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  1. 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
  2. NASA

    Accounts Payable

    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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is pictured docked to the space-facing port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module. NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) is scheduled for 5:11 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 17, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting outpost aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. Watch live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities, as well as docking operations on the NASA+ streaming service. Coverage also will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms, including social media. NASA’s mission responsibility is for integrated operations, which begins during the spacecraft’s approach to the International Space Station, continues during the crew’s stay aboard the orbiting laboratory conducting science, education, and commercial activities, and concludes once Dragon exits the area of the space station. The Ax-3 crew members are Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Walter Villadei of Italy, Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey, and ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden. NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX joint coverage of the Ax-3 launch is as follows (all times Eastern): Tuesday, Jan. 16 8 p.m. – Prelaunch News Conference (targeted for one hour following the Launch Readiness Review) The prelaunch news conference will focus on final preparations for the Ax-3 mission. It will discuss the results of the Launch Readiness Review, which evaluates the mission hardware and its readiness for launch. NASA will provide a live stream of the audio at: https://www.nasa.gov/live Participants include: Dana Weigel, deputy manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program Angela Hart, manager, NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program Derek Hassmann, chief of mission integration and operations, Axiom Space Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force This briefing will be via teleconference. Media must register to participate in the call by 12 p.m., Monday, Jan. 15. For details and to RSVP, please contact: media@axiomspace.com. Wednesday, Jan. 17 3:15 p.m. – Joint Axiom Space and SpaceX broadcast launch webcast begins 4:15 p.m. – NASA joins launch coverage NASA will stream the Ax-3 launch on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. The broadcast will end following orbital insertion, which is approximately 15 minutes after launch. As it is a commercial launch, NASA will not provide a clean feed for this launch, neither on the NASA Media Channel nor on site at NASA Kennedy. Friday, Jan. 19 3:15 a.m. – NASA docking coverage begins and airs through the conclusion of the welcome remarks 5:15 a.m. – Docking 7 a.m. – Hatch Opening 7:35 a.m. – Crew Welcome Remarks For more information about NASA’s low Earth orbit commercialization activities, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/leo-economy/ -end- Joshua Finch / Julian Coltre Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov Rebecca Turkington Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 rebecca.turkington@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsCommercial SpaceCommercial CrewInternational Space Station (ISS)Low-Earth Orbit Economy View the full article
  12. NASA/Brandon Torres NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren talk with students and families at Youth Alliance, a community organization in Hollister, California, on Jan. 5. Mann, who was born in another small California community, spoke about her parents’ work as an auto mechanic and a manicurist and her own path to becoming a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. Later, she said, becoming the first indigenous woman from NASA to go to space helped her connect with people of other indigenous communities. Mann is registered with the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. Lofgren, the ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, highlighted the diverse careers available at NASA, including both technical and non-technical jobs. She reminded the young people present that NASA’s Ames Research Center, located nearby in California’s Silicon Valley, is a resource available to them, and encouraged the students to apply for internships there. Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 Related TermsNicole Aunapu MannAmes Research CenterAstronautsBecoming an AstronautGeneral View the full article
  13. The inaugural CHAPEA crew celebrates Thanksgiving inside the habitat (from left to right: Nathan Jones, Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell). NASA/CHAPEA crew The first crew to take part in a yearlong NASA Mars analog mission reached the 200 day mark of its mission Jan. 11. The four person analog crew, entered the CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on June 25, 2023, and is scheduled to complete its mission on July 6, 2024. Over the past 200 days, the crew grew and harvested its first crops grown inside the 1,700-square-foot habitat, including tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens, participated in a host of simulated “Marswalks” with relevant time delay, tempo, and activities consistent with future Mars mission concepts, and took part in science investigations in biological and physical sciences. NASA will use research gained from CHAPEA to determine how to best support crew health and performance while living on Mars during a long-duration exploration mission. In October, the CHAPEA crew harvested its first set of crops. The crop growth system inside the CHAPEA habitat is similar to systems used for indoor home gardening and provides water, nutrients, and lighting that can support the growth of leafy crops, herbs, and small fruits.NASA/CHAPEA crew A CHAPEA crew member participates in a simulated “Marswalk” inside the 1,200-square-foot sandbox, which is filled with red sand to mimic the Martian landscape.NASA/CHAPEA crew Anca Selariu, CHAPEA mission 1 science officer, spends time exercising inside the habitat’s dedicated exercise room to maintain physical health and performance. Similar to crew timelines aboard the International Space Station, CHAPEA crews have scheduled exercise.NASA/CHAPEA crew The CHAPEA crew celebrates the birthday for Ross Brockwell, left, inside the habitat. NASA/CHAPEA crew NASA is leading a return to the Moon for long-term science and exploration. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. Lessons learned on and around the Moon and activities like CHAPEA on the ground will prepare NASA for the next giant leap: sending astronauts to Mars. Explore More 3 min read NASA Mars Analog Crew to Test Food Systems, Crop Growth Article 6 months ago 1 min read First CHAPEA Crew Begins 378-Day Mission Article 6 months ago 5 min read NASA Selects Participants for One-Year Mars Analog Mission Article 7 months ago View the full article
  14. (Nov. 11, 2023) — NASA astronauts and Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Jasmin Moghbeli, left, and Loral O’Hara, work inside the Destiny laboratory module following the successful docking of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station. NASA Students from Emblem Academy in Santa Clarita, California, will have an opportunity to hear from NASA astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will stream live at 11:35 a.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 16, on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. Follow event online at: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will answer prerecorded questions from students at Emblem Academy, a public transitional kindergarten through sixth-grade school. In preparation for the event, students and their families will participate in a STEM family night including science, technology, engineering, and math design challenges related to the space station. Media interested in covering the event should RSVP no later than 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, to Katie Demsher at: kdemsher@saugususd.org or 661-294-5315. For more than 23 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts living in space aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Near Space Network. Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the International Space Station benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration. As part of Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery. See videos and lesson plans highlighting research aboard the space station at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation -end- Katherine Brown Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1288 katherine.m.brown@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsHumans in SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS)Jasmin MoghbeliJohnson Space CenterLoral O'HaraNASA Headquarters View the full article
  15. 5 min read NASA’s Fermi Detects Surprise Gamma-Ray Feature Beyond Our Galaxy This artist’s concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays with magenta circles illustrating the uncertainty in the direction from which more high-energy gamma rays than average seem to be arriving. In this view, the plane of our galaxy runs across the middle of the map. The circles enclose regions with a 68% (inner) and a 95% chance of containing the origin of these gamma rays. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Astronomers analyzing 13 years of data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have found an unexpected and as yet unexplained feature outside of our galaxy. “It is a completely serendipitous discovery,” said Alexander Kashlinsky, a cosmologist at the University of Maryland and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, who presented the research at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans. “We found a much stronger signal, and in a different part of the sky, than the one we were looking for.” Intriguingly, the gamma-ray signal is found in a similar direction and with a nearly identical magnitude as another unexplained feature, one produced by some of the most energetic cosmic particles ever detected. A paper describing the findings was published Wednesday, Jan. 10, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The team was searching for a gamma-ray feature related to the CMB (cosmic microwave background), the oldest light in the universe. Scientists say the CMB originated when the hot, expanding universe had cooled enough to form the first atoms, an event that released a burst of light that, for the first time, could permeate the cosmos. Stretched by the subsequent expansion of space over the past 13 billion years, this light was first detected in the form of faint microwaves all over the sky in 1965. In the 1970s, astronomers realized that the CMB had a so-called dipole structure, which was later measured at high precision by NASA’s COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) mission. The CMB is about 0.12% hotter, with more microwaves than average, toward the constellation Leo, and colder by the same amount, with fewer microwaves than average, in the opposite direction. In order to study the tiny temperature variations within the CMB, this signal must be removed. Astronomers generally regard the pattern as a result of the motion of our own solar system relative to the CMB at about 230 miles (370 kilometers) per second. This motion will give rise to a dipole signal in the light coming from any astrophysical source, but so far the CMB is the only one that has been precisely measured. By looking for the pattern in other forms of light, astronomers could confirm or challenge the idea that the dipole is due entirely to our solar system’s motion. “Such a measurement is important because a disagreement with the size and direction of the CMB dipole could provide us with a glimpse into physical processes operating in the very early universe, potentially back to when it was less than a trillionth of a second old,” said co-author Fernando Atrio-Barandela, a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Salamanca in Spain. The team reasoned that by adding together many years of data from Fermi’s LAT (Large Area Telescope), which scans the entire sky many times a day, a related dipole emission pattern could be detected in gamma rays. Thanks to the effects of relativity, the gamma-ray dipole should be amplified by as much as five times over the currently detected CMB’s. The scientists combined 13 years of Fermi LAT observations of gamma rays above about 3 billion electron volts (GeV); for comparison, visible light has energies between about 2 and 3 electron volts. They removed all resolved and identified sources and stripped out the central plane of our Milky Way galaxy in order to analyze the extragalactic gamma-ray background. “We found a gamma-ray dipole, but its peak is located in the southern sky, far from the CMB’s, and its magnitude is 10 times greater than what we would expect from our motion,” said co-author Chris Shrader, an astrophysicist at the Catholic University of America in Washington and Goddard. “While it is not what we were looking for, we suspect it may be related to a similar feature reported for the highest-energy cosmic rays.” Cosmic rays are accelerated charged particles – mostly protons and atomic nuclei. The rarest and most energetic particles, called UHECRs (ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays), carry more than a billion times the energy of 3 GeV gamma rays, and their origins remain one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Top: An all-sky map of extragalactic gamma rays in which the central plane of our galaxy, shown in dark blue where data has been removed, runs across the middle. The red dot and circles indicate the approximate direction from which more gamma rays than average seem to be arriving. Bottom: A similar all-sky map showing the distribution of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. Red indicates directions from which greater than average numbers of particles arrive, blue indicates directions with fewer than average. This video superposes the Fermi map onto the cosmic ray map, illustrating the similarity of the dipole directions. Credit: Kashlinsky et al. 2024 and the Pierre Auger Collaboration Since 2017, the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina has reported a dipole in the arrival direction of UHECRs. Being electrically charged, cosmic rays are diverted by the galaxy’s magnetic field by different amounts depending on their energies, but the UHECR dipole peaks in a sky location similar to what Kashlinsky’s team finds in gamma rays. And both have strikingly similar magnitudes – about 7% more gamma rays or particles than average coming from one direction and correspondingly smaller amounts arriving from the opposite direction. The scientists think it’s likely the two phenomena are linked – that as yet unidentified sources are producing both the gamma rays and the ultrahigh-energy particles. To solve this cosmic conundrum, astronomers must either locate these mysterious sources or propose alternative explanations for both features. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership managed by Goddard. Fermi was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, with important contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the United States. Download high-resolution images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio By Francis Reddy NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media contact: Claire Andreoli claire.andreoli@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. (301) 286-1940 Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) Cosmic Microwave Background Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Goddard Space Flight Center Origin & Evolution of the Universe The Universe Explore More 5 min read NASA Scientists Discover a Novel Galactic ‘Fossil’ Article 49 mins ago 4 min read Discovery Alert: Earth-sized Planet Has a ‘Lava Hemisphere’ In a system with two known planets, astronomers spotted something new: a small object transiting… Article 21 hours ago 5 min read Hubble Finds Weird Home of Farthest Fast Radio Burst Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article
  16. 5 min read NASA Scientists Discover a Novel Galactic ‘Fossil’ Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have discovered X-ray activity that sheds light on the evolution of galaxies. The X-rays outline giant clouds of cold gas in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 4945. The gas appears to have blasted through the galaxy after its central supermassive black hole erupted some 5 million years ago. Some 5 million years ago, a black hole eruption in the galaxy NGC 4945 set off a star-formation frenzy and shot a vast cloud of gas into intergalactic space. Watch and learn how two X-ray telescopes revealed the story. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center “There’s ongoing debate in the scientific community about how galaxies evolve,” said Kimberly Weaver, an astrophysicist at Goddard who led the work. “We find supermassive black holes in the centers of nearly all Milky Way-sized galaxies, and an open question is how much influence they have compared to the effects of star formation. Studying nearby galaxies like NGC 4945, which we think we’re seeing in a transition period, helps us build better models of how stars and black holes produce galactic changes.” Weaver presented the results on behalf of her team at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans on Jan. 11. A paper about the finding is now under review by The Astrophysical Journal. The work was made possible thanks to data collected by the ESA (European Space Agency) satellite XMM-Newton (X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission) with help from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Sites of active star formation appear bright pink in this visible light image captured by the European Southern Observatory’s 2.2-meter telescope in Chile. The galaxy’s active core is mostly concealed by a cloud of dust. ESO NGC 4945 is an active galaxy about 13 million light-years away in the southern constellation Centaurus. An active galaxy has an unusually bright and variable center powered by a supermassive black hole that heats a surrounding disk of gas and dust through gravitational and frictional forces. The black hole slowly consumes the material around it, which creates random fluctuations in the disk’s emitted light. As with most active galaxies, NGC 4945’s black hole and disk are shrouded by a dense cloud of dust called a torus, which blocks some of that light. The cores of active galaxies can also drive jets of high-speed particles and generate strong winds containing gas and dust. NGC 4945 is also a starburst galaxy, which means it forms stars at a much higher rate than our own. Scientists estimate it produces the equivalent mass of 18 stars like our Sun every year, or nearly three times the rate of the Milky Way. Almost all the star formation is concentrated in the galaxy’s center. A starburst event lasts between 10 and 100 million years, ending only when the raw material to make new stars is depleted. This animation shifts between two views of spiral galaxy NGC 4945. The first is a visible light image taken by XMM-Newton’s Optical Monitor, tinted blue. Overlain is a contour map of the iron K-alpha line observed by the telescope’s EPIC instrument. The second view shows a filled-in view of the contours where brighter colors indicate greater concentrations of X-rays. Weaver et al. 2024, ESA/XMM-Newton Weaver, NASA’s project scientist for XMM-Newton, and her team looked at NGC 4945 with the satellite. In their data, they saw what scientists call the iron K-alpha line. This feature occurs when very energetic X-ray light from the black hole’s disk meets cold gas elsewhere. (The gas measures around minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 200 Celsius.) The iron line is common in active galaxies, but until these observations, scientists previously thought it occurred on scales much closer to the black hole. “Chandra has mapped iron K-alpha in other galaxies. In this one, it helped us study individual bright X-ray sources in the cloud to help us rule out other potential origins besides the black hole,” said Jenna Cann, a co-author and postdoctoral researcher at Goddard. “But NGC 4945’s line extends so far from its center that we needed XMM-Newton’s wide field of view to see all of it.” Watch how scientists filtered out possible sources of an X-ray signal called the iron K-alpha line in this animation. The first image shows the contours of the iron line observed in galaxy NGC 4945 with XMM-Newton. In the second image, the research team used data from Chandra to filter out sources like binary stars. In the final image, they removed X-rays from the galaxy’s active nucleus. The iron line still highlights a huge amount of cold gas in the galaxy. Weaver et al. 2024, ESA/XMM-Newton Because NGC 4945 is tilted nearly edge-on from our point of view, XMM-Newton was able to map the extent of its iron line both along and above the galaxy’s plane, tracing it out to 32,000 and 16,000 light-years, respectively – an order of magnitude farther than previously observed iron lines. The science team thinks the cold gas highlighted by the line is a relic of a particle jet erupting from the galaxy’s central black hole about 5 million years ago. The jet was likely angled into the galaxy rather than pointing into space, driving a superpowered wind that’s still pushing cold gas through the galaxy. It may even have triggered the current starburst event. Weaver and her colleagues will continue to observe NGC 4945 to see if they can discover other ways the black hole is affecting the galaxy’s evolution. The same X-rays from the disk that are currently highlighting the cold gas may also begin to dissipate it. Since stars would need that gas to form, scientists might be able to measure how activity around a galaxy’s black hole can quench its starburst phase. “There are a number of lines of evidence that indicate black holes play important roles in some galaxies in determining their star formation histories and their destinies,” said co-author Edmund Hodges-Kluck, an astrophysicist at Goddard. “We study a lot of galaxies, like NGC 4945, because while the physics is pretty much the same from black hole to black hole, the impact they have on their galaxies varies widely. XMM-Newton helped us discover a galactic fossil we didn’t know to look for – but it’s likely just the first of many.” ESA’s XMM-Newton observatory was launched in December 1999 from Kourou, French Guiana. NASA funded elements of the XMM-Newton instrument package and provides the NASA Guest Observer Facility at Goddard, which supports use of the observatory by U.S. astronomers. Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio By Jeanette Kazmierczak NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Media Contact: Claire Andreoli claire.andreoli@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. About the Author Jeanette Kazmierczak Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 Related Terms Astrophysics Black Holes Chandra X-Ray Observatory Galaxies Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Goddard Space Flight Center Science & Research Spiral Galaxies Supermassive Black Holes The Universe XMM-Newton (X-ray Multi-Mirror Newton) Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article
  17. These images represent a sample of galaxy clusters that are part of the largest and most complete study to learn what triggers stars to form in the universe’s biggest galaxies. Clusters of galaxies are the largest objects in the universe held together by gravity and contain huge amounts of hot gas seen in X-rays. This research, made using Chandra and other telescopes, showed that the conditions for stellar conception in these exceptionally massive galaxies have not changed over the last ten billion years. In these images, X-rays from Chandra are shown along with optical data from Hubble.X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/M. Calzadilla el al.; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk & J. Major These four images represent a sample of galaxy clusters that are part of the largest and most complete study to learn what triggers stars to form in the universe’s biggest galaxies, as described in our latest press release. This research, made using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, showed that the conditions for stellar conception in these exceptionally massive galaxies have not changed over the last ten billion years. Galaxy clusters are the largest objects in the universe held together by gravity and contain huge amounts of hot gas seen in X-rays. This hot gas weighs several times the total mass of all the stars in all the hundreds of galaxies typically found in galaxy clusters. In the four galaxy cluster images in this graphic, X-rays from hot gas detected by Chandra are in purple and optical data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, mostly showing galaxies in the clusters, are yellow and cyan. In this study, researchers looked at the brightest and most massive class of galaxies in the universe, called brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), in the centers of 95 clusters of galaxies. The galaxy clusters chosen are themselves an extreme sample — the most massive clusters in a large survey using the South Pole Telescope (SPT), with funding support from the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy — and are located between 3.4 and 9.9 billion light-years from Earth. The four galaxy clusters shown here at located at distances of 3.9 billion (SPT-CLJ0106-5943), 5.6 billion (SPT-CLJ0307-6225), 6.4 billion (SPT-CLJ0310-4647) and 7.7 billion (SPT-CLJ0615-5746) light-years from Earth, and the images are 1.7 million, 2 million, 2.4 million and 2.2 million light-years across, respectively. By comparison our galaxy is only about 100,000 light-years across. In SPT-CLJ0307-6225 the BCG is near the bottom right of the image and in the other images they are near the centers. Some of the long, narrow features are caused by gravitational lensing, where mass in the clusters is warping the light from galaxies behind the clusters. The images have been rotated from standard astronomer’s configuration of North up by 20 degrees clockwise (SPT-CLJ0106-5943), 6.2 degrees counterclockwise (SPT-CLJ0307-6225), 29,2 degrees counterclockwise (SPT-CLJ0310-4647) and 24.2 degrees clockwise (SPT-CLJ0615-5746). The team found that the precise trigger for stars to form in the galaxies that they studied is when the amount of disordered motion in the hot gas — a physical concept called “entropy” — falls below a critical threshold. Below this threshold, the hot gas inevitably cools to form new stars. In addition to the X-ray data from Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio data from the SPT already mentioned, this result also used radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array, and the Australian SKA Pathfinder Telescope, infrared data from NASA’s WISE satellite, and several optical telescopes. The optical telescopes used in this study were the Magellan 6.5-m Telescopes, the Gemini South Telescope, the Blanco 4-m Telescope (DECam, MOSAIC-II) and the Swope 1m Telescope. A total of almost 50 days of Chandra observing time was used for this result. Michael Caldazilla of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) presented these results at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, LA. In addition, there is a paper submitted to The Astrophysical Journal led by Caldazilla on this result (preprint here). The other authors on the paper are Michael McDonald (MIT), Bradford Benson (University of Chicago), Lindsay Bleem (Argonne National Laboratory), Judith Croston (The Open University, UK), Megan Donahue (Michigan State University), Alastair Edge (University of Durham, UK), Gordon Garmire (Penn State University), Julie Hvalacek-Larrondo (University of Colorado), Minh Huynh (CSIRO, Australia), Gourav Khullar (University of Pittsburgh), Ralph Kraft (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Brian McNamara (University of Waterloo, Canada), Allison Noble (Arizona State University), Charles Romero (CfA), Florian Ruppin (University of Lyon, France), Taweewat Somboonpanyakul (Stanford University), and Mark Voit (Michigan State). NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. For more Chandra images, multimedia and related materials, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/ Visual Description This release includes composite images of four galaxy clusters, presented in a two-by-two grid. Each image features a hazy, purple cloud representing X-rays from hot gas observed by Chandra. The distant galaxies in and around the clouds of hot gas have been captured in optical data, and are shown in golden yellows with hints of vibrant cyan blue. The galaxy cluster at our upper left is labeled SPT-CLJ0310-4647. Here, the blackness of space is packed with gleaming specks of white, golden yellow, and bright blue light. These are individual galaxies. Some of the galaxies resemble blurred, glowing dots. In other galaxies, the curving arms of a spiral formation are discernible. At the center of the image, a faint purple cloud surrounds several of the cluster’s brightest galaxies. At our upper right is an image of SPT-CLJ0615-5746. This is the most distant cluster of the four so the galaxies it contains appear relatively small. These galaxies are mostly located near the center of the image. The purple cloud of hot gas is roughly spherical, and has a light purple spot at its core. At our lower right is SPT-CLJ0307-6225. Here, X-rays from hot gas are represented by a large, misty, purple cloud that covers much of the image. The brightest spot in the cloud is a light purple dot near our lower right. The most notable galaxy in this image is a pixilated spiral galaxy above and to our left of center. The galaxy cluster at our lower left is labeled SPT-CLJ0106-5943. This cluster features a scattering of cyan blue galaxies, several of which appear stretched or elongated due to gravitational lensing. At the center of the image is a purple gas cloud with a bright white speck at its core. News Media Contact Megan Watzke Chandra X-ray Center Cambridge, Mass. 617-496-7998 Jonathan Deal Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 View the full article
  18. La Estación Espacial Internacional es un centro de investigaciones científicas y demostraciones de tecnología. Actualmente, en su tercera década de operaciones atendidas por seres humanos, este laboratorio orbital aprovecha las investigaciones previas para producir resultados fundamentales mientras lleva a cabo ciencia de vanguardia. Lee los aspectos más destacados de algunos de los innovadores avances científicos de la estación espacial realizados en 2023 que están beneficiando a la humanidad en la Tierra y preparando a los seres humanos para los viajes a la Luna y más allá. Brindando beneficios a las personas en la Tierra El primer menisco de rodilla humana fue bioimpreso en 3D exitosamente en la órbita terrestre utilizando la Instalación de Biomanufactura de la estación espacial. El proyecto BFF-Meniscus 2 evalúa la impresión en 3D de tejido de cartílago de rodilla utilizando tintas y células biológicas. La demostración en el espacio de esta capacidad respalda el uso comercial continuo y extendido de la estación espacial para la fabricación de tejidos y órganos para trasplantes en tierra. Primer menisco de rodilla humana bioimpreso en 3D exitosamente en la órbita terrestre utilizando la Instalación de Biomanufactura.Redwire Por primera vez en el espacio, los científicos produjeron un gas cuántico que contenía dos tipos de átomos utilizando el Laboratorio de Átomos Fríos de la estación. Esta nueva capacidad podría permitir a los investigadores estudiar las propiedades cuánticas de los átomos por separado, así como la química cuántica, la cual se centra en investigar de qué manera interactúan y se combinan los diferentes tipos de átomos en un estado cuántico. Esta investigación podría permitir una gama más amplia de experimentos en el Laboratorio de Átomos Fríos, aprovechando esta instalación para desarrollar nuevas tecnologías cuánticas desde el espacio. Las herramientas cuánticas se utilizan en todo, desde los teléfonos móviles hasta dispositivos médicos, y podrían profundizar nuestra comprensión de las leyes fundamentales de la naturaleza. Los astronautas de la NASA Jasmin Moghbeli y Loral O’Hara posan frente al Laboratorio de Átomos Fríos de la Estación Espacial Internacional.NASA Monitoreo del cambio climático desde el espacio El 14 de septiembre de 2023, la NASA anunció que julio de 2023 fue el mes más caluroso registrado desde 1880. La estación espacial está ayudando a monitorear el cambio climático mediante la recopilación de datos con el empleo de diferentes instrumentos de observación de la Tierra montados en su exterior. El brazo robótico Canadarm2 maniobra el instrumento de Investigación de las Fuentes de Polvo Mineral en la Superficie de la Tierra (EMIT) de la NASA después de sacarlo del compartimiento de carga del cohete Dragon de SpaceX.NASA Desde su lanzamiento en 2022, la Investigación de las Fuentes de Polvo Mineral en la Superficie de la Tierra (EMIT, por sus siglas en inglés) de la NASA ha detectado más que minerales en la superficie. El espectrómetro generador de imágenes ahora está identificando las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero provenientes de fuentes puntuales con una habilidad que sorprende incluso a sus diseñadores. La detección de metano no formaba parte de la misión principal de EMIT, pero ahora, con más de 750 fuentes de emisiones identificadas, este instrumento ha demostrado ser eficaz para detectar tanto fuentes grandes como pequeñas. Este es un factor importante para identificar los “superemisores”: fuentes que producen una parte desproporcionada de las emisiones totales. El seguimiento de las emisiones causadas por la actividad humana podría ofrecer un enfoque rápido y de bajo costo para reducir los gases de efecto invernadero. Índice de estrés evaporativo sobre el valle de San Joaquín en California.NASA Los modelos que utilizan los datos del experimento ECOSTRESS de la NASA hallaron que la fotosíntesis de las plantas comienza a decaer a los 46,7 grados centígrados (C), o 116 grados Fahrenheit (F). ECOSTRESS está ayudando a explorar las repercusiones del cambio climático en las selvas tropicales. Según este estudio, las temperaturas medias han aumentado 0,5 C por década en algunas regiones tropicales, y las temperaturas extremas son cada vez más acentuadas. Se desconoce si las temperaturas de la vegetación tropical pronto podrían acercarse a este umbral, pero este resultado crea conciencia sobre la necesidad de mitigar los efectos del cambio climático en las selvas tropicales, las cuales son un productor primario del oxígeno del mundo. Estudios para el viaje más allá de la órbita terrestre baja La NASA ha logrado una recuperación de agua del 98% a bordo del segmento estadounidense de la estación espacial, lo cual es un hito necesario para las misiones espaciales que se aventuren a destinos lejanos. La NASA utiliza la estación para desarrollar y poner a prueba sistemas de soporte vital que pueden regenerar o reciclar elementos de consumo como alimentos, aire y agua. Idealmente, los sistemas de soporte vital necesitan recuperar cerca del 98% del agua que las tripulaciones llevan al comienzo de un viaje largo. En 2023, el Sistema de Control Ambiental y Soporte Vital de la estación espacial demostró esta capacidad. El Terminal integrado de amplificador y módem de usuario de órbita terrestre baja de LCRD (ILLUMA-T, por sus siglas en inglés) de la NASA, una demostración de comunicaciones láser, completó su primer enlace. Este es un hito crítico para el primer sistema de retransmisión láser bidireccional de la agencia. Las comunicaciones láser envían y reciben información a velocidades más altas, lo que proporciona a las naves espaciales la capacidad de enviar más datos a la Tierra en una sola transmisión. Poner a prueba las comunicaciones láser operativas en diversos escenarios podría perfeccionar esta capacidad para futuras misiones a la Luna y Marte. Hoja de ruta de las comunicaciones láser de la NASA: verificación de la validez de esta tecnología en diversos entornos.NASA / Dave Ryan El astronauta de la NASA Frank Rubio completó una misión científica sin precedentes, tras pasar 371 días en el espacio. Durante su permanencia en órbita, Rubio fue el primer astronauta en participar en un estudio que examina cómo el ejercicio con equipo de entrenamiento limitado afecta al cuerpo humano y es uno de los pocos astronautas que ayudan a los investigadores a realizar pruebas para saber si una dieta mejorada puede facilitar la adaptación a la vida en el espacio. Las contribuciones de Rubio ayudan a los investigadores a comprender cómo los vuelos espaciales afectan la fisiología y la psicología humanas y a la preparación para misiones de larga duración. El astronauta de la NASA Frank Rubio cosecha tomates para el experimento Veg 05.NASA Kibo cosechando hojas de Arabidopsis thaliana, una planta similar al repollo y la mostaza. Alneyadi mira a la cámara con las manos todavía ocupadas en el experimento de botánica espacial Hábitat de Plantas 03. La finalización de una de las primeras investigaciones de varias generaciones de plantas a bordo de la estación espacial podría ayudar a los investigadores a evaluar si las adaptaciones genéticas en una generación de plantas cultivadas en el espacio pueden transferirse a la siguiente. Los resultados del experimento Hábitat de Plantas 03 podrían proporcionar información sobre cómo cultivar generaciones repetidas de plantas para proporcionar alimentos frescos y otros servicios en futuras misiones espaciales. El astronauta de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos (EAU) Sultan Alneyadi cosecha hojas de plantas de Arabidopsis thaliana para el experimento Hábitat de Plantas 03.NASA El Experimento contra Incendios en Naves Espaciales IV (Saffire IV, por sus siglas en inglés) marcó la finalización de una serie de experimentos de combustión que ayudaron a los investigadores a comprender los riesgos y comportamientos del fuego en el espacio. Debido a que los experimentos relacionados con las llamas son difíciles de llevar a cabo a bordo de una nave espacial tripulada, el experimento Saffire IV utiliza el vehículo de reabastecimiento no tripulado Cygnus después de su partida de la estación espacial con el fin de poner a prueba la inflamabilidad a diferentes niveles de oxígeno y demostrar las capacidades de detección y monitoreo de incendios. Una muestra de tela se quema dentro de una nave espacial de carga sin tripulación Cygnus para el experimento Saffire IV.NASA Christine Giraldo Oficina de Investigación del Programa de la Estación Espacial Internacional Centro Espacial Johnson Busca en esta base de datos de experimentos científicos para obtener más información (en inglés) sobre los experimentos mencionados anteriormente. Descubre más temas de la NASA Ciencia en la estación NASA en español Explora el universo y descubre tu planeta natal con nosotros, en tu idioma. Aeronáutica en español Space Station Research and Technology View the full article
  19. NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy speaks with Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, Donald Cravins, Jr., Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. NASA/Aubrey Gemignani NASA and the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Dec. 28, 2023, to help connect minority businesses to NASA acquisition and development opportunities. Outreach efforts will focus on engaging both minority and other underserved businesses. With a term of three years, the MOU enables the continuous efforts of both agencies’ longstanding partnership to foster, promote, and develop the nation’s minority business enterprises in the aerospace industry, and highlights the Biden-Harris Administration’s economic investments in the sector. NASA and MBDA have a history of collaboration; this further solidifies a partnership to work towards mitigating barriers to equity. “At NASA, we explore for the benefit of all humanity, and as we venture deeper into the cosmos, we are dedicated to developing partnerships that bring diverse perspectives and talent to the forefront,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Creating equitable and inclusive opportunities allows everyone to experience the strategic and economic advantages of exploring space.” Under the terms of the agreement, the agencies will work together to highlight subject-matter experts within the federal government and private sector who can support initiatives to help minority business enterprises seeking NASA acquisition opportunities. The Minority Development Business Agency will use its network of business centers and programs to promote these opportunities with NASA. “The Minority Business Development Agency is collaborating with NASA to ensure minority and other underserved businesses have the opportunities to help humanity explore worlds beyond our own,” said Donald Cravins, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development. “Through this collaboration, MBDA will work closely with NASA to identify aerospace industry initiatives, support outreach efforts, and foster federal partnership opportunities for the businesses we serve. As opportunities in the aerospace industry continue to expand to new frontiers, MBDA is committed to helping guide federal investments with equity and intention.” Through this effort, NASA and MBDA aim to boost equitable participation of minority businesses in aerospace technology and scientific discovery by identifying and addressing barriers and policy gaps. Learn more about NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs at: https://www.nasa.gov/osbp/ -end- Amber Jacobson / Roxana Bardan Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov / roxana.bardan@nasa.gov View the full article
  20. 3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 2:14 p.m. EDT on Oct. 20, 2012 NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an M9-class flare on Oct 20, 2012 at 2:14 p.m. EDT. Space-based solar power offers tantalizing possibilities for sustainable energy – in the future, orbital collection systems could harvest energy in space, and beam it wirelessly back to Earth. These systems could serve remote locations across the planet to supplement the terrestrial power transmission infrastructure required today. Countries around the world are investing in space-based solar power research and development, and international organizations are focused on reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050. NASA is considering how best to support space-based solar power development. “Space-Based Solar Power,” a new report from the NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) aims to provide NASA with the information it needs to determine how it can support the development of this field of research. “This analysis compares the lifecycle cost of two conceptual space-based solar power systems versus their potential for net emissions reductions,” said Charity Weeden, who leads NASA OTPS. “By considering scenarios like these, OTPS helps NASA understand the technological, policy, and economic implications that would need to be addressed.” The OTPS report considered the conditions under which space-based solar power would be a competitive option to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other sustainable solutions. The report also considered what role NASA could play in the development of space-based solar power systems. Creating a space-based solar power system would require addressing several significant capability gaps. Researchers would need to find ways to assemble and maintain large systems in orbit, enable those systems to operate autonomously, and develop efficient power-beaming to bring the harvested energy to Earth. These systems may need to operate in geostationary orbit, higher than the low-Earth orbit paths used by many of today’s satellites, which would carry additional challenges. And prior to the point of bringing space-based solar power systems online, launch and manufacturing costs would need to be addressed – moving all that mass into orbit would require many sustained missions to carry infrastructure into space. The OTPS report considered the potential of a space-based solar power system that could begin operating in 2050. Based on that timeline, the report found that space-based solar power would be more expensive than terrestrial sustainable alternatives, although those costs could fall if current capability gaps can be addressed. The report shows that emissions from space-based solar power could be similar to those from terrestrial alternative power sources but it noted that this issue requires more detailed assessments. NASA is already developing technologies for its current mission portfolio that will indirectly benefit space-based solar power, the report found. These include projects focusing on the development of autonomous systems, wireless power beaming, and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. NASA frequently reevaluates how it approaches issues that could affect the agency’s missions. The report noted that further analysis of space-based solar power could be warranted – including evaluations of the technology for potential lunar applications – as the technology progresses and capability gaps are addressed. The report and other OTPS documents advising NASA on technology, policy, and strategy issues are available on the office’s webpage. Space–Based Solar Power (PDF) Share Details Last Updated Jan 11, 2024 EditorBill Keeter Related TermsOffice of Technology, Policy and Strategy (OTPS)Space Technology Mission Directorate View the full article
  21. NASA selected a crew of four for the agency’s next Human Exploration Research Analog mission, a simulated mission to Mars. From left are Abhishek Bhagat, Susan Hilbig, Kamak Ebadi, and Ariana Lutsic. Credit: HERA C7 Crew NASA selected a crew of four volunteers to participate in a simulated journey to Mars inside a habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Abhishek Bhagat, Kamak Ebadi, Susan Hilbig, and Ariana Lutsic will enter the ground-based HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) facility on Friday, Jan. 26, to live and work like astronauts for 45 days during the simulated mission to the Red Planet. Crew members will exit the facility on March 11, after they “return” to Earth. Two additional volunteers are available as backup crew members. Without leaving Earth, HERA allows scientists to study how crew members adapt to the isolation, confinement, and work conditions astronauts will experience during future spaceflight missions. Crew members will conduct science, operational, and maintenance tasks while facing communication delays with the outside world lasting up to five minutes as they “approach” Mars. The new crew will participate in 18 human health studies throughout the simulated mission. The experiments will assess the psychological, physiological, and behavioral responses of crew members millions of miles away from their home planet. Ten studies are new to HERA, including seven led by scientists outside the United States. These international studies are collaborations with the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and ESA (European Space Agency). The upcoming mission marks the first of four simulated missions to Mars that researchers will carry out using HERA in 2024. Each mission will include a different crew of four astronaut-like research volunteers. The final mission is slated to end Dec. 16. Primary Crew Abhishek Bhagat Abhishek Bhagat is a research electrical engineer for the U.S. Army Engineering Research and Development Center’s Cold Region Research and Engineering Lab. Bhagat holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Nagpur University in India, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University in Northridge, and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of North America in Fairfax, Virginia. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. Bhagat began working as a consultant at Samsung Telecom America, which paved the way for subsequent consulting roles with Qualcomm and Sprint. He then served in the U.S. Army. When he transitioned out of active duty, he became an electronics engineer for the Federal Aviation Administration. Bhagat received the Army Commendation Medal and remains an Army reservist. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, climbing mountains, and riding motorcycles. Kamak Ebadi Kamak Ebadi is a robotics technologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. He is a member of the spaceflight operations team responsible for managing NASA’s Perseverance Rover on Mars. Ebadi also supports NASA’s Artemis program and Mars Sample Return mission through work that helped develop orbital maps and navigation algorithms for the guided descent and precision landing of autonomous spacecraft on the Moon and Mars. Born in Tehran, Iran, Ebadi relocated to the United States in 2010, driven by his lifelong aspiration to join NASA. He earned his doctorate in robotics from Santa Clara University in California. He was awarded a doctoral fellowship from JPL in 2017 and helped develop a fleet of autonomous robots to explore uncharted subterranean environments. Ebadi completed postdoctoral research jointly at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and JPL. He developed algorithms that control in-space docking and manipulation of uncooperative space objects, such as defunct satellites and asteroids. In his spare time, Ebadi participates as a board member for a non-profit organization committed to disrupting the cycle of poverty through education. He advocates for STEM education and engages as a space and science communicator across various social media platforms. He enjoys spending quality time with his family, playing the guitar, participating in sports, maintaining a strict fitness routine, and learning to pilot private aircraft. Susan Hilbig Susan Hilbig, from Durham, North Carolina, is a physician assistant with a focus on aerospace medicine and human performance in isolated, confined environments. She completed her academic training at North Carolina’s Duke University, where she double majored in biology and Earth and ocean science prior to earning a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Duke University’s School of Medicine. Hilbig’s passion for exploration led her to pursue research at remote field sites as an undergraduate, taking her across the world for various projects. Most notably, she traveled to the village of Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar, where she collected data on wild populations of the only lemur known to hibernate. Prior to graduate school, Hilbig worked as a clinical research coordinator in neuroscience with a focus on non-invasive brain stimulation. She subsequently worked as a physician assistant in Duke University’s emergency department. Hilbig has experience with simulated extreme environments in hyperbaric chambers at Duke University’s Dive Medicine Center. As an avid cyclist, Hilbig has spent years leading weeklong cycling tours in Europe, with a regional focus on the Balkans and Northern Italy. Hilbig is a triathlete and general outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, swimming, and scuba diving. Ariana Lutsic Ariana Lutsic is a scientist and engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, specializing in research support for biological payloads on the International Space Station. Over the past seven years, she has held various roles at Kennedy, focusing on plants, animals, and hardware design. Prior to her work at Kennedy, Lutsic volunteered with conservation and rehabilitation programs at the Sea Turtle Healing Center at the Brevard Zoo. She also served as a kayak guide for bioluminescent tours in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida. Lutsic obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Maryland Global Campus while living in Japan, and earned a master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing another master’s degree at the Florida Institute of Technology, with emphases on marine biology and astrobiology. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with STEM programs, coaching youth soccer, and going to the beach with her family. Back-Up Crew Gregory Contreras Lieutenant Commander Gregory “GM” Contreras is a planner and budget programming analyst for the U.S. Navy’s Integration and Programming Division. He is a native of Pleasant Hill, Calif. During his 20 years in the Navy, Contreras worked as a surface warfare officer aboard the USS Chafee in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He also served as a space systems engineer and technical representative at the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Reconnaissance Office and as an engineering, technical, and logistics adviser on behalf of the United States for the Royal Saudi Navy. Contreras earned bachelor’s degrees in naval science and in mechanical engineering in 2007 from the University of Idaho in Moscow. In 2013, he completed a master’s degree in astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. His master’s thesis focused on space controls and robotics. He also earned a second master’s degree in engineering administration from Virginia Tech in Fairfax in 2017. Contreras and his wife have three daughters — Lucia, Alexandra, and Claire — and a cat named Mimi. His passions include playing with his daughters, diving, surfing, and taking long breaks in nature with the family recreational vehicle. Carli Domenico Carli Domenico is a neuroscientist from San Antonio, Texas. She received her doctorate at Baylor College of Medicine, where she studied neural circuits in animal models from pigeons to rats for research that specialized in learning and memory. She has presented her work through talks at conferences, universities, and workshops, and has published in several journals. In pursuit of impactful science communication, Domenico serves as director of academic and professional programming for the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network. Domenico has also taught courses and programs in STEM for students in middle school, high school, and college. Domenico received a Bachelor of Science with honors from Texas A&M University, College Station. She interned at Johnson, investigating astronaut cognition and sleep for long-duration spaceflight. Her thesis research included an independent study investigating inflammation and chronic pain in humans. She recently received her certification as a yoga instructor. In her free time, she teaches at her community’s aging center, where she volunteers by leading activities and delivering meals. Domenico lives in Cleveland with her husband, golden retriever, and two cats. She enjoys live music, hiking, yoga, cooking, and soccer. ____ NASA’s Human Research Program, or HRP, pursues the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, and the International Space Station, HRP scrutinizes how spaceflight affects human bodies and behaviors. Such research drives HRP’s quest to innovate ways that keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready as space travel expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Explore More 1 min read Artemis Media Resources Article 6 hours ago 5 min read Experience the Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Article 5 days ago 4 min read NASA Adjusts Agreements to Benefit Commercial Station Development Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Living in Space Artemis Human Research Program Space Station Research and Technology View the full article
  22. Satellite imagery shows a portion of East Antarctica on Jan. 9, 2022, before icebergs calved off the Glenzer and Conger glaciers. NISAR will observe nearly all of the planet’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days, monitoring Earth’s frozen regions, known as the cryosphere.USGS Much of the Glenzer and Conger glaciers had collapsed by March 23, 2022, spawning numerous icebergs, as shown in this satellite image. NISAR will document such changes around the globe, and its geographic coverage of Antarctica will be the most extensive for a radar satellite mission to date.USGS NISAR will study changes to ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice in fine detail, as climate change warms the air and ocean. NISAR, the soon-to-launch radar satellite from NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will measure some key Earth vital signs, from the health of wetlands to ground deformation by volcanoes to the dynamics of land and sea ice. This last capability will help researchers decipher how small-scale processes can cause monumental changes in the ice sheets covering Antarctica and Greenland, as well as on mountain glaciers and sea ice around the world. Short for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, NISAR will provide the most comprehensive picture to date of motion and deformation of frozen surfaces in Earth’s ice- and snow-covered environments, collectively known as the cryosphere. “Our planet has the thermostat set on high, and Earth’s ice is responding by speeding up its motion and melting faster,” said Alex Gardner, a glaciologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We need to better understand the processes at play, and NISAR will provide measurements to do that.” NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation have teamed up to create NISAR, a new satellite mission that will track the changing Earth in fine detail. Learn how NISAR will use radar to deepen our understanding of deforestation, shrinking glaciers, natural hazards, and other global vital signs. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Set to be launched in 2024 by ISRO from southern India, NISAR will observe nearly all the planet’s land and ice surfaces twice every 12 days. The satellite’s unique insights into Earth’s cryosphere will come from the combined use of two radars: an L-band system with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength and an S-band system with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) wavelength. L-band can see through snow, helping scientists better track the motion of ice underneath, while S-band is more sensitive to snow moisture, which indicates melting. Both signals penetrate clouds and darkness, enabling observations during monthslong polar winter nights. ‘Time-Lapse Movie’ of Ice Sheets NISAR’s orientation in orbit will enable it to collect data from Antarctica’s far interior, close to the South Pole – unlike other large imaging radar satellites, which have more extensively covered the Arctic. Antarctica’s ice sheets hold the planet’s largest reservoir of frozen fresh water, and the rate at which it may lose ice represents the greatest uncertainty in sea level rise projections. NISAR’s increased coverage will be crucial for studying the motion of ice flowing down from central Antarctica’s high elevations toward the sea. The measurements will also enable scientists to closely study what happens where ice and ocean meet. For example, when parts of an ice sheet sit on ground that is below sea level, saltwater can seep under the ice and increase melting and instability. Both Antarctica and Greenland also have ice shelves – masses of ice that extend from land and float on the ocean – that are thinning and crumbling as icebergs break off. Ice shelves help keep glacial ice on the land from slipping into the ocean. If they are diminished, glaciers can flow and calve faster. Pictured in this artist’s concept, NISAR will use two radar systems to monitor change in nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces. The satellite marks the first time the U.S. and Indian space agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission.NASA/JPL-Caltech Ice losses on both Antarctica and Greenland have accelerated since the 1990s, and there’s uncertainty about how quickly each will continue to recede. NISAR will improve our horizontal and vertical views of these changes. “NISAR will give us a consistent time-lapse movie of that motion, so we can understand how and why it’s changing and better predict how it will change into the future,” said Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington in Seattle and the NISAR cryosphere lead. Mountain Glaciers, Water Supply, and Flooding The satellite will also track changes in Earth’s mountain glaciers. Their melting has contributed about a third of the sea level rise seen since the 1960s, and climate-driven changes to freezing and thawing patterns can affect the water supplies of downstream populations. In the Himalayas, NISAR’s all-weather capability will help researchers monitor how much water is stored in glacial lakes, which is essential to assessing the risk of catastrophic floods. “The beauty and the difficulty of the Himalayas are the clouds,” said Sushil Kumar Singh, a glaciologist at the ISRO Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, India. “With NISAR we will be able to get a more continuous and complete data set that would not be possible with instruments that use visible light.” Sea Ice Dynamics Near Both Poles NISAR will also capture the movement and extent of sea ice in both hemispheres. Sea ice insulates the ocean from the air, reducing evaporation and heat loss to the atmosphere. It also reflects sunlight, keeping the planet cool through the albedo effect. Arctic sea ice has been diminishing for decades as rising water and air temperatures have increased melting. With more of its surface exposed to sunlight, the Arctic Ocean gains and holds more heat in summer and takes longer to cool. This means less ice formation in winter and faster melting the next summer, said Ben Holt, a JPL sea-ice scientist. With greater coverage of the Southern Ocean than any radar mission to date, NISAR will open new insights around Antarctica, where sea ice had mostly been more stable until the past few years. It reached a record low in 2023. More About the Mission NISAR is an equal collaboration between NASA and ISRO and marks the first time the two agencies have cooperated on hardware development for an Earth-observing mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) in Bengaluru, which leads the ISRO component of the mission, is providing the spacecraft bus, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations. ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad is providing the S-band SAR electronics. To learn more about NISAR, visit: https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov/ See NISAR in 3D with NASA's Eyes on Earth How NISAR will monitor change in forest and wetland ecosystems NISAR put to the test in preparation for launch News Media Contacts Andrew Wang / Jane J. Lee Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307 andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-001 View the full article
  23. 6 Min Read NASA’s Webb Discovers Dusty ‘Cat’s Tail’ in Beta Pictoris System This image from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows the star system Beta Pictoris. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Stark and K. Lawson (NASA GSFC), J. Kammerer (ESO), and M. Perrin (STScI). Beta Pictoris, a young planetary system located just 63 light-years away, continues to intrigue scientists even after decades of in-depth study. It possesses the first dust disk imaged around another star — a disk of debris produced by collisions between asteroids, comets, and planetesimals. Observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope revealed a second debris disk in this system, inclined with respect to the outer disk, which was seen first. Now, a team of astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to image the Beta Pictoris system (Beta Pic) has discovered a new, previously unseen structure. The team, led by Isabel Rebollido of the Astrobiology Center in Spain, used Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) to investigate the composition of Beta Pic’s previously detected main and secondary debris disks. The results exceeded their expectations, revealing a sharply inclined branch of dust, shaped like a cat’s tail, that extends from the southwest portion of the secondary debris disk. Image: Star System Beta Pictoris This image from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows the star system Beta Pictoris. An edge-on disk of dusty debris generated by collisions between planetesimals (orange) dominates the view. A hotter, secondary disk (cyan) is inclined by about 5 degrees relative to the primary disk. The curved feature at upper right, which the science team nicknamed the “cat’s tail,” has never been seen before. A coronagraph (black circle and two small disks) has been used to block the light of the central star, whose location is marked with a white star shape. In this image light at 15.5 microns is colored cyan and 23 microns is orange (filters F1550C and F2300C, respectively).NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Stark and K. Lawson (NASA GSFC), J. Kammerer (ESO), and M. Perrin (STScI). “Beta Pictoris is the debris disk that has it all: It has a really bright, close star that we can study very well, and a complex cirumstellar environment with a multi-component disk, exocomets, and two imaged exoplanets,” said Rebollido, lead author of the study. “While there have been previous observations from the ground in this wavelength range, they did not have the sensitivity and the spatial resolution that we now have with Webb, so they didn’t detect this feature.” A Star’s Portrait Improved with Webb Even with Webb or JWST, peering at Beta Pic in the right wavelength range — in this case, the mid-infrared — was crucial to detect the cat’s tail, as it only appeared in the MIRI data. Webb’s mid-infrared data also revealed differences in temperature between Beta Pic’s two disks, which likely is due to differences in composition. “We didn’t expect Webb to reveal that there are two different types of material around Beta Pic, but MIRI clearly showed us that the material of the secondary disk and cat’s tail is hotter than the main disk,” said Christopher Stark, a co-author of the study at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The dust that forms that disk and tail must be very dark, so we don’t easily see it at visible wavelengths — but in the mid-infrared, it’s glowing.” To explain the hotter temperature, the team deduced that the dust may be highly porous “organic refractory material,” similar to the matter found on the surfaces of comets and asteroids in our solar system. For example, a preliminary analysis of material sampled from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission found it to be very dark and carbon-rich, much like what MIRI detected at Beta Pic. Image: Annotated Image This image from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows the star system Beta Pictoris. An edge-on disk of dusty debris generated by collisions between planetesimals (orange) dominates the view and is labeled “main disk plane.” While a secondary disk (cyan), inclined 5 degrees relative to the main disk, was already known, Webb showed its true extent at lower left. Webb also detected a never-before-seen feature labeled the cat’s tail. A coronagraph (black circle and two small disks) has been used to block the light of the central star. A scale bar shows that the disks of Beta Pic extend for hundreds of astronomical units (AU), where one AU is the average Earth-Sun distance. (In our solar system, Neptune orbits 30 AU from the sun.) In this image light at 15.5 microns is colored cyan and 23 microns is orange (filters F1550C and F2300C, respectively). NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, C. Stark and K. Lawson (NASA GSFC), J. Kammerer (ESO), and M. Perrin (STScI). The Tail’s Puzzling Beginning Warrants Future Research However, a major lingering question remains: What could explain the shape of the cat’s tail, a uniquely curved feature unlike what is seen in disks around other stars? Rebollido and the team modeled various scenarios in an attempt to emulate the cat’s tail and unravel its origins. Though further research and testing is required, the team presents a strong hypothesis that the cat’s tail is the result of a dust production event that occurred a mere one hundred years ago. “Something happens — like a collision — and a lot of dust is produced,” shared Marshall Perrin, a co-author of the study at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. “At first, the dust goes in the same orbital direction as its source, but then it also starts to spread out. The light from the star pushes the smallest, fluffiest dust particles away from the star faster, while the bigger grains do not move as much, creating a long tendril of dust.” “The cat’s tail feature is highly unusual, and reproducing the curvature with a dynamical model was difficult,” explained Stark. “Our model requires dust that can be pushed out of the system extremely rapidly, which again suggests it’s made of organic refractory material.” Animation: Cat’s Tail Creation To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is an animation portraying the creation of the cat’s tail, as hypothesized by a team of astronomers. The cat’s tail may be the result of a dust production event — like a collision — that occurred a mere one hundred years ago. This tendril of dust, which is seen in the southwest portion of Beta Pic’s secondary debris disk, is estimated to span 10 billion miles. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, R. Crawford (STScI), C. Stark (NASA-GSFC), M. Perrin (STScI), and I. Rebollido (Astrobiology Center). The team’s preferred model explains the sharp angle of the tail away from the disk as a simple optical illusion. Our perspective combined with the curved shape of the tail creates the observed angle of the tail, while in fact, the arc of material is only departing from the disk at a five-degree incline. Taking into consideration the tail’s brightness, the team estimates the amount of dust within the cat’s tail to be equivalent to a large main belt asteroid spread out across 10 billion miles. A recent dust production event within Beta Pic’s debris disks could also explain a newly-seen asymmetric extension of the inclined inner disk, as shown in the MIRI data and seen only on the side opposite of the tail. Recent collisional dust production could also account for a feature previously spotted by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in 2014: a clump of carbon monoxide (CO) located near the cat’s tail. Since the star’s radiation should break down CO within roughly one hundred years, this still-present concentration of gas could be lingering evidence of the same event. “Our research suggests that Beta Pic may be even more active and chaotic than we had previously thought,” said Stark. “JWST continues to surprise us, even when looking at the most well-studied objects. We have a completely new window into these planetary systems.” These results were presented in a press conference at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, Louisiana. The observations were taken as part of Guaranteed Time Observation program 1411. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency Downloads Download full resolution images for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Right click the images in this article to open a larger version in a new tab/window. Media Contacts Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro– rob.gutro@nasa.gov NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, , Greenbelt, Md. Abigail Major amajor@stsci.edu, Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Related Information About protoplanetary disks LIfe and Death of a Planetary System More Webb News – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/ More Webb Images – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/ Webb Mission Page – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/ Related For Kids How did our Solar System Form? What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… Stars Overview Stars are giant balls of hot gas – mostly hydrogen, with some helium and small amounts of other elements.… Planets Our solar system has eight planets, and five dwarf planets – all located in an outer spiral arm of the… Our Solar System Overview Our planetary system is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. We call it the… Share Details Last Updated Jan 10, 2024 Related TermsJames Webb Space Telescope (JWST)Goddard Space Flight CenterMissionsPlanetary NebulaeScience & ResearchThe Universe View the full article
  24. 4 min read Discovery Alert: Earth-sized Planet Has a ‘Lava Hemisphere’ Like Kepler-10 b, illustrated above, the exoplanet HD 63433 d is a small, rocky planet in a tight orbit of its star. HD 63433 d is the smallest confirmed exoplanet younger than 500 million years old. It’s also the closest discovered Earth-sized planet this young, at about 400 million years old.NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle The discovery: In a system with two known planets, astronomers spotted something new: a small object transiting across the Sun-sized star. This turned out to be another planet: extra hot and Earth-sized. Key Facts: The newly-spotted planet, called HD 63433 d, is tidally locked, meaning there is a dayside which always faces its star and a side that is constantly in darkness. This exoplanet, or planet outside of our solar system, orbits around the star HD 63433 (TOI 1726) in the HD 63433 planetary system. This scorching world is the smallest confirmed exoplanet younger than 500 million years old. It’s also the closest discovered Earth-sized planet this young, at about 400 million years old. The Planet That Shouldn’t Be There 15 Years of Exoplanet Images Details: A team of astronomers analyzed this system using data from NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), which spots “transits,” or instances where planets cross in front of their star as they orbit, blocking a tiny piece of the starlight. Two planets had already been previously discovered in this planetary system, so to see what else might be lurking in the star’s orbit, the team took the data and removed the signals of the two known planets. This allowed them to see an additional signal – a small transit that would reappear every 4.2 days. Upon further investigation, they were able to validate that this was actually a third, smaller planet. The tidally locked planet is very close to Earth size (it is approximately 1.1 times the diameter of our own planet) and it’s orbiting a star that’s similar to the size of our Sun (the star is about 0.91 the size and 0.99 the mass of the Sun). The star in this system is a G-type star, the same type as our Sun. But HD 63433 d orbits much closer to its star than we do, with a minuscule 4.2 day long “year” and extremely high temperatures on its dayside. Fun Facts: While this newly found planet and its star are just about the size of our own planet and Sun, HD 63433 d is quite different from our home world. Firstly, it is a very young planet in a very young system. The planetary system itself is about 10 times younger than ours and this 400-million-year-old planet is in its infancy compared to our 4.5-billion-year-old world. It is also much closer to its star than we are to ours. This planet is 8 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Being so close to its star, this dayside of this tidally-locked planet can reach temperatures of about 2,294 Fahrenheit (1,257 Celsius). Being so hot, so close to its star, and so small, this planet likely lacks a substantial atmosphere. These scorching temperatures are comparable to lava worlds like CoRoT-7 b and Kepler-10 b, and the team behind this discovery thinks that the planet’s dayside could be a “lava hemisphere.” The planet’s small size, young age, and closeness to its star make it an interesting candidate for further exploration. Follow-up study could confirm the results of this study and potentially reveal more information about the planet’s “dark side,” and the status of its (possible) atmosphere. As this study states, “Young terrestrial worlds are critical test beds to constrain prevailing theories of planetary formation and evolution.” The Discoverers: This discovery was described in a new study, accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal, titled “TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets (THYME) XI: An Earth-sized Planet Orbiting a Nearby, Solar-like Host in the 400 Myr Ursa Major Moving Group.” The study, led by co-authors Benjamin Capistrant and Melinda Soares-Furtado, will be discussed in a Jan. 10 presentation at the 2024 American Astronomical Society Meeting. This study was conducted as part of the TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets, which is a project focused on searching for young exoplanets that are in moving groups, stellar associations, or open clusters. Read the paper. Explore More 5 min read NASA Features New Discoveries at American Astronomical Society Meeting Article 5 days ago 4 min read NASA’s Hubble Observes Exoplanet Atmosphere Changing Over 3 Years Article 6 days ago 5 min read Seeing and Believing: 15 Years of Exoplanet Images Fifteen years ago, astronomers delivered what is now an iconic direct image of an exoplanet,… Article 4 weeks ago View the full article
  25. ​Media Contacts NASA Headquarters: Kathryn Hambleton, Rachel Kraft, Vanessa Lloyd, 202-358-1100 Latest Updates: Artemis blog Briefings Artemis Update (Jan 9, 2024) Related Resources Artemis WHAT/WHY/HOW Artemis Accords Program and Project Resources Education and STEM Engagement Broadcast and Historical Resources Artemis B-roll Artemis Imagery Q&A with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Q&A with Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy Q&A with Associate Administrator Bob Cabana Keep Exploring Discover More Artemis Artemis Artemis News and Articles Artemis II News and Updates Artemis III News and Updates View the full article
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