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NASA’s SPHEREx observatory undergoes integration and testing at BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in April 2024. The space telescope will use a technique called spectroscopy across the entire sky, capturing the universe in more than 100 colors. BAE Systems Registration is open for digital content creators to attend the launch of NASA’s Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission, and NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission. SPHEREx will provide the first all-sky spectral survey, collecting data on more than 450 million galaxies along with more than 100 million stars in the Milky Way in order to explore the origins of the universe. PUNCH is a constellation of four small satellites in low-Earth orbit that will make global, 3D observations of the Sun’s corona to learn how the mass and energy there become solar wind. NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than February 2025 for the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If your passion is to communicate and engage the world online, then this is the event for you! Seize the opportunity to see and share the SPHEREx and PUNCH missions’ launch. A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend this one-day event and will be given access similar to news media. NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to: View the launch of the SPHEREx and PUNCH satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Tour NASA facilities at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Meet and interact with SPHEREx and PUNCH subject matter experts. Meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media. NASA Social registration for the SPHEREx and PUNCH launch opens on Monday, Dec. 9, and the deadline to apply is Monday, Dec. 23 at noon ET. All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. APPLY NOW Do I need to have a social media account to register? Yes. This event is designed for people who: Actively use multiple social networking platforms and tools to disseminate information to a unique audience. Regularly produce new content that features multimedia elements. Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms, or reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media and/or NASA audiences. Must have an established history of posting content on social media platforms. Have previous postings that are highly visible, respected, and widely recognized. Users on all social networks are encouraged to use the hashtag #NASASocial. Updates and information about the event will be shared via @NASASocial and @NASA_LSP on X and via posts to LSP’s Facebook. How do I register? Registration for this event opens Monday, Dec. 9, and closes Monday, Dec. 23 at noon ET. Registration is for one person only (you) and is nontransferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen? Because of the security restrictions on the Space Force base, registration is limited to U.S. citizens. If you have a valid permanent resident card, you will be processed as a U.S. citizen. When will I know if I am selected? After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the acceptance notifications by Jan. 31. What are NASA Social credentials? All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process that they meet specific engagement criteria. If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch offsite and participate in the conversation online. What are the registration requirements? Registration indicates your intent to travel to Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and attend the one-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodations, food, and other amenities. Some events and participants scheduled to appear at the event are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is cancelled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly. Vandenberg is a government facility. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter the secure areas. IMPORTANT: To be admitted, you will need to provide two forms of unexpired government-issued identification; one must be a photo ID and match the name provided on the registration. Those without proper identification cannot be admitted. For a complete list of acceptable forms of ID, please visit: NASA Credentialing Identification Requirements. All registrants must be at least 18 years old. What if the launch date changes? Many different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. If the launch date changes, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date. NASA will notify registrants of any changes by email. If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. NASA cannot accommodate attendees for delays beyond 72 hours. NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible. What if I cannot come to Vandenberg Space Force Base? If you cannot come to Vandenberg Space Force Base and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. You can follow the conversation online using #NASASocial. You can watch the launch on NASA+ or plus.nasa.gov/. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA and @NASA_LSP on X. If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t worry; NASA is planning many other Socials in the near future at various locations! Check back here for updates. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Sun Overview The Sun’s gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything – from the biggest planets to the smallest particles… PUNCH SPHEREx Galaxies Galaxies consist of stars, planets, and vast clouds of gas and dust, all bound together by gravity. The largest contain… View the full article

Artist’s concept depicts new research that has expanded our understanding of exoplanet WASP-69 b’s “tail.” NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC) The Planet WASP-69 b The Discovery The exoplanet WASP-69 b has a “tail,” leaving a trail of gas in its wake. Key Takeaway WASP-69 b is slowly losing its atmosphere as light hydrogen and helium particles in the planet’s outer atmosphere escape the planet over time. But those gas particles don’t escape evenly around the planet, instead they are swept into a tail of gas by the stellar wind coming from the planet’s star. Details Hot Jupiters like WASP-69 b are super-hot gas giants orbiting their host stars closely. When radiation coming from a star heats up a planet’s outer atmosphere, the planet can experience photoevaporation, a process in which lightweight gases like hydrogen and helium are heated by this radiation and launched outward into space. Essentially, WASP-69 b’s star strips gas from the planet’s outer atmosphere over time. What’s more, something called the stellar wind can shape this escaping gas into an exoplanetary tail. The stellar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles that flow outwards into space from a star’s outer atmosphere, or corona. On Earth, the Sun’s stellar wind interacts with our planet’s magnetic field which can create beautiful auroras like the Northern Lights. On WASP-69 b, the stellar wind coming from its host star actually shapes the gas escaping from the planet’s outer atmosphere. So, instead of gas just escaping evenly around the planet, “strong stellar winds can sculpt that outflow in tails that trail behind the planet,” said lead author Dakotah Tyler, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, likening this gaseous tail to a comet’s tail. Because this tail is created by the stellar wind, however, that means it’s subject to change. “If the stellar wind were to taper down, then you could imagine that the planet is still losing some of its atmosphere, but it just isn’t getting shaped into the tail,” Tyler said, adding that, without the stellar wind, that gas escaping on all sides of the planet would be spherical and symmetrical. “But if you crank up the stellar wind, that atmosphere then gets sculpted into a tail.” Tyler likened the process to a windsock blowing in the breeze, with the sock forming a more structured shape when the wind picks up and it fills with air. The tail that Tyler and his research team observed on WASP-69 b extended more than 7.5 times the radius of the planet, or over 350,000 miles. But it’s possible that the tail is even longer. The team had to end observations with the telescope before the tail’s signal disappeared, so this measurement is a lower limit on the tail’s true length at the time. However, keep in mind that because the tail is influenced by the stellar wind, changes in the stellar wind could change the tail’s size and shape over time. Additionally changes in the stellar wind influence the tail’s size and shape, but since the tail is visible when illuminated by starlight, changes in stellar activity can also affect tail observations. Exoplanet tails are still a bit mysterious, especially because they are subject to change. The study of exoplanet tails could help scientists to better understand how these tails form as well as the ever-changing relationship between the stellar and planetary atmospheres. Additionally, because these exoplanetary tails are shaped by stellar activity, they could serve as indicators of stellar behavior over time. This could be helpful for scientists as they seek to learn more about the stellar winds of stars other than the star we know the most about, our very own Sun. Fun Facts WASP-69 b is losing a lot of gas — about 200,000 tons per second. But it’s losing this gaseous atmosphere very slowly — so slowly in fact that there is no danger of the planet being totally stripped or disappearing. In general, every billion years, the planet is losing an amount of material that equals the mass of planet Earth. The solar system that WASP-69 b inhabits is about 7 billion years old, so even though the rate of atmosphere loss will vary over time, you might estimate that this planet has lost the equivalent of seven Earths (in mass) of gas over that period. The Discoverers A team of scientists led by Dakotah Tyler of the University of California, Los Angeles published a paper in January, 2024 on their discovery, “WASP-69b’s Escaping Envelope Is Confined to a Tail Extending at Least 7 Rp,” in the journal, “The Astrophysical Journal.” The observations described in this paper were made by Keck/NIRSPEC (NIRSPEC is a spectrograph designed for Keck II). View the full article

5 Min Read Scientists Share Early Results from NASA’s Solar Eclipse Experiments On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse swept across a narrow portion of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. This photo was taken from Dallas, Texas. Credits: NASA/Keegan Barber On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse swept across North America, from the western shores of Mexico, through the United States, and into northeastern Canada. For the eclipse, NASA helped fund numerous research projects and called upon citizen scientists in support of NASA’s goal to understand how our home planet is affected by the Sun – including, for example, how our star interacts with Earth’s atmosphere and affects radio communications. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 10, scientists attending the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, D.C., reported some early results from a few of these eclipse experiments. “Scientists and tens of thousands of volunteer observers were stationed throughout the Moon’s shadow,” said Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Their efforts were a crucial part of the Heliophysics Big Year – helping us to learn more about the Sun and how it affects Earth’s atmosphere when our star’s light temporarily disappears from view.” Changes in the Corona On April 8, the Citizen CATE 2024 (Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse) project stationed 35 observing teams from local communities from Texas to Maine to capture images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, during totality. Their goal is to see how the corona changed as totality swept across the continent. On Dec. 10, Sarah Kovac, the CATE project manager at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, reported that, while a few teams were stymied by clouds, most observed totality successfully — collecting over 47,000 images in all. These images were taken in polarized light, or light oriented in different directions, to help scientists better understand the processes that shape the corona. This preliminary movie from the Citizen CATE 2024 project stitches together polarized images of the solar corona taken from different sites during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. SwRI/Citizen CATE 2024/Dan Seaton/Derek Lamb Kovac shared the first cut of a movie created from these images. The project is still stitching together all the images into the final, hour-long movie, for release at a later time. “The beauty of CATE 2024 is that we blend cutting-edge professional science with community participants from all walks of life,” Kovac said. “The dedication of every participant made this project possible.” Meanwhile, 50,000 feet above the ground, two NASA WB-57 aircraft chased the eclipse shadow as it raced across the continent, observing above the clouds and extending their time in totality to approximately 6 minutes and 20 seconds. On board were cameras and spectrometers (instruments that analyze different wavelengths of light) built by multiple research teams to study the corona. This image of the total solar eclipse is a combination of 30 50-millisecond exposures taken with a camera mounted on one of NASA’s WB-57 aircraft on April 8, 2024. It was captured in a wavelength of light emitted by ionized iron atoms called Fe XIV. This emission highlights electrified gas, called plasma, at a specific temperature (around 3.2 million degrees Fahrenheit) that often reveals arch-like structures in the corona. B. Justen, O. Mayer, M. Justen, S. Habbal, and M. Druckmuller On Dec. 10, Shadia Habbal of the University of Hawaii, who led one of the teams, reported that their instruments collected valuable data, despite one challenge. Cameras they had mounted on the aircraft’s wings experienced unexpected vibrations, which caused some of the images to be slightly blurred. However, all the cameras captured detailed images of the corona, and the spectrometers, which were located in the nose of the aircraft, were not affected. The results were so successful, scientists are already planning to fly similar experiments on the aircraft again. “The WB-57 is a remarkable platform for eclipse observations that we will try to capitalize on for future eclipses,” Habbal said. Affecting the Atmosphere On April 8, amateur or “ham” radio operators sent and received signals to one another before, during, and after the eclipse as part of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Festivals of Eclipse Ionospheric Science. More than 6,350 amateur radio operators generated over 52 million data points to observe how the sudden loss of sunlight during totality affects their radio signals and the ionosphere, an electrified region of Earth’s upper atmosphere. Students from Case Western Reserve University operate radios during the 2024 total solar eclipse. HamSCI/Case Western Reserve University Radio communications inside and outside the path of totality improved at some frequencies (from 1-7 MHz), showing there was a reduction in ionospheric absorption. At higher frequencies (10 MHz and above), communications worsened. Results using another technique, which bounced high-frequency radio waves (3-30 MHz) off the ionosphere, suggests that the ionosphere ascended in altitude during the eclipse and then descended to its normal height afterward. “The project brings ham radio operators into the science community,” said Nathaniel Frissell, a professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and lead of HamSCI. “Their dedication to their craft made this research possible.”  Also looking at the atmosphere, the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project organized student groups across the U.S. to launch balloons into the shadow of the Moon as it crossed the country in April 2024 and during a solar eclipse in October 2023. Teams flew weather sensors and other instruments to study the atmospheric response to the cold, dark shadow. The eclipse’s shadow was captured from a camera aboard Virginia Tech’s balloon as part of the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project on April 8, 2024. Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project/Virginia Tech This research, conducted by over 800 students, confirmed that eclipses can generate ripples in Earth’s atmosphere called atmospheric gravity waves. Just as waves form in a lake when water is disturbed, these waves also form in the atmosphere when air is disturbed. This project, led by Angela Des Jardins of Montana State University in Bozeman, also confirmed the presence of these waves during previous solar eclipses. Scientists think the trigger for these waves is a “hiccup” in the tropopause, a layer in Earth’s atmosphere, similar to an atmospheric effect that is observed during sunset. “Half of the teams had little to no experience ballooning before the project,” said Jie Gong, a team science expert and atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “But their hard work and research was vital in this finding.” By Abbey Interrante and Vanessa Thomas NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 Related Terms 2024 Solar Eclipse Citizen Science Goddard Space Flight Center Heliophysics Solar Eclipses The Sun Uncategorized Explore More 8 min read NASA’s Hubble Celebrates Decade of Tracking Outer Planets Article 21 hours ago 3 min read Annual Science Conference to Highlight NASA Research Article 4 days ago 2 min read Hubble Spots a Spiral in the Celestial River Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

The Space Technology Payload Challenge invites individuals, teams, and organizations to submit applications for systems that advance technology to address one or more of NASA’s shortfalls. These shortfalls identify technology areas where further technology development is required to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. In addition, technologies to address these select shortfalls are also potentially well suited for a suborbital or hosted orbital flight demonstration to help mature the innovation. The expectation is that the technology will be tested at the end of the challenge aboard a suborbital vehicle, rocket-powered lander, high altitude balloon, aircraft following a reduced gravity profile (i.e., parabolic flight), or orbital vehicle that can host payloads. The shortfalls selected for this challenge are divided into two groups. The first group is derived from the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) civil space shortfall list. The second group is in partnership with NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division and is derived from the Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science Initiative (CERISS) program needs.  Award: $4,500,000 in total prizes Open Date: December 10, 2024 Close Date: March 4, 2025 For more information, visit: https://www.stpc.nasatechleap.org/ View the full article

NASA’s Synthetic Biology Project is turning to the 3D printing experts in the GrabCAD community for ideas and or designs that could lead to the ability to reuse and recycle small scale bioreactors to reduce the mass and volume requirements for deep space missions. Ideally, designs that could be printed using a 3D printer, using recyclable plastics, or a design using cleanable and reusable materials can be created. Award: $7,000 in total prizes Open Date: December 2, 2024 Close Date: February 24, 2025 For more information, visit: https://grabcad.com/challenges/3d-printable-bioreactor-for-deep-space-food-production View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read Sols 4386-4388: Powers of Ten NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on sol 4384 — Martian day 4,384 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — Dec. 5, 2024, at 19:08:43 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 We successfully arrived in our new exploration quadrangle — the Altadena quad — which is named after a town on Earth very near our own Jet Propulsion Laboratory! The names from this quad will recognize the incredible interaction between Altadena and its surrounding environs with the San Andreas and other major faults, which led to the formation of several major mountain ranges, and with the rich human history of the area. The start of our activities in the Altadena quad was fairly typical, including observations both near to and far from the rover, depending on what catches our eye across the terrain. Today’s observations were no exception, but it strikes me that they fit into fairly neat order of magnitude bins that really crystallize how far-reaching (pun intended) Curiosity’s science is. The nearest observation is of the rover itself, with MAHLI placed around 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) from its calibration target for a series of images tracking the amount of dust clinging to the target. One meter (about 39 inches) from the front of the rover, MAHLI and APXS planned an analysis of a small float block, “Icehouse Canyon,” that resembled rocks we saw in Gediz Vallis. MAHLI, APXS, and ChemCam teamed up to analyze the DRT target located on typical bedrock in the workspace at “Sunland,” and ChemCam rastered across one the many veins in the workspace at target “Echo Mountain.” One meter (about one yard) in back of (and underneath) the rover, DAN scheduled multiple analyses that look to provide insight into water in the subsurface. Tens of meters (tens of yards) from the rover, our interest in recording the many veins of this area continued. Mastcam planned three mosaics covering different collections of these long, linear features, some of which are visible in the lower left corner of the image above, to support study of their orientations. Hundreds of meters from the rover, ChemCam looked back at Gediz Vallis, planning RMI mosaics of materials on both Gediz Vallis Ridge and within Gediz Vallis itself. The mosaics add more insight to that which we gained as we traversed through Gediz Vallis as the team tries to interpret the formation of the ridge and valley. Mastcam added coverage of this same area and extended their imaging a bit farther to include a small crater, “Grant Lake,” well south of the rover. Thousands of meters from the rover (five-eighths of a mile, and beyond), ChemCam acquired a mosaic of the wind-sculpted structures that cap Mount Sharp, known as yardangs. Finally, gazing up into the Martian atmosphere that extends tens of thousands of meters into space (6 miles, and multiples beyond that), Navcam planned early morning and midday imaging to assess the amount of dust in the atmosphere and search for clouds and dust devils. ChemCam planned a passive sky observation to measure certain chemical compounds in the atmosphere, and REMS and RAD included their regular schedule of weather and radiation monitoring, respectively. The weekend plan is truly science across the scales! Written by Michelle Minitti, Planetary Geologist at Framework Share Details Last Updated Dec 10, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Sols 4384-4385: Leaving the Bishop Quad Article 4 days ago 3 min read Sols 4382-4383: Team Work, Dream Work Article 7 days ago 3 min read Sols 4375-4381: A Stuffed Holiday Plan Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a… Mars Exploration: Science Goals The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four… View the full article

17 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) On Dec. 8, 1994, NASA announced the selection of its 15th group of astronauts. The diverse group comprised 19 candidates – 10 pilots and nine mission specialists, and included five women, two African Americans, one Asian American, and the first Peruvian-born and Indian-born astronauts. Four international astronauts, one each from Canada and Japan and two from France, joined the group later for astronaut candidate training, following which all 23 became eligible for spaceflight assignment. The two French candidates had previous spaceflight experience in cooperative missions with Russia. All members of the group completed at least one spaceflight, making significant contributions to assembly and maintenance of the space station and carrying out important science missions. Three perished in the Columbia accident. The Group 15 NASA and international astronaut candidates pose for a group photo – front row, Jeffrey S. Ashby, left, Dafydd “Dave” R. Williams, James F. Reilly, Scott D. Altman, Rick D. Husband, and Michael J. Bloomfield; middle row, Pamela A. Melroy, left, Michael P. Anderson, Michel Tognini, Kathryn “Kay” P. Hire, Kalpana Chawla, Carlos I. Noriega, Susan L. Still, Takao Doi, and Frederick “Rick” W. Sturckow; back row, Janet L. Kavandi, left, Edward T. Lu, Steven K. Robinson, Robert L. Curbeam, Dominic L.P. Gorie, Joe F. Edwards, Steven W. Lindsey, and Jean-Loup Chrétien. Credit: NASA The newest class of NASA astronaut candidates included pilot candidates Scott D. Altman, Jeffrey S. Ashby, Michael J. Bloomfield, Joe F. Edwards, Dominic L.P. Gorie, Rick D. Husband, Steven W. Lindsey, Pamela A. Melroy, Susan L. Still, and Frederick “Rick” W. Sturckow, and mission specialist candidates Michael P. Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, Robert L. Curbeam, Kathryn “Kay” P. Hire, Janet L. Kavandi, Edward T. Lu, Carlos I. Noriega, James F. Reilly, and Steven K. Robinson. A January 1995 agreement among the agencies enabled Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Dafydd “Dave” R. Williams and Takao Doi of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA), now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, to join the 19 NASA astronauts for training. Another agreement between NASA and the French space agency CNES enabled astronauts Jean-Loup Chrétien and Michel Tognini to also join the group. Both Chrétien and Tognini had previous spaceflight experience through joint agreements with Russia, and their experience proved helpful to NASA in the fledgling Shuttle-Mir Program. Group 15 astronaut candidates experience short-duration weightlessness aboard NASA’s KC-135 aircraft.Credit: NASA The 19 NASA candidates along with Williams and Doi reported to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 6, 1995, to begin their one-year training period. The two French astronauts joined them later. During the yearlong training, the candidates attended classes in applied sciences, space shuttle and space station systems, space medicine, Earth and planetary sciences, and materials sciences. They visited each of the NASA centers to learn about their functions and received instruction in flying the T-38 Talon training aircraft, high-altitude and ground egress systems, survival skills, parasail flight, and scuba. They experienced short-duration weightlessness aboard NASA’s KC-135 aircraft dubbed the Vomit Comet. After completing the astronaut candidate training, they qualified for various technical assignments within the astronaut office leading to assignments to space shuttle crews. Group 15 astronaut candidates during survival training in Pensacola, Florida.Credit: NASA Group 15 astronaut candidates during survival training in Pensacola, Florida.Credit: NASA The 19 NASA candidates along with Williams and Doi reported to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 6, 1995, to begin their one-year training period. The two French astronauts joined them later. During the yearlong training, the candidates attended classes in applied sciences, space shuttle and space station systems, space medicine, Earth and planetary sciences, and materials sciences. They visited each of the NASA centers to learn about their functions and received instruction in flying the T-38 Talon training aircraft, high-altitude and ground egress systems, survival skills, parasail flight, and scuba. They experienced short-duration weightlessness aboard NASA’s KC-135 aircraft dubbed the Vomit Comet. After completing the astronaut candidate training, they qualified for various technical assignments within the astronaut office leading to assignments to space shuttle crews. Per tradition, the previous astronaut class provided the nickname for Group 15. Originally, The Class of 1992, The Hogs, dubbed them The Snails because NASA had delayed their announcement. Then after the addition of the two French astronauts, they felt that The Flying Escargots seemed more appropriate. The Group 15 patch included an astronaut pin rising from the Earth, an orbiting space shuttle and space station, and flags of the United States, Canada, France, and Japan. Group 15 patch.Credit: NASA Altman, a U.S. Navy pilot, hails from Illinois. He received his first spaceflight assignment as pilot of STS-90, the 16-day Neurolab mission in 1998, along with fellow Escargots Hire and Williams. He again served as pilot on STS-106, a 12-day space station resupply mission in 2000, accompanied by fellow Escargot Lu. He served as commander on his third mission, STS-109, the 11-day fourth Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission in 2002. He commanded his fourth and final mission, the 13-day final HST servicing mission, STS-125, in 2009. Altman logged a total of 51 days in space. Anderson, a native of upstate New York and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, received his first assignment as a mission specialist on STS-89, the nine-day eighth docking with Mir. Fellow Escargots Edwards and Reilly flew with Anderson, who has the distinction as the only African American astronaut to visit that space station during the mission in 1998. He next served as payload commander on the 16-day STS-107 Spacehab research mission in 2003, flying with fellow Escargots Chawla and Husband. Anderson perished in the Columbia accident. He logged nearly 25 days in space. Texas native and U.S. Navy captain Ashby received his first spaceflight assignment as pilot of STS-93, the five-day mission in 1999 to deploy the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Fellow Escargot Tognini served as a mission specialist on this flight. On his second mission, Ashby served as pilot of STS-100, the 12-day flight in 2001 that delivered the Canadarm2 robotic arm to the space station. Ashby commanded his third and final mission in 2002, STS-112, the 11-day space station assembly flight that delivered the S1 truss. Fellow Escargot Melroy served as pilot on this flight. During his three missions, Ashby spent nearly 28 days in space. Hailing from Michigan, U.S. Air Force Colonel Bloomfield received his first flight assignment as pilot of STS-86, the seventh Mir docking mission. The 11-day flight took place in 1997, with fellow Escargot Chrétien serving as a mission specialist. Bloomfield served as pilot on his second flight, STS-97, the 11-day station assembly mission in 2000 that delivered the P6 truss and the first set of U.S. solar arrays. Fellow Escargot Noriega flew as a mission specialist on this flight. Bloomfield served as commander on his third and final mission, the 11-day STS-110 assembly flight that delivered the S0 truss segment in 2002. Bloomfield logged a total of 32 days in space across his three missions. Chawla, the first Indian-born NASA astronaut, earned a doctorate in aerospace engineering. She received her first spaceflight assignment as a mission specialist on STS-87, the 16-day flight in 1997 that carried the fourth U.S. Microgravity Payload (USMP-4). Fellow Escargot Lindsey served as pilot on this mission, during which Chawla used the shuttle’s robotic arm to release and capture the SPARTAN-201-4 free flyer. She next served as a mission specialist on the STS-107 Spacehab research mission in 2003, along with fellow Escargots Anderson and Husband. Chawla perished in the Columbia accident. She logged nearly 32 days in space. On his first spaceflight, Curbeam, a native of Baltimore and commander in the U.S. Navy, flew as a mission specialist on STS-85, a 12-day mission in 1997 that carried the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free flyer. Fellow Escargot Robinson accompanied Curbeam on this mission. On his next flight, he served as a mission specialist on STS-98, the 2001 station assembly flight that delivered the Destiny U.S. Lab. During that 13-day flight, Curbeam participated in three spacewalks, spending nearly 20 hours outside. On his third and final spaceflight, he served as a mission specialist on STS-116, the 13-day assembly flight in 2006 that delivered the P5 truss segment. Curbeam participated in four spacewalks to reconfigure the station’s power system, spending nearly 26 hours outside. Across his four flights, Curbeam spent more than 37 days in space, and across his seven spacewalks more than 45 hours outside. Edwards, a native of Virginia and U.S. Navy commander, flew his single spaceflight as pilot of STS-89, the eighth Mir docking mission in 1998. Fellow Escargots Anderson and Reilly flew with him as mission specialists on this flight. Edwards spent nine days in space. A native of Louisiana and U.S. Navy captain, Gorie received his first spaceflight assignment as pilot of STS-91, the 10-day ninth and final Mir docking mission in 1998, along with fellow Escargot Kavandi. In 2000, he served as pilot of STS-99, the 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), once again with fellow Escargot Kavandi. Gorie commanded his third mission, STS-108 in 2001, the first station Utilization Flight that lasted 12 days. He also commanded his fourth and final flight, accompanied by fellow Escargot Doi, the 16-day STS-123 mission in 2008 that delivered the Japanese pressurized logistics module and the Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) to the station. Over his four missions, Gorie spent more than 48 days in space. A native of Alabama and a captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Hire completed her first space mission in 1998 as a mission specialist on the 16-day STS-90 Neurolab mission, along with fellow Escargots Altman and Williams. Twelve years later, Hire flew her second and last mission, STS-130, a 14-day space station assembly mission that installed the Node 3 Tranquility module and the Cupola. During her two flights, Hire spent nearly 30 days in space. Hailing from Amarillo, Texas, and a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Husband flew as the pilot of STS-96 on his first flight. The 10-day space station resupply mission took place in 1999. He served as commander on his second flight, the 16-day STS-107 Spacehab research mission in 2003, along with fellow Escargots Anderson and Chawla. Husband perished in the Columbia accident. He logged nearly 26 days in space. Missouri native Kavandi completed her first spaceflight as a mission specialist on STS-91, the 10-day ninth and final Mir docking mission in 1998, along with fellow Escargot Gorie. On her second flight, she served as a mission specialist on the 11-day STS-99 SRTM in 2000, once again with fellow Escargot Gorie. As a mission specialist on STS-104, her third and final spaceflight, Kavandi flew with fellow Escargots Lindsey and Reilly to install the Quest airlock on the station. On her three flights, she logged 34 days in space. Kavandi served as director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland from March 2016 to September 2019. A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, California-born Lindsey has the distinction as the only member of his class to complete five spaceflights. He served as pilot on his first spaceflight in 1997, the 16-day STS-87 USMP-4 mission, joined by fellow Escargots Chawla and Doi. He flew as pilot on his second mission in 1998, the nine-day STS-95 mission that saw astronaut John H. Glenn return to space. Fellow Escargot Robinson joined Lindsey on this mission. He commanded his third spaceflight, the 13-day STS-104 mission in 2001 that delivered the Quest airlock to the space station. Fellow Escargots Kavandi and Reilly accompanied Lindsey on this flight. He served as commander of his fourth trip into space in 2006, the 13-day STS-121 second return to flight mission after the Columbia accident that also returned the station to a 3-person crew. For his fifth and final space mission in 2011, Lindsey once again served as commander, of STS-133, the 39th and final flight of space shuttle Discovery. The fifth Utilization and Logistics Flight delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and the third of four EXPRESS Logistics Carriers to the space station. Lindsey’s flight on STS-133 marked the last flight by a Flying Escargot. Across his five missions, Lindsey logged nearly 63 days in space. Born in Massachusetts, Lu earned a doctorate in applied physics. He received his first spaceflight assignment as a mission specialist on the nine-day STS-84 flight in 1997, the sixth Mir docking mission. Fellow Escargot Noriega accompanied him on the flight. On his second trip into space, Lu served as mission specialist on STS-106, a 12-day station resupply mission in 2000. He participated in a six-hour spacewalk to complete electrical connections between two of the station’s modules. Fellow Escargot Altman flew with Lu on this mission. On his third mission, Lu served as flight engineer of Expedition 7, spending 185 days in space in 2003, the only Escargot to complete a long-duration mission. He logged 206 days in space during his three spaceflights. California native Melroy, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, received her first flight assignment as pilot of STS-92, the 13-day space station assembly flight in 2000 that delivered the Z1 truss. She served as pilot on her second mission, STS-112, the 11-day flight that brought the S1 truss to the station in 2002. Fellow Escargot Ashby commanded this mission. On her third and final mission in 2007, she served as commander of STS-120, the 15-day assembly flight that brought the Harmony Node 2 module to the station. After hatch opening, space station commander Peggy A. Whitson greeted Melroy, highlighting the first time that women commanded both spacecraft. She accumulated nearly 39 days in space during her three missions. Melroy has served as NASA’s deputy administrator since June 2021. Noriega has the distinction as the first Peruvian-born astronaut, and served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. For his first spaceflight, he served as a mission specialist, along with fellow Escargot Lu, on STS-84, the nine-day sixth Mir docking mission in 1997. On his second and final mission, Noriega served as a mission specialist on STS-97, the 11-day assembly flight in 2000 that delivered the P6 truss and the first set of U.S. solar arrays to the space station. He participated in three spacewalks, spending more than 19 hours outside. Fellow Escargot Bloomfield served as pilot on this mission. Across his two flights, Noriega accumulated 20 days in space. Born in Idaho, Reilly earned a doctorate in geosciences. He received his first spaceflight assignment as a mission specialist on STS-89, the nine-day eighth Mir docking mission in 1998. Fellow Escargots Edwards and Anderson joined him on this mission. On his second trip to space, Reilly served as a mission specialist on STS-104, the assembly flight to install the Quest airlock on the station. Reilly participated in three spacewalks, including the first one staged from the Quest airlock, totaling 15 and a half hours. Fellow Escargots Lindsey and Kavandi accompanied Reilly on this mission. On his third and final spaceflight, Reilley flew as a mission specialist on STS-117, the 14-day flight in 2007 that delivered the S3/S4 truss segment to the station. Reilly participated in two of the mission’s spacewalks, spending more than 13 hours outside. Fellow Escargot Sturckow served as commander on this mission. Across his three spaceflights, Reilly logged more than 35 days in space and spent nearly 29 hours outside on five spacewalks. California native Robinson earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering. On his first spaceflight, he flew, along with fellow Escargot Curbeam, as a mission specialist on STS-85, a 12-day mission in 1997 that carried the CRISTA-SPAS-2 free flyer. On his second trip into space, he served as a mission specialist on STS-95, commanded by fellow Escargot Lindsey, the nine-day mission in 1998 that saw astronaut John H. Glenn return to space. In 2005, Robinson flew for a third time on STS-114, the 14-day return to flight mission after the Columbia accident. He participated in three spacewalks totaling 20 hours. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-130, his fourth and final spaceflight, in 2010. Fellow Escargot Hire accompanied him on the 14-day mission that brought the Tranquility Node 3 module and the Cupola to the station. Robinson logged 48 days in space across his four missions. Born in Georgia, and a commander in the U.S. Navy, Still received her first spaceflight assignment as pilot for STS-83, the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL) mission in 1997. She has the distinction as the first of her class to reach space. When a fuel cell problem cut the planned 16-day mission short after four days, NASA decided to refly the mission and its crew. Still returned to space as pilot of STS-94, the MSL reflight, later in 1997, and flew the full duration 16 days. She logged a total of 20 days in space. California native and a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, Sturckow received his first spaceflight assignment as pilot of STS-88, the 12-day mission in 1998 that launched the Node 1 Unity module to begin assembly of the space station. He again served as pilot on his second spaceflight, STS-105 in 2001, a 12-day station assembly, resupply, and crew rotation mission. Sturckow served as commander on his third mission, the 14-day STS-117 mission in 2007 that delivered the S3/S4 truss segment to the station. Fellow Escargot Reilly accompanied Sturckow on this mission. He once again served as commander on his fourth and final spaceflight, STS-128, the 14-day flight in 2009 that brought facilities to the station to enable a six-person permanent crew. He logged more than 51 days in space on his four missions. Born in La Rochelle, France, Chrétien rose to the rank of brigadier general in the French Air Force. Selected as an astronaut by CNES in 1980, Chrétien made his first spaceflight in 1982, an eight-day mission aboard the Soviet Salyut-7 space station, the first non-Soviet and non-American to reach space. Chrétien returned to space in 1988, completing a 25-day mission aboard Mir during which he participated in a six-hour spacewalk, the first non-Soviet and non-American to do so. Under a special agreement between NASA and CNES, Chrétien and Tognini joined the Group 15 astronauts for training, making them eligible for flights on the shuttle. For his third and final spaceflight, Chrétien served as a mission specialist on the 11-day STS-86 seventh Mir docking mission in 1997. Fellow Escargot Bloomfield served as pilot on this mission. Across his three flights, Chrétien logged more than 43 days in space. Tokyo native Doi earned a doctorate in aerospace engineering. NASDA selected him as an astronaut in 1985 and through an agreement with NASA, he joined the Group 15 astronauts for training, making him eligible for flights on the space shuttle. On his first spaceflight, he flew as a mission specialist on STS-87, accompanied by fellow Escargots Lindsey and Chawla. The 16-day mission in 1997 carried the USMP-4 suite of experiments. Doi participated in two spacewalks, spending more than 15 hours outside the shuttle. For his second and final spaceflight, Doi flew as a mission specialist on STS-123, the 16-day assembly flight in 2008 that delivered the Japanese pressurized logistics module and the SPDM to the station. Fellow Escargot Gorie served as commander on this mission. Doi logged more than 31 days in space on his two missions. The French space agency CNES selected Tognini, born in Vincennes, France, in 1985. He rose to the rank of brigadier general in the French Air Force. He received his first assignment as Chrétien’s backup for his 1988 mission to Mir. For his first spaceflight, Tognini spent 14 days aboard Mir in 1992. Under a special agreement between NASA and CNES, Tognini and Chrétien joined the Group 15 astronauts for training, making them eligible for flights on the shuttle. For his second spaceflight, Tognini served as a mission specialist on STS-93, the five-day mission in 1999 to deploy the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Fellow Escargot Ashby served as pilot on this mission. Tognini logged nearly 19 days in space. Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Williams earned a medical degree. The CSA selected him as an astronaut in 1992, and in January 1995, as part of an agreement between NASA and the CSA, he joined the Group 15 astronauts for training, making him eligible for flights on the space shuttle. His first spaceflight took place in 1998 as a mission specialist on the 16-day STS-90 Neurolab mission, under the command of fellow Escargot Altman. For his second trip into space, he served as a mission specialist on STS-118, the 13-day assembly flight in 2007 that delivered the S5 truss segment to the space station. Williams participated in three of the mission’s four spacewalks, spending nearly 18 hours outside. Across his two missions, he spent nearly 29 days in space. Summary of spaceflights by Group 15 astronauts. Jean-Loup Chrétien completed two earlier missions, to Salyut-7 in 1982 and to Mir in 1988, while Tognini completed one earlier mission to Mir in 1992. Credit: NASA The Group 15 NASA and international astronauts made significant contributions to spaceflight. As a group, they completed 64 flights spending 888 days, or nearly two and a half years, in space, including the three flights Chrétien and Tognini completed before their addition to the group. One Flying Escargot made a single trip into space, nine made two trips, eight made three, four made four, and one went five times. Seventeen of the 23 participated in the assembly, research, maintenance, logistics, and management of the space station. In preparation for space station operations, ten group members visited Mir, and seven visited both space stations, but only one completed a long-duration flight. Twelve contributed their talents on Spacelab or other research missions, and three performed work with the great observatories Hubble and Chandra. Eight of the 23 performed 25 spacewalks spending 161 hours, or more than six days, outside their spacecraft. About the AuthorDominique V. Crespo Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 Related TermsNASA HistoryAstronautsFormer AstronautsPeople of NASA Explore More 7 min read 2024 Be An Astronaut Campaign Article 7 hours ago 6 min read 10 Years Ago: Orion Flies its First Mission Article 4 days ago 3 min read Matt Dominick’s X Account: A Visual Journey from Space Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

SkywatchingHomeThe Next Full Moon is the Cold…SkywatchingSkywatching HomeWhat’s UpEclipsesExplore the Night SkyNight Sky NetworkMoreTips and GuidesFAQ 31 Min Read The Next Full Moon is the Cold Moon A full Moon rising over the Wasatch Mountains in Utah on March 15, 2014. Credits: NASA/Bill Dunford The Next Full Moon is the Cold Moon, Frost Moon, or the Winter Moon; the Moon before Yule or the Oak Moon; the Long Night Moon; the Child Moon; the Datta or Dattatreya Jayanti Festival Moon; the Karthika Deepam Festival Moon; Unduvap Poya; and the Chang’e Moon. The next full Moon will be Sunday morning, Dec. 15, 2024, passing opposite the Sun at 4:02 a.m. EST. This will be Saturday evening from Alaska Time westwards to the International Date Line. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Friday evening through Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend. The Maine Farmers’ Almanac began publishing Native American names for full Moons in the 1930s. Over time these names have become widely known and used. According to this almanac, as the full Moon in December this is the Cold Moon, due to the long, cold nights. Other names are the Frost Moon (for the frosts as winter nears) or the Winter Moon. As the full Moon before the winter solstice, old European names for this Moon include the Moon before Yule and the Oak Moon. Yule was a three-day winter solstice festival in pre-Christian Europe. In the 10th century King Haakon I associated Yule with Christmas as part of the Christianization of Norway, and this association spread throughout Europe. Some believe that the Oak Moon name ties back to ancient druid traditions of harvesting mistletoe from oak trees, a practice first recorded by the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in the first century CE. The term “druid” may derive from the Proto-Indo-European roots for “oak” and “to see,” suggesting “druid” means “oak knower” or “oak seer.” As the full Moon closest to the winter solstice, this will be the Long Night Moon. The plane of the Moon’s orbit around Earth nearly matches the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. When the path of the Sun appears lowest in the sky for the year, the path of the full Moon opposite the Sun appears near its highest. For the Washington, D.C. area, on Saturday evening into Sunday morning, December 14 to 15, the Moon will be in the sky for a total of 16 hours 1 minute and will reach a maximum altitude of 79.0 degrees (at 11:52 p.m. EST), with 14 hours 33 minutes of this when the Sun is down. The next night, Sunday evening into Monday morning, December 15 to 16, the full Moon will be in the sky slightly longer and will reach higher in the sky, but slightly less of this time will be when the Sun is down. The Moon will be in the sky for a total of 16 hours 3 minutes and will reach a maximum altitude of 79.2 degrees (at 1:54 a.m.), with 14 hours 29 minutes of this when the Sun is down. This also is the Child Moon. Five years ago, then 7-year-old Astrid Hattenbach was walking home from school with her father Henry Throop (a friend and former coworker at NASA Headquarters). When she saw the rising full Moon, she said: “You know what this Moon is called? It’s called a Child Moon. Because the Moon rises at a time that the children, they can see it, because they’re not in bed, and they might even be outside like we are right now.” Henry told me about this and I thought it a perfect name. This year (at least for Washington, D.C. and similar latitudes), the earliest evenings with a full Moon in the sky will be on December 13 through 15, with sunset at 4:44 p.m. EST and evening twilight ending at 5:50 p.m. (on the 13th) or 5:51 p.m. (on the 14th and 15th). For more on the wonder the Moon imbues in the hearts of children (and in all of us) look up Carl Sandburg’s poem “Child Moon.” For Hindus, this full Moon corresponds with Datta Jayanti, also known as Dattatreya Jayanti, a festival commemorating the birth day of the Hindu god Dattatreya (Datta), celebrated on the full Moon day of the month of Margashira. Karthika Deepam is a festival observed by Hindus of Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, and Kerala when the nearly full Moon lines up with the Pleiades constellation (Krittikai or Karttikai). This year it will be on Friday, December 13. Some areas celebrate multi-day festivals that include this full Moon. For the Buddhists of Sri Lanka, this is Unduvap Poya. In the third century BCE, Sangamitta Theri, the daughter of Emperor Ashoka and founder of an order of Buddhist nuns in Sri Lanka, is believed to have brought a sapling of the sacred Bodhi Tree, or Bo Tree, to Sri Lanka. The sapling was planted in 288 BCE by King Devanampiya Tissa in the Mahamevnāwa Park in Anuradhapura where it still grows today, where it is believed by some to be the oldest living human-planted tree with a known planting date. We could also call this the Chang’e Moon, after the three Chinese lunar landers that launched and landed on the Moon this time of year. These missions get their name from the Chinese goddess of the Moon, Chang’e, who lived on the Moon with her pet rabbit, Yutu. The Chang’e 3 lander and its companion Yutu rover launched on Dec. 1, 2013, and landed on the Moon a few days later on December 14. The Chang’e 4 lander and Yutu-2 rover launched Dec. 7, 2018, and landed on the Moon on Jan. 3, 2019. The Chang’e 5 lunar sample return mission was launched in 2020 on November 23 (in UTC, November 24 in China’s time zone), collected samples from the Moon, and returned them to Earth on Dec. 16, 2020, humanity’s first lunar sample return since 1976. The Chang’e 6 lunar sample return mission ended the “streak” of December missions by launching on May 3, collecting samples from the Moon, and returning them to Earth on June 25, 2024, humanity’s first lunar sample return from the far side of the Moon. In many traditional Moon-based calendars the full Moons fall on or near the middle of each month. This full Moon is near the middle of the eleventh month of the Chinese year of the Dragon and Jumādā ath-Thāniyah, also known as Jumādā al-ʾĀkhirah, the sixth month of the Islamic year. This full Moon is the middle of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev (starting this year with sundown on December 25) and ends 8 days later (with sundown on January 2). As usual, the wearing of suitably celebratory celestial attire is encouraged in honor of the full Moon. Bundle up for the cold, then take advantage of these early nightfalls to admire the sky, Moon, planets, and stars! Here are other celestial events between now and the full Moon after next with specific times and angles based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.: For the Northern Hemisphere, as autumn ends and winter begins, the daily periods of sunlight reach their shortest at the winter solstice and then begin to lengthen again. Our 24-hour clock is based on the average length of the solar day. The winter solstice has the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is sometimes called the “shortest day of the year” (because it has the shortest period of sunlight), but the solar days near the solstice are actually the longest. Because of this, the earliest sunset of the year occurs before the solstice (on December 6 and 7 for the Washington, D.C. area) and the latest sunrise of the year (ignoring Daylight Savings Time) occurs after the solstice on Jan. 4, 2025. On Sunday, December 15, (the day of the full Moon), morning twilight will begin at 6:16 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 7:20 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:04 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 27.8 degrees, sunset will be at 4:47 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 5:51 p.m. Saturday, December 21, will be the day of the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice, the astronomical end of fall and start of winter. The winter solstice is the day when the Sun at solar noon is lowest in the sky and the time from sunrise to sunset is shortest for the year. At NASA Headquarters, the time from sunrise to sunset will be 9 hours, 26 minutes, 13 seconds. Solar noon will be at 12:07 p.m. EST when the Sun will reach its lowest daily high, 27.7 degrees. The longest solar day (measured from noon to noon on a sundial) will be from solar noon on December 21 to solar noon on December 22, 29.8 seconds longer than 24 hours. By Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 (the day of the full Moon after next), morning twilight will begin at 6:24 a.m. EST, sunrise will be at 7:26 a.m., solar noon will be at 12:17 p.m. when the Sun will reach its maximum altitude of 29.8 degrees, sunset will be at 5:08 p.m., and evening twilight will end at 6:11 p.m. This will still be a good time for Jupiter and Saturn watching, especially with a backyard telescope. Saturn was at its closest and brightest on September 7 and Jupiter on December 7. With clear skies and a telescope, you should be able to see Jupiter’s four bright moons, Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io, noticeably shifting positions in the course of an evening. For Saturn, you should be able to see Saturn’s rings and its bright moon Titan. The rings are appearing thinner and will be edge-on to Earth in March 2025. We won’t get the “classic” view of Saturn showing off its rings until 2026. During this lunar cycle both of these planets will be shifting towards the west, making them easier to see earlier in the evening sky (and friendlier for backyard stargazing, especially if you have young ones with earlier bedtimes). During this lunar cycle, as twilight ends each evening, Saturn will be shifting from 43 degrees above the southern horizon to 33 degrees above the southwestern horizon while Jupiter will be shifting from 19 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon to 47 degrees above the eastern horizon. Comets Sungrazing comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered in April 2024. It will be passing very near the Sun and might be bright enough to see in the daytime for a short time around its closest approach to the Sun on January 13. The Southern Hemisphere will have the best viewing before and after closest approach (probably requiring binoculars or a telescope), while the Northern Hemisphere will have the best viewing near closest approach. Most likely, this comet will break up and vanish from view as it approaches the Sun like comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) did in October. There is only a slight chance that it might survive long enough to be visible near its closest approach. In addition, its visual magnitude might not be bright enough to see in the glow of the nearby Sun. For the Washington, D.C. area, assuming this comet follows its current brightness curve and doesn’t disintegrate, it should be at its brightest the evening of January 12 just before it sets on the southwestern horizon. It will be about 5 degrees to the upper right of the setting Sun. If the horizon is very clear, your best chance of seeing this comet might be after sunset at 5:07 p.m. EST, but before the comet sets about 10 minutes later. Meteor Showers Three meteor showers, the Comae Berenicids (020 COM), the Ursids (015 URS), and the Quadrantids (010 QUA), are expected to peak during this lunar cycle. The Comae Berenicids are a weak but long-lasting shower that will be adding slightly to the background rate of meteors. Under ideal conditions near its peak on December 16 it can produce about 3 visible meteors per hour, but this year moonlight will interfere. The Ursids are expected to peak on the morning of December 22. The MeteorActive app predicts that under bright suburban conditions this shower will only add 1 or 2 meteors per hour to the background rate. On rare occasions this shower can produce major outbursts, as it did in 1945 and 1986 (other outbursts may have been missed due to weather). The International Meteor Organization reports this shower is poorly observed with a narrow peak that seems to fluctuate each year. The radiant for this shower (the point the meteors appear to radiate out from) is high in the northern sky, so this shower can be seen all night from most of the Northern Hemisphere but is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere. This year the Moon will be near its last quarter so the best time to look should be the evenings of December 21 and December 22, between when the sky is completely dark and moonrise. These meteors are caused by debris from the comet 8P/Tuttle entering Earth’s atmosphere at 74,000 mph (33 kilometers per second). The Quadrantids will be active from Dec. 28, 2024 to Jan. 12, 2025. While this is one of the three major annual Northern Hemisphere showers, its narrow peak means it can be difficult to see. This shower radiates out from a point that passes directly over 49 degrees north. It is predicted to have a peak about 4 hours wide centered around 10 a.m. EST on January 3 (when we can’t see them from the Washington, D.C. area). For the D.C. area the MeteorActive app predicts that at about 6 a.m. on the morning of January 3, under bright suburban sky conditions, the peak visible rate from the Quadrantids and all other background sources might reach 14 meteors per hour. Going to a nearby dark sky area (like Sky Meadows State Park in Virginia) might get these rates up to about 34 meteors per hour. Viewing should be better farther west (where the sky will be dark closer to the peak), with the peak viewing probably somewhere in the northern Pacific Ocean. These meteors are caused by debris entering Earth’s atmosphere at 92,000 mph (41 kilometers per second). The source of the debris is uncertain but might be the minor planet 2003 EH1, which in turn may be related to the comet C/1490 Y1 observed by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean astronomers in 1490. If you do go out looking for these meteors, be sure to give your eyes plenty of time to adapt to the dark. Your color-sensing cone cells are concentrated near the center of your view with the more sensitive rod cells on the edge of your view. Since some meteors are faint, you will tend to see more meteors from the “corner of your eye” (which is why you need to view a large part of the sky). Your color vision (cone cells) will adapt to darkness in about 10 minutes, but your night vision rod cells will continue to improve for an hour or more (with most of the improvement in the first 35 to 45 minutes). The more sensitive your eyes are, the more chance you have of seeing meteors. Even a short exposure to light (from passing car headlights, etc.) will start the adaptation over again (so no turning on a light or your cell phone to check what time it is). Evening Sky Highlights On the evening of Saturday, December 14 (the start of the night of the full Moon), as twilight ends (at 5:50 p.m. EST), the rising Moon will be 19 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon with bright planet Jupiter 6 degrees to the right and the bright star Aldebaran father to the right. The brightest planet visible will be Venus at 21 degrees above the southwestern horizon. Next in brightness will be Jupiter. Saturn will be 43 degrees above the southern horizon. The bright star closest to overhead will be Deneb at 61 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. Deneb (visual magnitude 1.3) is the 19th brightest star in our night sky and is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus the swan. It is one of the three bright stars of the “Summer Triangle” (along with Vega and Altair). Deneb is about 20 times more massive than our Sun but has used up its hydrogen, becoming a blue-white supergiant about 200 times the diameter of the Sun. If Deneb were where our Sun is, it would extend to about the orbit of Earth. Deneb is about 2,600 light years from us. As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Saturn and the background of stars will appear to rotate westward around Polaris the pole star each evening (as Earth moves around the Sun). Bright Venus will shift to the left and higher in the sky along the southwestern horizon towards Saturn. January 4 will be the first evening Mars will be above the horizon as twilight ends. The waxing Moon will pass by Venus on January 3, Saturn on January 4, in front of the Pleiades star cluster on January 9, and Jupiter on January 10. On January 12 there is a very slight chance that the sungrazing comet, C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) (discovered in April 2024) might be visible 5 degrees to the upper right of the setting Sun. By the evening of Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 (the evening of the full Moon after next), as twilight ends (at 6:11 P.M. EST), the rising Moon will be 13 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon with the bright planet Mars (the third brightest planet) 2 degrees to the lower left and the bright star Pollux (the brighter of the twin stars in the constellation Gemini the twins) 3 degrees to the upper left of the Moon. The brightest planet visible will be Venus at 29 degrees above the southwestern horizon, with the planet Saturn (fourth brightest) 6 degrees to the upper left of Venus. The second brightest planet, Jupiter, will be 47 degrees above the eastern horizon. The bright star closest to overhead will be Capella at 50 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon. Capella is the 6th brightest star in our night sky and the brightest star in the constellation Auriga the charioteer. Although we see Capella as a single star it is actually four stars (two pairs of stars orbiting each other). Capella is about 43 light-years from us. Morning Sky Highlights On the morning of Sunday, December 15 (the morning of the full Moon), as twilight begins (at 6:16 AM EST), the setting full Moon will be 15 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. The brightest planet in the sky will be Jupiter, appearing below the Moon at 5 degrees above the horizon. Second in brightness will be Mars at 46 degrees above the western horizon, then Mercury at 4 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Regulus at 55 degrees above the southwestern horizon, with Arcturus a close second at 52 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. Regulus is the 21st brightest star in our night sky and the brightest star in the constellation Leo the lion. The Arabic name for Regulus translates as “the heart of the lion.” Although we see Regulus as a single star, it is actually four stars (two pairs of stars orbiting each other). Regulus is about 79 light years from us. Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes the herdsman or plowman and the 4th brightest star in our night sky. It is 36.7 light years from us. While it has about the same mass as our Sun, it is about 2.6 billion years older and has used up its core hydrogen, becoming a red giant 25 times the size and 170 times the brightness of our Sun. One way to identify Arcturus in the night sky is to start at the Big Dipper, then follow the arc of the dipper’s handle as it “arcs towards Arcturus.” As this lunar cycle progresses, Jupiter, Mars, and the background of stars will appear to rotate westward around Polaris the pole star each morning. Mercury too will appear to shift in the same general direction until December 23, after which it will start shifting towards the horizon again. After December 20 Jupiter will no longer be above the horizon as twilight begins. The waning Moon will pass by Pollux on December 17, Mars on December 18, Regulus on December 20, Spica on December 24, and Antares on December 28. Around 6 a.m. on January 3 will likely be the best time to look for the Quadrantids meteor shower. Under suburban conditions it might produce 14 visible meteors per hour. By the morning of Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 (the morning of the full Moon after next), as twilight begins at 6:23 a.m. EST, the setting full Moon will be 11 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon. This will be the first morning the planet Mercury will rise after morning twilight begins (although it will be bright enough to see in the glow of dawn after it rises) leaving Mars at 18 degrees above the west-northwestern horizon the only planet in the sky. The bright star appearing closest to overhead will be Arcturus at 69 degrees above the south-southeastern horizon. Detailed Daily Guide Here is a day-by-day listing of celestial events between now and the full Moon on Jan. 13, 2025. The times and angles are based on the location of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and some of these details may differ for where you are (I use parentheses to indicate times specific to the D.C. area). If your latitude is significantly different than 39 degrees north (and especially for my Southern Hemisphere readers), I recommend using an astronomy app set for your location or a star-watching guide from a local observatory, news outlet, or astronomy club. Thursday morning, December 12 The first morning the planet Mercury will be above the east-southeastern horizon as morning twilight begins (at 6:14 a.m. EST). Also, on Thursday morning at 8:28 a.m., the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to Earth for this orbit. Friday evening into Saturday morning, December 13 to 14 The Pleiades star cluster will appear near the full Moon. This may best be viewed with binoculars, as the brightness of the full Moon may make it hard to see the stars in this star cluster. As evening twilight ends at 5:50 p.m. EST, the Pleiades will appear 4 degrees to the upper right of the full Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 10:49 p.m., the Pleiades will be 6 degrees to the right. By about 2 a.m. the Pleiades will be 8 degrees to the lower right of the Moon, and it will continue to separate as the morning progresses. As mentioned last month, one of the three major meteor showers of the year, the Geminids (004 GEM), will peak Saturday morning, December 14. The light of the nearly full Moon will interfere. In a good year, this shower can produce 150 visible meteors per hour under ideal conditions, but this will not be a good year. For the Washington, D.C. area the MeteorActive app predicts that at about 2 a.m. EST, under bright suburban sky conditions, the peak rate from the Geminids and all other background sources might reach 20 meteors per hour. See the meteor summary above for suggestions for meteor viewing. Saturday morning, December 14 The full Moon, the bright planet Jupiter, and the bright star Aldebaran will form a triangle. As Aldebaran sets on the west-northwestern horizon at 6:10 a.m. EST it will be 9 degrees to the lower left of the Moon with Jupiter 7 degrees to the upper left. Morning twilight will begin 6 minutes later. Saturday evening, December 14 The full Moon will have shifted to the other side of Jupiter. Jupiter will be 6 degrees to the right of the Moon as evening twilight ends at 5:50 p.m EST and the pair will separate as the night progresses. Sunday morning, December 15, the next full Moon will be at 4:02 a.m. EST This will be Saturday evening from Alaska Time westwards to the International Date Line. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Friday evening through Monday morning, making this a full Moon weekend. Monday evening into Tuesday morning, December 16 to 17 The bright star Pollux will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. As Pollux rises above the northeastern horizon at 6:25 p.m. EST, it will be 7 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 1:55 a.m. Pollux will be 4 degrees to the upper left. As morning twilight begins at 6:18 a.m., Pollux will be 3 degrees to the upper right. Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, December 17 to 18 The bright planet Mars, about a month away from its brightest for the year, will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. As Mars rises on the east-northeastern horizon at 7:34 p.m. EST it will be 4 degrees to the lower left of the Moon. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 2:50 a.m., Mars will be 1 degree to the lower left. When Mars is closest to the Moon a little before 5:00 a.m., it will be a quarter of a degree from the center of the Moon or an eighth of a degree from the edge of the Moon. As morning twilight begins at 6:18 a.m., Mars will be a degree to the lower right of the Moon. The far north of North America and Asia will see the Moon pass in front of Mars. Note that for some areas this occultation will occur during the daytime. Thursday night into Friday morning, December 19 to 20 The bright star Regulus will appear near the waning gibbous Moon. As Regulus rises on the east-northeastern horizon at 9:39 p.m. EST it will be 3 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. As the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 4:26 a.m., Regulus will be 2 degrees to the lower right. Regulus will be 2.5 degrees to the lower right as morning twilight begins at 6:19 a.m. Thursday morning, December 20 This will be the last morning the bright planet Jupiter will be above the west-northwestern horizon as morning twilight begins. Saturday morning, December 21 at 4:20 a.m. EST This is the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical end of fall and start of winter. Europeans have used two main ways to divide the year into seasons and define winter. The old Celtic calendar used in much of pre-Christian Europe considered winter to be the quarter of the year with the shortest periods of daylight and the longest periods of night, so that winter started around Halloween and ended around Groundhog Day, hence the origin of these traditions. However, since it takes time for our planet to cool off, the quarter year with the coldest average temperatures starts later than the quarter year with the shortest days. In our modern calendar we approximate this by having winter start on the winter solstice and end on the spring equinox. The last time I checked NOAA data sources, for the Washington, D.C. area at least, the quarter year with the coldest average temperatures started the first week of December and ended the first week of March. Worldwide, many festivals are associated with the winter solstice, including Yule and the Chinese Dongzhi Festival. The solar day from solar noon on Saturday, December 21 to solar noon on Sunday, December 22 will be the longest solar day of the year, 29.8 seconds longer than 24 hours. Sunday morning, December 22 For the Washington, D.C. area, under bright suburban conditions, the MeteorActive app predicts that at about 5:30 a.m. EST the peak rate from the Ursids and all other background sources might reach 5 meteors per hour (with most of these background meteors). Sunday evening, December 22 The waning Moon will appear half-full as it reaches its last quarter at 5:18 p.m. EST. Monday morning, December 23 This will be when the planet Mercury will appear at its highest above the east-southeastern horizon (7 degrees) as morning twilight begins at 6:21 a.m. EST. The bright star about 7 degrees to the lower right of Mercury will be Antares. Early Tuesday morning, December 24, at 2:27 a.m. EST The Moon will be at apogee, its farthest from Earth for this orbit. Also on Tuesday morning, December 24 The bright star Spica will appear near the waning crescent Moon. As Spica rises on the east-southeastern horizon at 1:55 a.m. EST, it will be 6 degrees below the Moon. As morning twilight begins 3.5 hours later at 6:21 a.m., Spica will be 4 degrees to the lower left. For parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean the Moon will pass in front of Spica. Tuesday night, December 24 This will be when the planet Mercury reaches its greatest angular separation from the Sun as seen from Earth for this apparition (called greatest elongation). Because the angle between the line from the Sun to Mercury and the line of the horizon changes with the seasons, the date when Mercury and the Sun appear farthest apart as seen from Earth is not always the same as when Mercury appears highest above the east-southeastern horizon as morning twilight begins, which will occur on December 23. Wednesday morning, December 25 The Moon will have shifted to the other side of Spica. As the Moon rises on the east-southeastern horizon at 2:23 a.m. EST, Spica will be 7 degrees to the upper right of the Moon, and the pair will separate as the morning progresses. Saturday morning, December 28 The bright star Antares will be 1.5 degrees to the lower left of the waning crescent Moon, with Mercury about 10 degrees to the left of the Moon. The Moon will rise first above the southeastern horizon at 5:32 a.m. EST, followed by Antares 8 minutes later and Mercury 5 minutes after that at 5:45 a.m. As morning twilight begins less than an hour later at 6:23 a.m., the Moon will be 7 degrees above the southeastern horizon. For an area in the mid-Pacific the Moon will block Antares while the sky is dark. Note that for most of the area in the Atlantic, South America, and the Pacific, this occultation will occur in the daytime and only be visible with binoculars or a telescope. Monday afternoon, December 30, at 5:27 p.m. EST This will be the new Moon, when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, and it will not be visible from PEarth. The day of, or the day after, the New Moon marks the start of the new month for most lunisolar calendars. The 12th month of the Chinese calendar starts on December 31. Sundown on Tuesday, December 31, will mark the start of Tevet and the start of the seventh day of Hanukkah in the Hebrew calendar. In the Islamic calendar, the months traditionally start with the first sighting of the waxing crescent Moon. Many Muslim communities now follow the Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia, which uses astronomical calculations to start months in a more predictable way. Using this calendar, sundown on Tuesday, December 31, will probably mark the beginning of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. Rajab is one of the four sacred months in which warfare and fighting are forbidden. Friday morning, Jan. 3, 2025 At about 6 a.m. EST for the Washington, D.C. area, under bright suburban sky conditions, the MeteorActive app predicts the peak rate from the Quadrantids and all other background sources might reach 14 meteors per hour. Going to a nearby dark sky area (like Sky Meadows State Park in Virginia) might get these rates up to about 34 meteors per hour. Friday evening, January 3 The bright planet Venus will appear near the waxing crescent Moon. As evening twilight ends at 6:02 p.m. EST the Moon will be 29 degrees above the southwestern horizon with Venus 3.5 degrees to the lower right. As Venus sets on the west southwestern horizon less than 3 hours later at 8:49 p.m., it will be 4.5 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. Saturday morning, January 4 Earth will be at perihelion, the closest we get to the Sun in our orbit. Between perihelion and 6 months later at aphelion there is about a 6.7% difference in the intensity of the sunlight reaching Earth, one of the reasons the seasons in the Southern hemisphere are more extreme than in the Northern Hemisphere. Perihelion is also when Earth is moving the fastest in its orbit around the Sun, so if you run east at local midnight, you will be moving about as fast as you can for your location (in Sun-centered coordinates). Saturday morning, January 4 Ignoring Daylight Saving Time, for the Washington, D.C. area and similar latitudes (I’ve not checked elsewhere), this will be the morning with the latest sunrise of the year at 7:26:56 a.m. EST. Saturday evening, January 4 This will be the first evening the planet Mars will be above the east-northeastern horizon as evening twilight ends, joining Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn in the sky. Mars is approaching its closest and brightest for the year, which will happen on January 15. Also on Saturday evening, January 4 The planet Saturn will appear near the waxing crescent Moon. As evening twilight ends at 6:03 p.m. EST, the Moon will be 40 degrees above the south-southwestern horizon with Saturn 3 degrees to the lower right. As Saturn sets on the western horizon less than 4 hours later at 9:53 p.m., it will be 5 degrees below the Moon. Monday evening, January 6 The Moon will appear half full as it reaches its first quarter at 6:56 p.m. EST (when it will be 56 degrees above the south-southwestern horizon). Tuesday evening, January 7 At 7:07 p.m. EST, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest to Earth for this orbit. Thursday evening, January 9 The waxing gibbous Moon will pass in front of the Pleiades star cluster. This may be viewed best with binoculars, as the brightness of the Moon will make it hard to see the stars in this star cluster. As evening twilight ends at 6:07 p.m. EST, the Pleiades will appear 1 degree to the lower left of the full Moon. Over the next few hours, including as the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 8:37 p.m., the Moon will pass in front of the Pleiades, blocking many of these stars from view. By about midnight the Pleiades will appear about 1 degree below the Moon, and the Moon and the Pleiades will separate as Friday morning progresses. Also on Thursday night, January 9 This will be when the planet Venus reaches its greatest angular separation from the Sun as seen from Earth for this apparition (called greatest elongation). Because the angle between the line from the Sun to Venus and the line of the horizon changes with the seasons, the date when Venus and the Sun appear farthest apart as seen from Earth is not always the same as when it appears highest above the west-southwestern horizon as evening twilight ends, which occurs on January 27. Friday evening, January 10 Jupiter will appear near the waxing gibbous Moon. As evening twilight ends at 6:08 p.m. EST, Jupiter will be 5 degrees to the lower right. As the Moon reaches its highest for the night at 9:37 p.m., Jupiter will be 6 degrees below the Moon. The pair will continue to separate until Jupiter sets Saturday morning at 4:45 a.m. Sunday evening, January 12 There is a very slight chance that the sungrazing comet, C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) (discovered in April 2024) will be visible 5 degrees to the upper right of the setting Sun. Most likely, this comet will not be bright enough to see in the daytime or will break up and vanish from view like comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) did in October. The odds are low, but if the horizon is very clear, your best chance of seeing this comet might be after sunset at 5:07 p.m. EST, but before the comet sets about 10 minutes later. The full Moon after next will be Monday evening, January 13, at 5:27 p.m. EST. This will be on Tuesday from the South Africa Time and Eastern European Time zones eastward across the rest of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, etc., to the International Date Line in the mid-Pacific. The Moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Sunday evening (and possibly the last part of Sunday morning) into Wednesday morning. On Monday night the full Moon will appear near and pass in front of the bright planet Mars, with the bright star Pollux above the pair. As evening twilight ends at 6:11 p.m. EST, the three will form a triangle, with Mars 2 degrees to the lower left and Pollux 3 degrees to the upper left of the Moon. For most of the continental USA as well as parts of Africa, Canada, and Mexico, the Moon will pass in front of Mars. Times will vary for other locations, but for NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Mars will vanish behind the bottom of the Moon at about 9:16 p.m. and reappear from behind the upper right of the Moon at about 10:31 p.m. By the time the Moon reaches its highest for the night early on Tuesday morning at 12:37 a.m., Mars will be 1 degree to the right of the Moon and Pollux 5 degrees to the upper right. As morning twilight begins at 6:23 a.m., Mars will be 4 degrees and Pollux 8 degrees to the lower right of the Moon. View the full article

NASA, along with members of the FAA and commercial drone engineers, gathered in the Dallas area May 25, 2024, to view multiple delivery drones operating in a shared airspace beyond visual line of sight using an industry-developed, NASA-originated uncrewed aircraft system traffic management system.NASA NASA’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management Beyond Visual Line of Sight (UTM BVLOS) subproject aims to support the growing demand for drone flights across the globe. Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, offer an increasing number of services, from package delivery to critical public safety operations, like search and rescue missions. However, without special waivers, these flights are currently limited to visual line of sight – or only as far as the pilot can see – which is roughly no farther than one mile from the operator. As the FAA works to authorize flights beyond this point, NASA is working with industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operationalize an uncrewed traffic management system for these operations. NASA’s UTM Legacy NASA’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, was first developed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley in 2013, and enables drones to safely and efficiently integrate into air traffic that is already flying in low-altitude airspace. UTM is based on digital sharing of each user’s planned flight details, ensuring each user has the same situational awareness of the airspace. NASA performed a series of drone flight demonstrations using UTM concepts in rural areas and densely populated cities under the agency’s previous UTM project . And commercial drone companies have since utilized NASA’s UTM concepts and delivery operations in limited areas. Several projects supporting NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility or AAM mission are working on different elements to help make AAM a reality and one of these research areas is automation.NASA / Graphics UTM Today NASA research is a driving force in making routine drone deliveries a reality. The agency is supporting a series of commercial drone package deliveries beyond visual line of sight, some of which kicked off in August 2024 in Dallas, Texas. Commercial operators are using NASA’s UTM-based capabilities during these flights to share data and planned flight routes with other operators in the airspace, detect and avoid hazards, and maintain situational awareness. All of these capabilities allow operators to safely execute their operations in a shared airspace below 400 feet and away from crewed aircraft. These drone operations in Dallas are a collaboration between NASA, the FAA, industry drone operators, public safety operators, and others. These initial flights will help validate UTM capabilities through successful flight operation evaluations and inform the FAA’s rulemaking for safely expanding drone operations beyond visual line of sight. The agency will continue to work with industry and government partners on more complex drone operations in communities across the country. NASA is also working with partners to leverage UTM for other emerging operations, including remotely piloted air cargo delivery and air taxi flights. UTM infrastructure could also support high-altitude operations for expanded scientific research, improved disaster response, and more. NASA UTM BVLOS NASA’s UTM Beyond Visual Line of Site (UTM BVLOS) subproject is leading this effort, under the Air Traffic Management eXploration portfolio within the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. This work is in support of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility Mission, which seeks to transform our communities by bringing the movement of people and goods off the ground, on demand, and into the sky. Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Credit: NASA NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected Southwest Research Institute of San Antonio to build the Next-Generation Space Weather Magnetometer for the Lagrange 1 Series project as a part of NOAA’s Space Weather Next program. This cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is valued at approximately $26.1 million and includes the development of two magnetometer instruments. The anticipated period of performance is from December 2024 through January 2034. The work will take place at the awardee’s facility in San Antonio, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, and Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The contract scope includes design, analysis, development, fabrication, integration, test, verification, and evaluation of the magnetometer instruments; launch support; supply and maintenance of ground support equipment; and support of post-launch mission operations at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility. These instruments will measure the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind. The instruments provide critical data to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, which issues forecasts, warnings and alerts that help mitigate space weather impacts, including electric power outages and interruption to communications and navigation systems. NASA and NOAA oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of all the satellites in the Lagrange 1 Series project. NOAA is the program owner providing the requirements and funding along with managing the program, operations, data products, and dissemination to users. NASA and its commercial partners develop and build the instruments, spacecraft, and provide launch services on behalf of NOAA. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov -end- Tiernan Doyle Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov Jeremy Eggers Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 757-824-2958 jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsScience Mission DirectorateGoddard Space Flight CenterHeliophysicsJoint Agency Satellite DivisionKennedy Space CenterNOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)Space Weather View the full article

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This animation shows data taken by NASA’s PACE and the international SWOT satellites over a region of the North Atlantic Ocean. PACE captured phytoplankton data on Aug. 8, 2024; layered on top is SWOT sea level data taken on Aug. 7 and 8, 2024. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio One Earth satellite can see plankton that photosynthesize. The other measures water surface height. Together, their data reveals how sea life and the ocean are intertwined. The ocean is an engine that drives Earth’s weather patterns and climate and sustains a substantial portion of life on the planet. A new animation based on data from two recently launched missions — NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) and the international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellites — gives a peek into the heart of that engine. Physical processes, including localized swirling water masses called eddies and the vertical movement of water, can drive nutrient availability in the ocean. In turn, those nutrients determine the location and concentration of tiny floating organisms known as phytoplankton that photosynthesize, converting sunlight into food. These organisms have not only contributed roughly half of Earth’s oxygen since the planet formed, but also support economically important fisheries and help draw carbon out of the atmosphere, locking it away in the deep sea. “We see great opportunity to dramatically accelerate our scientific understanding of our oceans and the significant role they play in our Earth system,” said Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This visualization illustrates the potential we have when we begin to integrate measurements from our separate SWOT and PACE ocean missions. Each of those missions is significant on its own. But bringing their data together — the physics from SWOT and the biology from PACE — gives us an even better view of what’s happening in our oceans, how they are changing, and why.” A collaboration between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), the SWOT’ satellite launched in December 2022 to measure the height of nearly all water on Earth’s surface. It is providing one of the most detailed, comprehensive views yet of the planet’s ocean and its freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Launched in February 2024, NASA’s PACE satellite detects and measures the distribution of phytoplankton communities in the ocean. It also provides data on the size, amount, and type of tiny particles called aerosols in Earth’s atmosphere, as well as the height, thickness, and opacity of clouds. “Integrating information across NASA’s Earth System Observatory and its pathfinder missions SWOT and PACE is an exciting new frontier in Earth science,” said Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, program scientist for SWOT and the Integrated Earth System Observatory at NASA Headquarters. Where Physics and Biology Meet The animation above starts by depicting the orbits of SWOT (orange) and PACE (light blue), then zooms into the North Atlantic Ocean. The first data to appear was acquired by PACE on Aug. 8. It reveals concentrations of chlorophyll-a, a vital pigment for photosynthesis in plants and phytoplankton. Light green and yellow indicate higher concentrations of chlorophyll-a, while blue signals lower concentrations. Next is sea surface height data from SWOT, taken during several passes over the same region between Aug. 7 and 8. Dark blue represents heights that are lower than the mean sea surface height, while dark orange and red represent heights higher than the mean. The contour lines that remain once the color fades from the SWOT data indicate areas of the ocean with the same height, much like the lines on a topographic map indicate areas with the same elevation. The underlying PACE data then cycles through several groups of phytoplankton, starting with picoeukaryotes. Lighter green indicates greater concentrations of this group. The final two groups are cyanobacteria — some of the smallest and most abundant phytoplankton in the ocean — called Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. For Prochlorococcus, lighter raspberry colors represent higher concentrations. Lighter teal colors for Synechococcus signal greater amounts of the cyanobacteria. The animation shows that higher phytoplankton concentrations on Aug. 8 tended to coincide with areas of lower water height. Eddies that spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere tend to draw water away from their center. This results in relatively lower sea surface heights in the center that draw up cooler, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean. These nutrients act like fertilizer, which can boost phytoplankton growth in sunlit waters at the surface. Overlapping SWOT and PACE data enables a better understanding of the connections between ocean dynamics and aquatic ecosystems, which can help improve the management of resources such as fisheries, since phytoplankton form the base of most food chains in the sea. Integrating these kinds of datasets also helps to improve calculations of how much carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere and the ocean. This, in turn, can indicate whether regions of the ocean that absorb excess atmospheric carbon are changing. More About SWOT The SWOT satellite was jointly developed by NASA and CNES, with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project. For the flight system payload, NASA provided the Ka-band radar interferometer (KaRIn) instrument, a GPS science receiver, a laser retroreflector, a two-beam microwave radiometer, and NASA instrument operations. The Doppler Orbitography and Radioposition Integrated by Satellite system, the dual frequency Poseidon altimeter (developed by Thales Alenia Space), the KaRIn radio-frequency subsystem (together with Thales Alenia Space and with support from the UK Space Agency), the satellite platform, and ground operations were provided by CNES. The KaRIn high-power transmitter assembly was provided by CSA. To learn more about SWOT, visit: https://swot.jpl.nasa.gov More About PACE The PACE mission is managed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which also built and tested the spacecraft and the Ocean Color Instrument, which collected the data shown in the visualization. The satellite’s Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter #2 was designed and built by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the Spectro-polarimeter for Planetary Exploration was developed and built by a Dutch consortium led by Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Airbus Defence, and Space Netherlands. To learn more about PACE, visit: https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov News Media Contacts Jacob Richmond (for PACE) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. jacob.a.richmond@nasa.gov Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang (for SWOT) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874 jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-169 Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 Related TermsPACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem)Climate ScienceOceansSWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) Explore More 7 min read Six Ways Supercomputing Advances Our Understanding of the Universe Article 3 weeks ago 4 min read NASA Data Helps International Community Prepare for Sea Level Rise Article 4 weeks ago 6 min read Inia Soto Ramos, From the Mountains of Puerto Rico to Mountains of NASA Earth Data Dr. Inia Soto Ramos became fascinated by the mysteries of the ocean while growing up… Article 4 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

This artist’s concept shows interstellar object 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua) after its discovery in 2017. While itself not a dark comet, ‘Oumuamua’s motion through the solar system has helped researchers better understand the nature of the 14 dark comets discovered so far.European Southern Observatory / M. Kornmesser These celestial objects look like asteroids but act like comets now come in two flavors. The first dark comet — a celestial object that looks like an asteroid but moves through space like a comet — was reported less than two years ago. Soon after, another six were found. In a new paper, researchers announce the discovery of seven more, doubling the number of known dark comets, and find that they fall into two distinct populations: larger ones that reside in the outer solar system and smaller ones in the inner solar system, with various other traits that set them apart. The findings were published on Monday, Dec. 9, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Scientists got their first inkling that dark comets exist when they noted in a March 2016 study that the trajectory of “asteroid” 2003 RM had moved ever so slightly from its expected orbit. That deviation couldn’t be explained by the typical accelerations of asteroids, like the small acceleration known as the Yarkovsky effect. “When you see that kind of perturbation on a celestial object, it usually means it’s a comet, with volatile material outgassing from its surface giving it a little thrust,” said study coauthor Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “But try as we might, we couldn’t find any signs of a comet’s tail. It looked like any other asteroid — just a pinpoint of light. So, for a short while, we had this one weird celestial object that we couldn’t fully figure out.” Weird Celestial Objects Farnocchia and the astronomical community didn’t have to wait long for another piece of the puzzle. The next year, in 2017, a NASA-sponsored telescope discovered history’s first documented celestial object that originated outside our solar system. Not only did 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua) appear as a single point of light, like an asteroid, its trajectory changed as if it were outgassing volatile material from its surface, like a comet. “‘Oumuamua was surprising in several ways,” said Farnocchia. “The fact that the first object we discovered from interstellar space exhibited similar behaviors to 2003 RM made 2003 RM even more intriguing.” By 2023, researchers had identified seven solar system objects that looked like asteroids but acted like comets. That was enough for the astronomical community to bestow upon them their own celestial object category: “dark comets.” Now, with the finding of seven more of these objects, researchers could start on a new set of questions. “We had a big enough number of dark comets that we could begin asking if there was anything that would differentiate them,” said Darryl Seligman, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Physics at Michigan State University, East Lansing, and lead author of the new paper. “By analyzing the reflectivity,” or albedo, “and the orbits, we found that our solar system contains two different types of dark comets.” Two Kinds of Dark Comets The study’s authors found that one kind, which they call outer dark comets, have similar characteristics to Jupiter-family comets: They have highly eccentric (or elliptical) orbits and are on the larger side (hundreds of meters or more across). The second group, inner dark comets, reside in the inner solar system (which includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), travel in nearly circular orbits, and are on the smaller side (tens of meters or less). Like so many astronomical discoveries, Seligman and Farnocchia’s research not only expands on our knowledge of dark comets, but it also raises several additional questions: Where did dark comets originate? What causes their anomalous acceleration? Could they contain ice? “Dark comets are a new potential source for having delivered the materials to Earth that were necessary for the development of life,” said Seligman. “The more we can learn about them, the better we can understand their role in our planet’s origin.” For more information about asteroids and comets, visit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/topics/asteroids/ Small Body Research at JPL NASA Learns More About Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua Lesson: Comet on a Stick News Media Contacts Ian J. O’Neill Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-2649 ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Molly Wasser NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov Bethany Mauger Michigan State University, East Lansing maugerbe@msu.edu 2024-168 Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 Related TermsCometsAsteroidsThe Solar System Explore More 8 min read NASA’s Hubble Celebrates Decade of Tracking Outer Planets Encountering Neptune in 1989, NASA’s Voyager mission completed humankind’s first close-up exploration of the four… Article 3 hours ago 3 min read Leader of NASA’s VERITAS Mission Honored With AGU’s Whipple Award Article 3 hours ago 9 min read Towards Autonomous Surface Missions on Ocean Worlds Through advanced autonomy testbed programs, NASA is setting the groundwork for one of its top… Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Astronaut cognitive performance remains generally stable Researchers found that astronauts on six-month missions to the International Space Station demonstrated generally stable cognitive performance but mild changes in certain areas, including processing speed, working memory, attention, and willingness to take risks. This research provides baseline data that could help identify cognitive changes on future missions and support development of appropriate countermeasures. Research to date has suggested mild decreases in some cognitive performance domains during spaceflight, likely influenced by spaceflight stressors such as radiation and sleep disruption. Longer missions represent greater exposure to these hazards and possible increases in individual vulnerabilities to them. Standard Measures collects a set of psychological and physiological measurements related to human spaceflight risks, including a cognition test battery, from astronauts before, during, and after missions. This paper includes the largest sample of professional astronauts published to date. NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren performs a cognition test on the space station. NASA Scientific discoveries result from NSF/CASIS research Researchers published highlights of discoveries resulting from a collaboration between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) in support of research on transport phenomena in space. A few examples include: combustion studies that advance our understanding of soot formation, wildfires, flame-spread in buildings, and other fundamental combustion phenomena important in everyday life on Earth heat transfer studies that provide insight into how the physics of evaporation and condensation affect cooling systems on spacecraft and in microelectronics and other industries on the ground fluid dynamics studies validating theories of how drops spread, relevant to the design of thermal management systems and for fluid processing on spacecraft, as well as in medical devices and other ground-based applications Removing gravity enables research on fundamental physical phenomena that is difficult or impossible to conduct on Earth. The investigations that led to the findings above are Spherical Cool Flames, which observed the chemical reactions of cool diffusion flames for insight into combustion and fire behavior; Constrained Vapor Bubble, a study of how evaporation and condensation affect the efficiency of cooling devices; and Capillary Flow Experiment 2, research on wetting (a liquid’s ability to spread across a surface) to support design of better systems to process liquids. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst works on the Capillary Flow Experiment.NASAView the full article

NASA/Joel Kowsky On Dec. 6, 2024, NASA leaders unveiled a portrait of the late Mary W. Jackson, pioneering aerospace engineer and mathematician at NASA’s Langley Research Center. The portrait is displayed at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Jackson accepted a position with the NACA Langley Aeronautical Laboratory’s segregated West Area Computers in 1951, where her supervisor was Dorothy Vaughan. In 1958, she became NASA’s first African American female engineer. In 1979, seeing that the glass ceiling was the rule, rather than the exception for Langley’s female professionals, she made a final, dramatic career change, leaving engineering and voluntarily accepting a reduction-in-grade to serve as an administrator in the Equal Opportunity Specialist field. After undergoing training at NASA Headquarters, she returned to Langley and filled the open position of Langley’s Federal Women’s Program Manager. There, she worked hard to impact the hiring and promotion of the next generation of all of NASA’s female mathematicians, engineers and scientists. Jackson retired from Langley in 1985. Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Members of NASA’s VERITAS science team pose for a photo on July 31, 2023, after arriving in Iceland to begin a campaign to study the volcanic island’s geology in support of the future mission to Venus. Principal Investigator Suzanne Smrekar is holding the VERITAS logo.NASA/JPL-Caltech Suzanne Smrekar, geophysicist and principal investigator of the agency’s upcoming VERITAS mission to Venus, is NASA JPL’s first recipient of the prestigious award. Suzanne Smrekar, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, received the Fred Whipple Award on Monday, Dec. 9, in Washington at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Named for astronomer Fred Whipple, the prestigious award recognizes contributions to the field of planetary science. Smrekar also gave the Whipple Lecture “To Venus: A love letter from Earth and beyond” at the event. Smrekar is the principal investigator of NASA’s VERITAS mission, short for Venus Emissivity, Radio science, InSAR, Topography, And Spectroscopy. Slated for launch in the early 2030s, the orbiter will study Venus from surface to core to understand how a rocky planet about the same size as Earth took a very different path, developing into a world covered in volcanic plains and deformed terrain hidden beneath a thick, hot, toxic atmosphere. Smrekar’s passion for modeling and studying how rocky planets evolve led her to a previous stint as deputy principal investigator of NASA’s Mars InSight mission (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport), which revealed new details about the Red Planet’s marsquakes and interior layers, including its crust, mantle, and liquid core. Based at JPL since 1992, Smrekar worked early in her career on NASA’s Magellan mission. “I got to see the first radar images come back from the surface of Venus, and I got to sit around the table with brilliant scientists from around the world examining these bizarre new landscapes, trying to imagine the forces that created them,” she recalled. “It was exhilarating! I was hooked on space exploration, and on Venus!” A recent reexamination of Magellan data found evidence of active volcanism on the planet, and additional indirect evidence of activity, based on estimates of the heat coming out of the planet’s interior from specific tectonic features, has only added to the eagerness to explore Venus. Managed by JPL, VERITAS will study the planet in concert with NASA’s DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) mission, which is managed by NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and is also launching in the early 2030s. More About VERITAS VERITAS partners include Lockheed Martin Space, the Italian Space Agency, the German Aerospace Center, and Centre National d’Études Spatiales in France. The Discovery Program is managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Planetary Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. VERITAS science team explores Iceland to prep for Venus Exploring the Deep Truths of Venus News Media Contact Ian J. O’Neill Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-2649 ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-167 Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 Related TermsVERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography & Spectroscopy)ADEOS (Advanced Earth Observing Satellite) / MIDORIJet Propulsion LaboratoryVenus Explore More 3 min read Students Aim High at NASA JPL ‘Candy Toss’ Competition Article 3 days ago 5 min read NASA JPL Unveils the Dr. Edward Stone Exploration Trail Article 3 days ago 4 min read NASA’s C-20A Studies Extreme Weather Events Article 5 days ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Se espera que Panamá y Austria firmen los Acuerdos de Artemis el miércoles 11 de diciembre de 2024, con lo cual se alcanzarán los 50 signatarios. Los compromisos de los Acuerdos de Artemis y los esfuerzos de los firmantes por avanzar en la implementación de estos principios fomentan la exploración segura y sostenible del espacio.Crédito: NASA Read this release in English here. El miércoles 11 de diciembre, Panamá y Austria firmarán los Acuerdos de Artemis en la sede de la NASA en Washington. Tras las ceremonias de firma, el administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson, se reunirá con los medios de comunicación para destacar avances de los acuerdos, entre ellos el haber alcanzado los 50 signatarios. Los actos comenzarán a las siguientes horas: 11 a.m. hora del este (EST) – Nelson recibirá a José Miguel Alemán Healy, embajador de la República de Panamá en Estados Unidos, y a funcionarios del Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. para la ceremonia de firma de Panamá. 2 p.m. – Nelson recibirá a Petra Schneebauer, embajadora de la República de Austria en Estados Unidos, y a funcionarios del Departamento de Estado para la ceremonia de firma del acuerdo con Austria. 2:30 p.m. – Nelson tendrá disponibilidad para los medios de comunicación para hablar sobre los Acuerdos de Artemis. Todos los eventos son presenciales. Los medios de comunicación interesados en asistir a los mismos deberán confirmar su participación antes de las 5 p.m. del martes 10 de diciembre a: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. La política de acreditación de medios de comunicación de la NASA está disponible en línea (en inglés). Estados Unidos, liderado por la NASA con el Departamento de Estado, y otros siete países signatarios iniciales, establecieron los Acuerdos de Artemis en 2020, identificando un conjunto de principios que promueven el uso beneficioso del espacio para la humanidad. A fecha de hoy, 48 países han firmado los Acuerdos de Artemis, 39 de ellos durante la Administración Biden-Harris, incluyendo 15 nuevos firmantes en 2024. Los Acuerdos de Artemis se basan en el Tratado sobre el espacio ultraterrestre y en otros acuerdos, como el Convenio sobre registro, el Acuerdo sobre rescate y retorno, así como en las mejores prácticas y normas de comportamiento responsable que la NASA y sus socios han respaldado, incluida la divulgación pública de datos científicos. Las ceremonias tendrán lugar en el Auditorio James E. Webb de la agencia, situado en el vestíbulo oeste de la sede central de la NASA, en el edificio Mary W. Jackson, 300 E St. SW, en Washington. Más información (en inglés) sobre los Acuerdos de Artemis en: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords -fin- Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth Shaw / María José Viñas Sede, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis AccordsNASA HeadquartersOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) View the full article

Panama and Austria are expected to sign the Artemis Accords to reach 50 signatories on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. The commitments of the Artemis Accords and efforts by the signatories to advance implementation of these principles support the safe and sustainable exploration of space.Credit: NASA Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Panama and Austria will sign the Artemis Accords at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Following the signing ceremonies, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will hold an in-person media availability to highlight progress on the accords, including reaching 50 signatories. Events will start at the following times: 11 a.m. – Nelson hosts José Miguel Alemán Healy, ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States, and officials of the U.S. Department of State for Panama’s signing ceremony. 2 p.m. – Nelson hosts Petra Schneebauer, ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States, and State Department officials for Austria’s signing ceremony. 2:30 p.m. – Artemis Accords media availability with Nelson. All events are in-person only. Media interested in attending the events must RSVP no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10 to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. The United States, led by NASA with the U.S. Department of State, and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords in 2020, identifying a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity. As of today, 48 nations will have signed the Artemis Accords, including 39 under the Biden-Harris Administration and 15 in 2024 alone. The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data. The ceremonies will take place at the agency’s James E. Webb Auditorium in the West Lobby at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E St. SW in Washington. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords -end- Meira Bernstein / Elizabeth Shaw Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsArtemis AccordsNASA HeadquartersOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) View the full article

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams aboard the International Space Station on Oct. 15, 2024. (Credit: NASA) Students from U.S. military families based overseas will have the chance to hear NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station answer their prerecorded questions. On Wednesday, Dec. 11, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams will respond to questions submitted by students from Stuttgart Elementary, followed by another call on Thursday, Dec. 12, with Nick Hague answering questions from Kwajalein School System students. Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth calls on NASA+ at 12:25 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. EST, respectively. Learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media. Stuttgart Elementary, part of the Department of Defense Education Activity’s Europe East District, will host a space-themed science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) night, featuring a live education downlink as the evening’s highlight. The school, located on Panzer Kaserne near Stuttgart, serves military-connected students from pre-kindergarten to grade five. Media interested in covering the event in person must RSVP by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10, to Chrissy Mitchell at chrissy.mitchell@dodea.edu or 0-631-7106-7060. Additionally, the Kwajalein School System, situated on a secure army installation on Kwajalein Island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, will host an event that brings together local STEM resources to inspire students. For media access, RSVP to Sherman Hogue at sherman.hogue.civ@army.mil or 808-580-4848. For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network. Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery. See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation -end- Abbey Donaldson Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov View the full article

7 Min Read 2024 Be An Astronaut Campaign NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan tethered to the International Space Station during a spacewalk. Credits: NASA NASA astronauts have been traveling to space for more than six decades and living there continuously since 2000. Now, NASA’s Artemis program is preparing to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon. As NASA continues to expand human exploration in our solar system, we will need more than the currently active astronauts to crew spacecraft bound for deep-space destinations. Every four years, NASA opens its doors and welcomes thousands of applicants to join a new class of astronauts that will push human spaceflight to new depths. Astronaut applications opened March 5, 2024, and closed April 16, 2024. In those 42 days, NASA’s 2024 Be An Astronaut Campaign used various platforms to promote the beauty of human spaceflight, explore opportunities to reach untapped and underserved audiences, encourage the younger generations to follow their dreams and pursue a career as an astronaut, and inspire the world about the capabilities we have as humans to explore farther than we ever have before. Official “Be a NASA Astronaut” Video To kick off the astronaut recruitment campaign, NASA, NASA Johnson, NASA Artemis, and NASA Astronauts accounts collaborated on a video narrated by Morgan Freeman on Instagram reaching over 9.7 million views. This video, seen below, was shared across agency social media platforms, YouTube, and digital sites to introduce the start of the astronaut application period. The Universe is Calling: Apply to Be a NASA Astronaut, official NASA astronaut recruitment video featuring a voice over by Morgan Freeman. "Spaceflight is just one part of it. You are a team member before you are any thing in this role." April Jordan Manager of NASA Astronaut Selection Throughout the campaign, #BeAnAstronaut was utilized to increase campaign awareness and engagement. This hashtag was used by 36 agency accounts and totaled 167 posts across the agency. With over 15,000 social media mentions, 256,655 total page views throughout the campaign, and news presence on the Today Show, TIME Magazine, Yahoo News, The New York Times, and more, the Be An Astronaut campaign was a successful and exciting project that inspired aspiring astronauts to follow their dreams. 2024 Astronaut Graduation On March 5, 2024, not only did astronaut applications open, but the 2021 class of NASA astronaut candidates graduated, officially making them astronauts and eligible for spaceflight. These newly graduated astronauts created a superlative to demonstrate just how NASA’s astronaut corps works as a team and family as they passed the torch down to NASA’s next class of astronauts. The 2024 astronaut graduating class gives you an insider’s look at not only the who’s who of their graduating class, but it allows you to get a glimpse of the accomplished astronauts’ personalities. To see them together as a group, connecting through laughter helps to illustrate how much they value team care. These classic superlatives give the scoop on which astronaut is the best dancer, the funniest, and more. Enjoy seeing a lighter side of “The Flies” in this fun and upbeat montage of the 2024 astronaut graduating class. Astronaut Candidate Countdown Our astronaut graduation countdown campaign celebrated the most recent graduating class of astronauts. The previous class completed two years of rigorous training at Johnson Space Center before they officially gained their wings. This campaign not only highlighted their achievements, but hopefully inspired potential candidates by showcasing the journey from trainee to astronaut. During the graduation ceremony, applications for the next astronaut class were announced, continuing the legacy of excellence and exploration. NASA astronaut Luke Delaney poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Jessica Wittner poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Andre Douglas poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Marcos Berrios poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center astronaut Nora AlMatrooshi poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Anil Menon poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center astronaut Mohammed AlMulla poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Christina Birch poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Christopher Williams poses for the Astronaut Graduation Countdown.Credit: NASA NASA Tumblr Thread For many people, human spaceflight has been a part of their lives for decades. After years of exploring, hundreds of astronauts have shared their unique experiences with the world and inspired many to want to follow in their footsteps. With over 100 thousand impressions on Tumblr, NASA posted a unique thread on “5 Myths About Becoming an Astronaut”. https://www.tumblr.com/nasa/132538793869/5-myths-about-becoming-an-astronaut Merriam-Webster Word of the Day: Astronaut NASA astronaut and member of the recently graduated 2021 class of NASA astronauts, Deniz Burnham, participated in the “Word of the Day” series with Merriam-Webster defining the word ‘astronaut’. Just weeks after officially becoming an astronaut, Deniz’s video was featured on Merriam-Webster’s website and social media platforms. NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham featured in Merriam-Webster’s word of the day video defining the word “astronaut”. Houston, We Have a Podcast On NASA’s top-rated podcast, “Houston We Have a Podcast,” our astronaut recruitment episode garnered over 4,000 plays on Apple Podcasts and more than 1,000 plays on Spotify. In this episode, the manager of NASA astronaut selection discussed the selection process and how to apply for an out-of-this-world career. A lone spacesuit can be seen in the middle of the image, as a black shadow of the helmet reflects three question marks.Credit: NASA United States Army Astronaut Recruitment Video NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Col. Anne McClain discussed her experience as an astronaut and how other members of the U.S. Army can apply to become an astronaut and travel to space like her. This video was posted on the U.S. Army’s social media as well as posted to YouTube reaching thousands of supporters in and of the military. Col. Anne McClain, commander of the U.S. Army NASA detachment, shares information on eligibility as well as where and when to apply to become a NASA astronaut like herself. Credit: U.S. Army Read More Become An Astronaut Webpage NASA’s ‘Become An Astronaut’ webpage drove 246,655 viewers to the page throughout the duration of the recruitment campaign from internal and external collaborations across various digital platforms and events. Listing job requirements, frequently asked questions, and how to apply, the webpage consisted of 87.1% new visitors to the site and had almost 28 thousand referrals from Instagram. NASA’s ‘Become An Astronaut’ webpage.Credit: NASA Read More The 2024 Be An Astronaut Campaign ranged from March 5, 2024 to April 16, 2024 and successfully integrated various platforms, outreach opportunities, and educational resources into the recruitment of our next class of astronauts. With over 15 thousand social media mentions, 2 thousand news outlet mentions, $4.6 million in publicity value, a 91% positive sentiment, and 195 countries involved in the conversation, the campaign was able to inspire NASA’s future space explorers and push the agency closer to returning to the Moon and going to Mars. Share Details Last Updated Dec 09, 2024 Related TermsBecoming an AstronautAstronautsGeneralHumans in SpaceWhy Go To Space Explore More 3 min read Protected: Space Station Trajectory Data There is no excerpt because this is a protected post. Article 4 days ago 2 min read Protected: How do I Spot The Station? Article 4 days ago 11 min read Protected: Spot the Station Frequently Asked Questions Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Members belonging to one of three teams from Oakwood School aim their devices — armed with chocolate-coated-peanut candies — at a target during JPL’s annual Invention Challenge on Dec. 6.NASA/JPL-Caltech Teams competed with homemade devices to try to launch 50 peanut candies in 60 seconds into a target container.NASA/JPL-Caltech More points were awarded for successfully landing the candy into the highest, smallest level of the triangular Plexiglas target — not an easy task.NASA/JPL-Caltech Treats went flying through the air by the dozens at the annual Invention Challenge at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The 25th Invention Challenge at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which welcomed more than 200 students to compete using home-built devices, was pretty sweet this year. Literally. That’s because the challenge at the Friday, Dec. 6, competition was to construct an automated machine that would launch, within 60 seconds, 50 chocolate-coated-peanut candies over a barrier and into a triangular Plexiglas container 16 feet (5 meters) away. The mood was tense as teachers, parents, and JPL employees watched the “Peanut Candy Toss Contest” from the sidelines, some of them eating the ammunition. Students on 21 teams from Los Angeles and Orange county middle and high schools turned to catapults, slingshots, flywheels, springs, and massive rubber bands. There was lots of PVC piping. A giant device shaped like a blue bunny shot candy out of its nose with the help of an air compressor, while other entries relied on leaf blowers and vacuums. A team from Santa Monica High School won the 2024 Invention Challenge at JPL on Dec. 6 with a device was based on a crossbow.NASA/JPL-Caltech Some were more successful than others. Ultimately, it was an old-school design that won first place for a team from Santa Monica High School: a modified crossbow. “I tried to come up with something that was historically tried and true,” said Steele Winterer, a senior on the team who produced the initial design. Like his teammates, Steele is in the school’s engineering program and helped build the device during class. He described the process as “nerve-wracking,” “messy,” and “disorganized,” but everyone found their role as the design was refined. Second and third place went to teams from Oakwood School in North Hollywood, which both took a firing-line approach, using four parallel wooden devices, with one student per device firing after each other in quick succession. Two regional Invention Challenges held at Costa Mesa High School and Augustus Hawkins High School in South L.A. last month had winnowed the field to the 21 teams invited to the final event at JPL. At the finals, three JPL-sponsored teams from out-of-state schools and two teams that included adult engineers faced off in a parallel competition. In this second competition group, retired JPL engineer Alan DeVault took first place, followed by Boston Charter School of Science coming in second, and Centaurus High School from Colorado in third. Competing with a wooden device at the 2024 Invention Challenge, retired JPL engineer and longtime participant Alan DeVault won first place among JPL-sponsored teams, which included professionals and out-of-state students. Challenge organizer Paul MacNeal kneels at right.NASA/JPL-Caltech Held since 1998 (with a two-year break during the COVID-19 pandemic), the contest was designed by JPL mechanical engineer Paul MacNeal to inspire students to discover a love for building things and solving problems. Student teams spend months designing, constructing, and testing their devices to try to win the new challenge that MacNeal comes up with each year. “When student teams come to the finals, they are engaged just as engineers are engaged in the work we do here at JPL,” MacNeal said. “It’s engineering for the joy of it. It’s problem-solving but it’s also team building. And it’s unique because the rules change every year. The student teams get to see JPL engineering teams compete side by side. I started this contest to show students that engineering is fun!” The event is supported by dozens of volunteers from JPL, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena for NASA. News Media Contact Melissa Pamer Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-314-4928 melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-166 Share Details Last Updated Dec 06, 2024 Related TermsJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 5 min read NASA JPL Unveils the Dr. Edward Stone Exploration Trail Article 5 hours ago 4 min read NASA’s C-20A Studies Extreme Weather Events Article 2 days ago 5 min read NASA’s Europa Clipper: Millions of Miles Down, Instruments Deploying Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read Sols 4384-4385: Leaving the Bishop Quad NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity captured this image of Mount Sharp (at right), its upper layers distinctive for its yardangs — ridges formed over a long period of time by wind stripping away the soft and loose material in between. Curiosity acquired this image using its Right Navigation Camera on sol 4383 — Martian day 4,383 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Dec. 4, 2024, at 13:07:53 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 As the Curiosity rover climbs west toward the broad saddle separating Gediz Vallis from its neighboring canyon on the slopes of Mount Sharp, the rover is also approaching the edge of its current geological quadrangle or “quad” map on Mars. The current quad, designated “Bishop,” has meant that all of the targets studied by Curiosity since August 2023 have been named after places of geological interest near Bishop, California, on Earth. The Earthly Bishop quad includes locales in the Sierra Nevada, Owens Valley, and Inyo/White Mountains of California. The team has taken great pleasure in visiting some of Curiosity’s target namesakes during the past year during their off hours, practicing geology while enjoying lovely mountains, lakes, and deserts. However, in the next few plans, readers of this blog will see a different target naming scheme for Curiosity targets. Previous quads have honored regions of Scotland and Brazil, among other places. Read “Mission Update” for Friday, Dec. 6, or Monday, Dec. 9, to find out what the next Martian quad theme will be! Curiosity’s drive on Monday completed successfully. The quote of the day during planning was, “I wish all SRAPs were this easy!” The translation is that all six of Curiosity’s wheels are firmly seated on solid ground, ensuring that the rover will not “pop a wheelie” when the heavy robotic arm reaches out to take close-ups of the nearby rock formations. This paves the way for a very full sol of science investigations prior to the next drive. This plan’s science emphasis is on fractures and light-colored veins in the rocks, indicating that cracks in the rocks experienced groundwater intrusion at some point in the distant past. On sol 4384, APXS and MAHLI will study “Three Brothers.” This is a vertical vein with a tricky arm approach, and MAHLI will use rotational stereo imaging to get a 3D perspective of it at close range. “Three Brothers” is named for a monumental set of peaks on the north side of Yosemite Valley. John Muir considered the view from the northernmost peak to be the best view of Yosemite Valley. MAHLI will also obtain finely detailed images of “Placerville,” a set of small pebbles named for the famous California Gold Rush town. ChemCam will do laser spectroscopy of a vein network in target “Cyclone Meadow,” honoring a lovely alpine meadow at around 9,400 feet in the Southern Sierra Nevada. ChemCam will also take telescopic RMI images of the bright “yardang” wind-eroded upper layers of Mount Sharp seen in the distance in the accompanying Navcam image. Mastcam will obtain before/after high resolution imaging of the laser target, as well as a large 22×1 stereo mosaic of “Dusy Branch,” named for Dusy Branch, a mountain stream flowing into the Bishop Creek canyon. Mastcam will also take smaller mosaics of the vein structures in “Groveland,” named for the western gateway town of Yosemite National Park, as well as images of red pebbles and exotic cobbles. Following that science block, Curiosity will drive 43 meters (about 141 feet) toward the west, ending with a MARDI image in addition to the usual post-drive image panoramas. On sol 4384, ChemCam and Navcam will be used together to obtain AEGIS observations of nearby bedrock. Atmospheric observations of dust opacity, clouds, and dust devils will complete the science for this plan. The next plan will see Curiosity drive uphill to the west and away from our beloved Bishop quad. Written by Deborah Padgett, OPGS Task Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Share Details Last Updated Dec 06, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read Sols 4382-4383: Team Work, Dream Work Article 3 days ago 3 min read Sols 4375-4381: A Stuffed Holiday Plan Article 4 days ago 3 min read Sols 4732-4735: I’ll Zap You, My Pretty, and Your Pebble Too Article 4 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited… All Mars Resources Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,… Rover Basics Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. 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With a look back at 2024, NASA is celebrating its many innovative and inspiring accomplishments this year including for the first time, landing new science and technology on the Moon with an American company, pushing the boundaries of exploration by launching a new mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa; maintaining 24 years of continuous human exploration off the Earth aboard the International Space Station, and unveiling the first look at its supersonic quiet aircraft for the benefit of humanity. The agency also shared the wonder of a total eclipse with millions of Americans, conducted the final flight of its Ingenuity helicopter on the Red Planet, demonstrated the first laser communications capability in deep space, tested the next generation solar sail in space, made new scientific discoveries with its James Webb Space Telescope, completed a year-long Mars simulation on Earth with crew, announced the newest class of Artemis Generation astronauts, and much more. “In 2024, NASA made leap after giant leap to explore, discover, and inspire – all while bringing real, tangible, and substantial benefits to the American people and to all of humanity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We deepened the commercial and international partnerships that will help NASA lead humanity back to the Moon and then to the red sands of Mars. We launched new missions to study our solar system and our universe in captivating new ways. We observed our changing Earth through our eyes in the sky – our ever-growing fleet of satellites and instruments – and shared that data with all of humanity. And we opened the doors to new possibilities in aviation, new breakthroughs on the International Space Station, and new wonders in space travel.” Through its Moon to Mars exploration approach, the agency continued moving forward with its Artemis campaign, including progress toward its first mission around the Moon with crew in more than 50 years and advancing plans to explore more of the Moon than ever before. So far in 2024, 15 countries signed the Artemis Accords, committing to the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of space with the United States. As part of efforts to monitor climate change, the agency launched multiple satellites to study our changing planet and opened its second Earth Information Center to provide data to a wider audience. With the release of its latest Economic Impact Report, NASA underscored the agency’s $75.6 billion impact on the U.S. economy, value to society, and return on investment for taxpayers. “To invest in NASA is to invest in American workers, American innovation, the American economy, and American economic competitiveness. Through continued investments in our workforce and our infrastructure, NASA will continue to propel American leadership on Earth, in the skies, and in the stars,” said Nelson. Key 2024 agency highlights across its mission areas include: Preparing for Moon, Mars This year, NASA made strides toward the Artemis Generation of scientific discovery at the Moon while validating operations and systems to prepare for human missions to Mars. The agency advanced toward Artemis II, the first crewed flight under Artemis: NASA announced results of its Orion heat shield investigation and updated its timelines for Artemis II and III. Teams delivered the core stage and launch vehicle stage adapter of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and began stacking the rocket’s booster segments. Engineers carried out a series of tests of the mobile launcher and systems at NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B ahead of the test flight and added an emergency egress system to keep crew and other personnel at the launch pad safe in the case of an emergency. NASA performed key integrated testing of the Orion spacecraft that will send four astronauts around the Moon and bring them home, including testing inside an altitude chamber simulating the vacuum conditions of deep space. The crew and other teams performed key training activities to prepare for flight, including practicing recovery operations at sea, as well as launch countdown and mission simulations. In February, the first Moon landing through the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative brought NASA science to the lunar surface on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander successfully capturing data that will help us better understand the Moon’s environment and improve landing precision and safety. In August, NASA announced that a new set of NASA science experiments and technology demonstrations will arrive at the lunar South Pole in 2027 following the agency’s latest CLPS initiative delivery award. To return valuable samples from Mars to Earth, NASA sought innovative designs and announced a new strategy review team to assess various design studies to reduce cost, risk, and complexity. NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft celebrated 10 years of exploration of the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere. After three years, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter ended its mission in January, with dozens more flights than planned. In September, the NASA Space Communications and Navigation team awarded a contract to Intuitive Machines to support the agency’s lunar relay systems as part of the Near Space Network, operated by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA identified an updated set of nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for its Artemis III mission. Capturing the current state of the Moon to Mars architecture, NASA released the second revision of its Architecture Definition Document. NASA formalized two international agreements for key Artemis elements, including with the United Arab Emirates for the Gateway airlock module, and with Japan to provide a pressurized rover for the lunar surface. Astronauts, scientists, and engineers took part in testing key technologies and evaluating hardware needed to work at the Moon, including simulating moonwalks in geologically Moon-like areas of Arizona, practiced integration between the crew and mission controllers, participated in human factors testing for Gateway, and evaluated the developmental hardware. NASA worked collaboratively with SpaceX and Blue Origin on their human lunar landers for Artemis missions, exercising an option under existing contracts to develop cargo variants of their human landers. In August, as part of its commitment to a robust, sustainable lunar exploration program for the benefit of all, NASA announced it issued a Request for Information to seek interest from American companies and institutions in conducting a mission using the agency’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) Moon rover. The agency selected three companies to advance capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle that Artemis astronauts will use to travel around the lunar surface. NASA completed a critical design review on the second mobile launcher, which will launch the more powerful Block 1B version of the SLS rocket. Engineers at NASA Kennedy continued outfitting the Artemis III and IV Orion crew modules and received the European-built Orion service module for Artemis III; they also received several sections of the Artemis III and IV SLS core stages, and upgraded High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building. NASA completed its second RS-25 certification test series at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, setting the stage for production of new engines to help power future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) 1 crew completed a 378-day mission in a ground-based Mars habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. After launch, the spacecraft plans to fly by Mars in February 2025, then back by Earth in December 2026, using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum. With help of these “gravity assists,” Europa Clipper will achieve the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in April 2030.Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA newest class of astronauts, selected in 2021, graduate during a ceremony on March 5, 2024, at the at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.Credit: NASA NASA and Boeing welcomed Starliner back to Earth following the uncrewed spacecraft’s successful landing at 10:01 p.m. MDT Sept. 6, 2024, at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Credit: NASA NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits on the apron outside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility at dawn in Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to address one of the primary challenges to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.Credit: Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Five NASA astronauts wore eye-protecting specs in anticipation of viewing the solar eclipse from the International Space Station’s cupola. The Expedition 70 crewmates had three opportunities on April 8 to view the Moon’s shadow as it tracked across the Earth surface during the eclipse.Credit: NASA/Loral O’Hara This enhanced color view of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was generated using data collected by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard the agency’s Perseverance Mars rover on Aug. 2, 2023, the 871st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The image was taken a day before the rotorcraft’s 54th flight.Credit: NASA The CHAPEA crew egress from their simulated Mars mission July 6, 2024, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. From left: Kelly Haston, Nathan Jones, Anca Selariu, and Ross Brockwell.Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel An artist’s concept of NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft in orbit.Credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart Office of STEM Engagement Deputy Associate Administrator Kris Brown, right, and U.S. Department of Education Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, left, watch as a student operates a robot during a STEM event to kickoff the 21st Century Community Learning Centers NASA and U.S. Department of Education partnership, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Wheatley Education Campus in Washington. Students engaged in NASA hands-on activities and an engineering design challenge. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani On Feb. 22, 2024, Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar lander captures a wide field of view image of Schomberger crater on the Moon approximately 125 miles (200 km) uprange from the intended landing site, at approximately 6 miles (10 km) altitude.Credit: Intuitive Machines NASA’s Artemis II crew members from left to right CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Reid Wiseman walk in the well deck of the USS San Diego during Underway Recovery Test 11 (URT-11), as NASA’s Exploration Ground System’s Landing and Recovery team and partners from the Department of Defense aboard the ship practice recovery procedures using the Crew Module Test Article off the coast of San Diego, California on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. URT-11 is the eleventh in a series of Artemis recovery tests, and the first time NASA and its partners put their Artemis II recovery procedures to the test with the astronauts.Credit: NASA/Isaac Watson Observing, Learning About Earth NASA collects data about our home planet from space and on land, helping understand how our climate on Earth is changing. Some of the agency’s key accomplishments in Earth science this year include: After launching into space in February, NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite mission is successfully transmitting first-of-their-kind measurements of ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate. Using the agency’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, NASA made available new near-real time data providing air pollution observations at unprecedented resolutions – down to the scale of individual neighborhoods. Launched in May and June, NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-Infrared Experiment) CubeSats started collecting data on the amount of heat in the form of far-infrared radiation that the Arctic and Antarctic environments emit to space. NASA rolled out the Disaster Response Coordination System, a new resource that delivers up-to-date information on fires, earthquakes, landslides, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other extreme events to emergency managers. The agency partnered with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to open the Earth Information Center exhibit. Exploring Our Solar System, Universe NASA’s Europa Clipper embarked Oct. 14 on its long voyage to Jupiter, where it will investigate Europa, a moon with an enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life. NASA collaborated with multiple partners on content and social media related to the launch, including engagements with the National Hockey League, U.S. Figure Skating, 7-Eleven, e.l.f., Girl Scouts, Crayola, Library of Congress, and others. NASA’s 2024 space exploration milestones also include: NASA’s groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope marked more than two years in space, transforming our view of the universe as designed, by studying the most distant galaxies ever observed, while raising exciting new questions about the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system. As part of an asteroid sample exchange, NASA officially transferred to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) a portion of the asteroid Bennu sample collected by the agency’s OSIRIS-Rex (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission in a ceremony on Aug. 22. After surviving multiple challenges this year, NASA’s Voyager mission continues to collect data on the furthest reaches of our Sun’s influences. NASA selected a new space telescope for development that will survey ultraviolet light across the entire sky, called UVEX (UltraViolet Explorer). This year, all remaining major components were delivered to NASA Goddard to begin the integration phase for the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. NASA developed, tested, and launched the patch kit that astronauts will use to repair the agency’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) telescope on the International Space Station. The agency continued preparing the SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) mission to launch by April 2025. To manage the maturation of technologies necessary to develop the Habitable Worlds Observatory telescope, NASA established a project office at NASA Goddard. NASA and partners declared that the Sun reached solar maximum in 2024, a period of heightened solar activity when space weather becomes more frequent. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a joint mission between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA, discovered its 5,000th comet in March. NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program provided low-cost access to space for scientific research, technology development, and educational missions. NASA launched 14 sounding rocket missions in 2024. Scientists announced findings from a sounding rocket launched in 2022 that confirmed the existence of a long-sought global electric field at Earth. The agency established a new class of astrophysics missions, called Astrophysics Probe Explorers, designed to fill a gap between NASA’s flagship and smaller-scale missions. Living, Conducting Research in Space In 2024, a total of 25 people lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, helping to complete science for the benefit of humanity, open access to space to more people, and support exploration to the Moon in preparation for Mars. A total of 14 spacecraft visited the microgravity laboratory in 2024, including eight commercial resupply missions from Northrop Grumman and SpaceX, as well as international partner missions, delivering more than 40,000 pounds of science investigations, tools, and critical supplies to the space station. NASA also helped safely return the uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft to Earth, concluding a three-month flight test to the International Space Station. In addition: In March, NASA welcomed its newest class of Artemis Generation astronauts in a graduation ceremony. The agency also sought new astronaut candidates, and more 8,000 people applied. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa returned to Earth at the conclusion of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission aboard the International Space Station. The three crew members, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, splashed down in March off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, completing a six-and-a-half-month mission contributing to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations. In June, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely arrived at the space station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft following launch of their flight test. With Starliner’s arrival, it was the first time in station history three different spacecraft that carried crew to station were docked at the same time. Starliner returned uncrewed in September following a decision by NASA. Wilmore and Williams, now serving as part of the agency’s Crew-9 mission, will return to Earth in February 2025. NASA astronaut Don Pettit, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, arrived at the orbital laboratory in September to begin a six-month mission. Completing a six-month research mission in September, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson returned to Earth with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov launched on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the space station. Concluding a nearly eight-month science mission, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission safely returned to Earth, splashing down on Oct. 25, off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. NASA and Axiom Space successfully completed the third private astronaut mission to the space station in February, following an 18-day mission, where the crew conducted 30 experiments, public outreach, and commercial activities in microgravity. The agency announced SpaceX was selected to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, which will safely move the space station out of orbit and into a remote area of an ocean at the end of its operations. NASA and SpaceX monitored operations as the company’s Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of reboost capabilities for the space station. NASA concluded the final mission of its Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiment, or Saffire, putting a blazing end to an eight-year series of investigations looking at fire’s behavior in space. A robotic surgical tool aboard space station was successfully controlled remotely by surgeons on Earth. The Robotic Surgery Tech Demo tested the performance of a small robot to evaluate the effects of microgravity and time delays between space and ground. The first successful metal 3D print was conducted aboard the space station, depositing a small s-curve in liquified stainless steel for the Metal 3D Printer investigation to test additive manufacturing of small metal parts in microgravity for equipment maintenance on future long-duration missions. In 2024, 17 NASA Biological and Physical Science research payloads were delivered to the orbital laboratory, spanning quantum, plant biology, and physical sciences investigations. More than 825,000 photos of Earth were taken from the space station in 2024 so far, contributing to research tracking how our planet’s landscapes are changing over time. Expedition 71 produced more than 630,000 images, the most taken during a single mission. In total, more than 5.3 million photos have been taken from the space station, providing imagery for urban light studies, studies of lightning flashes, and 14 natural disaster events in 2024 alone. Imagining Future Flight NASA researchers worked to advance innovations that will transform U.S. aviation, furthering the Sustainable Flight National Partnership and other efforts to help the country reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. NASA also unveiled its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, the centerpiece of its Quesst mission to make quiet overland supersonic flight a reality. NASA aeronautics initiatives also worked to bring air taxis, delivery drones, and other revolutionary technology closer to deployment to benefit the U.S. public and industry. Over the past year, the agency: Began testing the quiet supersonic X-59’s engine ahead of its first flight. Made further progress in research areas of Quesst mission, including ground recording station testing and advancement and structural tests on the aircraft. Publicly unveiled the X-59 in January, providing the first look at this unique aircraft. Tested a wind-tunnel model of the X-66, an experimental aircraft designed to reduce the carbon footprint. Began building the X-66 simulator that will allow pilots and engineers to run real-life scenarios in a safe environment. Funded new studies looking at the future of sustainable aircraft for the 2050 timeframe and beyond. Built a new simulator to study how passengers may experience air taxi rides. The results will help designers create new aircraft types with passenger comfort in mind. Developed a computer software tool called OVERFLOW to predict aircraft noise and aerodynamic performance. This tool is now being used by several air taxi manufacturers to test how propellers or wings perform. In collaboration with Sikorsky and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), flew two helicopters autonomously using NASA-designed collision avoidance software. Designed and flew a camera pod with sensors to help advance computer vision for autonomous aviation. Launched a new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics kit focused on Advanced Air Mobility so students can learn more about air taxis and drones. Continued to reduce traffic and save fuel at major U.S. airports as part of NASA’s to work to improve air travel and make it more sustainable. Worked with partners to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind air traffic management concept for aircraft to safely operate at higher altitudes. Advanced Hybrid-Electric technologies with GE Aerospace under the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core project. Conducted new ground and flight tests for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project, which works to create hybrid electric powertrains for regional and single-aisle aircraft, alongside GE Aerospace and magniX. Collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration and police and fire departments to strategize on integrating public safety drones into the national airspace. Launched a new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics kit focused on Advanced Air Mobility so students can learn more about air taxis and drones. Improving Life on Earth, in Space with Technology NASA develops essential technologies to drive exploration and the space economy. In 2024, NASA leveraged partnerships to advance technologies and test new capabilities to help the agency develop a sustainable presence on the lunar surface and beyond, while benefiting life on our home planet and in low Earth orbit. The following are 2024 space technology advancements: Deployed NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System in space, marking a successful test of its composite boom technology. Performed record-breaking laser communications with NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA’s Psyche spacecraft about 290 million miles away. NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System and Deep Space Optical Communications were named among TIME’s Inventions of 2024, along with the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. Supported 84 tests of technology payloads via 38 flights with six U.S. commercial flight providers through NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program. Enabled the first NASA-supported researcher to fly with their payload aboard a commercial suborbital rocket. Advanced critical capabilities for autonomous networks of small spacecraft with NASA’s Starling demonstration, the first satellite swarm to autonomously distribute information and operations data between spacecraft. Demonstrated space-age fuel gauge technology, known as a Radio Frequency Mass Gauge, on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander, to develop technology to accurately measure spacecraft fuel levels. Performed an in-space tank to tank transfer of cryogenic propellent (liquid oxygen) on the third flight test of SpaceX’s Starship. Licensed a new 3-D printed superalloy, dubbed GRX-810, to four American companies to make stronger, more durable airplane and spacecraft parts. Manufactured 3D-printed, liquid oxygen/hydrogen thrust chamber hardware as part of NASA’s Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology project, which earned the agency’s 2024 “Invention of The Year” award for its contributions to NASA and commercial industry’s deep space exploration goals. Pioneered quantum discovery using the Cold Atom Lab, including producing the first dual-species Bose-Einstein Condensates in space, the first dual-species atom interferometers in space, and demonstrating the first ultra-cool quantum sensor for the first time in space. Announced two new consortia to carry out ground-based research investigations and conduct activities for NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Space Biology Program, totaling $5 million. Awarded $4.25 million across the finales of three major NASA Centennial Challenges, including Break the Ice, Watts on the Moon, and Deep Space Food to support NASA’s Artemis missions and future journeys into deep space. Launched a collaborative process to capture the aerospace community’s most pervasive technical challenges, resulting in a ranked list of 187 civil space shortfalls to help guide future technology development projects, investments, and technology roadmaps. Growing Global Partnerships Through the Artemis Accords, almost 50 nations have joined the United States, led by NASA with the U.S. State Department, in a voluntary commitment to engage in the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The Artemis Accords represent a robust and diverse group of nation states, representing all regions of the world, working together for the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond with NASA. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the weeks and months ahead. During a May workshop with Artemis Accords signatories in Montreal, Canada, NASA led a tabletop exercise for 24 countries centered on further defining and implementing key tenets, including considering views on non-interference, interoperability, and scientific data sharing among nations. A NASA delegation participated in the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan. During the congress, NASA co-chaired the Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting, which brought together 42 nations furthering discussions on the safe and responsible use of space for the benefit of all. Celebrating Total Solar Eclipse During the total solar eclipse on April 8, NASA helped the nation enjoy the event safely and engaged millions of people with in-person events, live online coverage, and citizen science opportunities. NASA also funded scientists around North America to take advantage of this unique position of the Sun, Moon, and Earth to learn more about the Sun and its connection to our home planet. Highlights of the solar celebration include: The space station crew were among the millions viewing the solar eclipse. NASA collaborated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Google, NCAA Women’s Final Four, Peanuts Worldwide, Microsoft, Sésamo, LEGO, Barbie, Major League Baseball, Third Rock Radio, Discovery Education, and others on eclipse-inspired products and social posts to support awareness of the eclipse and the importance of safe viewing. More than 50 student teams participated in NASA’s Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, with some becoming the first to measure atmospheric gravity waves caused by eclipses. Building Low Earth Orbit Economy In August, NASA announced the development of its low Earth orbit microgravity strategy by releasing 42 objectives for stakeholder feedback. The strategy helps to guide the next generation of human presence in low Earth orbit and advance microgravity science, technology, and exploration. NASA is refining the objectives with collected input and will finalize the strategy before the end of the year. Additional advancements include: NASA modified agreements for two funded commercial space station partners that are on track to develop low Earth orbit destinations for the agency and other customers. A NASA-funded commercial space station, Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef, completed multiple testing milestones for its critical life support system as part of the agency’s efforts for new destinations in low Earth orbit. A full-scale ultimate burst pressure test on Sierra Space’s LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat structure was conducted, an element of a NASA-funded commercial space station. The agency’s industry partners, through the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities initiative and Small Business Innovation Research Ignite initiative, completed safety milestones, successful flight tests, and major technological advancements. As NASA opens access to space by working with private industry, the agency shared its medical expertise, human system integration knowledge, utilization requirements, and commercial space food insight to aid in developing safe, reliable, innovative, and cost-effective space stations. To address a rapidly changing space operating environment and ensure its preservation for generations to come, NASA released its integrated Space Sustainability Strategy in April. The agency tested the Sierra Space Dream Chaser spaceplane for the extreme environments of space at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the space station and back for the first time using optical, or laser, communications. Inspiring Artemis Generation of STEM Students NASA continues to offer a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and activities, reaching and engaging the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. The agency’s STEM engagements are enhanced through collaborations with partner organizations, the distribution of various grants, and additional strategic activities. Key 2024 STEM highlights include: Awarded nearly $45 million to 21 higher-education institutions to help build capacity for research, and announced the recipients of grants that will support scientific and technical research projects for more than 20 universities and organizations across the United States. Planted a “Moon Tree,” a seedling that traveled around the Moon and back aboard the agency’s Artemis I mission in 2022, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The event highlighted a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service that invited organizations across the country to host the seedlings. Partnered with Microsoft’s Minecraft to engage students in a game-based learning platform, where players can experience NASA’s discoveries with interactive modules on star formation, planets, and galaxy types, modeled using real James Webb Space Telescope images. Collaborate with the U.S. Department of Education to bring STEM to students during after-school hours under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which aims to reach thousands of students in more than 60 sites across 10 states. Launched NASA Engages, a platform to connect and serve the public by providing agency experts to share their experiences working on agency missions and programs. With more than 55,000 applications for NASA internships across the spring, summer and fall sessions, a new recruitment record, NASA helped students and early-career professionals make real contributions to space and science missions. Expanded the agency’s program to help informal educational institutions like museums, science centers, libraries, and other community organizations bring STEM content to communities, resulting in 42 active awards across 26 states and Puerto Rico. Hosted the 30th Human Exploration Rover Challenge, one of NASA’s longest-standing student challenges, with participation from more than 600 students and 72 teams from around the world. Reaching New, Future Explorers NASA’s future-forward outreach to current and new audiences is key to providing accessibility to the agency’s scientific discoveries and to growing the future STEM workforce. NASA’s creative and inclusive 2024 strategies to reach the public include: NASA’s on-demand streaming service, NASA+, achieved four times the viewership of the agency’s traditional cable channel, marking a major milestone in its ongoing web modernization efforts. As part of the digital transformation, NASA said goodbye to NASA Television, its over-the-air broadcast, streamlining how it delivers the latest space, science, and technology news. NASA+ marked its first year of operation Sept. 23, and visitors have played 1,036,389 hours of programming. April 8, the day of the total solar eclipse, brought in 32 million views to NASA’s websites, more than 15 times additional views than the average this year. On average, NASA websites receive 33.4 million views every month. NASA social media accounts saw an increase of 4% in followers since 2023, from 391.2 million in 2023 to 406.8 million this year. On average, NASA accounts see close to 25 million engagements each month.Notable live social media events in 2024 included the first-ever Reddit Ask Me Anything with the platform’s 23-million member “Explain Like I’m Five” community; the first X Spaces conversation from space; and NASA’s first Instagram Live of a launch, which contributed 410,000 of the 6.6 million views of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test launch. NASA Twitch launched custom emotes, issued channel points for the first time, and collaborated with an external Twitch creator, a how-to conversation with astrophotographers and NASA experts about photographing the Moon. NASA aired live broadcasts for 14 mission launches in 2024. The agency’s official broadcast of the 2024 total solar eclipse and its telescope feed are the top two most-watched livestreams this year on NASA’s YouTube.The agency’s YouTube livestreams in 2024 surpassed 84.7 million total views. NASA broadcasts often were enhanced by the presence of well-known athletes, artists, and cultural figures. The solar eclipse broadcast alone featured musician Lance Bass, actor Scarlett Johannson, NFL quarterback Josh Dobbs, and Snoopy. The agency’s podcasts surpassed 9.7 million all-time plays on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The NASA app was installed more than 2.1 million times in 2024. The number of subscribers to NASA’s flagship and Spanish newsletters total more than 5 million. NASA celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Hidden Figures Way street renaming. The program honored the legacy of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine M. Darden, and others who were featured in Margot Shetterly’s book – and the subsequent movie – Hidden Figures, and their commitment to science, justice, and humanity. The agency signed Space Act agreements with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to increase engagement and equity for underrepresented students pursuing STEM fields and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities. As part of its plans to reach new audiences, NASA continued to focus on developing Spanish-language content. This year, the agency:Launched its second season of the Spanish-language podcast Universo curioso de la NASA.More than doubled the number of yearly posts to its science-focused website in Spanish, Ciencia de la NASA, and grew the website’s traffic by five-fold.Produced live broadcasts for the 2024 total solar eclipse and for the launch of the Europa Clipper mission, which reached a combined audience of more than 5 million viewers around the world.Published a video about how NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) cooperate to train astronauts. Released an astrobiology graphic novel and the agency’s economic impact yearly report in Spanish, among other outreach materials. Relaunched the NASA Art Program with two space-themed murals in New York’s Hudson Square neighborhood in Manhattan. The vision of the reimagined NASA Art Program is to inspire and engage the Artemis Generation with community murals and art projects for the benefit of humanity. A DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory Workshop documented and celebrated the important scientific work conducted aboard NASA’s legendary DC-8 and captured lessons of the past for current and future operators. The Deep Space Network beamed a Missy Elliott song to space on July 12. NASA partnered with Crayola Education to develop content for Crayola’s annual Creativity Week held in January, which reached more than 6 million kids from 100 countries. On the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, NASA Johnson named one of its central buildings the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo.” Actress Octavia Spencer narrated a video for the event. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley hosted social media creators in space, science, and engineering for a behind-the-scenes tour of the center’s world-class facilities. Engaging largely untapped NASA audiences of more than 155,000 in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota, NASA’s Glenn launched NASA in the Midwest, an integrated approach to bring awareness to the agency’s connections to the region to large-scale festivals and surrounding community institutions. Reaching 500,000 in-person attendees, NASA Stennis supported the agency’s return to the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans. NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia developed a dance engagement program in partnership with the Eastern Shore Ballet Theatre, introducing new audiences to the agency while blending arts and science. NASA participated in more than 3,700 events planned with an estimated reach of more than 17 million worldwide. This was accomplished through in-person, hybrid, and virtual outreach activities and events. The agency’s Virtual Guest Program engaged 277,370 virtual guests across 13 events, with an average of 145 countries, regions, and territories represented per event. There also were many notable engagements highlighting the intersection of space and sports in 2024, including the Stanley Cup visiting NASA Kennedy for photographs as part of the agency’s growing partnership with the National Hockey League. NASA Glenn also collaborated with The Ohio State University Marching Band for its halftime show during the university’s football game on Sept. 21. A video greeting from astronauts aboard the International Space Station introduced the show, which featured aerospace-themed music and numerous formations including the final formation the NASA Meatball. For more about NASA’s missions, research, and discoveries, visit: https://www.nasa.gov -end- Meira Bernstein / Cheryl Warner Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 06, 2024 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsGeneralAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateArtemisArtemis AccordsCommercial CrewCommercial SpaceEarthExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateHumans in SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS ResearchLow Earth Orbit EconomyNASA Centers & FacilitiesNASA DirectoratesNASA en españolOffice of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR)People of NASAScience & ResearchScience Mission DirectorateSocial MediaSpace Operations Mission DirectorateSpace Technology Mission DirectorateSTEM Engagement at NASAThe Solar SystemThe Universe View the full article

Credit: NASA NASA has selected Nova Space Solutions, LLC of Anchorage, Alaska, to provide operations, services, maintenance, and infrastructure support for NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The Combined Operations, Services, Maintenance, and Infrastructure Contract is a cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that has a value of approximately $822.7 million. The performance period begins July 1, 2025, and extends eight years and three months, with a 15-month base period, followed by a one-year option period and three two-year option periods. Under the contract, Nova Space Solutions will be responsible for contract management, logistics, safety, health and environmental compliance, engineering and manufacturing support services, site services, facility operations and maintenance services, and environmental services and program management. NASA’s Stennis Space Center is the nation’s largest propulsion test site, with infrastructure to support projects ranging from component and subscale testing to large engine hot fires. Researchers from NASA, other government agencies, and private industry use NASA Stennis test facilities for technology and propulsion research and developmental projects. NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, managed by the agency’s Marshall Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is the nation’s premier site for manufacturing and assembly of large-scale space structures and systems. For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov -end- Tiernan Doyle Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov C. Lacy Thompson Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 228-363-5499 calvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov Lance D. Davis Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama 256-640-9065 lance.d.davis@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 06, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsStennis Space CenterMarshall Space Flight CenterMichoud Assembly Facility View the full article

Congratulations to the selected teams and their schools who will participate in the Lunar Autonomy Challenge! 31 teams were selected for the qualifying round, engaging 229 students from colleges and universities in 15 states. Teams will now move on to a Qualifying Round where they will virtually explore and map the lunar surface using a digital twin of NASA’s lunar mobility robot, the ISRU Pilot Excavator (IPEx). Teams will develop software that can perform set actions without human intervention, navigating the digital IPEx in the harsh, low-light conditions of the Moon. The Qualifying Round will extend to February 28, when the top-scoring teams will proceed to the Final Round, with the winners announced in May 2025. The Lunar Autonomy Challenge is a collaboration between NASA, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Caterpillar Inc., and Embodied AI. ​ Learn more: https://lunar-autonomy-challenge.jhuapl.edu/ ​ SchoolCityStateAmerican Public University SystemCharles TownWest VirginiaArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaCalifornia Polytechnic Institute, Pomona (1)PomonaCaliforniaCalifornia Polytechnic Institute, Pomona (2)PomonaCaliforniaCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghPennsylvaniaEmbry Riddle Aeronautical UniversityDaytona BeachFloridaEssex County CollegeNewarkNew JerseyGeorgia Institute of Technology & Arizona State UniversityAtlanta & TempeGeorgia & ArizonaHarvard UniversityAllstonMassachusettsJohns Hopkins University Whiting School of EngineeringBaltimoreMarylandMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsNew York University Tandon School of EngineeringBrooklynNew YorkNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNorth CarolinaPenn State (1)University ParkPennsylvaniaPenn State (2)University ParkPennsylvaniaPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaRochester Institute of TechnologyRochester New YorkRose Hulman Institue of TechnologyTerre HauteIndianaStanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia Texas A&M UniversityCollege StationTexasUniversity of AlabamaTuscaloosaAlabamaUniversity of Buffalo, State University of New YorkBuffaloNew YorkUniversity of California, StanislausTurlockCaliforniaUniversity of Illinois Urbana Champaign (1)UrbanaIllinoisUniversity of Illinois Urbana Champaign (2)UrbanaIllinoisUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMarylandUniversity of Pennsylvania (1)Philadelphia PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania (2)Philadelphia PennsylvaniaUniversity of Southern California & Stanford UniversityLos Angeles & StanfordCaliforniaWest Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaWorcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcesterMassachusetts Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative ISRU Pilot Excavator Education & Opportunities We are committed to providing educational opportunities for students interested in pursuing professional experiences in the life science disciplines. Our… View the full article

JPL Director Laurie Leshin, flanked by a model of the Voyager spacecraft and an image of Ed Stone, addresses the audience during the unveiling of the Dr. Edward Stone Exploration Trail on Dec. 6, 2024, at the lab. Ed Stone Memorial Plaque Dedication Ceremony Requester: Susie Woodall Date: 06-DEC-2024 Photographer: Ryan Lannom A series of plaques stretching through the heart of the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory offers highlights of the space explorer’s career and the Voyager mission he led. Family members, colleagues, and local dignitaries gathered on Friday, Dec. 6, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California for the unveiling of a memorial honoring Ed Stone, best known as the longtime project scientist of the agency’s Voyager mission. Stone died in June 2024 at age 88 after leading the mission for half a century and leading JPL for a decade. Stretching through the heart of the lab, the Dr. Edward Stone Exploration Trail traces the arc of Stone’s distinguished career and the long journeys of the twin Voyager space probes. Designed with simple line drawings, 24 disc-shaped plaques along the trail offer career and mission highlights while evoking the Golden Record aboard both spacecraft. The Dr. Edward Stone Exploration Trail begins in front of the building where Stone served as JPL’s director. NASA/JPL-Caltech Launched in the summer of 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 have since traveled more than 15.4 billion and 12.9 billion miles (24 billion and 20 billion kilometers), respectively — farther than any other human-made object. The plaques trace their trajectories to Jupiter and Saturn as well as their diverging paths, with Voyager 2 heading toward Uranus and Neptune as Voyager 1 made a beeline for interstellar space. Other stops along the trail honor Stone’s work creating the W.M. Keck Observatory in 1985, his appointment as JPL’s director in 1991, and his being honored with the Distinguished Service Award 2013. “To follow in the footsteps of Ed Stone is to walk the path of an extraordinary person who dedicated his time on Earth to reaching for the stars, and who paved the way for others to do the same,” said Laurie Leshin, director of JPL. “This trail is a testament to Ed’s bold curiosity, visionary leadership, and passion for science that have enabled us to explore farther into the cosmos than ever before. It’s also a reminder of his influence on so many of our endeavors to reach new frontiers in space.” Embedded in the pavement, 24 additional plaques trace the approximate trajectories of the Voyager spacecraft. The shape and design language of the plaques evoke the design of the Gold Record.NASA/JPL-Caltech Blazing a Trail Stone’s penchant for walking was one of the topics that came up when members of JPL’s Office of the Director, its DesignLab, and the Voyager team began discussing ways to honor his outsize contributions to JPL and science. From those initial brainstorming sessions came the question, “How can we do something to memorialize him at JPL that gets people to walk?” recalled DesignLab’s graphic manager, Lauren Shapiro. The distances between the plaques are roughly proportional the distances between the events they highlight, and the team even tried to make flight trajectories of the probes as accurate as possible, given the challenges of avoiding buildings and the like. Designer Kaelyn Richards relied on the Voyager Golden Record as a guide for the visual language. “I referenced a lot of old scientific diagrams that were made by artists in the ’70s and ’80s, and I used a solar system modeling program to show the exact position of the planets on the day that the ‘Pale Blue Dot’ was taken,” she said, referring to the plaque honoring the famous 1990 image Voyager 1 took of Earth from beyond Neptune. “Everyone seemed to agree that Voyager was Ed Stone. Yes, he did so much more, but this was really his biggest legacy,” Shapiro said. “So we’re honoring both the mission and the person alongside each other. And they both, in a poetic way, have had very long, incredible lives.” Voyager 1 and 2 both carry the Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials with sounds and images that portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. NASA/JPL-Caltech After retiring as Voyager’s project scientist, Stone returned to teaching and research at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. Before attending the unveiling, Caltech President Thomas Rosenbaum said, “Ed was a whirlwind of activity. I have many good memories of running after Ed in the midst of conversation as he charged across campus. Ed’s ambition, drive, and vision were accompanied by his warmth, humility, and commitment to Caltech and our students. He served as a mentor for generations of scholars who have gone on to be leaders in their fields. He conveyed a curiosity and a thirst for discovery that inspired.” Stone had joined the Caltech faculty as an assistant professor in 1967 and, from 1983 to 1988, chaired the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy. He went on to serve as vice president for astronomical facilities from 1988 to 1990 and as vice provost for special projects from 2004 to 2022. In 2023, Caltech established a new faculty position, the Edward C. Stone Professorship. But there was another academic honor that Stone also cherished: the 2012 naming of the Edward Stone Middle School in his hometown of Burlington, Iowa. A short walk from the plaque marking that milestone is the final stop of the Exploration Trail, its simple inscription reading: “Ed Stone’s leadership and pursuit of scientific knowledge expanded humanity’s understanding of the universe. His legacy lives on through the Voyager mission, and the countless people he has inspired.” News Media Contacts Matthew Segal / Calla Cofield Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 818-354-8307 / 626-808-2469 matthew.j.segal@jpl.nasa.gov / calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov 2024-165 Share Details Last Updated Dec 06, 2024 Related TermsVoyager ProgramHeliophysicsJet Propulsion LaboratoryVoyager 1Voyager 2 Explore More 4 min read NASA’s C-20A Studies Extreme Weather Events Article 2 days ago 2 min read This Thanksgiving, We’re Grateful for NASA’s Volunteer Scientists! This year, we’re giving thanks to you for Doing NASA Science! You and the millions… Article 1 week ago 5 min read NASA’s Europa Clipper: Millions of Miles Down, Instruments Deploying Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article