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On flight day 13, Orion reached its maximum distance from Earth during the Artemis I mission when it was 268,563 miles away from our home planet. Orion has now traveled farther than any other spacecraft built for humans.NASA The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew under the Artemis campaign and will pave the way to land astronauts on the Moon on Artemis III and future missions. The crew of four aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft will travel around the Moon and back to confirm the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts – including the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut – to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for crewed missions to Mars. On Dec. 5, NASA updated its timelines for the missions and shared the results of an investigation into the Orion heat shield after it experienced an unexpected loss of charred material during re-entry of the Artemis I uncrewed test flight in late 2022. Here are some frequently asked questions about Artemis II, NASA’s recent updates, and the agency’s path to the Moon and Mars. What is Orion? NASA’s Orion spacecraft is where our crew live while traveling to and from deep space. Orion is built to take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before. On Artemis missions, Orion will carry crews of four astronauts from Earth to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain them as they venture to the Moon, and safely return them to Earth from deep space speeds and temperatures. What is a heat shield and why is it important? When Orion travels back from deep space, its journey through Earth’s atmosphere generates intense temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit on parts of the spacecraft. The 16-foot diameter protective heat shield on the bottom of the capsule is designed to dissipate that heat and keep the crew inside safe. Orion’s heat shield is primarily composed of Avcoat, a material designed to wear away as it heats up. What abnormal behavior did you see on the Artemis I heat shield? NASA flew the uncrewed Artemis I mission in late 2022 to test Orion, the agency’s SLS rocket, and the ground systems needed to launch them, testing these elements together for the first time to ensure engineers understand everything about the systems before flights with astronauts. The successful test flight sent Orion past the Moon and provided valuable data to ensure our deep space spacecraft and other systems are ready for crewed missions. When Orion returned to Earth, engineers saw variations across Orion’s heat shield they did not expect. Some of the charred material had broken off. If a crew had been aboard the flight, they would have remained safe, but understanding the phenomenon has been the subject of an extensive investigation since the test flight. What did NASA’s find as the cause of the issue? Engineers determined that as Orion was returning from its uncrewed mission around the Moon, gases generated inside the heat shield’s ablative outer material called Avcoat were not able to vent and dissipate as expected. This allowed pressure to build up and horizontal cracking to occur near the surface of the charred layer, causing some charred material to break off in several locations. For Artemis II, engineers will limit how long Orion spends in the temperature range in which the Artemis I heat shield phenomenon occurred by modifying how far Orion can fly between when it enters Earth atmosphere and lands. Engineers already are assembling and integrating the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III based on lessons learned from Artemis I and implementing enhancements to how heat shields for crewed returns from lunar landing missions are manufactured to achieve uniformity and consistent permeability. A more detailed description is here. Why did NASA decide to use the current heat shield? Extensive data from the investigation has given engineers confidence the heat shield for Artemis II can be used to safely fly the mission’s crew around the Moon and back. NASA will modify the trajectory by shortening how far Orion can fly between when it enters Earth’s atmosphere and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. This will limit how long Orion spends in the temperature range in which the Artemis I heat shield phenomenon occurred. The heat shield for the test flight is already attached to Orion. When will Artemis II take place? The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft and will pave the way to land astronauts on the Moon on Artemis III. Artemis II builds on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I mission and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on lunar missions. The 10-day flight will help to confirm all of the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space. The mission is targeted for April 2026. The updated timeline for the Artemis II flight is informed by technical issues engineers are troubleshooting including with an Orion battery issue and its environmental control system. The heat shield was installed in June 2023 and the root cause investigation took place in parallel to other assembly and testing activities to preserve as much schedule as possible. What are the astronauts doing during the mission delay? NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will continue training for the mission. More intensive training will begin about six months before launch. About the Artemis Campaign What is Artemis? NASA is establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for scientific exploration and discovery with our commercial and international partners, learning how to live and work far from home, and preparing for future human exploration of Mars – we call this endeavor Artemis. Under Artemis, NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. Why is NASA going back to the Moon? NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Artemis is a new approach to America’s space exploration efforts — it is the most technically challenging, collaborative, international endeavor humanity has ever set out to do. What we learn from expanding scientific knowledge and developing new technologies will be applied to improve life on Earth. Samples from the lunar South Pole could tell us more about the formation of our planet and origins of our solar system. We are meeting this challenge by investing in American ingenuity and leadership to advance our understanding of the universe for the benefit of all. What makes Artemis different from Apollo? The Apollo Program successfully landed 12 men near the equator of the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s. Under Artemis, NASA is going to the lunar South Pole region, where no humans have ever set foot, in new ways with commercial and international partners. The agency is leading the largest international coalition in space to push humanity farther than ever before for the benefit of all, developing capabilities for astronauts to live and work on the Moon before our next giant leap – human exploration of Mars. What happens after Artemis II? Artemis III will build on the crewed Artemis II flight test, adding new capabilities with the human landing system and advanced spacesuits to send the first humans to explore the lunar South Pole region. Over the course of about 30 days a crew of four will launch atop the Space Launch System rocket in Orion and travel to a special lunar orbit where they will dock with SpaceX’s Starship human landing system. Two Artemis crew members will transfer from Orion to Starship and descend to the lunar surface. There, they will collect samples, perform science experiments, and observe the Moon’s environment before returning in Starship to Orion waiting in lunar orbit. The mission is planned for mid-2027. NASA is also working with SpaceX to further develop the company’s Starship lander requirements for Artemis IV. These requirements include landing more mass on the Moon and docking with the agency’s Gateway lunar space station for crew transfer. NASA will use Blue Origin’s human landing system for Artemis V. View the full article

Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the next American astronauts and first international astronaut on the South Pole region of the Moon. On Thursday, NASA announced the latest updates to its lunar exploration plans. Experts discussed results of NASA’s investigation into its Orion spacecraft heat shield after it experienced an unexpected loss of charred material during re-entry of the Artemis I uncrewed test flight. For the Artemis II crewed test flight, engineers will continue to prepare Orion with the heat shield already attached to the capsule. The agency also announced it is now targeting April 2026 for Artemis II and mid-2027 for Artemis III. The updated mission timelines also reflect time to address the Orion environmental control and life support systems. “The Artemis campaign is the most daring, technically challenging, collaborative, international endeavor humanity has ever set out to do,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We have made significant progress on the Artemis campaign over the past four years, and I’m proud of the work our teams have done to prepare us for this next step forward in exploration as we look to learn more about Orion’s life support systems to sustain crew operations during Artemis II. We need to get this next test flight right. That’s how the Artemis campaign succeeds.” The agency’s decision comes after an extensive investigation of an Artemis I heat shield issue showed the Artemis II heat shield can keep the crew safe during the planned mission with changes to Orion’s trajectory as it enters Earth’s atmosphere and slows from nearly 25,000 mph to about 325 mph before its parachutes unfurl for safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. “Throughout our process to investigate the heat shield phenomenon and determine a forward path, we’ve stayed true to NASA’s core values; safety and data-driven analysis remained at the forefront,” said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The updates to our mission plans are a positive step toward ensuring we can safely accomplish our objectives at the Moon and develop the technologies and capabilities needed for crewed Mars missions.” NASA will continue stacking its SLS (Space Launch System) rocket elements, which began in November, and prepare it for integration with Orion for Artemis II. Throughout the fall months, NASA, along with an independent review team, established the technical cause of an issue seen after the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in which charred material on the heat shield wore away differently than expected. Extensive analysis, including from more than 100 tests at unique facilities across the country, determined the heat shield on Artemis I did not allow for enough of the gases generated inside a material called Avcoat to escape, which caused some of the material to crack and break off. Avcoat is designed to wear away as it heats up and is a key material in the thermal protection system that guards Orion and its crew from the nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit of temperatures that are generated when Orion returns from the Moon through Earth’s atmosphere. Although a crew was not inside Orion during Artemis I, data shows the temperature inside Orion remained comfortable and safe had crew been aboard. Engineers already are assembling and integrating the Orion spacecraft for Artemis III based on lessons learned from Artemis I and implementing enhancements to how heat shields for crewed returns from lunar landing missions are manufactured to achieve uniformity and consistent permeability. The skip entry is needed for return from speeds expected for lunar landing missions. “Victor, Christina, Jeremy, and I have been following every aspect of this decision and we are thankful for the openness of NASA to weigh all options and make decisions in the best interest of human spaceflight. We are excited to fly Artemis II and continue paving the way for sustained human exploration of the Moon and Mars,” said Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander. “We were at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida recently and put eyes on our SLS rocket boosters, the core stage, and the Orion spacecraft. It is inspiring to see the scale of this effort, to meet the people working on this machine, and we can’t wait to fly it to the Moon.” Wiseman, along with NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will fly aboard the 10-day Artemis II test flight around the Moon and back. The flight will provide valuable data about Orion systems needed to support crew on their journey to deep space and bring them safely home, including air revitalization in the cabin, manual flying capabilities, and how humans interact with other hardware and software in the spacecraft. With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work farther away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s SLS, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration. For more information about Artemis, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -end- Meira Bernstein / Rachel Kraft Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 05, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsMissionsArtemisArtemis 2Exploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateNASA Directorates View the full article

The Artemis II Orion spacecraft is lifted from the Final Assembly and Testing (FAST) Cell and placed in the west altitude chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’S Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 28, 2024. Inside the altitude chamber, the spacecraft underwent a series of tests simulating deep space vacuum conditions.Photo Credit: NASA / Rad Sinyak After extensive analysis and testing, NASA has identified the technical cause of unexpected char loss across the Artemis I Orion spacecraft’s heat shield. Engineers determined as Orion was returning from its uncrewed mission around the Moon, gases generated inside the heat shield’s ablative outer material called Avcoat were not able to vent and dissipate as expected. This allowed pressure to build up and cracking to occur, causing some charred material to break off in several locations. “Our early Artemis flights are a test campaign, and the Artemis I test flight gave us an opportunity to check out our systems in the deep space environment before adding crew on future missions,” said Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The heat shield investigation helped ensure we fully understand the cause and nature of the issue, as well as the risk we are asking our crews to take when they venture to the Moon.” Findings Teams took a methodical approach to understanding and identifying the root cause of the char loss issue, including detailed sampling of the Artemis I heat shield, review of imagery and data from sensors on the spacecraft, and comprehensive ground testing and analysis. During Artemis I, engineers used the skip guidance entry technique to return Orion to Earth. This technique provides more flexibility by extending the range Orion can fly after the point of reentry to a landing spot in the Pacific Ocean. Using this maneuver, Orion dipped into the upper part of Earth’s atmosphere and used atmospheric drag to slow down. Orion then used the aerodynamic lift of the capsule to skip back out of the atmosphere, then reenter for final descent under parachutes to splashdown. Using Avcoat material response data from Artemis I, the investigation team was able to replicate the Artemis I entry trajectory environment — a key part of understanding the cause of the issue — inside the arc jet facilities at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. They observed that during the period between dips into the atmosphere, heating rates decreased, and thermal energy accumulated inside the heat shield’s Avcoat material. This led to the accumulation of gases that are part of the expected ablation process. Because the Avcoat did not have “permeability,” internal pressure built up, and led to cracking and uneven shedding of the outer layer. After NASA’s Orion spacecraft was recovered at the conclusion of the Artemis I test flight and transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, its heat shield was removed from the crew module inside the Operations and Checkout Building and rotated for inspection. Credit: NASA Teams performed extensive ground testing to replicate the skip phenomenon before Artemis I. However, they tested at much higher heating rates than the spacecraft experienced in flight. The high heating rates tested on the ground allowed the permeable char to form and ablate as expected, releasing the gas pressure. The less severe heating seen during the actual Artemis I reentry slowed down the process of char formation, while still creating gases in the char layer. Gas pressure built up to the point of cracking the Avcoat and releasing parts of the charred layer. Recent enhancements to the arc jet facility have enabled a more accurate reproduction of the Artemis I measured flight environments, so that this cracking behavior could be demonstrated in ground testing. While Artemis I was uncrewed, flight data showed that had crew been aboard, they would have been safe. The temperature data from the crew module systems inside the cabin were also well within limits and holding steady in the mid-70s Fahrenheit. Thermal performance of the heat shield exceeded expectations. Engineers understand both the material phenomenon and the environment the materials interact with during entry. By changing the material or the environment, they can predict how the spacecraft will respond. NASA teams unanimously agreed the agency can develop acceptable flight rationale that will keep crew safe using the current Artemis II heat shield with operational changes to entry. NASA’s Investigation Process Soon after NASA engineers discovered the condition on the Artemis I heat shield, the agency began an extensive investigation process, which included a multi-disciplinary team of experts in thermal protection systems, aerothermodynamics, thermal testing and analysis, stress analysis, material test and analysis, and many other related technical areas. NASA’s Engineering and Safety Center was also engaged to provide technical expertise including nondestructive evaluation, thermal and structural analysis, fault tree analysis, and other testing support. “We took our heat shield investigation process extremely seriously with crew safety as the driving force behind the investigation,” said Howard Hu, manager, Orion Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “The process was extensive. We gave the team the time needed to investigate every possible cause, and they worked tirelessly to ensure we understood the phenomenon and the necessary steps to mitigate this issue for future missions.” The Artemis I heat shield was heavily instrumented for flight with pressure sensors, strain gauges, and thermocouples at varying ablative material depths. Data from these instruments augmented analysis of physical samples, allowing the team to validate computer models, create environmental reconstructions, provide internal temperature profiles, and give insight into the timing of the char loss. Approximately 200 Avcoat samples were removed from the Artemis I heat shield at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama for analysis and inspection. The team performed non-destructive evaluation to “see” inside the heat shield. One of the most important findings from examining these samples was that local areas of permeable Avcoat, which had been identified prior to the flight, did not experience cracking or char loss. Since these areas were permeable at the start of the entry, the gases produced by ablation were able to adequately vent, eliminating the pressure build up, cracking, and char loss. A test block of Avcoat undergoes heat pulse testing inside an arc jet test chamber at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. The test article, configured with both permeable (upper) and non-permeable (lower) Avcoat sections for comparison, helped to confirm understanding of the root cause of the loss of charred Avcoat material that engineers saw on the Orion spacecraft after the Artemis I test flight beyond the Moon.Credit: NASA Engineers performed eight separate post-flight thermal test campaigns to support the root cause analysis, completing 121 individual tests. These tests took place in facilities with unique capabilities across the country, including the Aerodynamic Heating Facility at the Arc-Jet Complex at Ames to test convective heating profiles with various test gases; the Laser Hardened Materials Evaluation Laboratory at Wright‐Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio to test radiative heating profiles and provide real-time radiography; as well as the Interaction Heating Facility at Ames to test combined convective and radiative heating profiles in the air at full-block scale. Aerothermal experts also completed two hypersonic wind tunnel test campaigns at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia and CUBRC aerodynamic test facilities in Buffalo, New York, to test a variety of char loss configurations and enhance and validate analytical models. Permeability testing was also performed at Kratos in Alabama, the University of Kentucky, and Ames to help further characterize the Avcoat’s elemental volume and porosity. The Advanced Light Source test facility, a U.S. Department of Energy scientific user facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was also used by engineers to examine the heating behavior of the Avcoat at a microstructure level. In the spring of 2024, NASA stood up an independent review team to conduct an extensive review of the agency’s investigation process, findings, and results. The independent review was led by Paul Hill, a former NASA leader who served as the lead space shuttle flight director for Return to Flight after the Columbia accident, led NASA’s Mission Operations Directorate, and is a current member of the agency’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. The review occurred over a three-month period to assess the heat shield’s post-flight condition, entry environment data, ablator thermal response, and NASA’s investigation progress. The review team agreed with NASA’s findings on the technical cause of the physical behavior of the heat shield. Heat Shield Advancements Knowing that permeability of Avcoat is a key parameter to avoid or minimize char loss, NASA has the right information to assure crew safety and improve performance of future Artemis heat shields. Throughout its history, NASA has learned from each of its flights and incorporated improvements into hardware and operations. The data gathered throughout the Artemis I test flight has provided engineers with invaluable information to inform future designs and refinements. Lunar return flight performance data and a robust ground test qualification program improved after the Artemis I flight experience are supporting production enhancements for Orion’s heat shield. Future heat shields for Orion’s return from Artemis lunar landing missions are being produced to achieve uniformity and consistent permeability. The qualification program is currently being completed along with the production of more permeable Avcoat blocks at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. For more information about NASA’s Artemis campaign, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis View the full article

Hubble Space Telescope Home NASA’s Hubble Takes the… Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science Highlights Science Behind Discoveries Hubble’s Partners in Science Universe Uncovered Explore the Night Sky Observatory Hubble Observatory Hubble Design Mission Operations Missions to Hubble Hubble vs Webb Team Hubble Team Career Aspirations Hubble Astronauts News Hubble News Hubble News Archive Social Media Media Resources Multimedia Multimedia Images Videos Sonifications Podcasts E-books Online Activities Lithographs Fact Sheets Glossary Posters Hubble on the NASA App More 35th Anniversary 4 Min Read NASA’s Hubble Takes the Closest-Ever Look at a Quasar A NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of the core of quasar 3C 273. Credits: NASA, ESA, Bin Ren (Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS); Acknowledgment: John Bahcall (IAS); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) Astronomers have used the unique capabilities of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to peer closer than ever into the throat of an energetic monster black hole powering a quasar. A quasar is a galactic center that glows brightly as the black hole consumes material in its immediate surroundings. The new Hubble views of the environment around the quasar show a lot of “weird things,” according to Bin Ren of the Côte d’Azur Observatory and Université Côte d’Azur in Nice, France. “We’ve got a few blobs of different sizes, and a mysterious L-shaped filamentary structure. This is all within 16,000 light-years of the black hole.” Some of the objects could be small satellite galaxies falling into the black hole, and so they could offer the materials that will accrete onto the central supermassive black hole, powering the bright lighthouse. “Thanks to Hubble’s observing power, we’re opening a new gateway into understanding quasars,” said Ren. “My colleagues are excited because they’ve never seen this much detail before.” Quasars look starlike as point sources of light in the sky (hence the name quasi-stellar object). The quasar in the new study, 3C 273, was identified in 1963 by astronomer Maarten Schmidt as the first quasar. At a distance of 2.5 billion light-years it was too far away for a star. It must have been more energetic than ever imagined, with a luminosity over 10 times brighter than the brightest giant elliptical galaxies. This opened the door to an unexpected new puzzle in cosmology: What is powering this massive energy production? The likely culprit was material accreting onto a black hole. A Hubble Space Telescope image of the core of quasar 3C 273. A coronagraph on Hubble blocks out the glare coming from the supermassive black hole at the heart of the quasar. This allows astronomers to see unprecedented details near the black hole such as weird filaments, lobes, and a mysterious L-shaped structure, probably caused by small galaxies being devoured by the black hole. Located 2.5 billion light-years away, 3C 273 is the first quasar (quasi-stellar object) ever discovered, in 1963. NASA, ESA, Bin Ren (Université Côte d’Azur/CNRS); Acknowledgment: John Bahcall (IAS); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) In 1994 Hubble’s new sharp view revealed that the environment surrounding quasars is far more complex than first suspected. The images suggested galactic collisions and mergers between quasars and companion galaxies, where debris cascades down onto supermassive black holes. This reignites the giant black holes that drive quasars. For Hubble, staring into the quasar 3C 273 is like looking directly into a blinding car headlight and trying to see an ant crawling on the rim around it. The quasar pours out thousands of times the entire energy of stars in a galaxy. One of closest quasars to Earth, 3C 273 is 2.5 billion light-years away. (If it was very nearby, a few tens of light-years from Earth, it would appear as bright as the Sun in the sky!) Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) can serve as a coronagraph to block light from central sources, not unlike how the Moon blocks the Sun’s glare during a total solar eclipse. Astronomers have used STIS to unveil dusty disks around stars to understand the formation of planetary systems, and now they can use STIS to better understand quasars’ host galaxies. The Hubble coronograph allowed astronomers to look eight times closer to the black hole than ever before. Scientists got rare insight into the quasar’s 300,000-light-year-long extragalactic jet of material blazing across space at nearly the speed of light. By comparing the STIS coronagraphic data with archival STIS images with a 22-year separation, the team led by Ren concluded that the jet is moving faster when it is farther away from the monster black hole. “With the fine spatial structures and jet motion, Hubble bridged a gap between the small-scale radio interferometry and large-scale optical imaging observations, and thus we can take an observational step towards a more complete understanding of quasar host morphology. Our previous view was very limited, but Hubble is allowing us to understand the complicated quasar morphology and galactic interactions in detail. In the future, looking further at 3C 273 in infrared light with the James Webb Space Telescope might give us more clues,” said Ren. At least 1 million quasars are scattered across the sky. They are useful background “spotlights” for a variety of astronomical observations. Quasars were most abundant about 3 billion years after the big bang, when galaxy collisions were more common. The Hubble Space Telescope has been operating for over three decades and continues to make ground-breaking discoveries that shape our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope and mission operations. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Denver, also supports mission operations at Goddard. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, conducts Hubble science operations for NASA. Explore More Science Behind the Discoveries: Quasars Science Behind the Discoveries: Black Holes Monster Black Holes are Everywhere Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Media Contacts: Claire Andreoli (claire.andreoli@nasa.gov) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD Ray Villard Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD Science Contact: Bin Ren Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, France Share Details Last Updated Dec 05, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Astrophysics Division Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Quasars Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Hubble’s Night Sky Challenge Hubble Gravitational Lenses Hubble Lithographs View the full article

The Fresh Eyes on Ice team receives the C. Peter Magrath exemplary project award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. H. Buurman Congratulations to the Fresh Eyes on Ice project, which received a C. Peter Magrath exemplary project award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities! The award recognizes programs that demonstrate how colleges and universities have redesigned their learning, discovery, and engagement missions to deepen their partnerships and achieve broader impacts in their communities. “Thank you to all of you for making this project what it is.” said Fresh Eyes on Ice project lead Research Professor Katie Spellman from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. “We couldn’t do it without you.” Fresh Eyes on Ice tracks changes in the timing and thickness of ice throughout Alaska and the circumpolar north. You can get involved by downloading the GLOBE Observer app and taking photos of ice conditions using the GLOBE Land Cover protocol. Fresh Eyes on Ice is supported by the Navigating the New Arctic Program of the U.S. National Science Foundation and the NASA Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program. Facebook logo @DoNASAScience @DoNASAScience Share Details Last Updated Dec 05, 2024 Related Terms Citizen Science Earth Science Explore More 4 min read 2024 AGU Fall Meeting Hyperwall Schedule Article 1 day ago 2 min read This Thanksgiving, We’re Grateful for NASA’s Volunteer Scientists! Article 1 week ago 9 min read The Earth Observer Editor’s Corner: Fall 2024 Article 3 weeks ago View the full article

3 Min Read Matt Dominick’s X Account: A Visual Journey from Space We are lucky to have had the opportunity to fly in space and feel a responsibility to share with humanity the incredible views of the Earth and the cosmos. Matt dominick NASA Astronaut NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick launched to the International Space Station on March 3, 2024 as the commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. As a flight engineer aboard the orbiting laboratory, Dominick conducted scientific research while capturing breathtaking views of Earth and beyond from the ultimate vantage point—250 miles above the planet. Dominick’s X account (@dominickmatthew) has become a visual diary, showcasing the beauty of our planet captured from low Earth orbit during his 235 days in space. From the ethereal glow of auroras dancing across the atmosphere to comets rising up over the horizon during an orbital sunrise, each meticulously captured image reflects his dedication to sharing the wonders of space exploration through social media. He goes beyond simply posting pictures; he reveals the techniques behind his astrophotography, including camera settings and insights into his creative process, inviting followers to appreciate the artistry involved. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Matt Dominick shared this timelapse video to his X account in August 2024, showing the Moon setting into streams of red and green aurora.Matt Dominick See the full X post here. Amid his daily astronaut duties, Dominick dedicated personal time to this endeavor, amassing nearly 500,000 captivating photos of Earth and snapshots of life aboard the International Space Station, while having traveled 99,708,603 total statue miles around our home planet. Through his lens(es), he invited us to experience the awe of space while highlighting the realities of life in orbit, fostering an authentic connection with those who engage with his work. Building on this commitment to connect, Dominick participated in the first-ever live X Spaces event from space, marking a new way for NASA astronauts to connect personally with followers. He shared insider tips on astrophotography from orbit and discussed the challenges and joys of capturing stunning images in microgravity. Concluding the event, he vividly narrated his live experience floating into the Cupola at sunset while orbiting over Paris just days before the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A screen recording of the first X Spaces event from space featuring NASA astronaut Matt Dominick.NASA Dominick’s journey as an astronaut unfolds in real-time on his X account. He has captured the arrivals and departures of various spacecraft, documented dynamic weather events, and even participated in Olympic festivities. His stunning timelapses and behind-the-scenes videos offer an intimate look at life aboard the space station, beautifully illustrating the intricate interplay between science and wonder. What sets Dominick’s account apart is his playful perspective. He invites his audience into lighthearted moments—whether he’s cleaning his retainer in microgravity, relishing the arrival of fresh fruit, or sharing insights from the ISS toolbox. By documenting and sharing these experiences, he demystifies the complexities of space travel, making it an accessible and relatable journey for all. Through his engaging posts, Dominick cultivates a deeper connection with his followers, encouraging them to share in the beauty and reality of life beyond our planet. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Matt Dominick shared this video video to his X account in August 2024 after receiving fresh fruit aboard the International Space Station.Matt Dominick See the full X post here. Visit Dominick’s X account (@dominickmatthew) to experience the wonders of space through his eyes, enriched by his remarkable journey of orbiting the Earth 3,760 times. Share Details Last Updated Dec 05, 2024 Related TermsInternational Space Station (ISS)AstronautsExpedition 72Humans in Space View the full article

2 Min Read NASA Astronauts Compete in ISS “Olympics” To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The International Space Station Olympics.NASA See the Content Online: Olympics Instagram | Olympics X | Olympics Website | NASA HQ YouTube | NASA Facebook | FLOTUS Instagram “Over the past few days on the International Space Station, we’ve had an absolute blast pretending to be Olympic athletes,” astronaut Matt Dominick started off in a crew message. “We, of course, have had the benefits of weightlessness…We can’t imagine how hard this must be, to be such a world-class athlete doing your sports under actual gravity. So from all of us aboard the International Space Station to every single athlete in the Olympic Games, Godspeed!” 250 miles above Earth, NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) held their own version of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Before the athletes competed on the ground in Paris, astronauts Matthew Dominick, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Jeanette Epps, Tracy Dyson, and Mike Barratt brought the spirit of the Games to space, showcasing their own unique series of sports. The two-minute epic montage, released on July 26, begins with crew members passing a uniquely orbital Olympic torch, crafted right aboard the space station. Each astronaut warms up for their event, with a standout moment featuring Butch Wilmore taking a sip from a floating sphere of water. Let the games begin! NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson kicked things off by powerlifting two of her fellow astronauts. Then Jeanette Epps went for the gold in the long jump. Matthew Dominick defied microgravity, executing a flawless gymnastics routine as he flew through the station. Suni Williams showcased her focus and strength, becoming the first to compete on the pommel horse in space. Mike Barratt gave it his all in the discus. And finally, Butch Wilmore set a record with his shotput throw! NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson powerlifts two of her fellow astronauts during the ISS “Olympics.”NASA NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps goes for the gold in her long jump for the ISS “Olympics.”NASA NASA astronaut Matt Dominick defies microgravity during his ISS “Olympics” gymnastics routine.NASA NASA astronaut Suni Williams shows off her strength during the ISS “Olympics.”NASA NASA astronaut Mike Barratt performs a discus throw in microgravity for the ISS “Olympics.”NASA NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore throws the shot put during the ISS “Olympics.”NASA The crew ended the video with a heartfelt message to all Olympic athletes, celebrating the spirit of international cooperation—a core principle of space station operations. The video was shared collaboratively across multiple social media channels, amplifying its reach and impact. Both NASA and the official Olympics social media accounts posted the video, showcasing the astronauts’ unique tribute to the Games. A special version of the video was also shared on the First Lady’s Instagram account, further emphasizing the spirit of international unity and the connection between space exploration and global events. This coordinated effort highlighted the collaboration between NASA and the Olympics, bringing attention to the shared values of teamwork, perseverance, and global cooperation. Share Details Last Updated Dec 05, 2024 Related TermsInternational Space Station (ISS)AstronautsExpedition 71Humans in Space View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA/Quincy Eggert Upside down can be right side up. That’s what NASA researchers determined for tests of an efficient wing concept that could be part of the agency’s answer to making future aircraft sustainable. Research from NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology project involving a 10-foot model could help NASA engineers validate the concept of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW), an aircraft using long, thin wings stabilized by diagonal struts. The TTBW concept’s efficient wings add lift and could result in reduced fuel use and emissions for future commercial single-aisle aircraft. A team at the Flight Loads Laboratory at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are using the model, called the Mock Truss-Braced Wing, to verify the concept and their testing methods. The model wing and the strut have instruments installed to measure strain, then attached to a rigid vertical test frame. Wire hanging from an overhead portion of the frame stabilizes the model wing for tests. For these tests, researchers chose to mount the 10-foot-long aluminum wing upside down, adding weights to apply stress. The upside-down orientation allows gravity to simulate the lift a wing would experience in flight. Researchers test a 10-foot Mock Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. A view from above shows the test structure, the wing, and the strut. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman “A strut reduces the structure needed on the main wing, and the result is less structural weight, and a thinner wing,” said Frank Pena, NASA mock wing test director. “In this case, the test measured the reaction forces at the base of the main wing and at the base of the strut. There is a certain amount of load sharing between the wing and the strut, and we are trying to measure how much of the load stays in the main wing and how much is transferred to the strut.” To collect those measurements, the team added weights one at a time to the wing and the truss. In another series of tests, engineers tapped the wing structure with an instrumented hammer in key locations, monitoring the results with sensors. “The structure has natural frequencies it wants to vibrate at depending on its stiffness and mass,” said Ben Park, NASA mock wing ground vibration test director. “Understanding the wing’s frequencies, where they are and how they respond, are key to being able to predict how the wing will respond in flight.” Researchers test a 10-foot Mock Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Charlie Eloff, left, and Lucas Oramas add weight to the test wing to apply stress used to determine its limits. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman Adding weights to the wingtip, tapping the structure with a hammer, and collecting the vibration response is an unusual testing method because it adds complexity, Park said. The process is worth it, he said, if it provides the data engineers are seeking. The tests are also unique because NASA Armstrong designed, built, and assembled the wing, strut, and test fixture, and conducted the tests. With the successful loads calibration and vibration tests nearly complete on the 10-foot wing, the NASA Armstrong Flight Loads Laboratory team is working on designing a system and hardware for testing a 15-foot model made from graphite-epoxy composite. The Advanced Air Transport Technology TTBW team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is designing and constructing the model, which is called the Structural Wing Experiment Evaluating Truss-bracing. The larger wing model will be built with a structural design that will more closely resembles what could potentially fly on a future commercial aircraft. The goals of these tests are to calibrate predictions with measured strain data and learn how to test novel aircraft structures such as the TTBW concept. NASA’s Advanced Air Transport Technology project falls under NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program, which evaluates and develops technologies for new aircraft systems and explores promising air travel concepts. Researchers test a 10-foot Mock Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Frank Pena, test director, checks the mock wing. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman Researchers test a 10-foot Mock Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Samson Truong, from left, and Ben Park, NASA mock wing ground vibration test director, prepare for a vibration test. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman Researchers test a 10-foot Mock Truss-Braced Wing at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Ben Park, NASA mock wing ground vibration test director, taps the wing structure with an instrumented hammer in key locations and sensors monitor the results. The aircraft concept involves a wing braced on an aircraft using diagonal struts that also add lift and could result in significantly improved aerodynamics.NASA/Steve Freeman Share Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactJay Levinejay.levine-1@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterAdvanced Air Transport TechnologyAdvanced Air Vehicles ProgramAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateFlight InnovationGreen Aviation TechSustainable Aviation Explore More 4 min read NASA’s C-20A Studies Extreme Weather Events Article 6 hours ago 3 min read NASA Experts Share Inspiring Stories of Perseverance to Students Article 2 days ago 3 min read An Electronic Traffic Monitor for Airports Ground traffic management program saves passengers and airlines time while cutting fuel costs Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Armstrong Programs & Projects Armstrong Aeronautics Projects Armstrong Capabilities & Facilities View the full article

2 Min Read Turn Supermoon Hype into Lunar Learning Caption: The Earth-Moon distance to scale. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Supermoons get lots of publicity from the media, but is there anything to them beyond the hype? If the term “supermoon” bothers you because it’s not an official astronomical term, don’t throw up your hands. You can turn supermoon lemons into lunar lemonade for your star party visitors by using it to illustrate astronomy concepts and engaging them with great telescopic views of its surface! Many astronomers find the frequent supermoon news from the media misleading, if not a bit upsetting! Unlike the outrageously wrong “Mars is as big as the moon” pieces that appear like clockwork every two years during Mars’s close approach to Earth, news about a huge full moon is more of an overstatement. The fact is that while a supermoon will indeed appear somewhat bigger and brighter in the sky, it would be difficult to tell the difference between an average full moon and a supermoon with the naked eye. A whiteboard illustration of Earth’s Moon at perigee, or closest position to Earth. Credit: NASA There are great bits of science to glean from supermoon discussion that can turn supermoon questions into teachable moments. For example, supermoons are a great gateway into discussing the shape of the moon’s orbit, especially the concepts of apogee and perigee. Many people may assume that the moon orbits Earth in a perfect circle, when in fact its orbit is elliptical! The moon’s distance from Earth constantly varies, and so during its orbit it reaches both apogee (when it’s farthest from Earth), as well as perigee (closest to Earth). A supermoon occurs when the moon is at both perigee and in its full phase. That’s not rare; a full moon at closest approach to Earth can happen multiple times a year, as you may have noticed. This activity is related to a Teachable Moment from Nov. 15, 2017. See “What Is a Supermoon and Just How Super Is It?” Credit: NASA/JPL While a human observer won’t be able to tell the difference between the size of a supermoon and a regular full moon, comparison photos taken with a telephoto lens can reveal the size difference between full moons. NASA has a classroom activity called Measuring the Supermoon where students can measure the size of the full moon month to month and compare their results. Comparison of the size of an average full moon, compared to the size of a supermoon. NASA/JPL-Caltech Students can use digital cameras (or smartphones) to measure the moon, or they can simply measure the moon using nothing more than a pencil and paper! Both methods work and can be used depending on the style of teaching and available resources. /wp-content/plugins/nasa-blocks/assets/images/media/media-example-01.jpg This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth. NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI View the full article

Mike Lauer manages production of the RS-25 main engines for NASA’s heavy-lift SLS (Space Launch System), which will launch U.S. astronauts back to the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. L3 Harris Technologies Mike Lauer, an engineer who works for the Aerojet Rocketdyne segment of L3Harris Technologies, found his career inspiration in science fiction, but for the perspective it takes to execute complex space programs, he draws on real-world experience. Growing up, Lauer spent many cold winter nights in the basement of his Sioux Falls, South Dakota, home, creating pictures of iconic space hardware from Hollywood space movies. “That really is what got me into it,” he says. Fast forward to today, and he’s managing production of the RS-25 main engines for NASA’s heavy-lift SLS (Space Launch System), which will launch U.S. astronauts back to the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. When the scale and complexity of the undertaking appear daunting, Lauer thinks back to early in his career, when he designed hardware for the International Space Station, now in its third decade on orbit. “It just seemed to me that there’s no way this was going to work, but we just kept building and solving problems and the next thing you know, we’re launching space station parts,” Lauer says. “Having that experience of seeing a program that seemed too big, too complex, and it worked, gives me great hope and confidence that we can do it again with Artemis.” Lauer has family ties to space. His father, Don Lauer, ran the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, a repository for data collected by NASA’s long-running Landsat series of land imaging satellites. Lauer’ father even spent time at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, home to the Agency’s human spaceflight program, exploring the role of astronauts in Earth observation from space. But it was an artist’s fascination with fictional hardware –– that ultimately led Mike Lauer to earn his bachelor and master’s degrees in Aeronautical & Astronautical engineering from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. “With engineering in general, there’s a connection with art,” Lauer says. “We create these things that have an artistic aesthetic to them, which is really cool.” Cool is a word Lauer, a licensed pilot, deploys frequently in describing his career journey, understandably so. For example, he once participated in a space station assembly rehearsal with veteran astronaut Jerry Ross at Johnson’s Neutral Buoyancy Facility, a giant pool used to help train astronauts for spacewalks. “I’m in this spacesuit and Jerry Ross is in this spacesuit and we’re plugging in elements of the space station,” Lauer says, almost in disbelief. “Oh my gosh!” While serving as Aerojet Rocketdyne’s lead engineer on the Multi Mission Radioisotope Thermo-electric Generator program, Lauer visited the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory to observe the loading of Plutonium 238 nuclear fuel into the device, which continues to power NASA’s car-sized Curiosity rover on the Martian surface. “Super cool,” he says. For his next move, Lauer figured that, being at Aerojet Rocketdyne (now L3Harris), builder of the engines on NASA’s legendary Saturn V Moon rocket, he should get into the propulsion side of the business. He began on the J-2X, a modified version of the Saturn V’s second stage engine that NASA had planned at one point to use on the SLS. Working from 1960s era drawings, Lauer and his team created a modern, easier-to-produce design with more power that had a successful series of hot-fire tests before being replaced in favor of a different upper stage design. Now, as RS-25 program director, Lauer works on another engine, this one originally designed for NASA’s now-retired Space Shuttle, updating and redesigning key components to meet new requirements and reduce production costs. The SLS flew its first mission without a crew, but upcoming flights will have astronauts aboard, which gives Lauer a huge sense of pride and responsibility. “I’m awed and inspired by what we’re doing,” he says. “Really cool.” Also really cool: Lauer serves as a volunteer pilot for the Civil Air Patrol, supporting the U.S. Air Force on search and rescue, disaster relief, and fire damage assessment missions. That keeps him busy on many weekends when he’s not refereeing youth soccer. Aside from that, Lauer most looks forward to the day four NASA astronauts are safely aboard their recovery ship at the successful conclusion of the first human moon landing in more than five decades. Read other I am Artemis features. View the full article

Una luna gibosa creciente se eleva sobre el resplandor azul del horizonte terrestre mientras la Estación Espacial Internacional orbitaba a 264 millas sobre el Océano Índico el 13 de Noviembre de 2024.Crédito: NASA Read this release in English here. El administrador de la NASA, Bill Nelson, y otros directivos darán una rueda de prensa el jueves 5 de diciembre a la 1 p.m. EST (hora del este de EE.UU.) en la sede de la agencia en Washington para proporcionar información sobre la campaña Artemis de la agencia. El evento para los medios de comunicación estará disponible en NASA+. Aprende a transmitir contenidos de la NASA a través de diversas plataformas, incluidas las redes sociales. Los participantes incluyen: Bill Nelson, administrador de la NASA Pam Melroy, administradora adjunta de la NASA Jim Free, administrador asociado de la NASA Catherine Koerner, administradora asociada, Dirección de Misión de Desarrollo de Sistemas de Exploración, Sede de la NASA Amit Kshatriya, administrador asociado adjunto, Oficina del Programa de la Luna a Marte, Dirección de Misión de Desarrollo de Sistemas de Exploración Reid Wiseman, astronauta de la NASA y comandante del Artemis II Los medios de comunicación interesados en participar en persona o por teléfono deben confirmar su asistencia antes de las 11 a.m. EST del 5 de diciembre a: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. La conferencia de prensa tendrá lugar en el Auditorio James E. Webb de la sede central de la NASA, en el edificio Mary W. Jackson, 300 E St. SW, Washington. La política de acreditación de medios de comunicación de la NASA está disponible en línea (en inglés). A través de la campaña Artemis, la agencia establecerá una presencia a largo plazo en la Luna para la exploración científica conjuntamente con nuestros socios comerciales e internacionales, aprenderá a vivir y trabajar lejos de nuestro hogar y se preparará para la futura exploración humana de Marte. El cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial de la NASA, los sistemas terrestres de exploración y la nave espacial Orion, junto con el sistema de aterrizaje humano, los trajes espaciales de próxima generación, la estación espacial lunar, Gateway y los futuros vehículos exploradores son la base de la NASA para la exploración del espacio profundo. Para más información sobre Artemis (en inglés), visita: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -fin- Meira Bernstein / Rachel Kraft / María José Viñas Sede, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsMissionsArtemisExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateNASA Headquarters View the full article

NASA Artemis Campaign Leadership News Conference

A waxing gibbous moon rises over the blue glow of Earth’s horizon as the International Space Station orbited 264 miles above the Indian Ocean on Nov. 13, 2024.Credit: NASA NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and leadership will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, Dec. 5, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington to provide a briefing about the agency’s Artemis campaign. Watch the media event on NASA+. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. Participants include: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Media interested in participating in-person or by phone must RSVP by 11 a.m. on Dec. 5 to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. The news conference will take place in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E St. SW, Washington. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. Through the Artemis campaign, the agency will establish a long-term presence at the Moon for scientific exploration with our commercial and international partners, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing systems, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration. For more information about Artemis, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis -end- Meira Bernstein / Rachel Kraft Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsMissionsArtemisExploration Systems Development Mission DirectorateNASA Headquarters View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The UAVSAR underbelly pod is in clear view as NASA’s Gulfstream-III research aircraft banks away over Edwards AFBNASA On a changing planet, where phenomena like severe hurricanes, landslides, and wildfires are becoming more severe, scientists need data to assess and model disaster impacts and to potentially make predictions about hazards. NASA’s C-20A aircraft is a significant asset that can carry key instruments for understanding the science behind these phenomena. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the C-20A is a military version of the Gulfstream III business jet and operates as an airborne science aircraft for a variety of Earth science research missions. In October, the plane was deployed to fly over areas affected by Hurricane Milton. With winds of up to 120 miles per hour, the hurricane hit the Florida coast as a category 3 storm, and produced lightning, heavy rainfall, and a series of tornadoes. In the aftermath of the storm, the C-20A was outfitted with the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) instrument to collect detailed data about the affected flood areas. “Our team focused specifically on inland river flooding near dense populations, collecting data that could help inform disaster response and preparation in the future,” said Starr Ginn, C-20A aircraft project manager. “By all indications, this rapid response to support Hurricane Milton recovery efforts was a successful coordination of efforts by science and aircraft teams.” The Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar, UAVSAR, is prepared for installation onto NASA’s C-20A aircraft. THE UAVSAR uses a technique called interferometry to detect and measure very subtle deformations in the Earth’s surface, and the pod is specially designed to be interoperable with unmanned aircraft in the future. It will gather data from Gabon, Africa in September of 2023.NASA/Steve Freeman The UAVSAR was developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, and uses a technique called interferometry to detect subtle changes to Earth’s surface. Interferometry uses the intersection of multiple wavelengths to make precise measurements. This detection system effectively measures the terrain changes or impacts before and after an extreme natural event. When flown onboard an aircraft, radars like the UAVSAR can also provide more detail than satellite radars. “Where satellite instruments might only get a measurement every one to two weeks, the UAVSAR can fill in points between satellite passes to calibrate ground-based instruments,” Ginn said. “It takes data at faster rates and with more precision. We can design overlapping flights in three or more directions to detect more textures and motions on the Earth’s surface. This is a big advantage over the one-dimensional line-of-sight measurement provided by a single flight.” The C-20A team also used the UAVSAR in October to investigate the Portuguese Bend landslide in Rancho Pales Verdes. The Portuguese Bend Landslide began in the mid- to late-Pleistocene period over 11,000 years ago. Though inactive for thousands of years, the landslide was reactivated in 1956 when a road construction project added weight to the top of it. Recently, the landslide has been moving at increasing rates during dry seasons. NASA’s JPL scientists, Xiang Li, Alexander Handwerger, Gilles Peltzer, and Eric Fielding have been researching this landslide progression using satellite-based instruments. “The high-resolution capability of UAVSAR is ideal for landslides since they have relatively small features,” said Ginn. “This helps us understand the different characteristics of the landslide body.” NASA flew an aircraft equipped with Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) flew above California fires on Sept. 3 and 10, 2020.NASA/JPL-Caltech The C-20A airborne observatory also provided crucial insight for studies of wildfire. The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE), a multi-agency experiment led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, included flights of the C-20A. This experiment studied fire behavior and smoke. “The airborne perspective allows FASMEE researchers to better understand fire behavior and smoke production,” said Michael Falkowski, program manager for NASA’s Applied Sciences Wildland Fire program. “Hopefully this data will help mitigate fire risk, restore degraded ecosystems, and protect human communities from catastrophic fire.” Airborne data can inform how scientists and experts understand extreme phenomena on the ground. Researchers on the FASMEE experiment will use the data collected from the UAVSAR instrument to map the forest’s composition and moisture to track areas impacted by the fire, and to study how the fire progressed. “We can explore how fire managers can use airborne data to help make decisions about fires,” added Jacquelyn Shuman, FireSense project scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Share Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related TermsArmstrong Flight Research CenterC-20AEarth ScienceEarth's AtmosphereJet Propulsion Laboratory Explore More 4 min read 2024 AGU Fall Meeting Hyperwall Schedule NASA Science at AGU Fall Meeting Hyperwall Schedule, December 9-12, 2024 Join NASA in the… Article 41 mins ago 3 min read NASA Experts Share Inspiring Stories of Perseverance to Students 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 Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Earth Science Climate Change NASA is a global leader in studying Earth’s changing climate. Jet Propulsion Laboratory View the full article

Earth Observer Earth Home Earth Observer Home Editor’s Corner Feature Articles Meeting Summaries News Science in the News Calendars In Memoriam More Archives 4 min read 2024 AGU Fall Meeting Hyperwall Schedule NASA Science at AGU Fall Meeting Hyperwall Schedule, December 9-12, 2024 Join NASA in the Exhibit Hall (Booth #719) for Hyperwall Storytelling by NASA experts. Full Hyperwall Agenda below. ***Copies of the 2025 NASA Science Calendar will be distributed at the NASA Exhibit at the start of each day.*** MONDAY, DECEMBER 9 3:20 – 3:40 PM From Stars to Life: The Power of NASA Science Dr. Nicola Fox 3:40 – 4:00 PM NASA Planetary Science Division: 2024 Highlights Eric Ianson (PSD Deputy Director) 4:00 – 4:20 PM NASA Earth Science Overview Dr. Karen St. Germain 4:20 – 4:40 PM NASA Astrophysics: Looking Forward Dr. Mark Clampin 4:40 – 5:00 PM Helio Big Year Wind-Down and a Look Ahead Dr. Joseph Westlake 5:00 – 5:20 PM NASA Biological & Physical Sciences Overview Dr. Lisa Carnell 5:20 – 5:40 PM Astrobiology: The Science, The Program, and The Work Dr. Becky McCauley Rench TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10 10:15 – 10:30 AM Integration of Vantage Points and Approaches by NASA Earth Science Division Dr. Jack Kaye 10:30 – 10:45 AM Life after launch: A Snapshot of the First 9 Months of NASA’s PACE Mission Jeremy Werdell 10:45 – 11:00 AM Foundation Model in Earth Science: Towards Earth Science to Action Tsengdar Lee 11:15 – 11:30 AM NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer: Supporting a More Equitable, Impactful, and Efficient Scientific Future Kevin Murphy 11:30- 11:45 AM 30 Years of GLOBE: Advancing Earth System Science, Education, and Public Engagement Amy P. Chen 11:45 – 12:00 PM 2024 NASA Visualization Highlights Mark Subbarao 12:30 – 1:45 PM Grand Prize Winners of 2024 AGU Michael H. Freilich Student Visualization Competition Introductory Remarks from AGU & NASA Steve Platnick Thawing History: Retracing Arctic Expeditions in a Warming World Dylan Wootton Monitoring the Weather in Near Real-Time with Open-Access GOES-R Data Jorge Bravo Mitigating Agricultural Runoff with Tangible Landscape Caitlin Haedrich Earth Observation for Disaster Response: Highlighting Applied Products Patrick Kerwin 2:15 – 2:30 PM Water Science to Water Action John Bolten 2:30 – 2:45 PM Analyzing Space Weather at Mars Gina DiBraccio, Jamie Favors 2:45 – 3:00 PM NASA Airborne in the Arctic: An overview of the NASA Arctic Radiation-Cloud-aerosol-Surface-Interaction eXperiment (ARCSIX) Patrick Taylor 3:00 – 3:15 PM Science Activation and the 2023-24 Eclipses Lin Chambers 3:30 – 3:45 PM Tracking Extreme Fires in 2024 Douglas Morton 3:45 – 4:00 PM BioSCape: A Biodiversity Airborne Campaign in South Africa Anabelle Cardoso 4:00 – 4:15 PM U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center Lesley Ott 4:15 – 4:30 PM Data Governance and Space Data Ethics in the Era of AI: NASA Acres at the Leading Edge Alyssa Whitcraft, Todd Janzen 5:00 – 5:15 PM Global GEOS Forecasts of Severe Storms and Tornado Activity Across the United States William Putman 5:15 – 5:30 PM NASA Earth Action Empowering Health and Air Quality Communities John Haynes 5:30 – 5:45 PM The Habitable Worlds Observatory Megan Ansdell WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11 10:15 – 10:30 AM From Orbit to Earth: Exploring the LEO Science Digest Jeremy Goldstein 10:30 – 10:45 AM Hello, Hello Again: How Lunar Samples Introduced Us to the Solar System, and What We’ll Learn When We Meet Again Dr. Barbara Cohen 10:45 – 11:00 AM Planetary Defenders: How NASA Safeguards Earth from Asteroids Kelly Fast 11:15 – 11:30 AM Bringing Science Data Home Philip Baldwin 11:30 – 11:45 AM Fast-Tracking Earth System Science into Action: The Vision for the Integrated Earth System Observatory Cecile Rousseaux 11:45 – 12:00 PM A Decade of Monitoring Atmospheric CO2 from Space Junjie Liu 12:30 – 1:45 PM Grand Prize Winners of 2024 AGU Michael H. Freilich Student Visualization Competition Introductory Remarks from AGU & NASA Dr. Jack Kaye Photogrammetric Modeling and Remote Identification of Small Lava Tubes in the 1961 Lava Flow at Askja, Iceland Mya Thomas Monitoring Air Quality Using MODIS and CALIPSO Data in Conjunction with Socioeconomic Data to Map Air Pollution in Hampton Roads Virginia Marilee Karinshak Visualizing UAV-Based Detection and Severity Assessment of Brown Spot Needle Blight in Pine Forests Swati Singh Different Temperatures of a Solar Flare Crisel Suarez 2:15 – 2:30 PM Ancient and Modern Sun Gazing: New view of our star as seen by CODEX and upcoming missions MUSE, PUNCH and SunRISE Dr. Nicholeen Viall, Dr. Jeff Newmark 2:30 – 2:45 PM A Stroll Through The Universe of NASA Citizen Science Sarah Kirn 2:45 – 3:00 PM OSIRIS-REx Returned Samples from the Early Solar System Jason Dworkin 3:00 – 3:15 PM To the Moon, Together: Ensuring Mission Success in an Increasingly Busy Lunar Environment Therese Jones 3:30 – 3:45 PM What Goes Around Comes Around – Repeating Patterns in Global Precipitation George Huffman 3:45 – 4:00 PM Parker Solar Probe: Thriving, Surviving, and Exploring our Sun to Make Paradigm Shifting Discoveries Nour Rawafi, Betsy Congdon 4:00 – 4:15 PM Europa Clipper Curt Niebur 4:15 – 4:30 PM Roman Space Telescope and Exoplanets Rob Zellem 5:00 – 5:15 PM Mars Exploration: Present and Future Dr. Lindsay Hays 5:15 – 5:30 PM Superstorm: The surprise entry into the Helio Big Year celebration of the Sun, and possibly a foreshadowing of what’s to come during Solar Maximum Kelly Korrek 5:30 – 5:45 PM From EARTHDATA to Action: Enabling Earth Science Data to Serve Society Katie Baynes THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 10:15 – 10:30 AM Geospace Dynamics Constellation: The Space Weather Rosetta Stone Katherine Garcia-Sage, Doug Rowland 10:30 – 10:45 AM Future of Magnetosphere to Ionosphere Coupling Lara Waldrop, Skyler Kleinschmidt, Sam Yee 10:45 – 11:00 AM NASA ESTO: Launchpad for Novel Earth Science Technologies Michael Seablom 11:00 – 11:15 AM From Leaf to Orbit: NASA Research Reveals the Changing Northern Landscape Dr. Liz Hoy 11:30 – 11:45 PM OpenET: Filling a Critical Data Gap in Water Management Forrest Melton 11:45 – 12:00 PM Dragonfly: Flights of Exploration Across Saturn’s Moon Titan, an Organic Ocean World Zibi Turtle 12:00 – 12:15 PM Venus and DAVINCI Natasha Johnson 12:15 – 12:30 PM IMAP: The Modern-Day Celestial Cartographer Prof. David J. McComas Share Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 Related Terms Earth Science View the full article

4 min read Expanded AI Model with Global Data Enhances Earth Science Applications On June 22, 2013, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured this false-color image of the East Peak fire burning in southern Colorado near Trinidad. Burned areas appear dark red, while actively burning areas look orange. Dark green areas are forests; light green areas are grasslands. Data from Landsat 8 were used to train the Prithvi artificial intelligence model, which can help detect burn scars. NASA Earth Observatory NASA, IBM, and Forschungszentrum Jülich have released an expanded version of the open-source Prithvi Geospatial artificial intelligence (AI) foundation model to support a broader range of geographical applications. Now, with the inclusion of global data, the foundation model can support tracking changes in land use, monitoring disasters, and predicting crop yields worldwide. The Prithvi Geospatial foundation model, first released in August 2023 by NASA and IBM, is pre-trained on NASA’s Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) dataset and learns by filling in masked information. The model is available on Hugging Face, a data science platform where machine learning developers openly build, train, deploy, and share models. Because NASA releases data, products, and research in the open, businesses and commercial entities can take these models and transform them into marketable products and services that generate economic value. “We’re excited about the downstream applications that are made possible with the addition of global HLS data to the Prithvi Geospatial foundation model. We’ve embedded NASA’s scientific expertise directly into these foundation models, enabling them to quickly translate petabytes of data into actionable insights,” said Kevin Murphy, NASA chief science data officer. “It’s like having a powerful assistant that leverages NASA’s knowledge to help make faster, more informed decisions, leading to economic and societal benefits.” AI foundation models are pre-trained on large datasets with self-supervised learning techniques, providing flexible base models that can be fine-tuned for domain-specific downstream tasks. Crop classification prediction generated by NASA and IBM’s open-source Prithvi Geospatial artificial intelligence model. Focusing on diverse land use and ecosystems, researchers selected HLS satellite images that represented various landscapes while avoiding lower-quality data caused by clouds or gaps. Urban areas were emphasized to ensure better coverage, and strict quality controls were applied to create a large, well-balanced dataset. The final dataset is significantly larger than previous versions, offering improved global representation and reliability for environmental analysis. These methods created a robust and representative dataset, ideal for reliable model training and analysis. The Prithvi Geospatial foundation model has already proven valuable in several applications, including post-disaster flood mapping and detecting burn scars caused by fires. One application, the Multi-Temporal Cloud Gap Imputation, leverages the foundation model to reconstruct the gaps in satellite imagery caused by cloud cover, enabling a clearer view of Earth’s surface over time. This approach supports a variety of applications, including environmental monitoring and agricultural planning. Another application, Multi-Temporal Crop Segmentation, uses satellite imagery to classify and map different crop types and land cover across the United States. By analyzing time-sequenced data and layering U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Crop Data, Prithvi Geospatial can accurately identify crop patterns, which in turn could improve agricultural monitoring and resource management on a large scale. The flood mapping dataset can classify flood water and permanent water across diverse biomes and ecosystems, supporting flood management by training models to detect surface water. Wildfire scar mapping combines satellite imagery with wildfire data to capture detailed views of wildfire scars shortly after fires occurred. This approach provides valuable data for training models to map fire-affected areas, aiding in wildfire management and recovery efforts. Burn scar mapping generated by NASA and IBM’s open-source Prithvi Geospatial artificial intelligence model. This model has also been tested with additional downstream applications including estimation of gross primary productivity, above ground biomass estimation, landslide detection, and burn intensity estimations. “The updates to this Prithvi Geospatial model have been driven by valuable feedback from users of the initial version,” said Rahul Ramachandran, AI foundation model for science lead and senior data science strategist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “This enhanced model has also undergone rigorous testing across a broader range of downstream use cases, ensuring improved versatility and performance, resulting in a version of the model that will empower diverse environmental monitoring applications, delivering significant societal benefits.” The Prithvi Geospatial Foundation Model was developed as part of an initiative of NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer to unlock the value of NASA’s vast collection of science data using AI. NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT), based at Marshall, IBM Research, and the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Forschungszentrum, Jülich, designed the foundation model on the supercomputer Jülich Wizard for European Leadership Science (JUWELS), operated by Jülich Supercomputing Centre. This collaboration was facilitated by IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society. For more information about NASA’s strategy of developing foundation models for science, visit https://science.nasa.gov/artificial-intelligence-science. Share Details Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 Related Terms Earth Science & Research Explore More 9 min read Towards Autonomous Surface Missions on Ocean Worlds Article 23 hours ago 5 min read NASA-Led Team Links Comet Water to Earth’s Oceans Scientists find that cometary dust affects interpretation of spacecraft measurements, reopening the case for comets… Article 23 hours ago 1 min read Coming Spring 2025: Planetary Defenders Documentary ow would humanity respond if we discovered an asteroid headed for Earth? NASA’s Planetary Defenders… Article 23 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 Min Read Lagniappe for December 2024 Explore the December 2024 issue, highlighting the Clean Energy Project, Powering Space Dreams, and more! Credits: NASA/Stennis Explore Lagniappe for December 2024 featuring: NASA Stennis Secures Grant for Clean Energy Project Powering Space Dreams NASA Builds Bridges at Bayou Classic Gator Speaks Gator SpeaksNASA/Stennis Do you have time for a quick story? Recently, your ol‘ friend Gator had the chance to help his family move. This move was not the same as going to the Moon or Mars like NASA’s planned Artemis adventure, but it felt similar. The move brought friends, family, and even some neighbors together to help. Each person took on a role in an organized way to help make it happen. Some packed, others cleaned, and all contributed in some way, with each person bringing his or her special touch to the project. We were not just working hard. We were making the most of it. It became more than work. It turned into a celebration of friends and family coming together to make something good happen. There was something truly rewarding about seeing everyone pitch in to make it a success. While this move will not take us to the Moon like the Artemis campaign, it is hard not to see similarities. When NASA returns to the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world while preparing for human missions to Mars, it will be a success for all of us to share in. Through Artemis, NASA is bringing together commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Here at NASA Stennis, many are working hard to help prepare the agency for future Artemis missions, testing needed rocket engines and systems. Going back to the Moon has become more than work, though. It is inspiring a new generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation. Every person is playing a role. It is bringing together friends, family, and neighbors to help. All are contributing, with each person bringing a special touch to the mission. It is a celebration of each step forward, each rocket launched, each mission accomplishment. Each milestone reminds us all – “Wow, we really did that. We are a part of something great.” > Back to Top NASA Stennis Top News NASA Stennis Secures Grant for Clean Energy Project NASA’s Stennis Space Center has been awarded a highly competitive U.S. Department of Energy grant to transform its main administration building into a facility that produces as much renewable energy as it uses. Read More About the Clean Energy Project Powering Space Dreams As the nation’s largest multiuser propulsion test site, NASA Stennis supports and helps power both national and commercial space efforts and missions. Read More About Propulsion Testing at NASA Stennis NASA Builds Bridges at Bayou Classic NASA was on full display during the 51st Annual Bayou Classic Fan Fest activity on Nov. 30, hosting an informational booth and interacting with event participants. Read More About the 51st Annual Bayou Classic > Back to Top Center Activities Outreach Event Promotes Doing Business with NASA Tom Lipski, NASA Stennis Technology Transfer Expansion team lead, speaks at the “A Day with NASA” event at The Accelerator in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on Nov. 7. NASA speakers focused on providing updates on agency resources available to help companies grow and on different ways to do business with the agency. They also offered information about how businesses could build partnerships with the agency to commercialize NASA-developed technologies. Participants had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with members of the NASA Stennis business and technology team as well. The Mississippi Polymer Institute, with funding from the Mississippi Manufacturer’s Association Manufacturing Extension Partnership, hosted the event. NASA/Stennis Participants in A Day with NASA at The Accelerator in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, included: (left to right) Marc Shoemaker with the NASA Stennis Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Office; Kay Doane with the NASA Stennis Office of Small Business Programs; Sandy Crist with the Mississippi Manufacturers Association Manufacturing Extension Program; Dr. Monica Tisack with the Mississippi Polymer Institute; Caitlyne Shirley with the Mississippi Polymer Institute; Top Lipski with the NASA Stennis Technology Transfer Expansion Team; Thom Jacks with the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate; Dawn Davis with the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate; Kelly McCarthy with the NASA Stennis Office of STEM Engagement; and Janet Parker with Innovate Mississippi. College Students Visit NASA Stennis A collection of college students from Mississippi and Alabama recently visited NASA’s Stennis Space Center to gain firsthand insight into NASA operations. During the visits on Nov. 14-15, students from Meridian Community College, the University of Alabama, and Mississippi State University toured key facilities such as the Thad Cochran Test Stand, where NASA is preparing to test a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The visits provided inspiration for members of the Artemis Generation, while also allowing students to bring together their academic studies with practical application at the nation’s largest propulsion test site.College Students Visit NASA Stennis A collection of college students from Mississippi and Alabama recently visited NASA’s Stennis Space Center to gain firsthand insight into NASA operations. During the visits on Nov. 14-15, students from Meridian Community College, the University of Alabama, and Mississippi State University toured key facilities such as the Thad Cochran Test Stand, where NASA is preparing to test a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The visits provided inspiration for members of the Artemis Generation, while also allowing students to bring together their academic studies with practical application at the nation’s largest propulsion test site.College Students Visit NASA Stennis A collection of college students from Mississippi and Alabama recently visited NASA’s Stennis Space Center to gain firsthand insight into NASA operations. During the visits on Nov. 14-15, students from Meridian Community College, the University of Alabama, and Mississippi State University toured key facilities such as the Thad Cochran Test Stand, where NASA is preparing to test a new SLS (Space Launch System) rocket stage to fly on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The visits provided inspiration for members of the Artemis Generation, while also allowing students to bring together their academic studies with practical application at the nation’s largest propulsion test site.College Students Visit NASA Stennis NASA Stennis Hosts Voluntary Protection Program Council Meeting Grant Tregre, deputy director of the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, welcomes members of the Mississippi/Louisiana Gulf Coast Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Local Area Council to their annual meeting on Oct. 29, hosted by NASA’s Stennis Space Center at INFINITY Science Center. The regional meeting focused on how workplace safety team members can achieve and maintain consistent and effective safety and health programs for their current and potential OSHA VPP worksites across south Mississippi and Louisiana. NASA/Danny Nowlin Lasonya Pulliam, representing L3Harris, speaks during the annual meeting of the Mississippi/Louisiana Gulf Coast Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Local Area Council on Oct. 29, hosted by NASA’s Stennis Space Center at INFINITY Science Center. The regional meeting focused on how workplace safety team members can achieve and maintain consistent and effective safety and health programs for their current and potential OSHA VPP worksites across south Mississippi and Louisiana. NASA/Danny Nowlin Jennifer Adams, representing the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System, speaks during the annual meeting of the Mississippi/Louisiana Gulf Coast Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Local Area Council on Oct. 29, hosted by NASA’s Stennis Space Center at INFINITY Science Center. The regional meeting focused on how workplace safety team members can achieve and maintain consistent and effective safety and health programs for their current and potential OSHA VPP worksites across south Mississippi and Louisiana. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Director Hosts Java with John NASA Stennis Director John Bailey hosted the latest Java with John session on Nov. 19 with employees from the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, NASA Stennis Office of the Chief Information Officer, and NASA Rocket Propulsion Test Program Office. Java with John is an employee-led discussion in a casual environment aimed at fostering a culture in which employees are welcome to share what matters most to them at work. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Leaders Host U.S. Marine Personnel NASA Stennis senior leaders hosted U.S. Marine Corps Reserve representatives during the group’s visit to the center Nov. 1. The Marine Corps personnel were onsite to tour Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School operations and facilities located at NASA Stennis and continue planning for future small boat training and education opportunities. Marine Corps representatives and NASA Stennis leaders participating in the meet-and-greet session included: (front row, left to right) Master Gunnery Sgt. Paul Guidry, Maj. Patrick Murphy, NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, Brig. Gen. Kevin Jarrard, Lt. Col. Justin Davis, Sgt. Maj. Timothy Peterson, and Capt. Bryson Curtin. (Back row, left to right) Gerry Ormerod, NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, and NASA Stennis Associate Director Rodney McKellip. Jarrard is the commanding general of the 4th Marine Division, with headquarters in New Orleans. Murphy is the capabilities officer of the 4th Marine Division. The other Marine participants are from the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion in Tampa, Florida. Ormerod is deputy director for requirements and capability development with the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve. NASA/Stennis U.S. Navy Officials Visit with NASA Stennis Leaders U.S. Navy officials visited with NASA Stennis leaders Nov. 13 for a meet-and-greet opportunity, also receiving an overview briefing about the work and operations of south Mississippi site. Participants in the gathering included (left to right): Anita Harrell, executive director of the NASA Shared Services Center; Joe Schuyler, director of the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate; Herschel Mims, a management support specialist with the Naval Oceanography Operations Command; Rodney McKellip, NASA Stennis associate director; Francis Prikasky, an electronics engineer and information technology administrator with the Naval Oceanographic Office; Robert Gavagnie, a contract specialist with the Naval Oceanographic Office; James “Brett” English, information systems security manager with the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Dr. Brooke Jones, head of the Ocean Forecasting Division for the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center; Maxwell Williamson, a physical scientists with the Naval Oceanographic Office; Dr. Benjamin Phrampus, a research geophysicist with the Naval Research Laboratory; Gary Benton, director of the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate; Thom Rich, associate director of the NASA Stennis Center Operations Directorate; Ken Newton, director of service delivery for the NASA Shared Services Center; and Eli Ouder, director of the NASA Stennis/NASA Shared Services Center Office of ProcurementNASA/Danny Nowlin > Back to Top NASA in the News NASA, SpaceX Illustrate Key Moments of Artemis Lunar Lander Mission – NASA NASA Plans to Assign Missions for Two Future Artemis Cargo Landers – NASA Discovery Alert: A Rare Glimpse of a Newborn Planet – NASA Science Employee Profile: Jeff Renshaw Jeff Renshaw is the lead attorney for procurement law in the Office of the General Counsel for NASA’s Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared Services Center. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA attorney Jeff Renshaw’s work has primarily revolved around two things: serving others and solving problems. Read More About Jeff Renshaw > Back to Top Additional Resources Good Things with Rebecca Turner – SuperTalk Mississippi (interview with NASA Stennis Director John Bailey) Subscription Info Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail). The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin. To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address. Explore More 7 min read Lagniappe for September 2024 Article 3 months ago 4 min read Lagniappe for October 2024 Article 2 months ago 6 min read Lagniappe for November 2024 Article 4 weeks ago View the full article

3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Jeff Renshaw is the lead attorney for procurement law in the Office of the General Counsel for NASA’s Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared Services Center. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA attorney Jeff Renshaw’s work has primarily revolved around two things: serving others and solving problems. The New Orleans native retired as an U.S. Air Force judge advocate following more than two decades of service. Renshaw now has worked for more than eight years as an attorney advisor at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. As the nation’s largest multiuser propulsion test site, NASA Stennis supports and helps power both national and commercial space efforts and missions. Any activity at NASA Stennis is authorized by some form of written agreement. The Office of General Counsel, which Renshaw is a part of, works to ensure that work is conducted appropriately. “I’m dedicated to being the best public civil servant I can be,” Renshaw said. “In this position, you are representing your client, which is NASA, the federal government, and the taxpayers, so it is important for me to stay updated with the latest legal developments to be the best advocate and advisor I can be.” As lead attorney for procurement law, the Metairie, Louisiana, resident works alongside the Office of Procurement serving both NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center. Some of Renshaw’s work includes reviewing Space Act contract agreements for commercial companies that use NASA Stennis facilities, along with activities for some of the more than 50 federal, state, academic, public, and private aerospace, technology, and research organizations that are part of the NASA Stennis federal city. Renshaw is motivated to be an expert in his line of work – whether deployed as a U.S. Air Force procurement law attorney to Baghdad, the Horn of Africa, and Afghanistan, or working at NASA to help the nation return to the Moon. He spends a lot of time with NASA engineers to understand the in-and-outs of ongoing projects since any activity happening onsite involves the Office of General Counsel. In addition to the U.S. Air Force, Renshaw has served in other legal profession roles, including as a law clerk for a Louisiana district court judge and a position in the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office. He said working for NASA gives him the opportunity to focus on his area of expertise, while being involved in the agency’s great mission of exploration and discovery. “I love NASA, and it is good to feel part of the team and to know that you are contributing to the mission,” he said. Learn more about the people who work at NASA Stennis View the full article

At the edge of Las Cruces, New Mexico, surrounded by miles of sunbaked earth, NASA’s White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is quietly shaping the future. There is no flash, no fanfare — the self-contained facility operates as it has since 1962, humbly and in relative obscurity. Yet as New Mexico’s space industry skyrockets amid intensifying commercial spaceflight efforts across the state, WSTF feels a new urgency to connect with the community. With the facility’s latest Test and Evaluation Support Team (TEST3) contract now in its third year, Program Manager Michelle Meerscheidt is determined to make a mark. “I think it’s very important we increase our public presence,” Meerscheidt said. “We are a significant contributor to NASA’s mission and our country’s aspirations for furthering space exploration.” In September, TEST3 leadership joined forces with the City of Las Cruces to support the sixth annual Las Cruces Space Festival, a two-weekend celebration of the region’s rich relationship with the aerospace industry. The Test and Evaluation Support Team (TEST3) team — Human Resources Manager Kristina Garcia (left), Program Manager Michelle Meerscheidt, and Deputy Program Manager/Business Manager Karen Lucht — prepares to meet with visitors at the Las Cruces Space Festival Astronomy & Industry Night on Sept. 13, 2024, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. NASA/Anthony Luis Quiterio Alongside WSTF, festival director Alice Carruth is working to open a world that many believe is off limits and others don’t know exists. “Unless you’re driving over the mountains regularly and seeing the sign that says, ‘The Birthplace of the U.S. Space and Missile Program,’ you don’t tend to know what’s going on in your backyard,” Carruth said. “The whole premise of the Space Festival is to make people understand what’s going on in their community, to encourage people to think about careers in the space industry, and to inspire the next generation.” A featured speaker at the festival’s New Mexico State University Astronomy & Industry Night, Meerscheidt had the chance to do just that. “It’s fun to see a lot of young kids that are wide-eyed and excited,” Meerscheidt said. “It’s nice to be able to encourage them to pursue their dreams.” Among those wide-eyed festivalgoers was 6-year-old Camilla Medina-Bond, who was confident in her vision for the future. “I want to be an astronaut when I grow up,” she said. “I want to visit the Moon.” As for the details of her lunar mission, Medina-Bond’s plan is simple: “Just going to see what’s on it.” She has plenty of time to figure out the specifics — after all, giant leaps start with small steps. According to Meerscheidt, the aspiring astronaut has already taken the first and most critical step. “That’s what NASA is all about,” Meerscheidt said. “Explore, be inquisitive. Open your mind, open your imagination, and go for it.” Left: Camilla Medina-Bond, age 6, proudly shows off her foam stomp rocket and NASA White Sands Test Facility baseball cap during the Las Cruces Space Festival’s Astronomy & Industry Night on the New Mexico State University campus. Right: Medina-Bond immerses herself in another world as she operates a virtual reality headset. NASA/Anthony Luis Quiterio Medina-Bond’s aspiration is shared by many young dreamers. A 2024 global study by longtime NASA partner, the LEGO Group, found 77% of kids ages 4-14 want to travel to space. Carruth acknowledged that keeping the attention of today’s always-scrolling, trend-driven generation is not easy, and that children’s fascination with space often wanes as they age. “If you look at the statistics, space tends to be really cool until they get to middle school level, and then space isn’t cool anymore — not because it’s not cool, but because it then becomes inaccessible to a lot of students,” she said. Still, Carruth is prepared to navigate the challenge. “I want kids to understand that space is for everybody,” Carruth said. “I also want their parents and grandparents to understand why space is important and that this is a feasible career.” Oscar Castrejon, who attended the festival with his 12-year-old son, Oscar Jr., is on his own mission to nurture that understanding. “I’ve learned early kids need to develop their own passions, but if they say ‘hey, I like this, I’m interested in it,’ then I’ll take them to it,” Castrejon said. “If their eyes get opened, if their imagination gets sparked, you never know — you could be looking at the next NASA scientist.” Oscar Castrejon and his son Oscar Jr., age 12, stop by the White Sands TEST3 booth. Anthony Luis Quiterio WSTF TEST3 Deputy Program Manager and Business Manager Karen Lucht shares Castrejon’s philosophy, emphasizing the importance of authenticity. “Speak[ing] to who you are as a person will ultimately lead to who you will become as a professional,” she said. A remote test site, WSTF has its own ecosystem which Lucht compares to a “small city.” Among its residents are scientists and engineers, but also welders, writers, firefighters, and photographers — to name a few. “White Sands offers endless opportunities for everybody,” Lucht said. “Every career has a path here.” Lucht’s own journey illustrates the infinite potential that arises in diverse spaces like WSTF. “I came from a town of less than a thousand people, and I never dreamt that I would work for NASA,” she said. “As someone who was told many times that I would never make it to my position, I look back on my career and realize there are no restraints. You really can do anything you want to do.” For those wanting to join the ranks at WSTF, there is one important requirement: they must see themselves as stardust, a vital element in a grand cosmic plan. “We’re looking for people who have the right perspective, the desire to learn and contribute to something bigger than themselves,” Lucht said. At WSTF — a place where the stars feel close enough to touch — the sky is not the limit, it is only the beginning. View the full article

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams checks out the Astrobee robotic free-flyer in the Kibo laboratory module outfitted with tentacle-like arms containing gecko-like adhesive pads to demonstrate satellite capture techniques. Development of this robotic technology may increase the life span of satellites and enable the removal of space debris.NASA In this picture from Nov. 15, 2024, Astronaut Suni Williams imitates the tentacle-like arms of the Astrobee robotic free-flyer in the foreground. Astrobee robots help astronauts reduce time they spend on routine duties, leaving them to focus more on the things that only humans can do. Working autonomously or via remote control by astronauts, flight controllers or researchers on the ground, the robots are designed to complete tasks such as taking inventory, documenting experiments conducted by astronauts with their built-in cameras or working together to move cargo throughout the station. In addition, the system serves as a research platform that can be outfitted and programmed to carry out experiments in microgravity – helping us to learn more about how robotics can benefit astronauts in space. Image credit: NASA View the full article

1 Min Read ¿Por qué cultivamos plantas en el espacio? Plantas de berro Thale de tres semanas de edad de la investigación Plant Habitat-03 son vistas justo antes de una cosecha a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional. Credits: NASA Hay muchas razones por las cuales cultivamos diversos tipos de plantas en el espacio. Las plantas proveen alimentación y bienestar psicológico a los astronautas y ayudan a reciclar el aire de la Estación Espacial Internacional, pero hay muchos otros beneficios asociados con esta actividad. Jorge Sotomayor, gerente de investigaciones de la Estación Espacial Internacional, te explica por qué es tan importante el cultivo de plantas en el espacio para el desarrollo de la ciencia y para futuras misiones a la Luna, y eventualmente, a Marte. Una jugosa historia de tomates en la Estación Espacial Internacional Descubre más temas de la NASA Ciencia en la estación NASA en español Explora el universo y descubre tu planeta natal con nosotros, en tu idioma. Station Benefits for Humanity International Space Station Share Details Last Updated Dec 03, 2024 Related TermsISS ResearchGeneralInternational Space Station (ISS) 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 4382-4383: Team Work, Dream Work NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Right Navigation Camera on sol 4373 — Martian day 4,373 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Nov. 24, 2024, at 08:32:59 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 Today, after a weeklong holiday break, the team was eager to take a look at Curiosity’s new workspace. After driving 51 meters (about 167 feet) alongside Texoli butte (pictured) we had a whole host of new rocks to examine, and it was one of those curiously perfect planning days where everything falls into place. Our team of geologists here on Earth was busy studying the images our Martian geologist had downlinked to Earth prior to planning, and we scheduled 1.5 hours of science activities on the first sol of this plan. An interesting and varied workspace today saw lots of instruments working together to study the rocks in-depth — teamwork really does make the dream work. To begin, we are targeting a vertical rock face called “Coronet Lake” near the rover. Coronet Lake has a cluster of nodules on show and we are getting information on the composition of these nodules with APXS and a ChemCam LIBS, as well as a close-up image with our MAHLI instrument. We also have a second MAHLI activity scheduled on a flat rock called “Excelsior Mountain.” Our observant team spotted an interesting-looking rock named “Admiration Point.” This rock may have fallen from the nearby Texoli butte, or could be a meteorite. To test these hypotheses further, we are targeting Admiration Point with a Mastcam mosaic and a ChemCam passive. ChemCam and Mastcam work together again on a target named “Olancha,” an area of rocks that could contain evidence of deformation from when the rocks first formed. Olancha will be targeted with a ChemCam long-distance RMI and a Mastcam mosaic. Mastcam is finishing off the geological observations here with mosaics of “Angels Camp,” a rock containing veins where water may have once flowed, “Bare Island Lake,” a gray rock containing interesting polygonal ridges, and a trough feature close to Coronet Lake. ChemCam is taking another look back at Gediz Vallis channel to see a transition between light- and dark-toned rocks with a long-distance RMI, and we are rounding off this plan with our standard environmental observations. As the Geology and Mineralogy theme group Keeper of the Plan for today’s planning, I made sure that this sol was packed full of science activities that the team wanted to schedule. After this busy first sol, Curiosity will be driving about 50 meters (about 164 feet), continuing to make our way out of Gediz Vallis, and we are all very excited to see what the rest of the sulfate-bearing unit has to offer us. Written by Emma Harris, graduate student at Natural History Museum, London Share Details Last Updated Dec 03, 2024 Related Terms Blogs Explore More 3 min read 4375-4381: A Stuffed Holiday Plan Article 19 hours ago 3 min read Sols 4732-4735: I’ll Zap You, My Pretty, and Your Pebble Too Article 20 hours ago 2 min read You Are Now Arriving at ‘Pico Turquino’ Article 1 day 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

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Fans at the 51st Annual Bayou Classic in New Orleans snap a photo with cardboard images of NASA’s Artemis II crew on Nov. 30. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA was on full display during the 51st Annual Bayou Classic Fan Fest activity on Nov. 30, hosting an informational booth and interacting with event participants. Kicking off the Fan Fest on stage were Ken Newton, director of the NASA Shared Services Center Service Delivery Directorate; Pam Covington, director of the NASA Stennis Office of Communications; and Dawn Davis, chief of the NASA Stennis Engineering & Test Directorate Office of Technology Development. NASA representatives, including HBCU alumni, supported the morning-long event, providing Fan Fest attendees with promotional items and information about student internship and employment opportunities with the agency. The annual Bayou Classic event attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year and features several days of activities, including a nationally broadcast football game, involving two Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Louisiana – Southern University in Baton Rouge and Grambling State University in Grambling. The NASA outreach and engagement effort during this year’s event focused on the theme – There’s Space for Everybody at NASA. It was part of an ongoing agencywide commitment to advance equity and reach deeper into underrepresented and underserved segments of society and was in support of efforts to advance racial equity in the federal government. NASA at the Bayou Classic Fan Fest video View the full article

9 Min Read Towards Autonomous Surface Missions on Ocean Worlds Artist’s concept image of a spacecraft lander with a robot arm on the surface of Europa. Credits: NASA/JPL – Caltech Through advanced autonomy testbed programs, NASA is setting the groundwork for one of its top priorities—the search for signs of life and potentially habitable bodies in our solar system and beyond. The prime destinations for such exploration are bodies containing liquid water, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Initial missions to the surfaces of these “ocean worlds” will be robotic and require a high degree of onboard autonomy due to long Earth-communication lags and blackouts, harsh surface environments, and limited battery life. Technologies that can enable spacecraft autonomy generally fall under the umbrella of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and have been evolving rapidly in recent years. Many such technologies, including machine learning, causal reasoning, and generative AI, are being advanced at non-NASA institutions. NASA started a program in 2018 to take advantage of these advancements to enable future icy world missions. It sponsored the development of the physical Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed (OWLAT) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and the virtual Ocean Worlds Autonomy Testbed for Exploration, Research, and Simulation (OceanWATERS) at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. NASA solicited applications for its Autonomous Robotics Research for Ocean Worlds (ARROW) program in 2020, and for the Concepts for Ocean worlds Life Detection Technology (COLDTech) program in 2021. Six research teams, based at universities and companies throughout the United States, were chosen to develop and demonstrate autonomy solutions on OWLAT and OceanWATERS. These two- to three-year projects are now complete and have addressed a wide variety of autonomy challenges faced by potential ocean world surface missions. OWLAT OWLAT is designed to simulate a spacecraft lander with a robotic arm for science operations on an ocean world body. The overall OWLAT architecture including hardware and software components is shown in Figure 1. Each of the OWLAT components is detailed below. Figure 1. The software and hardware components of the Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed and the relationships between them. NASA/JPL – Caltech The hardware version of OWLAT (shown in Figure 2) is designed to physically simulate motions of a lander as operations are performed in a low-gravity environment using a six degrees-of-freedom (DOF) Stewart platform. A seven DOF robot arm is mounted on the lander to perform sampling and other science operations that interact with the environment. A camera mounted on a pan-and-tilt unit is used for perception. The testbed also has a suite of onboard force/torque sensors to measure motion and reaction forces as the lander interacts with the environment. Control algorithms implemented on the testbed enable it to exhibit dynamics behavior as if it were a lightweight arm on a lander operating in different gravitational environments. Figure 2. The Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed. A scoop is mounted to the end of the testbed robot arm. NASA/JPL – Caltech The team also developed a set of tools and instruments (shown in Figure 3) to enable the performance of science operations using the testbed. These various tools can be mounted to the end of the robot arm via a quick-connect-disconnect mechanism. The testbed workspace where sampling and other science operations are conducted incorporates an environment designed to represent the scene and surface simulant material potentially found on ocean worlds. Figure 3. Tools and instruments designed to be used with the testbed. NASA/JPL – Caltech The software-only version of OWLAT models, visualizes, and provides telemetry from a high-fidelity dynamics simulator based on the Dynamics And Real-Time Simulation (DARTS) physics engine developed at JPL. It replicates the behavior of the physical testbed in response to commands and provides telemetry to the autonomy software. A visualization from the simulator is shown on Figure 4. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Figure 7. Screenshot of OceanWATERS lander on a terrain modeled from the Atacama Desert. A scoop operation has just been completed. NASA/JPL – Caltech The autonomy software module shown at the top in Figure 1 interacts with the testbed through a Robot Operating System (ROS)-based interface to issue commands and receive telemetry. This interface is defined to be identical to the OceanWATERS interface. Commands received from the autonomy module are processed through the dispatcher/scheduler/controller module (blue box in Figure 1) and used to command either the physical hardware version of the testbed or the dynamics simulation (software version) of the testbed. Sensor information from the operation of either the software-only or physical testbed is reported back to the autonomy module using a defined telemetry interface. A safety and performance monitoring and evaluation software module (red box in Figure 1) ensures that the testbed is kept within its operating bounds. Any commands causing out of bounds behavior and anomalies are reported as faults to the autonomy software module. Figure 5. Erica Tevere (at the operator’s station) and Ashish Goel (at the robot arm) setting up the OWLAT testbed for use. NASA/JPL – Caltech OceanWATERS At the time of the OceanWATERS project’s inception, Jupiter’s moon Europa was planetary science’s first choice in searching for life. Based on ROS, OceanWATERS is a software tool that provides a visual and physical simulation of a robotic lander on the surface of Europa (see Figure 6). OceanWATERS realistically simulates Europa’s celestial sphere and sunlight, both direct and indirect. Because we don’t yet have detailed information about the surface of Europa, users can select from terrain models with a variety of surface and material properties. One of these models is a digital replication of a portion of the Atacama Desert in Chile, an area considered a potential Earth-analog for some extraterrestrial surfaces. Figure 6. Screenshot of OceanWATERS. NASA/JPL – Caltech JPL’s Europa Lander Study of 2016, a guiding document for the development of OceanWATERS, describes a planetary lander whose purpose is collecting subsurface regolith/ice samples, analyzing them with onboard science instruments, and transmitting results of the analysis to Earth. The simulated lander in OceanWATERS has an antenna mast that pans and tilts; attached to it are stereo cameras and spotlights. It has a 6 degree-of-freedom arm with two interchangeable end effectors—a grinder designed for digging trenches, and a scoop for collecting ground material. The lander is powered by a simulated non-rechargeable battery pack. Power consumption, the battery’s state, and its remaining life are regularly predicted with the Generic Software Architecture for Prognostics (GSAP) tool. To simulate degraded or broken subsystems, a variety of faults (e.g., a frozen arm joint or overheating battery) can be “injected” into the simulation by the user; some faults can also occur “naturally” as the simulation progresses, e.g., if components become over-stressed. All the operations and telemetry (data measurements) of the lander are accessible via an interface that external autonomy software modules can use to command the lander and understand its state. (OceanWATERS and OWLAT share a unified autonomy interface based on ROS.) The OceanWATERS package includes one basic autonomy module, a facility for executing plans (autonomy specifications) written in the PLan EXecution Interchange Language, or PLEXIL. PLEXIL and GSAP are both open-source software packages developed at Ames and available on GitHub, as is OceanWATERS. Mission operations that can be simulated by OceanWATERS include visually surveying the landing site, poking at the ground to determine its hardness, digging a trench, and scooping ground material that can be discarded or deposited in a sample collection bin. Communication with Earth, sample analysis, and other operations of a real lander mission, are not presently modeled in OceanWATERS except for their estimated power consumption. Figure 7 is a video of OceanWATERS running a sample mission scenario using the Atacama-based terrain model. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Figure 7. Screenshot of OceanWATERS lander on a terrain modeled from the Atacama Desert. A scoop operation has just been completed. NASA/JPL – Caltech Because of Earth’s distance from the ocean worlds and the resulting communication lag, a planetary lander should be programmed with at least enough information to begin its mission. But there will be situation-specific challenges that will require onboard intelligence, such as deciding exactly where and how to collect samples, dealing with unexpected issues and hardware faults, and prioritizing operations based on remaining power. Results All six of the research teams funded by the ARROW and COLDTech programs used OceanWATERS to develop ocean world lander autonomy technology and three of those teams also used OWLAT. The products of these efforts were published in technical papers, and resulted in development of software that may be used or adapted for actual ocean world lander missions in the future. The following table summarizes the ARROW and COLDTech efforts. Principal Investigator (PI) PI Institution Project Testbed Used Purpose of Project ARROW Projects Jonathan Bohren Honeybee Robotics Stochastic PLEXIL (SPLEXIL) OceanWATERS Extended PLEXIL with stochastic decision-making capabilities by employing reinforcement learning techniques. Pooyan Jamshidi University of South Carolina Resource Adaptive Software Purpose-Built for Extraordinary Robotic Research Yields (RASPBERRY SI) OceanWATERS & OWLAT Developed software algorithms and tools for fault root cause identification, causal debugging, causal optimization, and causal-induced verification. COLDTech Projects Eric Dixon Lockheed Martin Causal And Reinforcement Learning (CARL) for COLDTech OceanWATERS Integrated a model of JPL’s mission-ready Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm (COLDarm) into OceanWATERS and applied image analysis, causal reasoning, and machine learning models to identify and mitigate the root causes of faults, such as ice buildup on the arm’s end effector. Jay McMahon University of Colorado Robust Exploration with Autonomous Science On-board, Ranked Evaluation of Contingent Opportunities for Uninterrupted Remote Science Exploration (REASON-RECOURSE) OceanWATERS Applied automated planning with formal methods to maximize science return of the lander while minimizing communication with ground team on Earth. Melkior Ornik U Illinois, Urbana-Champaign aDaptive, ResIlient Learning-enabLed oceAn World AutonomY (DRILLAWAY) OceanWATERS & OWLAT Developed autonomous adaptation to novel terrains and selecting scooping actions based on the available image data and limited experience by transferring the scooping procedure learned from a low-fidelity testbed to the high-fidelity OWLAT testbed. Joel Burdick Caltech Robust, Explainable Autonomy for Scientific Icy Moon Operations (REASIMO) OceanWATERS & OWLAT Developed autonomous 1) detection and identification of off-nominal conditions and procedures for recovery from those conditions, and 2) sample site selection Acknowledgements: The portion of the research carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology was performed under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004). The portion of the research carried out by employees of KBR Wyle Services LLC at NASA Ames Research Center was performed under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80ARC020D0010). Both were funded by the Planetary Science Division ARROW and COLDTech programs. Project Leads: Hari Nayar (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology), K. Michael Dalal (KBR, Inc. at NASA Ames Research Center) Sponsoring Organizations: NASA SMD PESTO View the full article

Scientists find that cometary dust affects interpretation of spacecraft measurements, reopening the case for comets like 67P as potential sources of water for early Earth. Researchers have found that water on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has a similar molecular signature to the water in Earth’s oceans. Contradicting some recent results, this finding reopens the case that Jupiter-family comets like 67P could have helped deliver water to Earth. Water was essential for life to form and flourish on Earth and it remains central for Earth life today. While some water likely existed in the gas and dust from which our planet materialized around 4.6 billion years ago, much of the water would have vaporized because Earth formed close to the Sun’s intense heat. How Earth ultimately became rich in liquid water has remained a source of debate for scientists. Research has shown that some of Earth’s water originated through vapor vented from volcanoes; that vapor condensed and rained down on the oceans. But scientists have found evidence that a substantial portion of our oceans came from the ice and minerals on asteroids, and possibly comets, that crashed into Earth. A wave of comet and asteroid collisions with the solar system’s inner planets 4 billion years ago would have made this possible. This image, taken by ESA’s Rosetta navigation camera, was taken from a about 53 miles from the center of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on March 14, 2015. The image resolution is 24 feet per pixel and is cropped and processed to bring out the details of the comet’s activity. ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM While the case connecting asteroid water to Earth’s is strong, the role of comets has puzzled scientists. Several measurements of Jupiter-family comets — which contain primitive material from the early solar system and are thought to have formed beyond the orbit of Saturn — showed a strong link between their water and Earth’s. This link was based on a key molecular signature scientists use to trace the origin of water across the solar system. This signature is the ratio of deuterium (D) to regular hydrogen (H) in the water of any object, and it gives scientists clues about where that object formed. Deuterium is a rare, heavier type — or isotope — of hydrogen. When compared to Earth’s water, this hydrogen ratio in comets and asteroids can reveal whether there’s a connection. Because water with deuterium is more likely to form in cold environments, there’s a higher concentration of the isotope on objects that formed far from the Sun, such as comets, than in objects that formed closer to the Sun, like asteroids. Measurements within the last couple of decades of deuterium in the water vapor of several other Jupiter-family comets showed similar levels to Earth’s water. “It was really starting to look like these comets played a major role in delivering water to Earth,” said Kathleen Mandt, planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Mandt led the research, published in Science Advances on Nov. 13, that revises the abundance of deuterium in 67P. About Kathleen Mandt But in 2014, ESA’s (European Space Agency) Rosetta mission to 67P challenged the idea that Jupiter-family comets helped fill Earth’s water reservoir. Scientists who analyzed Rosetta’s water measurements found the highest concentration of deuterium of any comet, and about three times more deuterium than there is in Earth’s oceans, which have about 1 deuterium atom for every 6,420 hydrogen atoms. “It was a big surprise and it made us rethink everything,” Mandt said. Mandt’s team decided to use an advanced statistical-computation technique to automate the laborious process of isolating deuterium-rich water in more than 16,000 Rosetta measurements. Rosetta made these measurements in the “coma” of gas and dust surrounding 67P. Mandt’s team, which included Rosetta scientists, was the first to analyze all of the European mission’s water measurements spanning the entire mission. The researchers wanted to understand what physical processes caused the variability in the hydrogen isotope ratios measured at comets. Lab studies and comet observations showed that cometary dust could affect the readings of the hydrogen ratio that scientists detect in comet vapor, which could change our understanding of where comet water comes from and how it compares to Earth’s water. What are comets made of? It’s one of the questions ESA’s Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko wanted to answer. “So I was just curious if we could find evidence for that happening at 67P,” Mandt said. “And this is just one of those very rare cases where you propose a hypothesis and actually find it happening.” Indeed, Mandt’s team found a clear connection between deuterium measurements in the coma of 67P and the amount of dust around the Rosetta spacecraft, showing that the measurements taken near the spacecraft in some parts of the coma may not be representative of the composition of a comet’s body. As a comet moves in its orbit closer to the Sun, its surface warms up, causing gas to release from the surface, including dust with bits of water ice on it. Water with deuterium sticks to dust grains more readily than regular water does, research suggests. When the ice on these dust grains is released into the coma, this effect could make the comet appear to have more deuterium than it has. Mandt and her team reported that by the time dust gets to the outer part of the coma, at least 75 miles from the comet body, it is dried out. With the deuterium-rich water gone, a spacecraft can accurately measure the amount of deuterium coming from the comet body. This finding, the paper authors say, has big implications not only for understanding comets’ role in delivering Earth’s water, but also for understanding comet observations that provide insight into the formation of the early solar system. “This means there is a great opportunity to revisit our past observations and prepare for future ones so we can better account for the dust effects,” Mandt said. By Lonnie Shekhtman NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Explore More 9 min read Towards Autonomous Surface Missions on Ocean Worlds Article 31 mins ago 1 min read Coming Spring 2025: Planetary Defenders Documentary ow would humanity respond if we discovered an asteroid headed for Earth? NASA’s Planetary Defenders… Article 52 mins ago 5 min read What’s Up: December 2024 Skywatching Tips from NASA Article 1 day ago Share Details Last Updated Dec 03, 2024 Editor Lonnie Shekhtman Contact Lonnie Shekhtman lonnie.shekhtman@nasa.gov Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Comets Goddard Space Flight Center Planetary Science Planetary Science Division Rosetta Science Mission Directorate The Solar System View the full article