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By NASA
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.
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By Space Force
SecAF Kendall delivered a speech to USAFA cadets about the qualities necessary for strong leadership and why capable, insightful, moral leaders are more essential than ever in defense of the nation.
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By USH
Throughout the years, reports of alien abductions have emerged from all corners of the globe.
An alien abduction is generally described as an event in which individuals report being taken against their will by extraterrestrial beings, often undergoing various forms of physical and psychological experimentation.
Some argue that these experiences could simply reflect the subconscious mind at work or suggest that the abductees may have unknowingly been subjects of classified military experiments. Nonetheless, many abductees share accounts with such remarkable detail and consistency that some researchers feel the phenomenon deserves serious consideration.
Over time, I’ve shared numerous articles on cases of alleged alien abductions, which you can explore under the "alien abduction" tag below the article.
Here are two more intriguing cases in which abductees recount their experiences in vivid detail, prompting us to seriously consider the possibility that people may actually be taken by aliens.
The Betty Andreasson Alien Abduction: A Strange Encounter in 1967
One of the most detailed and haunting accounts of alien abduction began on January 25, 1967, in South Ashburnham, Massachusetts. That evening, Betty Andreasson’s family experienced a power outage, followed by an eerie red light outside. Peering out, Betty’s father saw five strange beings approaching who soon entered the house, seemingly passing through solid walls. They communicated telepathically and temporarily froze the family in place.
These beings had distinctive appearances, with pear-shaped heads, wide eyes, and a calm, almost friendly aura. Betty was led to a spacecraft in her backyard and taken aboard, where she underwent strange tests and experienced an otherworldly vision. Hours later, she was returned home, and the aliens left her family unharmed. Initially, Betty viewed her experience through a religious lens, but over time, she came to see it as an alien encounter.
Years later, her story caught the attention of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a leading UFO researcher. Under hypnosis, Betty’s fragmented memories resurfaced, revealing consistent details corroborated by her daughter, who had also been briefly unfrozen by the beings. After extensive testing and interviews, investigators concluded that Betty was credible and sincerely believed in what she described. The Betty Andreasson abduction remains one of the most compelling cases in UFO lore.
The 1974 Medicine Bow National Forest Abduction: Carl Higdon's Astonishing Encounter
Carl Higdon's hunting trip to Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest in October 1974 took a surreal turn when he experienced one of the most bizarre UFO abduction cases on record. Aiming at an elk, Higdon was stunned to see his bullet slow mid-air and drop, seemingly defying physics. Moments later, he noticed an unusual figure—a tall being in a black jumpsuit with rod-like appendages instead of hands—who offered him pills, claiming that one would sustain him for days.
Higdon, inexplicably compliant, swallowed a pill and suddenly found himself in a transparent structure with two more beings and five frozen elk. He was told they were traveling 163,000 light-years away to the aliens' home planet, which he described as filled with towering structures and an intensely bright sun.
Two and a half hours later, Higdon was back in Medicine Bow, disoriented and missing his elk. Later medical tests revealed inexplicably high vitamin levels and the disappearance of old lung scars. Adding credibility to his story, other witnesses reported seeing strange lights in the area. Higdon’s experience remains a mysterious case.
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA provides a variety of pathways for those outside the agency to contribute to authentic and meaningful research. Whether you’re a student pursuing a degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics), an educator looking for new ways to engage your classroom, or a citizen scientist enthusiastic about sharing your observations, there’s a wide array of opportunities to get involved in NASA research.
Citizen scientists around the world participate in environmental observation and measurement efforts through GLOBE.NASA Everybody
People from all around the world can make contributions to NASA research through citizen science projects and other opportunities available to the public.
Share your observations and take measurements in your part of the world through GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment), an international science and education initiative that engages students, teachers, and the public in collecting and analyzing environmental data. Do you have a relevant idea for human health science research that could be performed on the future Gateway lunar space station? Follow these steps to share your idea for consideration. The Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program through NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate invites citizen scientists to develop innovations in recycling material waste on deep space missions, develop aids/devices for navigating on the lunar surface during future Artemis missions, and more. Do you have the “right stuff” to participate in a simulated deep space mission? NASA’s HERA (the Human Exploration Research Analog) is seeking healthy subjects to participate in 45-day simulations to study the physiological and psychological effects of isolation and confinement on humans to help prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Visit the NASA Citizen Science webpage for more opportunities to discover the secrets of the universe, search for life elsewhere, and improve life on Earth and in space. This collage features the winning designs in the 2024 Dream with Us Design Challenge, which asks students to dream of innovations for the future of aviation.NASA Middle and High School Students
Students can gain valuable experience while making a difference in the future of aeronautics and exploration.
Rising high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply for the four-week Gene Lab for High School Students training program sponsored by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California. The program focuses on collecting and analyzing complex biological data such as genetic codes, and computational biology. Through the annual TechRise Student Challenge offered by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, U.S. students in grades 6 to 12 form teams and design an experiment to fly on a suborbital flight platform such as a high-altitude balloon. Interested in aviation? The Dream With Us Design Challenge through NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate invites students in grades 6 to 12 to envision new innovations that will improve the safety, sustainability, and accessibility of aviation systems and technology. Through NASA internships, U.S. students ages 16 and up can boost their research experience and contribute to NASA’s work with the guidance of an agency mentor. This collage features the winning designs in the 2024 Dream with Us Design Challenge, which asks students to dream of innovations for the future of aviation.NASA Undergraduate and Graduate Students
NASA offers a variety of research opportunities for college students preparing to launch their own exciting careers in STEM.
NASA’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grants competitive awards to enable college and university students within specific U.S. jurisdictions to participate in cutting-edge research projects that address NASA’s challenges and needs. The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project (Space Grant), is a national network of colleges and universities comprising a total of 52 consortia across the U.S. These consortia fund several research opportunities for students attending member colleges and universities. Look up your state’s Space Grant consortium website to discover available opportunities. NASA internships are available in a wide range of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, enabling meaningful contributions to NASA’s missions as well as authentic experience as a part of the agency’s world-class workforce. Through the University Student Research Challenge, students are invited to propose their ideas describing innovative new approaches to tackling one of six major research areas as outlined by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. Students can take part in valuable studies of the ever-changing Earth system through NASA’s Earth Science Division’s Early Career Research (ECR) program. ECR includes the eight-week Student Airborne Research Program, the Climate Change Research Initiative, and more. College students at Minority Serving Institutions can contribute to the agency’s exploration goals through many opportunities offered by NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP). Educators of grades K-8 take part in a workshop hosted by NASA’s Next Gen STEM.NASA Educators
NASA provides opportunities for educators to participate in authentic aerospace research, as well as to engage their students in research in the classroom.
Space Grant offers a variety of opportunities for educators, from curriculum enhancement and faculty development to grants enabling teachers to bring NASA research into the classroom. Look up your state’s Space Grant consortium website to discover available opportunities. NASA welcomes interns with professional teaching experience to help foster the education and curiosity of students who will shape the future workforce. Visit NASA Internships to learn more and find current opportunities. Through NASA’s Climate Change Research Initiative, part of the agency’s Earth Science Division’s Early Career Research Program, high school STEM educators can join a research team led by NASA scientists to focus on a research area related to climate change. There’s More to Explore
Explore available NASA STEM learning experiences, such as internship roles, student competitions, or engagements with NASA researchers, through NASA’s STEM Gateway platform. Visit NASA’s Learning Resources webpage for the latest news and resources from the agency’s Office of STEM Engagement.
Keep Exploring Discover More STEM Topics From NASA
NASA STEM Engagement Funding Opportunities
For Colleges and Universities
About STEM Engagement at NASA
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By European Space Agency
Image: ESA Astronaut Reserve training kicks off at EAC View the full article
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