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By Space Force
The United States Space Force announced when Guardians will have the opportunity to be sized for and order the new service dress uniform.
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
These maps of Prince George’s County, MD, show surface temperatures collected a few hours apart on July 30, 2023 from the Landsat 9 satellite and the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument. The dark blue spots in the right hand image are likely clouds that formed in the afternoon.Credit: Stephanie Schollaert Uz, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Thousands of Americans are impacted each summer by excessive heat and humidity, some suffering from heat-related illnesses when the body can’t cool itself down. Data from NASA satellites could help local governments reduce the sweltering risks, thanks to a collaboration between NASA scientists and officials in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The effort demonstrates how local officials in other communities could turn to NASA data to inform decisions that provide residents with relief from summer heat.
NASA researchers and their Prince George’s County collaborators reported in Frontiers in Environmental Science that they used the Landsat 8 satellite, jointly operated by NASA and the US Geological Survey, and NASA’s Aqua satellite, to gain insight into surface temperature trends across the county over the past few decades. The data also show how temperatures have responded to changing land use and construction. It is information that county planners and environmental experts hope can aid them in their attempts to remediate and prevent heat dangers in the future. The collaboration may also help the county’s first responders anticipate and prepare for heat-related emergencies and injuries.
Cooperation with Prince George’s County expands on NASA’s historic role, said Stephanie Schollaert Uz, an applications scientist with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and one of the study authors. “Applying government satellite data to county-level problems is new here. We’re trying to make it easier for people outside of NASA to use our data, in part by including how-to guides referenced at the end of our paper,” Schollaert Uz said.
In the long run, county officials hope to use NASA satellites to track the negative health impacts that arise from land use and modification. Removal of tree cover and the construction of non-permeable roads, parking lots, and structures that lead to water runoff are among the factors that create heat islands, where temperatures in localized areas soar relative to the surrounding landscape. In addition to the direct dangers of heat for county residents and workers, areas with higher-than-normal temperatures can drive intense local weather events.
“There’s potentially a greater incidence of microbursts,” said Mary Abe of Prince George’s County’s sustainability division. “The atmosphere can become supercharged over hot spots,” causing high winds and flood-inducing rains.
Prince George’s County planners anticipate relying on NASA satellites to determine where residents and county employees are at greater risk, predict how future construction could impact heat dangers, and develop strategies to moderate heat in areas currently experiencing elevated summer temperatures. Efforts might include protecting existing trees and planting new ones. It could include replacing impermeable surfaces (cement, pavement, etc.) with alternatives that let water soak into the ground rather than running off into storm drains. To verify and calibrate the satellite observations crucial for such planning, county experts are considering enlisting residents to act as citizen scientists to collect temperature and weather data on the ground, Abe said.
Eventually, the NASA satellite temperature data could also lead to strategies to curb insect-borne diseases, said Evelyn Hoban, associate director for the Prince George’s County division of environmental health and communicable disease. “Once we know where the higher temperatures are, we can check to see if they create mosquito or tick breeding grounds,” said Hoban, who coauthored the study. “We could then focus our outreach and education, and perhaps prevention efforts, on areas of greater heat and risk.”
A NASA guide is available to aid other communities who hope to duplicate the Prince George’s County study. The guide provides introductions on a variety of NASA satellite and ground-based weather station data. Instructions for downloading and analyzing the data are illustrated in an accompanying tutorial that uses the Prince George’s County study as an example for other communities to follow on their own.
One of the greatest benefits of the collaboration, Abe said, is the boost in credibility that comes from incorporating NASA resources and expertise in the county’s efforts to improve safety and health. “It’s partly the NASA brand. People recognize it and they’re really intrigued by it,” she said. “Working with NASA builds confidence that the decision-making process is based firmly in science.”
By James Riordon
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Media contact: Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters
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Last Updated Aug 28, 2025 EditorJames RiordonLocationNASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
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Sols 4539-4540: Back After a Productive Weekend Plan
NASA’’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Left Navigation Camera on May 11, 2025 — Sol 4537, or Martian day 4,537 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 22:26:23 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Scott VanBommel, Planetary Scientist at Washington University
Earth planning date: Monday, May 12, 2025
Curiosity was back to work Monday, picking up where it left off from Friday’s plan. Tosol’s plan started with an APXS analysis on the target “Jeffrey Pine,” though the DRT was kept on the sidelines this time. Curiosity then proceeded to image Jeffrey Pine and “Canyon Oak” with MAHLI while simultaneously executing a DAN passive analysis. Mastcam documented “Santiago Peak” as well as Canyon Oak, prior to a ChemCam 5-spot analysis on the latter. Following a drive of about 30 meters (about 98 feet), Curiosity rounded out the two-sol plan with untargeted and environmental monitoring activities, including Navcam dust-devil and cloud-shadow movies.
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Last Updated May 13, 2025 Related Terms
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Overview
Welcome to the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) services page. Provided here are different resources to support informed steps toward a new career opportunity in the public or private sector.
Transition Assistance
NASA is partnering with OPM to offer a 1-day workshop covering multiple areas associated with career transitions. The workshop will be offered virtually on pre-scheduled dates and will include:
Career Exploration (1 Hour) Job Search Strategy (1 Hour) Resume Writing (2 Hours) Interview Techniques (2 Hours) One-On-One Counseling NASA will follow-up with employees eligible for CTAP to enroll them in the workshop and share participation details.
Transition Resources
Below are links to guidance, resources, and tools that are helpful during a career move, including resume preparation, interview preparation, networking strategies, job search assistance, and more.
Resume Preparation
Resources to help craft strong professional resumes that showcase personal skills and experience, including specialized training and tools.
General
Resume Tips Brochure to Launch Your Career
JPL Resume Workshop
Writing an Effective Resume
CareerOneStop
Federal/State/Local Government
Federal employees who have been displaced due to a Reduction in Force (RIF) may be eligible for priority selection for another federal job under the CTAP. In their USAJOBS profiles, they can indicate their CTAP eligibility under the Federal Service section and make their resume and profile searchable for Agency Talent Portal (ATP) users by selecting a saved resume under the Documents tab.
How to Build a Resume
What Should I Include in My Resume
How to Make Your Resume and Profile Searchable
Private Sector
Creating A Successful Private Sector Resume from Your Federal Resume
Beyond Federal Service: How to Transition to the Private Sector
Interview Coaching
Resources to prepare for job interviews and improve interview skills, including information about the interview process, how to prepare and respond to interview questions, and platforms to conduct practice interviews and receive feedback on responses.
Interview Process
Interview Tips from Department of Labor
Interview Tips from DOL’s CareerOneStop
Interview Responses
STAR Method: How to Use This Technique to Ace Your Next Job Interview
Interview Practice
Barclays Virtual Interview Practice Tool (Free)
Google Interview Warmup (Free)
Pramp (Free)
Networking
Guidance on how to leverage LinkedIn for job search and professional networking, and providing feedback on LinkedIn profiles, optimizing keywords, and increasing visibility to recruiters.
Rock Your LinkedIn Profile Learning Series Videos
LinkedIn Profile Best Practices
LinkedIn Profile Summary Best Practices
Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search Success
Make the Most of LinkedIn for Your Job Search
Forming a Network
Job Information/Job Search Assistance
Free online resources for identifying adjacent or new career opportunities, including job matching websites and websites offering personality or career assessments.
Career Search
CareerOneStop
O*NET Online
Self-Assessment
CareerExplorer Assessment
CareerOneStop Self-Assessments
O*NET Interest Profiler
USAJOBS Career Explorer
Job Search
Apprenticeship Job Finder
CareerOneStop Job Search
Indeed
Monster
USAJOBS
ZipRecruiter
Other
CareerOneStop Find American Job Centers
Retraining
Free and fee-based online e-learning resources to enhance current skills or acquire new skills.
Codeacademy
Coursera
edX
Harvard Online Learning
Khan Academy
LinkedIn Learning
MasterClass
MIT OpenCourseWare
Skillshare
Stanford Online
Udemy
Employment Counseling
NASA’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential counseling that can be used to obtain employment counseling and support during a career transition, as well as referrals to other needed resources.
NASA Enterprise EAP Page
NASA Center EAP Pages
Additional Transition Resources
There are also additional career transition resources available through OPM including:
The Employee’s Guide to Career Transition
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Last Updated Mar 24, 2025 Related Terms
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By Space Force
The U.S. Space Force published its Data and Artificial Intelligence FY 2025 Strategic Action Plan.
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