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By European Space Agency
ESA’s groundbreaking Biomass satellite, designed to provide unprecedented insights into the world’s forests and their crucial role in Earth’s carbon cycle, has been launched. The satellite lifted off aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 29 April at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The C-20A aircraft, based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flies over the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California for the Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission on Feb. 28, 2025. The DUST mission collected airborne data about snow water to help improve water management and reservoir systems on the ground.NASA/Starr Ginn As part of a science mission tracking one of Earth’s most precious resources – water – NASA’s C-20A aircraft conducted a series of seven research flights in March that can help researchers track the process and timeline as snow melts and transforms into a freshwater resource. The agency’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) installed on the aircraft collected measurements of seasonal snow cover and estimate the freshwater contained in it.
“Seasonal snow is a critical resource for drinking water, power generation, supporting multi-billion dollar agricultural and recreation industries,” said Starr Ginn, C-20A project manager at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “Consequently, understanding the distribution of seasonal snow storage and subsequent runoff is essential.”
The Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission mapped snow accumulation over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. Mission scientists can use these observations to estimate the amount of water stored in that snow.
Peter Wu, radar operator from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, observes data collected during the Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission onboard NASA’s C-20A aircraft on Feb. 28, 2025. The C-20A flew from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to collect data about snow water.NASA/Starr Ginn “Until recently, defining the best method for accurately measuring snow water equivalent (SWE) – or how much and when fresh water is converted from snow – has been a challenge,” said Shadi Oveisgharan, principal investigator of DUST and scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “The UAVSAR has been shown to be a good instrument to retrieve SWE data.”
Recent research has shown that snow properties, weather patterns, and seasonal conditions in the American West have been shifting in recent decades. These changes have fundamentally altered previous expectations about snowpack monitoring and forecasts of snow runoff. The DUST mission aims to better track and understand those changes to develop more accurate estimates of snow-to-water conversions and their timelines.
“We are trying to find the optimum window during which to retrieve snow data,” Oveisgharan said. “This estimation will help us better estimate available fresh snow and manage our reservoirs better.”
The Dense UAVSAR Snow Time (DUST) mission team assembles next to the C-20A aircraft at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Feb. 28, 2025. From left, radar operator Adam Vaccaro, avionics lead Kelly Jellison, C-20A project manager Starr Ginn, pilot Carrie Worth, pilot Troy Asher, aircraft mechanic Eric Apikian, and operations engineer Ian Elkin.NASA/Starr Ginn The DUST mission achieved a new level of snow data accuracy, which is partly due to the specialized flight paths flown by the C-20A. The aircraft’s Platform Precision Autopilot (PPA) enables the team to fly very specific routes at exact altitudes, speeds, and angles so the UAVSAR can more precisely measure terrain changes.
“Imagine the rows made on grass by a lawn mower,” said Joe Piotrowski Jr., operations engineer for NASA Armstrong’s airborne science program. “The PPA system enables the C-20A to make those paths while measuring terrain changes down to the diameter of a centimeter.”
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Last Updated Apr 24, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms
Armstrong Flight Research Center Airborne Science C-20A Earth Science Earth's Atmosphere Jet Propulsion Laboratory Science Mission Directorate Explore More
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Spectrum is a shared resource. Since the discovery of radio waves and the invention of the telegraph, humanity has exponentially increased its use of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum. Consider how many wireless devices are around you right now. You’re probably reading this on a smartphone or laptop connected to the internet through Wi-Fi or 5G. You might be listening to music on Bluetooth headphones. If you are in a car or bus, the driver may be using signals from GPS satellites. To meet this increasing need, RF engineers and regulators continue to develop ways to enable users to share the same frequencies at the same time in the same place — think of modern cell phone technology. Avoiding or lessening interference between users requires regulators and users alike to maintain and enforce the ‘rules of the road’ that describe who can use which frequencies where, when, and how. NASA, like all other users, must comply with these regulations and collaborate with other users to ensure our use of the RF spectrum can continue and evolve.
Just as architects design taller buildings to accommodate more residences on the same plot of land, radio frequency engineers design methods to allow more users on the same frequency, at the same place and time.NASA Supporting and Protecting NASA’s Spectrum Users
NASA’s spectrum professionals work with users early in the project planning phase to understand the type, location, and duration of their data, and in turn determine what kind of antennas, transmitters, and receivers will be required. With that information, a spectrum manager helps to define the spectrum requirements, such as bandwidths, modulation, and other technical characteristics of the radio signals to be used. Understanding a project’s objectives helps define the appropriate service allocation and potential frequency ranges.
Once these spectrum requirements are determined, NASA’s spectrum professionals work with other relevant spectrum users within and beyond NASA to coordinate the use of the spectrum.
In the unfortunate event of harmful RF interference, working to identify, resolve, and report the interference is another critical function of NASA’s spectrum professionals. For example as Jeff Hayes — NASA’s current SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program liaison to the Science Mission Directorate and the former program executive for operating missions in the Heliophysics and Astrophysics Divisions — recounts, “The NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) observatory did actually experience bouts of RF interference over certain parts of the world. As NICER uses GPS to understand where it is pointing to in the sky, interference can make the location information of the source imprecise, and that impacts the quality of the data collected. That data could potentially be attributed to the wrong star.”
When NASA identifies interference to a mission like NICER or to a device at an agency center or facility, NASA center and facility spectrum managers work to identify, resolve, and report the interference.
Identifying and reporting sources of interference helps to raise awareness of the impacts and causes of interference. When the sources of interference are international, which is especially common for space systems like NICER, SCaN’s spectrum management team works with U.S. regulators to report the incident to international regulators. These interference reports can be used to advocate for regulatory protections that help ensure the integrity of valuable science data and the safety of human spaceflight activities.
Advocating for NASA’s Current and Future Spectrum Use
NASA’s spectrum analysts and engineers perform analyses and simulations to support spectrum planning and management activities. For example, passive remote sensing instruments like the radiometer on the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission detect natural energy (radiation) emitted or reflected by an object or scene being observed. This energy is much fainter than human-generated radio signals and require highly sensitive radiometers that are susceptible to interference from more powerful signals. The spectrum management team works to ensure regulatory protections are in place and followed to ensure the integrity of NASA’s scientific missions.
Sometimes NASA’s future missions envision new ways and places to use radio waves. For example, when NASA’s Artemis campaign began taking steps to return humans to the Moon, SCaN’s spectrum professionals began working with other stakeholders to develop a RF architecture that enables the use of radio waves for science data, communications, positioning, navigation, and timing while also limiting the risk of interference with systems on or orbiting Earth. NASA’s spectrum professionals further the agency’s spectrum management goals and objectives by analyzing potential changes in international or domestic regulations and proposing technical solutions that promote collaborative spectrum use with both foreign and domestic partners.
NASA’s technical expertise is critical to ensuring domestic and international regulators are well informed as they develop new or revised regulations that effectively enable the exciting innovation and exploration central to NASA’s mission.
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Last Updated Apr 23, 2025 Related Terms
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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA is marking progress in strengthening the agency’s small business partnerships, supply chain resiliency, and domestic space manufacturing capabilities.
Under the agency’s enhanced Mentor-Protégé Program, NASA has announced the first Mentor-Protégé Agreement between L3Harris Technologies, a NASA large prime contractor, and Parametric Machining, Inc., a veteran-owned small business.
This agreement will help advance NASA’s mission by fostering innovation and reinforcing the agency’s supply chain. As NASA continues to advance the Artemis campaign, deep space exploration, and aeronautics research, partnerships like this are essential in securing a resilient and efficient supplier base.
“We are excited to facilitate the first agreement under the newly enhanced NASA Mentor-Protégé Program,” said Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs. “This agreement, and the many that will follow, promote domestic ingenuity and manufacturing and provide opportunities for small businesses to grow and thrive within NASA’s industrial base.”
Through Mentor-Protégé Agreements, large prime contractors serve as mentors, offering technical and business development assistance to small business protégés. This collaboration not only enhances protégés’ capabilities but also provides mentors with a stronger, more reliable subcontracting base, enabling them to fill their supply chain gaps. Additionally, protégés gain potential prime and subcontract opportunities, enhanced technical capabilities, technical training, and long-term business growth.
Relaunched in November 2024, the merit-based NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to bolster small business development while strengthening NASA’s supply chain and industry base. By focusing on a targeted set of North American Industry Classification System codes, including research and development and aerospace manufacturing, NASA ensures that participating small businesses are well-positioned to contribute to long-term mission objectives.
The agreement between L3Harris Technologies and Parametric Machining, Inc. demonstrates the value of NASA’s revamped Mentor-Protégé Program. NASA is actively accepting new Mentor-Protégé Agreements and encourages large prime contractors and small businesses to explore the benefits of forming partnerships under the program. Participating in the Mentor-Protégé Program provides:
Enhanced manufacturing capabilities and subcontracting opportunities. Mentorship from experienced NASA prime contractors. Opportunities to advance competitiveness in government contracts. Access to technical assistance and business development support. A pathway for small businesses to integrate into NASA’s supply chain. L3Harris Technologies is a prime contractor at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, supporting the Geostationary Extended Observations Imager Instrument Implementation contract. NASA Goddard also will serve as the administering center for this agreement.
For more information on NASA’s Mentor-Protégé Program and how to participate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/osbp/mentor-protege-program
-end-
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Last Updated Apr 17, 2025 ContactTiernan P. Doyletiernan.doyle@nasa.govLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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By NASA
This summer, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is offering a free summer STEM program for high school students in their junior and senior years.Credit: NASA NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is launching the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this summer. The free, work-based learning experience is designed to help high school students prepare for a future in the aerospace workforce.
Rising high school juniors and seniors in Northeast Ohio can submit applications for this new, in-person summer program from Friday, April 11, through Friday, May 9.
The NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute will immerse students in NASA’s work while providing essential career readiness tools to help them in future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused academic and professional pursuits.
Throughout the five-day institute, students will use authentic NASA mission content and work alongside Glenn’s technical experts to gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design process, develop practical engineering solutions to real-world challenges, and test prototypes to answer questions in key mission areas:
Acoustic dampening – How can we reduce noise pollution from jet engines? Power management and distribution – How can we develop a smart power system for future space stations? Simulated lunar operations – Can we invent tires that don’t use air? Program Dates
Selected students will participate in one of the following week-long sessions.
Session 1: July 7 – 11, 2025 Session 2: July 14 – 18, 2025 Session 3: July 21 – 25, 2025 Eligibility and Application Requirements
To be eligible for this program, students must:
Be entering 11th or 12th grade for the 2025-2026 academic year Have a minimum 3.2 GPA, verified by their school counselor Submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher Additional application requirements are outlined in the Supplemental Application.
How to Apply:
To be considered for this opportunity, complete and submit the NASA Gateway application and the Supplemental Application by Friday May 9.
Questions pertaining to the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute should be directed to Gerald Voltz at GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov.
For information about NASA Glenn, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/glenn
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Debbie Welch
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-8655
debbie.welch@nasa.gov
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