th Northrop Grumman Mission iss067e156135 (July 28, 2022) — Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is positioned away from the International Space Station in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm prior to its release ending a four-month stay attached to the orbiting lab's Unity module. Credits: NASA Tests of a 3D metal printer, semiconductor manufacturing, and thermal protection systems for reentry to Earth’s atmosphere are among the scientific investigation that NASA and international partners are launching to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply services mission. The company’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida by late January. Read more about some of the research making the journey to the orbiting laboratory: 3D Printing in Space An investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), Metal 3D Printer tests additive manufacturing or 3D printing of small metal parts in microgravity. “This investigation provides us with an initial understanding of how such a printer behaves in space,” said Rob Postema of ESA. “A 3D printer can create many shapes, and we plan to print specimens, first to understand how printing in space may differ from printing on Earth and second to see what types of shapes we can print with this technology. In addition, this activity helps show how crew members can work safely and efficiently with printing metal parts in space.” Results could improve understanding of the functionality, performance, and operations of metal 3D printing in space, as well as the quality, strength, and characteristics of the printed parts. Resupply presents a challenge for future long-duration human missions. Crew members could use 3D printing to create parts for maintenance of equipment on future long-duration spaceflight and on the Moon or Mars, reducing the need to pack spare parts or to predict every tool or object that might be needed, saving time and money at launch. Advances in metal 3D printing technology also could benefit potential applications on Earth, including manufacturing engines for the automotive, aeronautical, and maritime industries and creating shelters after natural disasters. A team led by Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and Space SAS under a contract with ESA developed the investigation. Samples produced by the Metal 3D Printer prior to launch to the space station. ESA Semiconductor Manufacturing in Microgravity Manufacturing of Semiconductors and Thin-Film Integrated Coatings (MSTIC) examines how microgravity affects thin films that have a wide range of uses. “The potential for producing films with superior surface structures and the broad range of applications from energy harvesting to advanced sensor technology are particularly groundbreaking,” said Alex Hayes of Redwire Space, which developed the technology. “This represents a significant leap in space manufacturing and could herald a new era of technological advancements with wide-reaching implications for both space exploration and terrestrial applications.” This technology could enable autonomous manufacturing to replace the many machines and processes currently used to make a wide range of semiconductors, potentially leading to the development of more efficient and higher-performing electrical devices. Manufacturing semiconductor devices in microgravity also may improve their quality and reduce the materials, equipment, and labor required. On future long-duration missions, this technology could provide the capability to produce components and devices in space, reducing the need for resupply missions from Earth. The technology also has applications for devices that harvest energy and provide power on Earth. “While this initial pilot program is designed to compare thin films produced on Earth and in space, the ultimate goal is to expand to producing a diverse range of production areas within the semiconductor field,” Hayes said. The gas supply modules and production module for Redwire’s MSTIC investigation. Redwire Modeling Atmospheric Re-entry Scientists who conduct research on the space station often return their experiments to Earth for additional analysis and study. But the conditions that spacecraft experience during atmospheric reentry, including extreme heat, can have unintended effects on their contents. Thermal protection systems used to shield spacecraft and their contents are based on numerical models that often lack validation from actual flight, which can lead to significant overestimates in the size of system needed and take up valuable space and mass. Kentucky Re-entry Probe Experiment-2 (KREPE-2), part of an effort to improve thermal protection system technology, uses three capsules outfitted with different heat shield materials and a variety of sensors to obtain data on actual reentry conditions. “Building on the success of KREPE-1, we have improved the sensors to gather more measurements and improved the communication system to transmit more data,” said principal investigator Alexandre Martin at the University of Kentucky. “We have the opportunity to test several heat shields provided by NASA that have never been tested before, and another manufactured entirely at the University of Kentucky, also a first.” The capsules can be outfitted for other atmospheric re-entry experiments, supporting improvements in heat shielding for applications on Earth, such as protecting people and structures from wildfires. An artist’s rendering of one of the KREPE-2 capsules during re-entry. A. Martin, P. Rodgers, L. Young, J. Adams, University of Kentucky Remote Robotic Surgery Robotic Surgery Tech Demo tests the performance of a small robot that can be remotely controlled from Earth to perform surgical procedures. Researchers plan to compare procedures in microgravity and on Earth to evaluate the effects of microgravity and time delays between space and ground. The robot uses two “hands” to grasp and cut simulated surgical tissue and provide tension that is used to determine where and how to cut, according to Shane Farritor, chief technology officer at Virtual Incision Corporation, developer of the investigation with the University of Nebraska. Longer space missions increase the likelihood that crew members may need surgical procedures, whether simple stiches or an emergency appendectomy. Results from this investigation could support development of robotic systems to perform these procedures. In addition, the availability of a surgeon in rural areas of the country declined nearly a third between 2001 and 2019. Miniaturization and the ability to remotely control the robot may help to make surgery available anywhere and anytime. NASA has sponsored research on miniature robots for more than 15 years. In 2006, remotely operated robots performed procedures in the underwater NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 9 mission. In 2014, a miniature surgical robot performed simulated surgical tasks on the Zero-G parabolic airplane. The surgical robot during testing on the ground before launch. Virtual Incision Corporation Growing Cartilage Tissue in Space Compartment Cartilage Tissue Construct demonstrates two technologies, Janus Base Nano-Matrix (JBNm) and Janus Base Nanopiece (JBNp). JBNm is an injectable material that provides a scaffold for formation of cartilage in microgravity, which can serve as a model for studying cartilage diseases. JBNp delivers an RNA-based therapy to combat diseases that cause cartilage degeneration. Cartilage has a limited ability to self-repair and osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability in older patients on Earth. Microgravity can trigger cartilage degeneration that mimics the progression of aging-related osteoarthritis but happens more quickly, so research in microgravity could lead to faster development of effective therapies. Results from this investigation could advance cartilage regeneration as a treatment for joint damage and diseases on Earth and contribute to development of ways to maintain cartilage health on future missions to the Moon and Mars. The Janus Base Nano-matrix anchors cartilage cells (red) and facilitates the formation of the cartilage tissue matrix (green). University of Connecticut Melissa Gaskill International Space Station Program Research Office Johnson Space Center Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Latest News from Space Station Research Commercial Resupply Space Station Technology Demonstration Space Station Research and Technology View the full article

Kurt Vogel portrait, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Dr. Kurt “Spuds” Vogel will serve as the new associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Tuesday. His appointment is effective immediately. Vogel succeeds James Reuter, who retired from the agency in June 2023. Dr. Prasun Desai has served as the acting associate administrator since and now will return to his previous role as deputy associate administrator for STMD. “With more than three decades of public service, including his most recent role as NASA’s director of Space Architecture, Spuds brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate,” said Nelson. “I am confident his leadership will help NASA continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with space technologies and advancing American leadership in space.” In this role, Vogel is responsible for executive leadership, overall strategic planning and direction, and effective management for all elements of the Space Technology Programs executed under STMD’s $1.2 billion budget. He plans, directs, coordinates, and evaluates the full range of space technology programs and activities including budget formulation and execution, and represents the program to appropriate officials within and outside the agency. Previously, Vogel was appointed as the director of space architectures within the Office of the Administrator at NASA Headquarters, a role he has served since July 19, 2021. He joined the agency with 34 years of government experience, primarily in the Department of Defense. Prior to his NASA appointment, Vogel served for six years at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), leading innovative research in stealth technology, electronic warfare, air-space integration, and space control systems. He managed a portfolio of classified, state-of-the-art, high-risk programs that spanned multiple DARPA offices. Before joining DARPA, Vogel led research and development efforts at the Air Force Research Lab’s Systems Technology Office where he directed a Defense Department science and technology portfolio. He also served as the acting chief technologist for the National Reconnaissance Office’s Survivability Assurance Office. He retired from active duty in 2010 after serving more than 21 years in the U.S. Air Force in both the air and space domains. Vogel holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a member of the national honor societies for both engineering and aerospace engineering. For more about Vogel’s experience, visit his full biography online at: https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech -end- Faith McKie / Jimi Russell Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 faith.d.mckie@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 16, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSpace Technology Mission DirectorateNASA Directorates View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This composite image of the Manatee Nebula captures the jet emanating from SS 433, a black hole devouring material embedded in the supernova remnant which spawned it. Radio emissions from the remnant are blue-green, whereas X-rays combined from IXPE, XMM-Newton, and Chandra are highlighted in bright blue-purple and pinkish-white against a backdrop of infrared data in red. The black hole emits twin jets of matter traveling in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light, distorting the remnant’s shape. The jets become bright about 100 light years away from the black hole, where particles are accelerated to very high energies by shocks within the jet. The IXPE data shows that the magnetic field, which plays a key role in how particles are accelerated, is aligned parallel to the jet – aiding our understanding of how astrophysical jets accelerate these particles to high energies.X-ray: (IXPE): NASA/MSFC/IXPE; (Chandra): NASA/CXC/SAO; (XMM): ESA/XMM-Newton; IR: NASA/JPL/Caltech/WISE; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/VLA/B. Saxton. (IR/Radio image created with data from M. Goss, et al.); Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk & K.Arcand This composite image of the Manatee Nebula captures the jet emanating from SS 433, a black hole devouring material embedded in the supernova remnant which spawned it. Radio emissions from the remnant are blue-green, whereas X-rays combined from IXPE, XMM-Newton, and Chandra are highlighted in bright blue-purple and pinkish-white against a backdrop of infrared data in red. The black hole emits twin jets of matter traveling in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light, distorting the remnant’s shape. The jets become bright about 100 light years away from the black hole, where particles are accelerated to very high energies by shocks within the jet. The IXPE data shows that the magnetic field, which plays a key role in how particles are accelerated, is aligned parallel to the jet – aiding our understanding of how astrophysical jets accelerate these particles to high energies.X-ray: (IXPE): NASA/MSFC/IXPE; (Chandra): NASA/CXC/SAO; (XMM): ESA/XMM-Newton; IR: NASA/JPL/Caltech/WISE; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/VLA/B. Saxton. (IR/Radio image created with data from M. Goss, et al.); Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk & K.Arcand The powerful gravity fields of black holes can devour whole planets’ worth of matter – often so violently that they expel streams of particles traveling near the speed of light in formations known as jets. Scientists understand that these high-speed jets can accelerate these particles, called cosmic rays, but little is definitively known about that process. Recent findings by researchers using data from NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) spacecraft give scientists new clues as to how particle acceleration happens in this extreme environment. The observations came from a “microquasar,” a system comprised of a black hole siphoning off material from a companion star. The microquasar in question – Stephenson and Sanduleak 433, or SS 433 – sits in the center of the supernova remnant W50 in the constellation Aquila, some 18,000 light-years from Earth. SS 433’s powerful jets, which distort the remnant’s shape and earned it the nickname the “Manatee Nebula,” have been clocked at roughly 26% of the speed of light, or more than 48,000 miles per second. Identified in the late 1970s, SS 433 is the first microquasar ever discovered. IXPE’s three onboard telescopes measure a special property of X-ray light called polarization, which tells scientists about the organization and alignment of electromagnetic waves at X-ray frequencies. X-ray polarization helps researchers understand the physical processes taking place within extreme regions of our universe such as the environment around black holes, and how particles get accelerated in these regions. IXPE spent 18 days in April and May of 2023 studying one such acceleration site in the eastern lobe of SS 433, where emissions are made by energetic electrons spiraling in a magnetic field – a process called synchrotron radiation. “The IXPE data show that the magnetic field near the acceleration region points in the direction the jets are moving,” said astrophysicist Philip Kaaret of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and principal investigator of the IXPE mission, along with lead author of a new paper about the findings at SS 433. “The high level of polarization seen with IXPE shows that the magnetic field is well ordered, with at least half of the field aligned in the same direction,” Kaaret said. That finding was unexpected, he said. Researchers have long theorized that the interaction between the jet and the interstellar medium – the environment of gas and dust between stars — likely creates a shock, leading to disordered magnetic fields. The data suggests a new possibility, Kaaret said – that the magnetic fields within the powerful jets may be “trapped” and stretched when they collide with interstellar matter, directly impacting their alignment in the region of particle acceleration. Since the 1980s, researchers have surmised that SS 433’s jets act as particle accelerators. In 2018, observers at the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory in Puebla, Mexico, verified the jets’ acceleration effect, and scientists used NASA’s NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton observatories to pinpoint the region of acceleration. As researchers continue to assess IXPE findings and study new targets in space, its data also could help determine whether the same mechanism acts to align magnetic fields in outflows expelled by a variety of phenomena – from black hole jets streaming away from supernova remnants to debris ejected from exploded stars such as blazars. “This very delicate measurement was made possible by the imaging capabilities of IXPE’s X-ray polarimeters, making possible the detection of the tenuous signal in a small region of the jet 95 light-years from the central black hole,” said Paolo Soffitta, Italian principal investigator for the IXPE mission. The new paper, detailing IXPE’s observations at SS 433, is available in the latest edition of The Astrophysical Journal. About the Mission IXPE is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency with partners and science collaborators in 12 countries. IXPE is led by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, manages spacecraft operations together with the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. Learn more about IXPE’s ongoing mission here: https://www.nasa.gov/ixpe Elizabeth Landau NASA Headquarters elizabeth.r.landau@nasa.gov 202-358-0845 Jonathan Deal NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov 256-544-0034 Share Details Last Updated Jan 16, 2024 Related TermsIXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer)GeneralMarshall Space Flight Center Explore More 5 min read IXPE Unlocks Mysteries of Historic Tycho Supernova Article 11 months ago 5 min read Historic Nebula Seen Like Never Before With NASA’s IXPE Scientists have used IXPE to create a detailed, nuanced map of the Crab Nebula’s magnetic… Article 9 months ago 4 min read NASA’s IXPE Reveals Shape, Orientation of Hot Matter Around Black Hole Article 1 year ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

As the Space Food Systems manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Xulei Wu works with a team to create tasty, shelf-stable meals for astronauts aboard the International Space Station and, soon, for crews flying to the Moon as part of the Artemis program. What does it take to become a space food scientist at NASA? We met up with Wu to learn more about her journey from creating meals for camping in the deep woods, to making foods for exploring deep space. Preparation Meets Opportunity “I don’t consider myself very smart; I’m very hardworking,” said Wu, who was born and raised in China and is a first-generation immigrant. After rising through the ranks at a major U.S. freeze-dried food company, Wu was content in her job creating shelf-stable foods for people to rely on when the tools and conveniences of a modern kitchen aren’t available. Her work kept her busy – too busy to consider other careers or applications for her unique skillset. It took a flat tire to literally stop her in her tracks long enough to spot a job opening that sparked a new direction for her career. “I got a nail in my tire, so I broke down on the highway,” Wu said. While she was waiting for roadside assistance, she began to scroll through her phone. That’s when, she said, “I found out a freeze-dried food scientist position was opening at the NASA Space Food Systems Laboratory.” Even though Wu enjoyed working in the food industry, she said it was NASA’s larger mission that inspired her to apply. “My favorite part of this job is really to serve a large purpose, that I’m part of the effort to support human space exploration, so that one day we can go back to the Moon,” Wu said. Choosing From a Menu of Sciences “My education and my experience definitely prepared me to land a job in the Space Food System Laboratory, and I consider myself extremely lucky,” Wu said. Growing up, Wu enjoyed science so much that when she had to choose a college major, she had a hard time narrowing her choices between biology, chemistry, and physics. As she considered her options, reports of babies being sickened by infant formula gained national attention in China. Several formula companies were found to have deliberately contaminated their products with a chemical that gave the appearance of higher protein content but resulted in kidney problems for thousands of babies. The scandal piqued her interest in food safety. “That was the trigger,” Wu said. “I realized: I want to study more about food safety. And food science happened to involve multiple different disciplines in that process.” Wu earned a bachelor’s degree in food science and engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, then a master’s degree in food science and technology from Oregon State University. After graduation, she went to work for North America’s largest supplier of freeze-dried foods where she created food products targeted for outdoor recreation, like camping, and also for emergency preparedness. In this role, she worked on similar challenges to those she works on today: how to keep food fresh, tasty, nutritious, and shelf-stable for long periods of time. “All of those are needed perspectives [for] working in the Space Food Systems Laboratory,” Wu said. “For the International Space Station, we’re targeting three years’ shelf life; for a Mars mission, we’re talking five to seven years’ shelf life.” Advice to Future Food Scientists Wu shared some advice to students: focus on what you really care about, work hard, and be ready to take your own giant leap. “It’s important to discover your true interest, your true passion, the subject you love the most, and then connect this to a career making a contribution to society.” But as with Wu’s experience, sometimes you get a nail in your tire on the path to your next big break. It’s what you do in those moments that can define you. “Don’t doubt yourself,” Wu said. “it's okay to have a difficult time. Give it a try. Give it a shot. Because as long as you work hard enough, you will find out what you're truly fit for.” Xulei Wu Space Food Systems Manager Lean more about Xulei Wu and her job at NASA in this episode of Surprisingly STEM. Explore More 1 min read NASA Astronaut, Congresswoman Discuss STEM Careers with Students Article 5 days ago 4 min read Advice from NASA Mentors to Students Starting Their Careers Article 6 days ago 5 min read Ham Radio in Space: Engaging with Students Worldwide for 40 Years Article 2 months ago View the full article

4 min read Winter Stargazing Tips: Stay Warm and Cozy! Some parts of the country feel as if the winter will never end. Massive snows, polar vortexes, artic winds…it’s almost enough to make you forget that a spring thaw will eventually arrive! One thing that is guaranteed to warm an astronomers’ heart in these cold winter nights: the beautiful, sparking skies! Orion, Taurus, the Pleiades, Sirius, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Double Custer in Perseus: these are just a few of the gorgeous sights that are at their peak in the winters of the Northern Hemisphere, not to mention the clockwork actions of the Moon and planets. But how can you observe and stay comfortable outside when the weather seems determined to turn you into a popsicle? 1. Layers are your friend! You may already know this but remember to wear multiple layers of clothes! A super warm coat won’t help that much if all you are wearing underneath is a t-shirt. At the same time, moving around during your setup and observing may heat you up to an uncomfortable degree, so being able to peel off a sweater or overcoat would be very welcome. 2. Warm, wool socks Thick cozy socks are a must, especially as the night wears on. Your feet will thank you, especially if you are wearing good boots! Which brings us too… 3. Waterproof boots You will want warm boots, and if there is snow, make sure your boots are also waterproof. Any water soaking through your shoes to your boots is a sure way to make your toes icy and prematurely end your observing. 4. Clear out your observing area Is there snow on the ground where you usually set up? Bring a shovel and clear it out, even if there is just an inch or two of the white stuff. Your equipment and toes will thank you. 5. Ground padding Kitchen floor mats and yoga mats are great to stand on during winter months. They act as a great, inexpensive buffer between your feet and the cold ground. Why not add one to your winter set up? 6. Blankets Did you bring a blanket? Good. Even if you think you won’t need one…you very well may want one after the first hour or so, especially if you are seated very still. 7. Gloves Pack your gloves! Some astronomers prefer fingerless gloves that allow them to work on their instruments while outside, while others prefer combo mitten-gloves that allow you to flip the ends of the mittens off for fingerless glove access. Remember, you will be handling lots of cold metal as you set up your equipment in the cold so if you don’t want your fingers going numb within minutes, gloves are a must! 8. Heat pads Chemical or battery operated heating pads are your friend. Stick these little beauties into your gloves and boots to stay warm. If you use rechargeable heating pads, just make sure they are charged before you leave the house! 9. A big goofy hat and earmuffs A hat with ear flaps? Big fuzzy earmuffs? You will definitely want these! While they may look a bit silly, you will be toasty inside, with nice warm ears rather than frigid lobes in danger of frostbite. Besides, you will be in the dark: who cares what you look like? 10. A warm thermos A thermos full of your favorites warm liquid-hot chocolate, soup, coffee, tea- is your best friend during these long winter nights. One final thing to remember: however cold you think you are, there is probably someone somewhere else who is in an even colder location…like, say, an amateur astronomer in Antarctica: Karim Agabi bundled up for some observing in Antartica Credit: Guillaume Dargaud With these tips you are sure to have a much warmer and cozier time checking out the beautiful jewels of the winter night. Stay warm, and don’t let the frost bite! Originally posted by Dave Prosper: December 2016 Last Updated by Kat Troche: November 2023 View the full article

Axiom Mission 3 Launches to the International Space Station (Official NASA Broadcast)

Rollout of Our Experimental Supersonic X-Plane on This Week @NASA – January 12, 2024

“I started the Brightest Stars Foundation 16 years ago because I realized there were no little ones in the pipeline who looked like me coming up. Because I had accomplished so much, it was important for me to pay it forward. I’ve mentored scores and scores of young people – early career professionals in high school, in college, and from all over the world – so they could be inspired and empowered by my career and my journey. “It’s about hard work. It’s about determination. It’s about focus. It’s about tenacity. And most importantly, it’s about believing in yourself. Because sometimes others don’t believe in you, so it’s important to get into the zone and say, ‘I am going! I know my path, and I can do this!’ “My mentoring style is about being authentic but also being vulnerable and sharing all the ups and the downs, the trials and the tribulations of my journey and career. This is not an easy field, so as one of the few womenof color in the field, it is important to share in a way that empowers and inspires those that want to follow in my footsteps. “You must have grit, resilience, courage and strength. I’m able to really share all the wisdom and the lessons I’ve learned throughout my career with [the students I mentor], and that makes a difference.” — Dr. Camille Alleyne, Deputy Program Manager, Commercial LEO Development Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center Image Credit: NASA / Kim Shiflett Interviewer: NASA / Thalia Patrinos Check out some of our other Faces of NASA. View the full article

NASA NASA will join an Astrobotic media teleconference at 12 p.m. EST, Thursday, Jan. 18, to discuss updates on their Peregrine Mission One, which is carrying science for the agency as part of its Commercial Lunar Provider Services (CLPS) initiative. The audio-only teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website. Following a successful launch on Jan. 8, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander experienced a propulsion issue after the spacecraft entered its operational state. This is preventing Astrobotic from achieving a soft landing on the Moon. Aboard the Peregrine spacecraft are five NASA science instruments, several of which are receiving power and gathering data. Participants on the call include: Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic, Pittsburgh To participate in the teleconference, media must RSVP online no later than two hours before the start of the call to Astrobotic. Learn more about CLPS at: https://nasa.gov/clps -end- Karen Fox Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov Nilufar Ramji Johnson Space Flight Center, Houston 281-383-5111 nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov Alivia Chapla Astrobotic 412-682-3282 alivia.chapla@astrobotic.com Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA HeadquartersArtemisCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)Johnson Space Center View the full article

NASA NASA has selected 12 companies to provide research, engineering, and mission integration services for the International Space Station Program. The $478 million Research, Engineering & Mission Integration Services-2 or REMIS-2 contract will support the work of the International Space Station Program based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The companies will provide spaceflight, ground hardware and software, sustaining engineering functions and services, payload facility integration, and research mission integration operations services. Each company will receive a multiple-award, indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed price and cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders. The seven-year contract begins Friday and extends through Sept. 30, 2030, with an option to extend through Sept. 30, 2032. The companies selected are: Aegis Aerospace, Inc., Houston Axient Corp, Huntsville, Alabama Cimarron Software Services, Houston Consolidated Safety Services, Exploration Park, Florida JES Tech, Houston KBR Wyle, Fulton, Maryland Leidos, Webster, Texas Metis, Albuquerque, New Mexico Oceaneering, Houston Tec-Masters, Huntsville Teledyne Brown Engineering, Huntsville University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama The majority of the work will take place at contractor facilities across the country. Services also may be required at other NASA centers, contractor or subcontractor locations, or vendor facilities as requirements warrant. The contract also includes a small business reserve, which was fulfilled by selecting Aegis, Cimarron, Consolidated Safety Services, JES Tech, Metis, and Tec-Masters. For more information about NASA and its programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov. – -end- Roxana Bardan Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 roxana.bardan@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsJohnson Space CenterNASA Headquarters View the full article

NASA’s Newly Unveiled X-59 Quiet Supersonic Plane Eyes First Flight (Trailer)

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the apron outside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility at dawn in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to address one of the primary challenges to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.Lockheed Martin Skunk Works NASA and Lockheed Martin formally debuted the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft Friday. Using this one-of-a-kind experimental airplane, NASA aims to gather data that could revolutionize air travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. “This is a major accomplishment made possible only through the hard work and ingenuity from NASA and the entire X-59 team,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “In just a few short years we’ve gone from an ambitious concept to reality. NASA’s X-59 will help change the way we travel, bringing us closer together in much less time.” Melroy and other senior officials revealed the aircraft during a ceremony hosted by prime contractor Lockheed Martin Skunk Works at its Palmdale, California facility. The X-59 is at the center of NASA’s Quesst mission, which focuses on providing data to help regulators reconsider rules that prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land. For 50 years, the U.S. and other nations have prohibited such flights because of the disturbance caused by loud, startling sonic booms on the communities below. The X-59 is expected to fly at 1.4 times the speed of sound, or 925 mph. Its design, shaping and technologies will allow the aircraft to achieve these speeds while generating a quieter sonic thump. “It’s thrilling to consider the level of ambition behind Quesst and its potential benefits,” said Bob Pearce, associate administrator for aeronautics research at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA will share the data and technology we generate from this one-of-a-kind mission with regulators and with industry. By demonstrating the possibility of quiet commercial supersonic travel over land, we seek to open new commercial markets for U.S. companies and benefit travelers around the world.” With rollout complete, the Quesst team will shift to its next steps in preparation for first flight: integrated systems testing, engine runs, and taxi testing for the X-59. The aircraft is set to take off for the first time later this year, followed by its first quiet supersonic flight. The Quesst team will conduct several of the aircraft’s flight tests at Skunk Works before transferring it to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, which will serve as its base of operations. “Across both teams, talented, dedicated, and passionate scientists, engineers, and production artisans have collaborated to develop and produce this aircraft,” said John Clark, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “We’re honored to be a part of this journey to shape the future of supersonic travel over land alongside NASA and our suppliers.” Once NASA completes flight tests, the agency will fly the aircraft over several to-be-selected cities across the U.S., collecting input about the sound the X-59 generates and how people perceive it. NASA will provide that data to the Federal Aviation Administration and international regulators. The X-59 is a unique experimental airplane, not a prototype – its technologies are meant to inform future generations of quiet supersonic aircraft. At 99.7 feet long and 29.5 feet wide, the aircraft’s shape and the technological advancements it houses will make quiet supersonic flight possible. The X-59’s thin, tapered nose accounts for almost a third of its length and will break up the shock waves that would ordinarily result in a supersonic aircraft causing a sonic boom. Due to this configuration, the cockpit is located almost halfway down the length of the aircraft – and does not have a forward-facing window. Instead, the Quesst team developed the eXternal Vision System, a series of high-resolution cameras feeding a 4K monitor in the cockpit. The Quesst team also designed the aircraft with its engine mounted on top and gave it a smooth underside to help keep shockwaves from merging behind the aircraft and causing a sonic boom. For more information about Quesst, visit: www.nasa.gov/Quesst -end- Rob Margetta Headquarters, Washington 202-763-5012 robert.j.margetta@nasa.gov Sasha Ellis Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 757-864-5473 sasha.c.ellis@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateAmes Research CenterArmstrong Flight Research CenterCommercial Supersonic TechnologyGlenn Research CenterIntegrated Aviation Systems ProgramLangley Research CenterLow Boom Flight DemonstratorNASA AircraftQuesst (X-59)Quesst: The VehicleSupersonic Flight View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) January 15th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday designated as the National Day of Service. For the month of January, we will be celebrating OSBP in the Community! Join us as we spotlight how our advocacy extends beyond our commitment to small businesses. Truphelia M. Parker- Program Specialist, NASA Headquarters What organization do you volunteer with? Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Minority Student Academic Achievement Committee (MSAAC) Why did you choose to volunteer with this organization? I am the product of the Columbus Public School System in Ohio and a life-long supporter of public education. I come from a family committed to justice and social change. As a parent of two sons, I serve as their advocate and as the MSAAC Vice Chair and MSAAC Delegate for my son’s schools, I can do the same for more than 80K+ students in Loudoun County. Many parents do not know how to advocate for their children nor that they have the right to. My role is to help provide guidance, resources, and support in a family’s education journey. What does volunteering mean to you? “It takes a village to raise a child” is a proverb that means a community of people must interact positively with children them to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment. That is what volunteering means to me. Making a conscious decision to be a part of “the village” and positively impact change. Naeemah A. Lee- Program Specialist, NASA Headquarters What organization do you volunteer with? Meals on Wheels Why did you choose to volunteer with this organization? My faith and heart is dedicated to serving others that are in need. Volunteering with meals on wheels allows me to bring healthy food to seniors who are living independently without family and that are not mobile. What does volunteering mean to you? Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual freely giving time to help the community. Robert O. Betts- Small Business Specialist, ITPO/Langley Research Center What organization do you volunteer with? York County VA Board of Elections Why did you choose to volunteer this organization? Following the lead of my mother. She volunteered for years serving as a local election official in our hometown. She always felt it was so important as an American to exercise your right to vote. What does volunteering mean to you? Volunteering to work at the election polls has been a very rewarding experience and gives me the opportunity to give back to my community and country. My wife volunteers at the polls too so it gives me an opportunity to serve with her. I also think it has set a good example for our kids on the importance of exercising your right to vote and volunteering. Djaataa Onanuga- Small Business Specialist, Goddard Space Flight Center What organization do you volunteer with? Lake Arbor Foundation Why did you choose to volunteer with this organization? I volunteer with the Lake Arbor Foundation because I am passionate about empowering the next generation. Through mentorship and support programs, I aim to contribute to the personal and educational development of young individuals. Witnessing their growth, resilience and enthusiasm is incredibly rewarding and I believe investing time in the youth today is an investment in a brighter future for our community. What does volunteering mean to you? Volunteering, to me, is a heartfelt commitment to making a positive impact without expecting anything in return. It embodies a sense of responsibility towards the well-being of others and the community. The act of volunteering allows me to contribute my time and skills to causes I care about, fostering a sense of connection, empathy, and fulfillment in the process. i i View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s C-130 cargo aircraft releases a dart-shaped test vehicle above the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground on Jan. 9 to begin the testing sequence for a Boeing Starliner parachute system. Credit: U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground NASA’s C-130 Hercules, managed at Wallops Flight Facility’s Aircraft Office in Virginia, provided aerial delivery support for a successful commercial crew parachute airdrop test Jan. 9 at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. This week’s testing was in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and partner, Boeing, which are developing crew transportation capability to and from the International Space Station. Up for testing was a modified parachute system for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The system, which involved two ringsail parachutes, required a demonstration set in stressed conditions to certify successful deployment. During the demonstration, the Wallops C-130 team deployed a 27,000-pound payload comprised of the Parachute Compartment Drop Test Vehicle and Mid-Altitude Deployment System. The team released the payload from an altitude of 13,000 feet while coordinating and timing their efforts with U.S. Army UH-60s and a NASA AFRC B-200 aircraft used to capture photos and video documentation of the mission. The Wallops C-130 team has supported 16 successful commercial crew parachute airdrop tests since 2018. For more information, visit nasa.gov/wallops. Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 EditorOlivia F. LittletonContactOlivia F. Littletonolivia.f.littleton@nasa.gov Related TermsCommercial CrewCommercial SpaceNASA AircraftWallops Flight Facility Explore More 5 min read Experience the Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Article 7 days ago 4 min read NASA Adjusts Agreements to Benefit Commercial Station Development Article 1 week ago 2 min read NASA Wallops Signs Space Act Agreement to Support STEM Outreach Article 2 weeks ago View the full article

Este mapa de la Tierra en 2023 muestra las anomalías de la temperatura global de la superficie, es decir, cuánto más cálida o más fría estuvo cada región del planeta en comparación con el promedio del período de 1951 a 1980. Las temperaturas normales se muestran en blanco, las superiores a las normales en rojo y naranja, y las inferiores a las normales en azul. Una versión animada de este mapa muestra la evolución de las anomalías de la temperatura global a lo largo del tiempo, desde 1880. Descarga esta visualización del Estudio de Visualización Científica Goddard de la NASA: https://svsdev.gsfc.nasa.gov/5207.Credits: Estudio de Visualización Científica del Centro Goddard de la NASA Read this release in English here. En el año 2023, la temperatura promedio de la superficie de la Tierra fue la más cálida que se haya registrado, según un análisis de la NASA. Las temperaturas globales del año pasado estuvieron alrededor de 1,2 grados Celsius (2,1 grados Fahrenheit) por encima del promedio para el período de referencia de la NASA (de 1951 a 1980), informaron científicos del Instituto Goddard de Investigaciones Espaciales (GISS, por sus siglas en inglés) de la NASA en Nueva York. “El informe de la temperatura global de la NASA y la NOAA confirma lo que miles de millones de personas alrededor del mundo experimentaron el año pasado: estamos frente a una crisis climática”, dijo el administrador de la NASA Bill Nelson. “Desde calor extremo, a incendios forestales, hasta el aumento del nivel del mar, podemos ver que nuestra Tierra está cambiando. Todavía queda trabajo por hacer, pero el presidente Biden y comunidades de todo Estados Unidos están tomando más medidas que nunca para reducir los riesgos climáticos y ayudar a las comunidades a ser más resistentes, y la NASA seguirá utilizando nuestra posición estratégica en el espacio para traer a la Tierra datos climáticos críticos que sean comprensibles y accesibles para todas las personas. La NASA y la Administración Biden-Harris están trabajando para proteger nuestro planeta y a sus habitantes, para esta generación y para la siguiente”. En 2023, cientos de millones de personas en todo el planeta experimentaron calor extremo, y cada mes, de junio a diciembre, estableció un récord mundial para el mes respectivo. Julio fue el mes más caluroso jamás registrado. En general, la Tierra fue alrededor de 1,4 grados Celsius (o unos 2,5 grados Fahrenheit) más calurosa en 2023 que el promedio de finales del siglo XIX, cuando comenzó el mantenimiento de los registros modernos. “El calentamiento excepcional que estamos experimentando no es algo que hayamos visto en la historia de la humanidad”, dijo Gavin Schmidt, director del GISS. “Se debe principalmente a nuestras emisiones de combustibles fósiles, y estamos observando sus impactos en las olas de calor, las lluvias intensas y las inundaciones costeras”. Si bien los científicos tienen pruebas concluyentes de que la tendencia del planeta al calentamiento a largo plazo está impulsada por la actividad humana, siguen examinando otros fenómenos que pueden afectar los cambios anuales o plurianuales del clima, como El Niño, los aerosoles y la contaminación, y las erupciones volcánicas. Normalmente, la mayor fuente de variabilidad interanual es el patrón climático oceánico El Niño-Oscilación del Sur, en el océano Pacífico. El patrón tiene dos fases, El Niño y La Niña, cuando las temperaturas de la superficie del mar a lo largo del ecuador cambian entre temperaturas más cálidas, promedio y más frías. En el período de 2020 a 2022, el océano Pacífico experimentó tres fenómenos consecutivos de La Niña, los cuales tienden a enfriar las temperaturas globales. En mayo de 2023, el océano pasó de La Niña a El Niño, lo que a menudo coincide con los años más calurosos en los registros. Sin embargo, las temperaturas récord en la segunda mitad de 2023 ocurrieron antes del pico del actual fenómeno de El Niño. Los científicos esperan observar los mayores impactos de El Niño en febrero, marzo y abril. Esta visualización de datos, que se actualiza mensualmente, muestra el ciclo estacional de variación de la temperatura en la superficie de la Tierra, y cómo esas temperaturas se desvían de la media entre 1951 y 1980. Los datos proceden del Análisis de la Temperatura Superficial del GISS y son de acceso público aquí. Las desviaciones estacionales de temperatura se basan en los datos del reanálisis MERRA-2 aquí. Credits: Estudio de Visualización Científica del Centro Goddard de la NASA Los científicos también han investigado los posibles impactos de la erupción de enero de 2022 del volcán submarino Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, el cual arrojó vapor de agua y partículas finas, o aerosoles, a la estratosfera. Un estudio reciente descubrió que los aerosoles volcánicos, al reflejar la luz solar lejos de la superficie de la Tierra, provocaron un ligero enfriamiento general de unos 0,1 grados Celsius (menos de 0,2 grados Fahrenheit) en el hemisferio sur después de la erupción. “Incluso con factores de enfriamiento ocasionales, como volcanes o aerosoles, seguiremos batiendo récords mientras las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero sigan aumentando”, afirmó Schmidt. “Y, desafortunadamente, el año pasado nuevamente volvimos a establecer un nuevo récord de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero”. “El año récord de 2023 subraya la importancia de tomar medidas urgentes y continuadas para hacer frente al cambio climático”, declaró Pam Melroy, administradora adjunta de la NASA. “La legislación reciente ha proporcionado la mayor inversión climática del gobierno de EE.UU., incluyendo miles de millones para fortalecer la resiliencia de EE.UU. a los crecientes impactos de la crisis climática. En su calidad de agencia centrada en el estudio de nuestro clima cambiante, la flota de satélites de observación de la Tierra de la NASA seguirá proporcionando datos críticos de nuestro planeta a escala para ayudar a toda la gente a tomar decisiones informadas”. Ciencia abierta en acción La NASA prepara su registro de temperaturas utilizando los datos de la temperatura del aire de la superficie recopilados de decenas de miles de estaciones meteorológicas, así como datos de la temperatura de la superficie del mar adquiridos por instrumentos en barcos y boyas. Estos datos son analizados utilizando métodos que toman en cuenta el variado distanciamiento de las estaciones de temperatura en todo el mundo y los efectos del calor urbano que podrían sesgar los cálculos. Los análisis independientes de la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica (NOAA, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Centro Hadley (parte de la Oficina Meteorológica del Reino Unido) concluyeron que las temperaturas globales de la superficie para 2023 fueron las más altas desde que comenzaron los registros modernos. Estos científicos utilizan gran parte de los mismos datos de temperatura en sus análisis, pero emplean diferentes metodologías. Aunque las clasificaciones pueden diferir ligeramente entre los registros, estos coinciden en términos generales y muestran el mismo calentamiento continuo a largo plazo en las últimas décadas. Aprovechando medio siglo de investigaciones, observaciones, y modelos, la Administración Biden-Harris, incluyendo la NASA y varios socios federales, recientemente lanzaron el Centro de Gases de Efecto Invernadero de EE.UU. para que los responsables de la toma de decisiones y los ciudadanos puedan acceder fácilmente a datos climáticos críticos. Este centro apoya la colaboración entre agencias gubernamentales de EE.UU. y socios del sector privado y organizaciones sin fines de lucro, para poner a disposición en línea datos aéreos, terrestres y espaciales y recursos. El conjunto completo de datos de la NASA sobre las temperaturas de la superficie global hasta 2023, así como los detalles con el código de cómo los científicos de la NASA llevaron a cabo sus análisis, están disponibles públicamente en el GISS. GISS es un laboratorio de la NASA administrado por la División de Ciencias de la Tierra en el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la agencia en Greenbelt, Maryland. Este laboratorio está afiliado al instituto de la Tierra y la Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas de la Universidad de Columbia en Nueva York. Para más información sobre la NASA, visita: https://www.nasa.gov/es María José Viñas / Karen Fox Sede, Washington 240-458-0248 / 202-358-1600 maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov / karen.fox@nasa.gov Peter Jacobs Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la NASA Greenbelt, MD 301-286-0535 peter.jacobs@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsNASA HeadquartersClimate ChangeEarthGoddard Institute for Space StudiesGoddard Space Flight Center View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Credit: NASA/Chris Hartenstine At NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, we pride ourselves on making the seemingly impossible, possible. From creating more fuel-efficient jet engines and exploring advances in air mobility, to enhancing radio frequency and optical communications technology, Glenn plays an important role in many of NASA’s most prestigious missions. Each year, Glenn highlights its research and technology at a variety of events across the county. We invite you to engage with us during our 2024 outreach season to learn more. Visit us at the following events: Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Great Lakes Science Center — Cleveland, Ohio Join us as we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Great Lakes Science Center on Jan. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn about NASA’s Fluids and Combustion Facility on the International Space Station and the microgravity research NASA Glenn supports. Eclipse glasses will be available at this event. Jan. 20 – 21: Monster Jam! — Milwaukee, Wisconsin Come learn about how NASA Glenn is reinventing the wheel during Monster Jam! Glenn’s work with shape memory alloy is redefining how we look at developing tires for lunar and Mars rovers. Eclipse glasses will be available at this event. Feb. 17: Monster Jam! — Cleveland, Ohio Come learn about how NASA Glenn is reinventing the wheel during Monster Jam! Glenn’s work with shape memory alloy is redefining how we look at developing tires for lunar and Mars rovers. Eclipse glasses will be available at this event. March 3: Cleveland Cavaliers’ Score with STEM — Cleveland, Ohio NASA will be present at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Score with STEM event to showcase the Graphics and Visualization Lab, which develops graphics visualizations to provide researchers, engineers, and scientists with visual tools to develop scientific solutions for their work. Experience 3D visualizations and virtual reality firsthand as we aim to inspire the next generation of explorers. Eclipse glasses will be available at this event. April 6-8: Total Eclipse Festival at Great Lakes Science Center — Cleveland, Ohio On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, and Cleveland is in the path of totality. Join us at Great Lakes Science Center during their three-day festival to celebrate this celestial event, participate in hands-on activities, and learn about the testing and research happening right here in Cleveland. Eclipse glasses will be available at this event. May 4: COSI Science Festival — Columbus, Ohio We’re heading to the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) Science Festival. Be sure to find us as we highlight Glenn’s role in supporting NASA’s Artemis missions, our work in power and propulsion, and the support we provide to the International Space Station through microgravity research. May 18-19: Duluth Air and Aviation Expo — Duluth, Minnesota The first “A” in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Join us at the Duluth Air and Aviation Expo to learn about our work to create more fuel-efficient jet engines and make flight safer, faster, and quieter. June 8-9: Selfridge Open House STEAM Expo — Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan The first “A” in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Join us at the Selfridge Open House to learn about our work to create more fuel-efficient jet engines and make flight safer, faster, and quieter. June 22-23: U.S. Air and Trade Show — Vandalia, Ohio The first “A” in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Join us at the U.S. Air and Trade Show (Dayton Air Show) to learn about our work to create more fuel-efficient jet engines and make flight safer, faster, and quieter. June 29 – July 6: National Cherry Festival — Traverse City, Michigan Join us at this summer celebration to hear about NASA’s current missions. From the Artemis program, which will take the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, to our work on creating safer, faster, and quieter aircraft – there is something for everyone to learn. July 22 – 28: AirVenture — Oshkosh, Wisconsin Each year, more than 650,000 flight enthusiasts and professionals – including NASA’s aeronautical innovators – descend upon Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for one of the largest aviation events in the world. NASA will be in attendance again at this year’s event. July 25 – 28: Fiesta Del Sol — Chicago, Illinois We hope to see you at Fiesta Del Sol as we celebrate how diversity enables NASA to reach new heights and explore the unknown. Aug 31 – Sept. 2: Cleveland Air Show — Cleveland, Ohio The first “A” in NASA stands for Aeronautics. Join us at the Cleveland Air Show to learn about our work to create more fuel-efficient jet engines and make flight safer, faster, and quieter. Sept. 27: Ingenuity Cleveland — Cleveland, Ohio Join us at IngenuityFest to learn about the innovative technology Glenn develops to support NASA’s top missions. Meet members of Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization Lab and our researchers working on the Power and Propulsion Element for NASA’s Gateway lunar space station, which will be the first component to launch to the Moon. Explore More 1 min read NASA Astronaut, Congresswoman Discuss STEM Careers with Students Article 24 hours ago 1 min read Early Stage Innovations (ESI) 2023 Article 2 days ago 1 min read Continuous Bending-mode Elastocaloric Composite Refrigeration System for Compact, Lightweight, High-Efficiency Cooling Article 2 days ago View the full article

6 Min Read Accounts Payable Welcome to NSSC Accounts Payable where we process all accounts payable invoices, centrally billed accounts, and government charge card transactions for the Agency. Vendor Payment NASA is committed to expedient and accurate payment of invoices. Any questions or inquiries should be addressed to the Contracting Officer designated on your award or to the NSSC Customer Contact Center. NSSC Customer Contact Center telephone: 1-877-677-2123 (1-877-NSSC123) Fax: 1-866-779-6772 (1-866-779-NSSC) Vouchers and invoices are to be submitted in the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform for awards that include the new voucher or invoice submission clause, 48 CFR § 1852.232-80. **NOTES: In the case of commercial item contracts, electronic invoicing is allowed via the IPP Portal. Invoices for awards in closeout should be submitted via hardcopy/e-mail/fax to one of the addresses at the bottom of the page. For assistance with IPP, please use the contact information below: IPP Help Desk Information: https://www.ipp.gov/ IPP telephone: (866) 973-3131 IPP e-mail: IPPCustomerSupport@fiscal.treasury.gov If your award does not include 48 CFR § 1852.232-80, invoices are to be submitted in one of the following ways until you receive a modification from the NASA Contracting Officer to change your invoice/voucher submission: via e-mail to: NSSC-AccountsPayable@nasa.gov via hardcopy paper to: NSSC – FMD Accounts Payable Building 1111, Jerry Hlass Road Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 via fax number: 1-866-209-5415 Payment Status For payment status questions or problems, vendors and employees should contact the NSSC Customer Contact Center. How to Avoid Delayed Payment from the NSSC We try very hard to ensure all payments arrive in a timely fashion. Occasionally, payments take longer to process than expected. Sometimes, invoices are returned to the vendor because they do not comply with the payment terms of the contract or problems processing the invoice delay payment. To facilitate processing of your invoice and to expedite your payment, we compiled the following list of reasons payments are delayed: The invoice does not contain the following information per the Prompt Payment Act: Vendor name Contract/purchase order number Date Amount Shipping and/or payment terms Invoice number Description of service/good invoiced The invoice was not sent to the correct Designated Billing Office (DBO). Check your contract/purchase order to ensure that the NSSC is the proper Designated Billing Office. Incorrect banking information for payment Partial shipments or billings not stated in terms or conditions of contract Submission of multiple invoices in one e-mail or fax Encryption of email Embedding multiple invoices or instructions and complicated attachments in e-mails Invoice or file is not in a standard print format (Word, Excel or PDF) Submission of documents as Microsoft Document Writer images and some TIFF applications If your invoice form does not contain this information you may want to use the Standard Form (SF) 1034. Check the Status of an Invoice Payment from NASA To check the status of your payment or if you have a payment problem, you can contact the NSSC by: Calling the NSSC Customer Contact Center at: 1-877-677-2123 (1-877-NSSC123) Faxing your inquiry to: 1-866-829-6772 When you contact the NSSC, please have the following information on hand: Vendor Name Contract/Purchase Order Number Date Submitted to Designated Billing Office Invoice Number Invoice Amount Applicable NASA Center Collections for NASA Vendor Over-Payments Vendor overpayments that are due back to NASA can be made via cash, checks, or electronically at the Pay NASA link. Pay.gov Payments Payments may also be made using the Pay.gov payment system. Pay.gov has been developed to meet the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Management Service Division’s commitment to process collections electronically. Pay.gov is a secure, government-wide, internet collection portal. Pay.gov provides the ability to make payments by check, credit card, or debit card 24 hours a day. Pay.gov is web based, allowing customers to make payments from any computer with Internet access. Pay.gov does NOT require a login ID or password to use the service. For check payments in Pay.gov you will need: Company/Contact Information ABA Routing Number Checking Account Number Check Number NASA Center to be paid Bill or Debt ID # For credit or debit card payments, you will need: Company/Contact Information Debit or Credit Card NASA Center to be paid Bill or Debt ID # For more information, please visit the Accounts Receivable page. Payment Cut-Off Dates In order for the NSSC to receive confirmation of vendor disbursements by Treasury, payments are cut off (not processed) three business days prior to the last day of the month. For FY2023 the last day for processing vendor payments to Treasury is September 26, 2023. The next day for payments will begin on October 2, 2023. The established monthly cut-off dates for payments are listed below: Vendor References IRS 1099-MISC Form Instructions Prompt Payment Rule NASA FAR Supplement Small Business Administration Submitting Proper Invoices to NASA Make certain your invoice contains all the information stipulated in the Invoicing clause of your contract to avoid delays and expedite the payment process. Generally, each Invoicing clause requires the following: Name and Address Invoice Date/Number Contract/Purchase Order Number Description of Goods or Services (CLIN, QTY, U/P), Quantity, Unit Price, Total Amount of Invoice Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (if applicable) All vouchers for cost reimbursable contracts have to be submitted through IPP. Before you submit your invoice for payment, please check each contract/purchase order to see where invoices for each contract/purchase order are to be submitted. System for Award Management (SAM) for NASA Vendors System for Award Management (SAM) for NASA Vendors Payments against NASA contracts and other procurement actions are made by the NSSC. In order to better align with Federal-wide vendor databases, NASA uses the System for Award Management (SAM) to validate vendor information across all of the Agency’s Integrated Enterprise Management (IEM) business systems. NASA payments to vendors are processed using the banking information in SAM. To ensure continued accurate and prompt payments, please maintain a current registration, including banking information in SAM. SAM can be accessed at www.sam.gov. If you need assistance registering or have questions about SAM, contact the SAM Help Desk at www.fsd.gov. NASA will use the clause at FAR 52.232-33 in contracts as the default Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) requirement. Please note that any information provided in your registration may be shared with authorized federal government offices. Registration does not guarantee business with the federal government. View the full article

This map of Earth in 2023 shows global surface temperature anomalies, or how much warmer or cooler each region of the planet was compared to the average from 1951 to 1980. Normal temperatures are shown in white, higher-than-normal temperatures in red and orange, and lower-than-normal temperatures in blue. An animated version of this map shows global temperature anomalies changing over time, dating back to 1880. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Earth’s average surface temperature in 2023 was the warmest on record, according to an analysis by NASA. Global temperatures last year were around 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period (1951-1980), scientists from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York reported. “NASA and NOAA’s global temperature report confirms what billions of people around the world experienced last year; we are facing a climate crisis,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “From extreme heat, to wildfires, to rising sea levels, we can see our Earth is changing. There’s still more work to be done, but President Biden and communities across America are taking more action than ever to reduce climate risks and help communities become more resilient – and NASA will continue to use our vantage point of space to bring critical climate data back down to Earth that is understandable and accessible for all people. NASA and the Biden-Harris Administration are working to protect our home planet and its people, for this generation – and the next.” In 2023, hundreds of millions of people around the world experienced extreme heat, and each month from June through December set a global record for the respective month. July was the hottest month ever recorded. Overall, Earth was about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 1.4 degrees Celsius) warmer in 2023 than the late 19th-century average, when modern record-keeping began. “The exceptional warming that we’re experiencing is not something we’ve seen before in human history,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of GISS. “It’s driven primarily by our fossil fuel emissions, and we’re seeing the impacts in heat waves, intense rainfall, and coastal flooding.” Though scientists have conclusive evidence that the planet’s long-term warming trend is driven by human activity, they still examine other phenomena that can affect yearly or multi-year changes in climate such as El Niño, aerosols and pollution, and volcanic eruptions. Typically, the largest source of year-to-year variability is the El Niño – Southern Oscillation ocean climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean. The pattern has two phases – El Niño and La Niña – when sea surface temperatures along the equator switch between warmer, average, and cooler temperatures. From 2020-2022, the Pacific Ocean saw three consecutive La Niña events, which tend to cool global temperatures. In May 2023, the ocean transitioned from La Niña to El Niño, which often coincides with the hottest years on record. However, the record temperatures in the second half of 2023 occurred before the peak of the current El Niño event. Scientists expect to see the biggest impacts of El Niño in February, March, and April. This data visualization, which is updated monthly, shows the seasonal cycle of temperature variation on the Earth’s surface, and how those temperatures deviate from the average from 1951 to 1980. The data come from the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis and are publicly accessible here. The seasonal temperature offsets are based on the MERRA-2 reanalysis data here. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio Scientists have also investigated possible impacts from the January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano, which blasted water vapor and fine particles, or aerosols, into the stratosphere. A recent study found that the volcanic aerosols – by reflecting sunlight away from Earth’s surface – led to an overall slight cooling of less than 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit (or about 0.1 degrees Celsius) in the Southern Hemisphere following the eruption. “Even with occasional cooling factors like volcanoes or aerosols, we will continue to break records as long as greenhouse gas emissions keep going up,” Schmidt said. “And, unfortunately, we just set a new record for greenhouse gas emissions again this past year.” “The record-setting year of 2023 underscores the significance of urgent and continued actions to address climate change,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Recent legislation has delivered the U.S. government’s largest-ever climate investment, including billions to strengthen America’s resilience to the increasing impacts of the climate crisis. As an agency focused on studying our changing climate, NASA’s fleet of Earth observing satellites will continue to provide critical data of our home planet at scale to help all people make informed decisions.” Open Science in Action NASA assembles its temperature record using surface air temperature data collected from tens of thousands of meteorological stations, as well as sea surface temperature data acquired by ship- and buoy-based instruments. This data is analyzed using methods that account for the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and for urban heating effects that could skew the calculations. Independent analyses by NOAA and the Hadley Centre (part of the United Kingdom Met Office) concluded the global surface temperatures for 2023 were the highest since modern record-keeping began. These scientists use much of the same temperature data in their analyses but use different methodologies. Although rankings can differ slightly between the records, they are in broad agreement and show the same ongoing long-term warming in recent decades. Building on a half century of research, observations, and models, the Biden-Harris Administration including NASA and several federal partners recently launched the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center to make critical climate data readily available to decisionmakers and citizens. The center supports collaboration across U.S. government agencies and the non-profit and private sectors to make air-, ground-, and space-borne data and resources available online. NASA’s full dataset of global surface temperatures through 2023, as well as details with code of how NASA scientists conducted the analysis, are publicly available from GISS. GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York. For more information on NASA, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/. -end- Karen Fox / Katherine Rohloff Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.fox@nasa.gov / Katherine.a.rohloff@nasa.gov Peter Jacobs NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md 301-286-0535 peter.jacobs@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsEarthClimate ChangeGoddard Institute for Space Studies View the full article

NASA/Joshua Stevens; USGS The Operational Land Imager-2 on Landsat 9 captured this image of Simsbury, Connecticut on September 15, 2022. Martin Luther King Jr. and other students from Morehouse College worked summers on a tobacco farm, Meadowood, in Simsbury in 1944 and 1947 to earn money for tuition. King’s time in Connecticut impacted his outlook and trajectory as a minister and civil rights activist, according to King scholars. Text Credit: Adam Voiland Image Credit: NASA/Joshua Stevens; USGS View the full article

2 min read NASA Volunteers Shine at American Astronomical Society Meeting The American Astronomical Society (AAS) met in New Orleans this week, attended by thousands of astronomers and reporters, and NASA volunteers were in the spotlight. Prof. Amy Lien from the University of Tampa (center) announces the launch of NASA’s new Burst Chaser at an AAS press conference. Credit: Jacob Hansman (University of Tampa) Austin Rothermich began his journey as a NASA volunteer when he was an undergraduate at the University of Central Florida. He spoke at an AAS press conference about 89 brown dwarfs discovered via the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project. These brown dwarfs—Jupiter-sized balls of gas that never turned into stars—are special because they are ultracool, and because they appear to be orbiting stars and other objects, which makes it possible to learn much more about them. At the same conference, Dr. Jackie Faherty from the American Museum of Natural History announced another breakthrough discovery from NASA’s Backyard Worlds team: a brown dwarf that appears to have aurorae! This remarkable object was discovered by NASA volunteer Dan Caselden. Then, later in the week, Caselden himself was awarded the Chambliss amateur achievement award from the AAS for his work as a NASA volunteer. This is Caselden’s second major prize in the last four months! Zooniverse, a key NASA’s partner, made a big announcement at the meeting. The Zooniverse citizen science platform has now surpassed 2.5 million participants, 750 million classifications, 400 publications, and 20 NASA-funded projects. Dr. Laura Trouille highlighted NASA’s Daily Minor Planet project in her presentation. As if that weren’t enough, this same conference saw the launch of NASA’s new Burst Chaser project. This project aims to unveil the largest explosions in the universe! You can join the fun here. Wow! Big congratulations to everyone involved! Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics Citizen Science View the full article

2 min read Hubble Captures a Monster Merger This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features Arp 122, a peculiar galaxy that in fact comprises two galaxies – NGC 6040, the tilted, warped spiral galaxy and LEDA 59642, the round, face-on spiral – that are in the midst of a collision. ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA Acknowledgement: L. Shatz This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features Arp 122, a peculiar galaxy that in fact comprises two galaxies – NGC 6040, the tilted, warped spiral galaxy and LEDA 59642, the round, face-on spiral – that are in the midst of a collision. This dramatic cosmic encounter is located at the very safe distance of roughly 570 million light-years from Earth. Peeking in at the lower-left corner is the elliptical galaxy NGC 6041, a central member of the galaxy cluster that Arp 122 resides in, but otherwise not participating in this monster merger. Galactic collisions and mergers are monumentally energetic and dramatic events, but they take place on a very slow timescale. For example, the Milky Way is on track to collide with its nearest galactic neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), but these two galaxies have a good four billion years to go before they actually meet. The process of colliding and merging will not be a quick one either: it might take hundreds of millions of years to unfold. These collisions take so long because of the truly massive distances involved. Galaxies are composed of stars and their solar systems, dust, gas, and invisible dark matter. In galactic collisions, therefore, these constituent components may experience enormous changes in the gravitational forces acting on them. In time, this completely changes the structure of the two (or more) colliding galaxies, and sometimes ultimately results in a single, merged galaxy. That may well be what results from the collision pictured in this image. Galaxies that result from mergers are thought to have a regular or elliptical structure, as the merging process disrupts more complex structures (such as those observed in spiral galaxies). It would be fascinating to know what Arp 122 will look like once this collision is complete… but that will not happen for a long, long time. Text credit: European Space Agency Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 12, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Science Mission Directorate 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. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… View the full article

In space since their launch on Nov. 16, 1973, Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue began the new year of 1974 roughly halfway through their planned 84-day mission. By the end of January, the three rookies held the records for the longest single space flight and the most cumulative time spent in space. Mission managers monitored the station’s and the astronauts’ health and weekly concurred with extending the mission to its full duration as the astronauts accomplished a record number of science observations of the Sun, the Earth, Comet Kohoutek, and themselves. Carr and Gibson completed the final Skylab spacewalk to bring inside external science experiments and the last film cassettes for return to Earth. They began preparations for their own return to Earth. Left: Image of the Sun’s corona taken by the Apollo Telescope Mount spectroheliometer instrument. Middle: Skylab 4 astronaut Edward G. Gibson’s sketch of Comet Kohoutek, based on his observations. Right: Gerald P. Carr adjusts the Multispectral Photographic Camera System, part of the Earth Resources Experiment Package. Following the Dec. 30 exchange of information and ideas during the space-to-ground conference regarding the crew’s scheduling, the astronauts felt that the second six weeks of their mission transpired much more smoothly than the first six. They accomplished all their tasks and even more, and no longer felt rushed or like they made mistakes. Taking some time out on their off-duty days, they enjoyed weightlessness in their spacious home. On Jan. 1, 1974, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue celebrated the coming of the new year, the first crew to observe that holiday in space along with Thanksgiving and Christmas. No American astronaut would repeat that for 23 years, until John E. Blaha‘s four-month stay aboard the Mir space station in 1996-7. On Jan. 10, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue enjoyed a day off from their regular science and maintenance tasks, with planners scheduling only one third of their time, freeing them to pursue their own activities. On the ground, mission managers held the 56-day review of the mission and based on the crew’s health, the station’s condition, and the amount of consumables, declared the mission go for 84 days, although strictly speaking, managers and flight surgeons approved the mission’s extension one week at a time. A little levity in weightlessness. Left: Skylab 4 astronaut Gerald P. Carr conducts an “Upper Body Negative Pressure” test on one of his fellow crew members. Middle: Edward G. Gibson performs an in-depth inspection of his spacesuit. Right: Carr demonstrates his strength in weightlessness by “supporting” William R. Pogue on one finger. During January, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue surpassed all previous human spaceflight endurance records. On Jan. 4, they surpassed Charles “Pete” Conrad’s 49-day mark for cumulative time in space – what took Conrad four missions to accumulate, the Skylab 4 trio accomplished in just one. Chief astronaut Donald K. Slayton congratulated them, saying “As far as we’re concerned down here, you’re doing an outstanding job all the way. Just keep up the good work.” On Jan. 14, they surpassed the Skylab 3 crew’s 59-day mark for the longest single spaceflight, and 11 days later passed Alan L. Bean’s record of 69 days for cumulative time that he had accrued over his two missions. NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher and Deputy Administrator George M. Low sent congratulatory messages to the astronauts for breaking the old records and “especially for the outstanding work you have done and are continuing to do in the field of space science, space applications, and in learning about man’s reaction to space.” After receiving the congratulations, Carr told capsule communicator (capcom) Richard H. Truly that records are made to be broken and sooner or later someone would break theirs. Indeed, four years later Soviet cosmonauts Yuri V. Romanenko and Georgi M. Grechko did so, completing a 96-day mission aboard Salyut-6. Left: Gerald P. Carr exercises on the Thornton treadmill. Middle: Edward G. Gibson performs a session on the rotating chair to test his vestibular system’s response to weightlessness. Right: Gibson, left, performs an oral exam on William R. Pogue. Left: Gerald P. Carr, left, monitors Edward G. Gibson during a Lower Body Negative Pressure test of his cardiovascular system. Middle: Gibson, right, prepares to draw a blood sample from Carr for a medical experiment. Right: William R. Pogue works with the Small Mass Measurement Device. As they entered the record-breaking third and final month of their mission, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue continued to adhere to the strict regimen of 1.5 hours of daily exercise using a bicycle ergometer and the Thornton treadmill. They continued the comprehensive biomedical investigations to evaluate the effects of long-duration space flight on the human body. Using the eight instruments mounted in the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), Carr, Gibson, and Pogue continued their observations of the Sun. On Jan. 21, thanks to his dedicated vigilance at the ATM instrument panel, for the first time ever Gibson observed a solar flare from its inception until its expiration. His observations added greatly to astrophysicists’ understanding of solar flares. In a break with the tradition of having only the capcom speak to the astronauts in orbit, the Skylab 4 crew held several space-to-ground conferences with some of the scientists associated with various experiments. Beginning with the televised conference on Dec. 28 with astronomer Luboš Kohoutek, discoverer of the comet that bears his name, they held conferences with several of the ATM investigators, usually on the crew’s off duty days. Left: Gerald P. Carr changes samples in the Materials Processing Facility. Middle: Edward G. Gibson, left, William R. Pogue, and Carr enjoy a meal together. Right: Gibson prepares to take his weekly shower. The astronauts continued to observe Comet Kohoutek through January. Because the ATM instruments could no longer see the comet as it moved away from the Sun, they used binoculars for observations, and Gibson drew detailed sketches of the comet as its tail changed shape. Carr and Pogue completed the tests of the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit, a precursor of the Manned Maneuvering Unit used during the space shuttle program to retrieve satellites, “flying” it inside the large dome of the workshop. On Jan. 23, Pogue celebrated his 44th birthday, only the third person to celebrate a birthday in space. That same day, the three major television networks announced they would not be broadcasting live television of the Skylab 4 splashdown, the first time since live TV coverage began with the Gemini VI splashdown in December 1965. They felt the event not newsworthy enough to cover. On Jan. 31, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue held their second and final televised press conference. Capcom Truly read the questions submitted in advance by reporters and the astronauts gave their responses. Although time ran out to ask questions submitted by sixth grade students as part of a class project, the astronauts took time later to answer them. A selection of Skylab 4 astronaut photography of the Earth. Left: Lakes Erie, left, and Ontario. Middle left: The Rio de Plata separates Argentina, left, and Uruguay. Middle right: The Japanese island of Kyushu. Right: New Zealand. Skylab’s high 50-degree orbital inclination allowed its crews to observe and photograph parts of the Earth not previously seen by astronauts in orbit. They observed pre-selected sites using a suite of six instruments in the Earth Resources Experiment Package and photographed pre-selected sites and targets of opportunity using handheld cameras. A selection of photographs from the final Skylab spacewalk. Left: Edward G. Gibson near the station’s airlock. Middle left: Gerald P. Carr at the Apollo Telescope Mount to retrieve the last film cassettes. Middle right: The second sunshield deployed by the Skylab 3 crew showing evidence of discoloration. Right: The Apollo Command and Service Module. On Feb. 3, Carr and Gibson stepped outside their space station for the fourth and final spacewalk of their mission. The primary tasks for the 5-hour, 19-minute excursion involved the retrieval of the final film cassettes from the ATM as well as scientific instruments and samples from the lab’s exterior. During the three Skylab missions, the crews exposed and returned to Earth nearly 30 film cassettes, providing scientists with more than 150,000 photographs. The next American spacewalk would not occur for another nine years, during the STS-6 mission in April 1983. During their stay aboard Skylab, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue accumulated 22 hours 22 minutes of spacewalking time, an Earth orbital single mission record that stood until 1991. After finishing the spacewalk, they turned their attention to preparing for their return to Earth five days later. For more insight into the Skylab 4 mission, read Carr’s, Gibson’s, and Pogue’s oral histories with the JSC History Office. To be continued … With special thanks to Ed Hengeveld for his expert contributions on Skylab imagery. Explore More 6 min read 10 Years Ago: The First Operational Cygnus Cargo Mission to the Space Station Article 2 days ago 5 min read NASA’s Deep Space Network Turns 60 and Prepares for the Future Article 3 weeks ago 13 min read Celebrating the Holiday Season in Space Article 3 weeks ago View the full article

NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission, seen here in an artist’s concept, is scheduled to launch no earlier than Feb. 6, 2024, to study Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate. NASA/Conceptual Image Laboratory NASA will host a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 17, to discuss the upcoming launch and science objectives of the agency’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission. Once in orbit above Earth, the satellite will shed light on the impact of tiny things – microscopic life in water and microscopic particles in the air. With new global insights, PACE will help answer questions about how our oceans and atmosphere interact in a changing climate. The audio-only teleconference will be livestreamed on the agency’s website. NASA participants will include: NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division, NASA Headquarters Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Mark Voyton, PACE project manager, NASA Goddard Noosha Haghani, PACE deputy mission systems engineer, NASA Goddard Otto Hasekamp, atmospheric scientist, SRON/Netherlands Institute for Space Research Erin Urquhart Jephson, PACE applications lead, NASA Goddard To participate in the teleconference, media must RSVP by 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 17 to Jacob Richmond at jacob.a.richmond@nasa.gov or 301-286-6255. NASA’s PACE is scheduled to launch no earlier than 1:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 6, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Learn more about the agency’s PACE mission at: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pace -end- Karen Fox / Katherine Rohloff Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / katherine.a.rohloff@nasa.gov Jacob Richmond NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-6255 jacob.a.richmond@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsPACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem)Goddard Space Flight CenterMissionsNASA Headquarters View the full article

6 Min Read NASA’s PACE To Investigate Oceans, Atmospheres in Changing Climate Earth is complex – the atmosphere, ocean, land, and each small interwoven facet of those systems is a puzzle piece that connects and fills out the full picture. With a changing climate, the puzzle is becoming more complex – and important – to understand. Credits: NASA / Ryan Fitzgibbons and Emme Watkins Earth’s oceans and atmosphere are changing as the planet warms. Some ocean waters become greener as more microscopic organisms bloom. In the atmosphere, dust storms born on one continent affect the air quality of another, while smoke from massive wildfires can blanket entire regions for days. NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite, called PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem), is launching in February 2024 to help us better understand the complex systems driving these and other global changes that come with a warming climate. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video PACE will help assess ocean health by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton – tiny plant-like organisms and algae that sustain the marine food web. It will also extend records of key atmospheric variables associated with air quality and Earth’s climate. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio “The ocean and atmosphere interact in ways that need ongoing research to fully understand,” said Jeremy Werdell, project scientist for the PACE mission at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.“With PACE, we’ll open our eyes to many new aspects of climate change.” The ocean is changing color Climate change’s impact on the ocean are numerous, from sea level rise to marine heat waves to a loss of biodiversity. With PACE, researchers will be able to study its effect on marine life in its smallest form. Phytoplankton are microscopic, plant-like organisms that float near the water’s surface and form the center of the aquatic food web, providing food to all sorts of animals ranging from shellfish to finfish to whales. There are thousands of species of phytoplankton, each with different niches in the ocean. During the spring and summer in the Barents Sea, north of Norway and Russia, blue and green blooms of phytoplankton are often visible. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on July 15, 2021. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory While a single phytoplankton typically can’t be seen with the naked eye, communities of trillions of phytoplankton, called blooms, can be seen from space. Blooms often take on a greenish tinge due to the chlorophyll molecules that phytoplankton, like land-based plants, use to make energy through photosynthesis. According to Ivona Cetinić, an oceanographer in the Ocean Ecology Lab at NASA Goddard, phytoplankton are responding to changes in their environment. Differences in ocean temperatures, nutrients, or sunlight availability can cause a species to boom or bust. From space, those changes in phytoplankton populations manifest as differences in hue, allowing scientists to study phytoplankton abundance and diversity from afar, and at a global scale. And scientists recently found that the ocean is turning a touch greener. In a study published in 2023, researchers used chlorophyll concentration data collected for more than 20 years by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite to determine not only when and where phytoplankton blooms occurred, but also how healthy and abundant they were. After analyzing ocean color data from the MODIS instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite, scientists found that portions of the ocean had greened up with more chlorophyll-carrying phytoplankton. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument (OCI), a hyperspectral sensor, will take marine science a leap further by allowing researchers to remotely differentiate phytoplankton by type. (Historically, species could only be determined by direct sampling of the water.) Each community has its own color signature that an instrument like OCI can identify. Identification of phytoplankton types is key because different phytoplankton play vastly different roles in aquatic ecosystems. They have beneficial roles, like fueling the food chain or drawing down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis. Some phytoplankton populations sequester carbon as they die and sink to the deep ocean; others release the gas back into the atmosphere as they decay near the surface. But some, like those in harmful algae blooms, can negatively impact humans and aquatic ecosystems. And the presence of harmful algae can also tell us something about the quality of the water sources, such as the presence of too many nutrients from human activities. By identifying these communities in the ocean, scientists can tease out information about how and where phytoplankton are affected by climate change, and how changes in these tiny organisms may affect other creatures and ocean ecosystems. Particles in the air feed phytoplankton at sea Beyond their role as the grass of the sea, phytoplankton also play a role in a complex dance between atmosphere and ocean. And PACE will see both partners in this dance. From space, with a view of the whole planet every two days, PACE will track both microscopic organisms in the ocean and microscopic particles in the atmosphere called aerosols. How these two interact will provide scientists with additional insights into the impact of a changing climate. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This model shows the movement of aerosols over land and water in Aug. 2017. Hurricanes and tropical storms stand out due to the large amounts of sea salt particles caught up in their swirling winds. Dust blowing out of the Sahara can get caught by water droplets and rained out of the atmosphere. Smoke from massive wildfires in the Pacific Northwest of North America are carried across the Atlantic to Europe. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio For example, when aerosol particles from the atmosphere are deposited onto the ocean, they can provide essential nutrients to spark phytoplankton blooms. Winds sometimes carry ash and dust from wildfires and dust storms over the ocean. When these particles fall into the water, they can act as a fertilizer, providing nutrients such as iron that allow phytoplankton populations to grow. As we go forward in a warming climate, with a potential for more forest fires and, therefore, a greater amount of ash deposition, we can assume there are going to be changes in the phytoplankton communities, Ivona Cetinić Oceanographer – Ocean Ecology Lab at NASA Goddard To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This visualization shows an example of a wildfire transitioning from day to night in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio While PACE’s color-detecting instrument will see changes in phytoplankton, the satellite also carries two instruments called polarimeters – SPEXone and HARP2 – that use properties of light (polarization) to observe aerosol particles and clouds. Scientists will be able to measure the size, composition, and abundance of these microscopic particles in our atmosphere. Smoke, pollutants and dust seed the clouds, too New data from PACE characterizing atmospheric particles will enable scientists to examine one of the trickiest components of climate change to model: how clouds and aerosols interact. Clouds form when water condenses on airborne particles such as smoke and ash. One easy to spot example is ship tracks, which occur when water vapor condenses and forms bright, low-lying clouds on pollutants emitted by ships. Ship tracks above the northern Pacific Ocean. NASA image captured July 3, 2010, by the Aqua satellite. Credit: NASA NASA Different types of aerosols also influence the characteristics of clouds, such as their brightness, which is driven by cloud droplet size and number. These traits can lead to different impacts – either warming or cooling – on Earth’s surface. For instance, a bright cloud or plume of aerosol particles hovering low over a much darker ocean reflects more light back into space, causing a localized cooling effect. Other times, both clouds and aerosols have a warming effect called blanketing. Thin plumes high up in the atmosphere absorb heat from Earth’s surface and then radiate it back toward the ground. “From a climate perspective, the relationship between aerosols and clouds is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in our understanding of the climate,” said Kirk Knobelspiesse, polarimetry lead for the PACE mission at NASA Goddard. The satellite’s new insights into aerosol particles will help scientists fill in knowledge gaps and deepen our understanding of that relationship. By Erica McNamee NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 Editor Christina CAMPEN Contact Related Terms Earth Earth Science Earth’s Atmosphere Oceans Explore More 2 min read Going the Extra 500 miles for Alaskan River Ice Article 3 weeks ago 3 min read Mighty MURI brings the heat to test new longwave infrared radiometer NASA’s new Multiband Uncooled Radiometer Instrument (MURI) features a novel bolometer that detects infrared radiation… Article 3 weeks ago 1 min read Artificial Intelligence Plus Your Cell Phone Means Better Maps of Earth! In 2019, the GLOBE Land Cover project began asking volunteers to help map planet Earth by taking… Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A 2019 image of the SHIIVER tank sitting inside the In-Space Propulsion Facility’s vacuum chamber at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The tank was part of a Cryogenic Fluid Management project effort to test the tank at extreme temperatures and ensure the new technologies kept the propellants inside cold and in a liquid state.Credit: NASA Establishing sustained operations at the Moon and Mars presents a multitude of opportunities and challenges NASA has yet to encounter. Many of these activities require new technologies and processes to ensure the agency is prepared for its ambitious Artemis missions and those beyond. One of those challenges is working with cryogenic fluids, meaning fluids existing in a liquid state between minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit and absolute zero (minus 460 F). These fluids – liquid hydrogen (the most difficult to work with), methane, and oxygen – are vital to spacecraft propulsion and life support systems. The fluids may also be produced in the future on the lunar and Martian surfaces via in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Human exploration in deep space requires storing large amounts of cryogenic fluids for weeks, months, or longer, as well as transferring between spacecraft or fuel depots in orbit and on the surface. Each aspect is challenging, and, to date, large amounts of cryogenic fluids have only been stored for hours in space. Engineers working in NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) portfolio – led by Technology Demonstration Missions within the Space Technology Mission Directorate and managed at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama – are solving those issues ahead of future missions. “This is a task neither NASA, nor our partners, have ever done before,” said Lauren Ameen, deputy CFM Portfolio manager. “Our future mission concepts rely on massive amounts of cryogenic fluids, and we have to figure out how to efficiently use them over long durations, which requires a series of new technologies far exceeding today’s capabilities.” Cryogenic Challenges For a cryogenic fluid to be useable, it must remain in a frigid, liquid state. However, the physics of space travel – moving in and out of sunlight and long stays in low gravity – make keeping those fluids in a liquid state and knowing how much is in the tank complicated. The heat sources in space ­– like the Sun and the spacecraft’s exhaust – create a hot environment inside and around storage tanks causing evaporation or “boiloff.” When fluid evaporates, it can no longer efficiently fuel a rocket engine. It also increases the risk of leakage or, even worse, a tank rupture. Being unsure of how much gas is left in the tank isn’t how our explorers want to fly to Mars. Low gravity is challenging because the fuel wants to float around – also known as “slosh” – which makes accurately gauging the amount of liquid and transferring it very difficult. “Previous missions using cryogenic propellants were in space for only a few days due to boiloff or venting losses,” Ameen noted. “Those spacecraft used thrust and other maneuvers to apply force to settle propellant tanks and enable fuel transfers. During Artemis, spacecraft will dwell in low gravity for much longer and need to transfer liquid hydrogen in space for the first time, so we must mitigate boiloff and find innovative ways to transfer and measure cryogenic propellants.” So, What’s NASA Doing? NASA’s CFM portfolio encompasses 24 development activities and investments to reduce boiloff, improve gauging, and advance fluid transfer techniques for in-space propulsion, landers, and ISRU. There are four near-term efforts taking place on the ground, in near-Earth orbit, and soon on the lunar surface. Flight Demos In 2020, NASA awarded four CFM-focused Tipping Point contracts to American industry – Eta Space, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance – to assist in developing and demonstrating CFM technologies in space. Each company is scheduled to launch its respective demonstration in either 2024 or 2025, performing multiple tests using liquid hydrogen to validate technologies and processes. Radio Frequency Mass Gauge To improve gauging, NASA has developed Radio Frequency Mass Gauges (RFMG) to allow for more accurate fluid measurement in low-gravity or low-thrust conditions. Engineers do this by measuring the electromagnetic spectrum, or radio waves, within a spacecraft’s tank throughout the mission, comparing them to fluid simulations to accurately gauge remaining fuel. The RFMG has been proven in ground tests, sub-orbital parabolic flight, and on the International Space Station, and it will soon be tested on the Moon during an upcoming Commercial Lunar Payload Services flight with Intuitive Machines. Once demonstrated in the lunar environment, NASA will continue to develop and scale the technology to enable improved spacecraft and lander operations. Cryocoolers Cryocoolers act like heat exchangers for large propellant tanks to mitigate boiloff when combined with innovative tank insulation systems. With industry partners, like Creare, NASA has begun testing high-capacity cryocooler systems that pump the “working” fluid through a network of tubes installed on the tank to keep it cool. NASA plans to increase tank size and capabilities to meet mission requirements before conducting future flight demonstrations. CryoFill NASA is also developing a liquefaction system to turn gaseous oxygen into liquid oxygen on the surface of the Moon or Mars to refuel landers using propellant produced in situ. This approach uses various methods to cool oxygen down to critical temperature (at least minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit), where it condenses, turning from a gas to a liquid. Initial development and testing have proven NASA can do this efficiently, and the team continues to scale the technology to relevant tank sizes and quantities for future operations. Ultimately, NASA efforts to develop and test CFM systems that are energy-, mass-, and cost-efficient are critical to the success of the agency’s ambitious missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Explore More 3 min read New Study Updates NASA on Space-Based Solar Power Article 5 hours ago 3 min read NASA Funds Laser Communications Tech with Small Business Article 1 day ago 5 min read NASA’s X-59 Rollout Embodies Aeronautical Tradition Article 2 days ago View the full article