NASA News

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim poses for a portrait with the American flag inside the International Space Station’s “window to the world,” the cupola.NASA

In 2025, NASA and its international partners celebrate 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. Since November 2, 2000, more than 290 people from 26 countries have lived and worked aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting thousands of experiments that have advanced science and technology on Earth and paved the way for Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars. 

Beyond its role as a science platform, the station has been a bridge—connecting cultures, sparking creativity, and inspiring generations. The memories of Johnson Space Center employees reflect how the orbiting laboratory is not only an engineering marvel but also a deeply human endeavor.  

Christopher Brown – Advancing Life Support Systems for Future Exploration 

Christopher Brown (center) receives the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement alongside NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. NASA/James Blair

As a space station Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) integrator, Christopher Brown’s role has been ensuring astronauts have clean air and water. ECLSS removes carbon dioxide from the air, supplies oxygen for breathing, and recycles wastewater—turning yesterday’s coffee into tomorrow’s coffee. Today, these systems can recover nearly 98% of the water brought to the station.  

His proudest memory was commissioning regenerative life support systems and raising a symbolic toast with the crew while on console in mission control. He also helped activate the Water Storage System, saving crew time and improving operations on station. For Brown, these milestones were vital steps toward future long-duration missions beyond Earth. 

Stephanie Sipila – The Heart of Microgravity Research  

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins works on the Cardinal Heart study, which seeks to help scientists understand the aging and weakening of heart muscles in the search for new treatments for astronauts and people on Earth. NASA/Mike Hopkins

Stephanie Sipila, now integration manager for NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, began her career as a mechanical and robotic systems instructor for the orbital outpost. Her favorite experiment, Engineered Heart Tissues, studies microgravity’s effect on the human heart to help develop new treatments for cardiovascular disease. She recalls NASA astronaut Sunita Williams running the Boston Marathon on a treadmill aboard station, becoming the first person to complete the race in space and showing how astronauts stay connected to Earth while living on orbit.  

Sipila also highlights the Spacesuit Art Project, an initiative that turned artwork from children with cancer into spacesuits flown to and worn aboard the orbital outpost during live downlinks, connecting science, art, and hope — and raising awareness of cancer research conducted aboard the orbital outpost.  

Liz Warren – Where Exploration Meets Humanity 

NASA astronaut Jack Fischer wearing the Unity spacesuit painted by patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. NASA/Randy Bresnik

Space station Associate Chief Scientist Liz Warren has seen firsthand how the Spacesuit Art Project uplifted children on Earth. During Expedition 52, she watched astronaut Jack Fischer wear a suit covered in artwork created by young cancer patients, including his own daughter, a survivor. “It was incredibly touching to note the power of art and inspiration. Human spaceflight requires fortitude, resilience, and teamwork—so does fighting childhood cancer,” Warren said. 

Her memories also extend to her time as an operations lead for NASA’s Human Research Program, which uses research to develop methods to protect the health and performance of astronauts in space to prepare for long-duration missions. While out for a weekend run, Warren received a call from the Payload Operations and Integration Center in Huntsville, Alabama. An astronaut on station, following a prescribed diet for a research study, wanted to swap out a food item. Warren coordinated with her support team and relayed the decision back to orbit—all while continuing her run. The moment, she recalls, underscored the constant, real-time connection between astronauts in space and teams on the ground. 

Adam Baker – Checkmate: Space Debris Cleanup 

Flight Director Chris Edelen, left, and capsule communicator Jay Marschke discuss their next chess move during a match with NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff, Expedition 17 flight engineer aboard the space station.NASA/Robert Markowitz

As an aerospace engineer, Adam Baker helped track experiments and spacecraft operations from mission control. Baker remembers when mission control played a live chess match with astronaut Greg Chamitoff during Expedition 17, a moment that showed the unique ways the station connects crews in orbit with people on Earth. His favorite technical project, though, was the RemoveDebris small satellite, deployed from the station in 2018 to test technologies for cleaning up space junk. “Knowing these experiments could one day help keep the orbital environment safe made it even more meaningful,” he said.   

Michael McFarlane – Training for Success 

Engineers run simulations inside Johnson’s Systems Engineering Simulator during a shuttle-to-station docking simulation.Smiley Pool/Houston Chronicle

As chief of the Simulation and Graphics Branch, Michael McFarlane prepared astronauts for space station assembly missions using high-fidelity simulators. “My greatest memory is seeing the station grow as we successfully executed assembly missions that looked very much like what we analyzed and trained for in our ground-based simulations,” he said. 

A Legacy of Ingenuity and Community 

Date: 10-31-2023 Location: Bldg 30 MCC, ISS MER Subject: Mission Evaluation Room (MER) Halloween Celebration “MERloween” Photographer: James BlairNASA/James Blair

In the Mission Evaluation Room, engineers not only troubleshoot in real time but also celebrate milestones with traditions like “MERloween,” where controllers dress in space-themed costumes to honor the year’s lessons learned. 

NASA’s SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of America, off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, returning Crew-9 to Earth on March 18, 2025. NASA/Keegan Barber

For social media consultant Mark Garcia, sharing the station story with the public has been the highlight of his career. His favorite moment was watching NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 splash down in 2025, greeted by dolphins in the Gulf of America. “I love writing about the science aboard the station that benefits people on Earth,” he said. 

For 25 years, the International Space Station has shown what humanity can accomplish together. The lessons learned aboard will guide Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars—ensuring the next 25 years are built on innovation, resilience, and the human spirit. 

5 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

After years of design, development, and testing, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took to the skies for the first time Oct. 28, marking a historic moment for the field of aeronautics research and the agency’s Quesst mission.

The X-59, designed to fly at supersonic speeds and reduce the sound of loud sonic booms to quieter sonic thumps, took off at 11:14 a.m. EDT and flew for 67 minutes. The flight represents a major step toward quiet supersonic flight over land.

“Once again, NASA and America are leading the way for the future of flight,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “The X-59 is the first of its kind, and a major breakthrough in America’s push toward commercial air travel that’s both quiet and faster than ever before. Thanks to the X-59 team’s innovation and hard work, we’re revolutionizing air travel. This machine is a prime example of the kind of ingenuity and dedication America produces.”

Following a short taxi from contractor Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility, NASA X-59 test pilot Nils Larson approached U.S. Air Force Plant 42’s runway in Palmdale, California, where he completed final system checks and called the tower for clearance.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft cruises above Palmdale and Edwards, California, during its first flight, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. The aircraft traveled to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.NASA/Lori Losey

Then, with a deep breath, steady hands, and confidence in the labor of the X-59’s team, Larson advanced his throttle, picking up speed and beginning his climb – joining the few who have taken off in an experimental aircraft for the first time.

“All the training, all the planning that you’ve done prepares you,” Larson said. “And there is a time when you realize the weight of the moment. But then the mission takes over. The checklist starts. And it’s almost like you don’t even realize until it’s all over – it’s done.”

The X-59’s first flight went as planned, with the aircraft operating slower than the speed of sound at 230 mph and a maximum altitude of about 12,000 feet, conditions that allowed the team to conduct in-flight system and performance checks. As is typical for an experimental aircraft’s first flight, landing gear was kept down the entire time while the team focused on ensuring the aircraft’s airworthiness and safety.

The aircraft traveled north to Edwards Air Force Base, circled before landing, and taxied to its new home at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, officially marking the transition from ground testing to flight operations.

“In this industry, there’s nothing like a first flight,” said Brad Flick, center director of NASA Armstrong. “But there’s no recipe for how to fly an X-plane. You’ve got to figure it out, and adapt, and do the right thing, and make the right decisions.”

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft flies above Palmdale and Edwards, California, on its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. The aircraft traveled to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, where it will begin flight testing for NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to demonstrate quiet supersonic flight over land.NASA/Jim Ross

Historic flight

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission and its first flight connects with the agency’s roots of flying bold, experimental aircraft.

 “The X-59 is the first major, piloted X-plane NASA has built and flown in over 20 years – a unique, purpose-built aircraft,” said Bob Pearce, NASA associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. “This aircraft represents a validation of what NASA Aeronautics exists to do, which is to envision the future of flight and deliver it in ways that serve U.S. aviation and the public.”

NASA Armstrong has a long history of flying X-planes that pushed the edges of flight. In 1947, the X-1 broke the sound barrier. More than a decade later, the X-15 pushed speed and altitude to new extremes. Starting in the 1960s, the X-24 shaped how we understand re-entry from space, and in the 1980s the X-29 tested forward-swept wings that challenged aerodynamic limits.

Each of those aircraft helped answer a question about aeronautics. The X-59 continues that tradition with a mission focused on sound – reducing loud sonic booms to sonic thumps barely audible on the ground. The X-59 was built for one purpose: to prove that supersonic flight over land can be quiet enough for public acceptance.

NASA test pilot Nils Larson steps out of the X-59 after successfully completing the aircraft’s first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. The mission marked a key milestone in advancing NASA’s Quesst mission to enable quiet supersonic flight over land.NASA/Genaro Vavuris

Next steps

Getting off the ground was only the beginning for the X-59. The team is now preparing the aircraft for full flight testing, evaluating how it will handle and, eventually, how its design will shape shock waves, which typically result in a sonic boom, in supersonic flight. The X-59 will eventually reach its target cruising speed of about 925 mph (Mach 1.4) at 55,000 feet.

The aircraft’s design sits at the center of that testing, shaping and distributing shock-wave formation. Its engine is mounted on top of the fuselage – the main body of the aircraft – to redirect air flow upward and away from the ground.

The cockpit sits mid-fuselage, with no forward-facing window. Instead, NASA developed an eXternal Vision System – cameras and advanced high-definition displays that allow the pilot to see ahead and below the aircraft, which is particularly critical during landing.

These design choices reflect years of research and modeling – all focused on changing how the quieter sonic thump from a supersonic aircraft will be perceived by people on the ground.

NASA’s goal is to gather community response data to support the development of new standards for acceptable levels of sound from commercial supersonic flight over land. To do this, NASA will fly the X-59 over different U.S. communities, collecting ground measurement data and survey input from residents to better understand people’s perception of the X-59’s sonic thump.

“Most X-planes only live in the restricted airspace here on center,” Flick said. “This one is going to go out and fly around the country.”

When the X-59 lifted off the ground for the first time, it carried a piece of NASA’s history back into the air. And with it, a reminder that advancing aeronautics remains central to NASA’s mission.

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Details Last Updated Nov 19, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactNicolas Cholulanicolas.h.cholula@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms

• Armstrong Flight Research Center
• Aeronautics
• Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
• Commercial Supersonic Technology
• Integrated Aviation Systems Program
• Low Boom Flight Demonstrator
• NASA Aircraft
• Quesst (X-59)
• Quesst: The Vehicle
• Supersonic Flight

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) SARP students peer into the cockpit onboard NASA’s P-3 aircraft, during research flights for the 2025 Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) internship. NASA/Milan Loiacono

In August 2025, 47 students from NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) culminated a summer of science by presenting their research to an audience of mentors, professors, family, friends, and NASA personnel.

SARP is a summer internship for undergraduate students, hosted in two cohorts: this year SARP West operated out of Guardian Jet Center and University of California, Irvine in Southern California, while SARP East operated out of Wallops Flight Facility and Virginia Commonwealth University in Virginia.

SARP randomly assigns students into one of four research disciplines, to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and give them the opportunity to work outside of their usual field. Each discipline is led by a faculty researcher who is an expert in their field, and supported by a graduate mentor. This year, SARP research topics spanned three spheres: atmosphere,  biosphere, and hydrosphere, covered between the two cohorts.

The beauty of Earth science lies in its interconnectedness. As a student who primarily researches atmospheric science, stepping out of my comfort zone to explore something new was truly eye-opening, and I am incredibly grateful for the experience.

Nimay mahajan

2025 SARP West student

Over the course of two months, students learned more about NASA’s Airborne Science Program and Earth Science through lectures led by SARP faculty and guest speakers from NASA and the Earth science community, engaged in Earth science data collection while flying onboard Dynamic Aviation’s B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft, and participated in field trips to perform ground sampling fieldwork. Students also visited NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center, and NASA Headquarters. The program also includes other enriching opportunities such as visiting the University of California San Diego’s WAVElab and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rice Rivers Center.

Students were also provided the opportunity to attend introductory programming sessions and receive hands-on support from a coding mentor to develop and strengthen their experience with code, and incorporate code in their research project. 

SARP really made me realize that science is bigger than all of us, but it needs every one of us – even those just stepping into the scientific world – to contribute. Every effort, no matter how big or small, is a step forward in a mission greater than any one individual.

TJ Ochoa Peterson

2025 SARP East student

To watch videos of these student’s presentations, read their research abstracts, or see more photos from the summer, please follow the links below.

2025 SARP East Research Presentations The 2025 SARP East Aerosols Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked in a hangar at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virgina. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono

Watch the Atmospheric Chemistry Group Presentations Watch the Ecohydrology Group Presentations Watch the Oceans Group Presentations Watch the Terrestrial Fluxes Group Presentations View the SARP East Photo Gallery 2025 SARP West Research Presentations The students and faculty of the 2025 Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) pose in front of NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Watch the Aerosols Group Presentations Watch the Land Group Presentations Watch the Oceans Group Presentations Watch the Whole Air Sampling (WAS) Group Presentations View the SARP West Photo Gallery About the AuthorMilan LoiaconoScience Communication Specialist

Milan Loiacono is a science communication specialist for the Earth Science Division at NASA Ames Research Center.

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Details Last Updated Nov 19, 2025 Related Terms

• Earth Science
• Earth Science Division
• Internships

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

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9 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP East Atmospheric Chemistry Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked in a hangar at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisor:

Stacey Hughes, University of New Hampshire

Graduate Mentor:

Katherine Paredero, Georgia Institute of Technology

Atmospheric Chemistry Group Introduction Faculty Advisor Stacey Hughes and Graduate Mentor Katherine Paredero

Kaylena Pham Spooky Swamps: How Methane Emission Rates and Their Spatial Variability Differ Between the Great Dismal Swamp and the Alligator River 

Kaylena Pham, University of Southern California 

Wetlands represent a dominant natural source of methane emissions to the atmosphere through methanogenesis, a process that produces methane in nutrient-depleted anoxic sediments, or as a result of decomposition. In coastal wetlands, particularly brackish regimes such as the Alligator River, severe storms and rising sea levels intensify saltwater intrusion inland. This leads to expansive vegetation death and the formation of ghost forests, large areas of dead standing vegetation. The widespread forest loss caused by salinization suggests elevated methane emissions in areas with vegetation stress through increased rates of decomposition from plant death. Previous research has not yet considered ghost forests when estimating methane emissions in wetlands, leading us to explore emission concentrations across two wetlands with similar vegetation compositions: the Great Dismal Swamp and Alligator River. 

In this work, we utilized in-situ measurements collected aboard the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft during the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) 2025 flight campaign. Methane and carbon monoxide measurements were determined using a PICARRO Gas Concentration Analyzer. This data was then linked with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery from the Terra satellite’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. With these two datasets, we studied how vegetation stress influences methane emissions. We observed greater vegetation stress in the Alligator River compared to the Great Dismal Swamp. Furthermore, the Alligator River has wider methane concentration variability occurring over areas with greater vegetation stress. In contrast, methane measurements over the Great Dismal Swamp have narrower distributions and less vegetation stress. This comparison of wetlands in differing vegetative states suggests a potential link between ecosystem stress and elevated methane emissions in wetland environments. Interestingly, despite these differences, the Great Dismal Swamp had a slightly higher mean methane concentration (2.11 ppm) compared to the Alligator River (1.96 ppm). Our results emphasize the importance of improving our understanding of what types of vegetation conditions lead to methane enhancements over wetland regimes. 

Carson Turner Calculating Methane Flux Over the Great Dismal Swamp Using the Mass Balance Technique 

Carson Turner, University of North Dakota 

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, with a warming potential approximately 28 times larger than carbon monoxide. When examining the Global Methane Budget, wetlands are the largest natural source of methane accounting for 20-40% of global methane emissions. Wetland methane emissions have been shown to present the highest uncertainty due to both a lack of in-situ measurements to compare with models as well as a lack of understanding of how different conditions, like soil moisture and air temperature, affect methane emissions. This study looks specifically at The Great Dismal Swamp (GDS), located on the border of southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina, to study emissions over the region using data collected on flights conducted as part of the Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) in the summer of 2025. A PICARRO Gas Concentration Analyzer was used to collect high frequency methane and carbon monoxide measurements. The two research flights followed similar flight paths around the GDS, on the 23rd and 24th of June. Methane flux was then calculated using the mass balance approach for each flight. Methane flux values were measured at 0.037 kg/s and 0.603 kg/s for the 23rd and 24th respectively. A similar study on wetlands in northern Sweden and Finland found an average methane flux value of 5.56 kg/s. A decreased methane flux value was observed on the flight day associated with higher temperatures, which is contrary to previous research on the relationship between methane emissions and temperature. Future work includes utilizing these flux measurements to improve our understanding of methane emissions from wetlands in models and further explore the relationship between methane emissions and soil moisture. 

Alek Libby Comparative Analysis of Urban Ozone Chemistry in Baltimore, Richmond, and Norfolk 

Alek Libby , Florida State University 

Urban ozone pollution remains a significant air quality concern in many U.S. cities. Ground-level ozone is not directly emitted but forms through photochemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) in the presence of sunlight—especially during the summer when incoming solar radiation is enhanced. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard set by the EPA for tropospheric ozone is 70 ppb, which is measured as an 8-hour average. Though exceedances of said standard have declined nationwide, understanding how emission composition varies across metropolitan areas remains critical. This study investigates the VOC makeup and ozone formation dynamics of three Mid-Atlantic urban environments: Baltimore, Richmond, and Norfolk. In-situ Whole Air Samples (WAS) were collected onboard the Aviation Dynamics B200 aircraft during the 2024 NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) Campaign. Gas chromatography was used to quantify the VOC composition of each sample. Additional airborne data from CAFE and CANOE instruments provided measurements of formaldehyde (HCHO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), respectively. This study looked at measurements collected below the boundary layer and within urban beltways to assess regional ozone production potential. Results showed that Baltimore exhibited significantly lower levels of key anthropogenic VOCs, particularly n-butane, i-pentane, and n-pentane. VOC/NOₓ ratios placed Richmond and Norfolk in NOₓ-limited regimes, while Baltimore fell within the transitional zone—supported by HCHO/NO₂ ratios averaging at 2.44 in Baltimore versus 5.14 and 5.09 in Norfolk and Richmond. Baltimore continues to experience notably more ozone exceedance days than Norfolk and Richmond, which is likely related to elevated NO₂ levels in the area. While reducing VOCs may help, these findings suggest that NOₓ reductions are likely more effective for mitigating ozone in the Baltimore area. Future work might replicate this analysis using the 2025 SARP dataset, which was collected on hot, stagnant days that are favorable for ozone production. 

Hannah Suh  Characterization of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Sources in the Baltimore area 

Hannah Suh, University of California, Santa Cruz 

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a key role in tropospheric photochemistry, as they react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in sunlight to produce tropospheric ozone (O3). Both VOCs and tropospheric O3 can have negative impacts on air quality and human health. Understanding the sources of VOCs in urban areas such as Baltimore is essential for informing future air quality policies. In this study, in-situ VOC measurements collected onboard the Aviation Dynamics B200 aircraft during the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) were analyzed to characterize potential emission sources in the Baltimore area. VOC datasets from two flights from June 24th that flew over that location were investigated. This flight data was collected using aircraft instruments on the Aviation Dynamics B200, primarily the Whole Air Sampler (WAS). WAS canisters were later processed in lab using gas chromatography, which identified the different VOC mixing ratios in the air. VOCs ratios along with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), which reduces an inputted data matrix to separate out potential emission source contributions, were compared to each other to consider the most notable sources of VOCs in the Baltimore area. A total of six sources were looked at through PMF for this region. The top three sources seem to align with oil and natural gas, biogenic, and vehicular emissions. Chemical signature ratios indicate the presence of mixed plumes of both industrial and urban emissions, with many significant correlations with ethyne. These results point towards oil and natural gas industries, biogenic sources, and urban sources like vehicles as primary contributors to VOC signature ratios in the Baltimore area. A logical next step for this research would be to compare VOC signature ratios across multiple years to assess temporal trends. 

Aashi Parikh  Characterizing VOC Emissions from Chemical Plant Plumes in Hopewell, VA 

Aashi Parikh, Boston University 

Hopewell, VA is home to a cluster of major chemical facilities, whose emissions have raised concerns in neighboring communities about air pollution and health disparities. While there is information about the historical pollution in Hopewell, few studies provide a comprehensive analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study investigates the distribution of VOCs in Hopewell’s industrial corridor and 

In-situ whole air samples (WAS) were collected aboard the Aviation Dynamics B200 during the NASA Student Airborne Research Program in June 2024. In this study, samples collected at Hopewell were compared to the rest of the flight. The values were separated by chemical families, and enhancements were identified. The analysis showed that Hopewell had significant levels of aromatics, with 60 ppt of benzene, 119 ppt of toluene, and 47 ppt of styrene, which are VOCs linked to respiratory illness, neurological disorders, reproductive issues, and cancer. Aromatics observed over Hopewell were approximately 5x higher than that of the remaining flight path. According to the EPA, these carcinogenic compounds have no safe threshold for chronic exposure. As such, long-term exposure to these compounds can pose health risks. These findings reinforce existing health outcome disparities in the region, such as elevated cancer rates, and raise concerns about the exposure of nearby communities. Underserved communities are disproportionately being impacted by such health risks in Hopewell. Future research will evaluate VOC concentrations over Hopewell in 2025 and compare them to the 2024 baseline established in this study, providing insight into whether emissions reductions have occurred and if regulatory or community-driven interventions are showing impact. 

Return to 2025 SARP Closeout Share

Details Last Updated Nov 19, 2025 Related Terms

• Earth Science
• Earth Science Division
• Internships

Explore More 2 min read SARP 2025 Closeout Article 6 hours ago 10 min read SARP East 2025 Terrestrial Fluxes Group Article 6 hours ago 10 min read SARP East 2025 Oceans Group Article 6 hours ago

10 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP East Terrestrial Fluxes Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked in a hangar at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisors:

Lisa Haber, Virginia Commonwealth University

Brandon Alveshere, Virginia Commonwealth University

Graduate Mentor:

Kayla Preisler, University of Arizona

Terrestrial Fluxes Group Introduction Rice Rivers Center Director Chris Gough and Graduate Mentor Kayla Preisler

Quinn Koch Monitoring Postfire Ecosystem Recovery With Spectral Indices and Eddy-Covariance Flux Towers 

Quinn Koch, University of California, Los Angeles 

Fire is a common ecological disturbance in forest ecosystems, leading to changes in forest structure and function that have implications for the Earth’s carbon budget. Observations of post-fire carbon fluxes provide insight into the trajectory of forest recovery and its future as a carbon sink. Eddy-covariance flux towers measure high frequency greenhouse gas exchange between forests and the atmosphere, yielding measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco). While flux towers are the gold standard for quantifying ecosystem scale fluxes, vegetation indices derived from remote sensing are highly correlated with tower flux data and may provide broader spatial scale understanding of how carbon fluxes vary following fire and other disturbances. The objective of our study is to examine the relationship between tower carbon flux data and NASA Landsat-derived spectral indices at five sites in the United States and Australia that were disturbed by severe fire. Specifically, we evaluated changes following fire in two Landsat-derived spectral indices, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), examining whether spectral indices paralleled temporal variation in NEE, GPP, and Reco. We found that the recovery of spectral indices outpaced the recovery of NEE and GPP at sites that experienced severe fire, highlighting how lags in structural and functional responses to disturbance may decouple vegetation indices from carbon fluxes. This suggests that a temporal lag should be considered when using vegetation indices as a proxy for carbon fluxes in post-fire ecosystems compared to unburned systems. This analysis represents a small snapshot of ecosystems worldwide; therefore, continuing to monitor these trends at future burned flux tower sites will be crucial to further understanding this relationship. 

Sara Typrin  Characterizing Forest Response Pathways in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge 

Sara Typrin, Carleton College 

Coastal forests along the Chesapeake Bay are rapidly becoming marshes due to sea level rise and extreme weather events. Predicting these ecosystem shifts is essential for climate adaptation responses. Previous studies have employed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series trends to characterize the resilience of coastal ecosystems; however, few have assessed NDVI variation trends within the Chesapeake Bay coastal region, where rates of sea level rise far exceed the global average. This study examines the spatial distribution of forest response pathways in relation to elevation within Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and the surrounding Eastern Shore region. We used the Landsat 8 record (2014-2024) to extract NDVI values for areas classified as upland forest. We calculated trends in NDVI and NDVI variation using Kendall’s τ (rank correlation) to characterize each 30m pixel into one of four ecosystem shift trajectories: abrupt transition, gradual transition, recovering, or stable. We found that 14.7% of the study area is in abrupt transition, 27.4% in gradual transition, 17.3% is in recovery, and 40.6% is stable. Mapping these regions qualitatively shows that in the BNWR, areas closer to the coast tend to experience abrupt or gradual transitions, and areas farther from the coast are typically stable or in recovery. Recovering forests have higher and more variable elevations than other pathways in a subset of BNWR’s southwest region. Future work can examine how elevation and distance to the coast relate to forest response pathways at a regional scale. 

Austin Jeffery Structural Characteristic Variation Between Upland Forests and Forested Wetlands 

Austin Jeffery, The University of Texas at Austin 

Forested wetlands are important for regulating the Earth’s climate, cycling nutrients, and providing vital habitats, but are far less studied than upland forests. Prior work in upland forests has illustrated that canopy structural traits vary widely within and across forest types, and that these traits affect crucial ecosystem functions and services such as primary production and carbon sequestration. However, how canopy structure varies within and across forested wetlands has not been thoroughly explored. This study uses waveform lidar data collected during the 2024 SARP East flight campaigns over the Chesapeake Bay region using the LVIS (Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor) airborne platform. The LVIS Facility L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation and Canopy Height Products were used to investigate how canopy structure varies across forested wetlands and to compare canopy structural variation between forested wetlands and upland forests. To analyze the data, each lidar granule was first divided into upland and wetland forests by overlaying the granules over a USGS NLCD land use map and a USFS forest type map. Then, 20 plots were created of 100 granules each based on four tree species and whether it was an upland forest or forested wetland plot. Two upland and two wetland species were used with 5 plots each. Then, the data were used to assess variation in structural characteristics, including canopy height and vertical complexity, among forested wetlands and upland forests. The analysis resulted in a significant statistical difference between forested wetlands and upland forests structural characteristics. Additionally, forested wetlands showed a general larger variance in canopy structural complexity suggesting variation in canopy height, canopy density, layering, and forest age. This study serves as a benchmark for LiDAR-based structural characterization of forested wetlands, and informs management and conservation of forested wetlands in the mid-Atlantic region. 

Ellery Moore  Arctic Ecosystem Carbon Dynamics: Comparing Greenhouse Gas Measurements in Alaska and Northern Canada Using MODIS Satellite Data and Atmospheric Flask Samples 

Ellery Moore, Colby College 

As global temperatures continue to warm, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has called attention to thawing permafrost as a potential tipping point leading to “irreversible” change to Earth’s ecosystems. Currently, permafrost holds an estimated 1,400 Pg of carbon, which will be released primarily as greenhouse gases (GHGs), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2), through microbial activity as temperatures continue to rise, thus exacerbating the atmospheric GHG effect and further warming. In Alaska and Northern Canada, permafrost underlies most of the land, with regions determined by the percentage of frozen soil: continuous (90-100%) and discontinuous (50-90%). Upon examination of spatial maps, the continuous region tends to correspond to the tundra ecosystem, and the discontinuous region to the boreal forest ecosystem. We quantified the permafrost regions using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST). In this study, we aim to determine if CO2 and CH4 concentration measurements differ between the two ecosystems using atmospheric flask samples collected during the Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) in 2017. Overall, the results showed a positive correlation between NDVI and LST, with the boreal forest characterized by higher NDVI and LST than the tundra. Additionally, higher CO2 concentrations were associated with lower NDVI and LST. However, when separating the samples into the two ecosystems, no difference was seen in their diurnal cycles. In general, CH4 measurements did not show a clear relationship with NDVI and LST, but predominantly higher measurements were seen in the tundra when separating the samples by ecosystem. The different CH4 concentrations could be influenced by other environmental sources not considered in this study, such as thermokarst lakes and anthropogenic factors. Further work to differentiate the ecosystems and confirm findings can be done by examining soil moisture samples and comparing permafrost active layer thicknesses. Additionally, to better understand the rates of carbon release, eddy covariance measurements could be examined between the tundra and boreal forest over time. 

Rayyane Matonding San Francisco BVOC Emissions: The Role of Urban Vegetation in HCHO/NO2 Ratios 

Rayyane Matonding, University of San Francisco 

Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs) influence local air quality, especially during summer when emissions and photochemical activity peak. BVOCs can oxidize to form ground level ozone, which poses respiratory health risks. Formaldehyde (HCHO), a key photooxidation product of BVOCs, serves as a useful proxy for biogenic emissions in remote sensing studies. Likewise, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) indicates combustion-related activity and anthropogenic VOC influence. This study examines the relationship between urban tree cover and BVOC-related ozone formation using the HCHO to NO2 photochemical regime, which reflects the balance between biogenic and anthropogenic sources. HCHO and NO2 data were obtained from NASA’s TEMPO instrument, and tree cover data from SF OpenData. San Francisco was selected due to its urban greening efforts, high anthropogenic emissions, and prevalence of invasive tree species. Two neighborhoods were selected, Sunnyside with approximately 22 percent canopy cover and Potrero Hill with approximately 2 percent canopy cover, to compare temporal trends in HCHO to NO2 ratios using time series plots. These neighborhoods were chosen based on the availability of hyperlocal weather data, which allowed for more localized atmospheric analysis. No consistent relationship between tree cover and HCHO to NO2 ratios was observed, except during 15:11 and 18:11 on June 18, 2024, which may be associated with elevated photolysis. When weather variables such as zonal wind, meridional wind, and temperature were included in the analysis, no significant correlations were found. Further research should include other cities, additional time periods, and tree species information. 

Emmanuel Kaiser-Veyrat  Vegetation Traits to Methane Fluxes: A Machine Learning Approach Across Diverse Wetlands 

Emmanuel Kaiser-Veyrat, Cornell University 

Wetlands are the largest and most uncertain biological source of CH4, a greenhouse gas with 56 times the radiative forcing of CO2 over a 20-year time horizon. Given the spatiotemporal constraints of these dynamic ecosystems for consistent on-site observations, remotely sensed vegetation indices (VIs) offer a scalable approach to capturing the biophysical and biochemical conditions that govern CH4 exchanges. However, their reliability in wetland environments is challenged by signal saturation in dense vegetation as well as spectral mixing of water, soil, and plants. Seeking to quantify these limitations, we employ the machine learning algorithm, Random Forest Regressor (RFR), to answer the question: Can remotely sensed vegetation traits predict CH4 fluxes across freshwater and saltwater marshes? VIs from the Index DataBase are derived from the Landsat Collection 2 Level-2 products for Landsat-7 ETM+ and Landsat-8 OLI. The FLUXNET-CH4 Community Product yields 17 wetland sites across the contiguous U.S. with daily mean methane flux values spanning some or all of the 2011 to 2018 interval. Generalized flux footprints were computed for every site adopting a uniform approach scaling fetch with increasing measurement height. Extracting feature importances from RFR, we found the Green Vegetation Moisture Index (GVMI) to consistently outperform all other indices, including two meteorological covariates measured from flux tower sites: air temperature and shortwave radiation. Grouping the VIs into five categories (moisture and water, greenness and productivity, structure and soil, pigments, and burn), we found that moisture and water indices consistently scored higher in feature importance than all other categories combined. 

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP East Oceans Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked in a hangar at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisors:

Tom Bell, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Graduate Mentor:

Sarah Lang, University of Rhode Island

Oceans Group Introduction Faculty Advisor Tom Bell and Graduate Mentor Sarah Lang

Isabella Showman  Detecting Coastal Sea Ice Extent and Freshet Event Timing in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Using Sentinel-1 C-SAR 

Isabella Showman, University of Washington 

The detachment of coastal sea ice due to increasing upstream snowmelt causes dramatic seasonal changes in the Arctic Ocean. Termed a freshet, these freshwater pulses influence the timing of sea ice degradation, but the effects are difficult to quantify because of frequent cloud cover and limited ground observations. Sentinel-1 C-SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) collects high-spatiotemporal data using microwave radiation backscatter allowing it to see through clouds, making it a valuable tool to identify freshet timing in the Arctic. 

We used SAR imagery to classify seasonal sea ice extent for a 45 km transect north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The backscatter signature of SAR is influenced by roughness, and since ocean water is smoother than ice, the backscatter differences allow for the estimation of proportional sea ice cover along the transect. We validated the accuracy of our SAR classifications using shortwave infrared from cloud-free Sentinel-2 images, and found strong agreement between the methods. We then calculated the average annual percent ice cover from 2017 to 2024, serving as a seasonal baseline to compare against individual years. We found mean sea ice decline throughout the spring and summer months and associated freshet event timing to begin in the middle of June. The rate of decline in sea ice cover along the transect has higher variability in the weeks following the onset of sea ice melt. 

The use of SAR to track localized seasonal ice melt and identify the timing of spring freshet events allows for a more complete seasonal time series than optical imagery alone. Variability in Arctic freshet timing influences how and when sea ice degradation begins, having potential implications for organisms reliant on sea ice extent and larger-scale surface albedo. This study also lays the groundwork for future investigations to better understand across- watershed variability and environmental factors like river discharge and surface temperature on freshet timing. 

Sarah Gryskewicz Investigating the Impacts of the January 2025 California Wildfires on Phytoplankton Blooms in the Pacific Ocean 

Sarah Gryskewicz, State University of New York at Oswego 

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity across North America as a result of climate change. The release of particulates by these events result in short-range and long-range implications on human and ecophysiological health. Marine ecosystems may also be impacted due to the deposition of these chemical constituents, particularly ash, which can alter nutrient cycling in the water by fertilization and reduce light availability for phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in marine waters and are responsible for half of the photosynthetic activity on Earth. An area of complex interdisciplinary research concerns the interactions between wildfires and the marine ecosystem. There is a large scientific need to understand biogeochemical cycling between wildfire emissions and phytoplankton blooms. 

This study investigates the January 2025 California wildfire impacts on phytoplankton blooms offshore the southern California coast in nutrient limited waters. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite is used to assess interannual and seasonal variabilities while the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite was utilized for the additional ocean-based analyses. Variables considered include chlorophyll-a (chl-a) as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, particulate organic carbon (POC) to assess phytoplankton physiology, and diffuse attenuation at 490 nm (Kd490) to assess light availability. From this analysis, it was found that there was no evident fertilization of a phytoplankton bloom given that chl-a eight-day composites did not deviate significantly from 2012-2025 average geometric mean concentrations. Analyses of the chl-a:POC and chl-a:Kd490 ratios suggest a potential physiological or phytoplankton community shift, but future work using in-situ data is necessary to connect wildfires impacts on phytoplankton communities offshore Southern California. Additionally, the research sets the stage for future work using PACE to investigate impacts on phytoplankton community groups. Future research also involves the expansion of sample wildfire cases and consideration of forested versus urban emission impacts. 

Philip Espinal How Well Can Machine Learning Forecast Kelp Biomass Along the Central California Coast? 

Philip Espinal, Texas A&M University 

Giant Kelp is an integral part of the coastal ecosystem off the Central California Coast because it provides food and shelter for several marine organisms, and supports a multi-million dollar commercial fishing industry. In recent decades, Giant Kelp forests have been in decline due to warming ocean temperatures and overgrazing by marine organisms such as sea urchins. Conservation efforts like outplanting, transplanting, and sea urchin removal are occurring in an effort to restore Giant Kelp populations along the California Coast. Knowing when the environment will be favorable for kelp growth is important to focus conservation resources and effort most efficiently. Observations from the Landsat series of satellites allow for the estimation of kelp biomass density going back to 1984. Two machine learning algorithms, random forests and a simple neural network, were trained on the Landsat observations, coastal wave model output, climate indices, and reanalysis products from 1984 to 2015. Models were evaluated on the mean absolute error (MAE) for predictions from 2016 to 2021, as well the MAE and mean absolute percent error (MAPE) of just the third quarters, when maximum biomass density is typically achieved. The random forest models showed little skill even at the minimum forecast horizon of one quarter, performing similar to a prediction made by a 5-year rolling seasonal average. The neural networks performed significantly better than the random forests and seasonal averages when forecasting one quarter into the future, and performed marginally better at two and four quarters into the future. The neural network trained to forecast one quarter ahead had a third quarter MAPE of 13.4% while the 5-year seasonal average had a MAPE of 42.8%. Models performed poorly in the area surrounding Monterey, greatly overestimating the amount of kelp biomass. This overprediction may be due to the severe reduction in kelp biomass since 2015 due to sea urchin overgrazing. While the predictions did not match the actual outcome, the environment may have in fact still been productive for kelp if not for the presence of sea urchins. Overall, these models can serve as a proof of concept that machine learning models, especially neural networks, can use current environmental conditions to forecast kelp biomass one to two quarters into the future, providing useful operational guidance for conservationists. 

Carolyn Chen Sea Surface Temperature as an Indicator of Benthic Symbiont Loss in the Florida Keys: A Comparative Analysis of ECOSTRESS and MODIS 

Carolyn Chen, University of Florida 

Coral bleaching events, which pose significant threats to marine biodiversity and reef structure, have increased in frequency and severity over recent decades. Accurate monitoring of sea surface temperature is vital for understanding the drivers of zooxanthellae loss in these foundational habitats. Traditional methods of satellite temperature data collection have relatively coarse spatial resolution (1 km). This can obscure finer-scale thermal variability, especially in nearshore and coastal reef environments where localized temperature anomalies may lead to significant biological impacts. Here, we use ECOSTRESS at a fine spatial resolution (70 m) to investigate the relationships between sea surface temperature and bleaching in the Florida Keys. Thermal imagery from July 24, 2023 was spatially overlaid with in situ coral bleaching survey data to investigate potential thermal stress–bleaching relationships. We then quantified this relationship through correlation analyses at varying spatial thresholds, examining the strength and direction of associations between sea surface temperature and corresponding levels of coral bleaching intensity across survey sites. Parallel analyses were conducted using MODIS for comparative assessment. We were able to determine that ECOSTRESS sea surface temperature had a weak association with bleaching intensity (r² = 0.348, p<0.001). Greater thresholds yielded lower correlation. Comparatively, MODIS showed low correlation at all spatial thresholds. These findings demonstrate the potential of ECOSTRESS for quantifying thermal relationships and lays the groundwork for future work across temporal scales. 

Joshua Chapin Impacts of Atmospheric Rivers on Phytoplankton in the Central California Current System 

Joshua Chapin, The University of Alabama in Huntsville 

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are powerful meteorological events that deliver large volumes of freshwater to coastal systems, potentially reshaping oceanographic and ecological conditions. This study investigates the impact of AR-induced freshwater outflow—specifically from the Russian River (RR) and other freshwater sources–on phytoplankton communities in the central California Current System on April 11, 2023. Using Sentinel-3 ocean color reflectance bands within the visual spectrum (e.g., bands 2 through 11), we applied k-means clustering to classify waters with distinct bio-optical properties. To validate and interpret these water types, we integrated data from NASA’s Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE) field campaign, including flow-through measurements of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, and particulate organic carbon (POC), along with bottle sample data on nutrients and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pigments (e.g., fucoxanthin, peridinin, nitrate). These in situ observations revealed physical and biological signatures across the clustered water masses. One cluster is characterized by cold temperatures, low salinity, low chlorophyll-a concentrations. The cluster is also characterized by reduced fucoxanthin (denoting reduced diatom concentrations) and low nitrate. These T/S and bio-optical characteristics suggest an association with terrestrial outflow, potentially linked to AR-driven discharge from the Russian River and adjacent watersheds. However, within the same T/S space, elevated chlorophyll-a concentrations are observed, indicating that some RR water is associated with elevated productivity. . T/S diagrams also indicated that elevated chl-a was associated with mixing of the RR with surrounding waters. In contrast, other clusters were characterized by warmer temperatures, higher salinity, elevated chlorophyll-a concentrations, higher nitrate levels, and higher accessory pigment concentrations such as alloxanthin and prasinoxanthin (associated with this cluster). Overall, these contrasting signatures among clustered water masses illustrate the ecological gradients shaped by AR-driven freshwater delivery. This integrated approach highlights the ecological consequences of terrestrial runoff following AR events and demonstrates the utility of combining satellite-based classifications with high-resolution in situ measurements to monitor phytoplankton variability in dynamic coastal environments. 

Eli Mally Predicting Phytoplankton Pigment Groups in Coastal Southern California with PACE 

Eli Mally, University of California, Irvine 

Phytoplankton produce half of the world’s oxygen, influence nutrient cycling, and form the basis of the ocean’s food chain. Predicting phytoplankton pigment groups from hyperspectral satellite data, especially in coastal areas where accurate retrievals are challenging, is crucial to gaining a better understanding of ocean ecosystems. Phytoplankton community models from hyperspectral data (such as the MOANA model) have recently become available for the Atlantic, but are not yet available for the Pacific Ocean. To address this observational gap, we created regional models of phytoplankton pigment groups in coastal southern California. We used Level 2 Ocean Color Instrument reflectance data in mid-September 2024 from the NASA PACE satellite. We matched the reflectance data with in situ high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) data from PACE validation cruises (PACE-PAX) in the Santa Barbara Channel and near Long Beach, with a focus on total chlorophyll, chlorophyll-a, -b, and -c, and five pigments associated with different phytoplankton groups characterized in Kramer et al. 2022 (diatoms, dinoflagellates, haptophytes, green algae, and cyanobacteria). We then performed a principal component regression on the satellite data to find models for each pigment. This project resulted in significant models and R2 values for total chlorophyll (0.911), chlorophyll-a (0.868), -b (0.650), and -c (0.861), 19′-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (0.517), peridinin (0.327), zeaxanthin (0.381), fucoxanthin (0.678), and monovinyl chlorophyll-b (0.650). Furthermore, these results help validate PACE satellite measurements, which provide much finer spectral detail on phytoplankton community groups than multispectral data. Further cruises in this area would increase the scope and amount of HPLC samples, and therefore the accuracy and scope of our phytoplankton pigment models. 

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP West Aerosols Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked on the tarmac at Guardian Jet Center in Southern California. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisors:

Andreas Beyersdorf, California State University, San Bernardino 

Graduate Mentor:

Bradley Ries, University of California, Riverside 

Aerosols Group Introduction Faculty Advisor Andreas Beyersdorf

Martha Santiago Aerosol Pollution in Two Coastal Agricultural Regions in the United States 

Martha Santiago, Northwestern University 

Although air quality has improved across the United States since the passage of the Clean Air 

Act in 1970, air pollution remains an issue for millions of Americans. Livestock, fertilizers, and pesticides can release pollutants into the surrounding environment, which may be associated with adverse health effects like asthma and cardiovascular disease, in nearby populations. Because some aerosols are tracers for agriculture, examining aerosol concentrations and composition can help better understand sources and impacts of air pollution. Here, we compare two agricultural regions, the Central Valley in California, which is dominated by fruit, nut, and cattle farms, and the Delmarva Peninsula, which comprises chicken hatcheries and vegetable farms. Using airborne data from the Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS), we compare relative and absolute levels of ammonium (NH4+), chloride (Cl-), nitrates (NO3-), organics, and sulfates (SO42-), and calculate total particulate matter smaller than one micron (PM1). We also examine other agricultural pollutants such as methane (CH4), a tracer for agricultural activity, and compare hotspots between each region. Although both regions are known for high levels of agriculture, our results indicate that their aerosol and trace gas compositions and concentrations vary significantly. On the Delmarva Peninsula, air pollution appears to be a regional issue; average pollutant concentrations are higher but evenly distributed. Conversely, pollution in the Central Valley is localized, as indicated by higher pollutant peaks that overlap over clusters of communities. Understanding differences in composition, concentration, and distribution enables communities and policymakers to identify solutions to address air pollution and to improve air quality. 

Eli Garcia  Analysis of missed approaches across the Los Angeles basin with a focus on Long Beach aerosol composition 

Eli Garcia, Trinity College 

Aerosols play an important part in the overall air quality, visibility, and human health in urban and rural areas alike. Within the urban sprawl of Los Angeles, many sources of anthropogenic aerosols contribute meaningfully to the improving, yet still below-average air quality of the greater metropolitan area. Because of the relative size and topography of urban Los Angeles, the area can be divided into multiple distinct regions each with distinct sources and compositions of aerosols. To better understand these sources, missed approaches were examined from the NASA Student Airborne Research Program flight campaigns over the last two summers. These missed approaches provide us with an accurate snapshot of the local aerosol composition for people living near these airports, so that we can better understand the sources of these pollutants. For this study, we used aerosol mass spectrometer data to determine the relative amounts of organics, sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, and chlorides. We were also able to collect the total number count of particulate matter and the nonvolatile number count utilizing a condensation particle counter. Data were acquired from six common airports where missed approaches were performed, and we discovered the aerosol composition varies based on the location within the basin. At airports with large amounts of traffic and warehouses, nitrates are a greater portion of total mass, while at airports with a greater concentration of industry, like Long Beach, sulfates are also a greater fraction. By determining what the largest contributing aerosols are and their major sources, efforts can be focused to mitigate these specific polluters. 

Kiersten Sundell Mega-Feedlots, Mega-Impact: Differences in Health Outcomes in California’s Imperial Valley 

Kiersten Sundell, University of Rhode Island 

Imperial Valley communities show asthma rates significantly higher than California averages across all age groups, despite relatively low particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) readings at regulatory monitoring stations. This health-pollution disconnect indicates potential unmeasured emission sources in a region dominated by industrial cattle feedlots. Imperial Valley hosts California’s largest Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) and slaughterhouse, facilities that confine thousands of cattle and produce large volumes of methane, PM, nitrous oxide, and ammonia, producing complex aerosols linked to respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts. While previous studies have used downwind total suspended particulate filters, dispersion modeling, and supply chain mapping to assess CAFO emissions, these approaches often miss concentrated pollution hotspots. We combine aerosol data from the NASA Student Airborne Research Program, EPA air quality monitoring stations, IPCC calculations, and California wastewater permits to quantify and map emissions from the state’s largest cattle feedlot and slaughterhouse: Brandt Beef in Calipatria and Brawley, California. We mapped these pollutants against health and demographic data in California’s Imperial Valley using data from California Department of Public Health and CalEnviroScreen, finding significant correlations between pollutant spread and prevalence of health indicators such as asthma and cardiovascular disease. Our analysis reveals that Brandt Beef operations emit 26.73 tons of methane and 39.98 tons of nitrous oxide daily. Airborne measurements revealed elevated PM concentrations around facilities, while spatial analysis showed significant correlations between facility proximity and health conditions. These findings indicate that large-scale cattle operations are associated with measurable environmental impact in the surrounding communities, which may be linked to differences in health outcomes, despite compliance with federal air quality standards. 

Lilly Kramer Dust Over the Salton Sea 

Lilly Kramer, Oberlin College 

Dust storms occur from winds picking up loose sediments, which creates health issues for surrounding populations. The largest dust source in the US is found in California’s Owens Dry Lake. These dust storms are incredibly toxic, carrying carcinogens from the exposed lakebed (playa) into the atmosphere and toward people. The Salton Sea is a lake in California that is rapidly drying, exposing its playa to the environment. In its decline, the Salton Sea mirrors the fate of Owens Lake, which dried up in 1905. A 2024 research paper by Eric C. Edwards (et al.) used a spatially explicit particle transport model to demonstrate increased dust emissions from the Salton Sea. Our research will showcase environmental evidence that the increasing playa creates more dust in the Salton Sea area, corroborating the existing model. This was achieved by analyzing the NASA Student Airborne Research Program flight data over nearly a decade. An Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) and Laser Aerosol Spectrometer (LAS) provided the information on the size of aerosol particles and their quantity. The analysis established a trend of increasing dust particles over the Salton Sea area by looking at particles over 500 nm in diameter. This trend is currently dangerous for the people living near the lake, as increased toxic dust causes significant health issues. This problem will only be exacerbated because if the lake continues its projected path and completely dries up, it could create massive toxic dust storms that extend much farther. 

Justin Staley Seasonal Variability in Boundary Layer Vertical Profiles over Los Angeles: A Comparative Analysis of Summer and Winter Conditions 

Justin Staley, Villanova University 

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the lowest part of the atmosphere, in situ air that borders the free troposphere and the Earth’s surface. Characterized by turbulent mixing, PBL plays an important role in climate patterns, weather dynamics, and air quality, and is influenced by external factors such as temperature, geography, and proximity to the ocean. This project analyzes the seasonal differences in PBL characteristics over the greater Los Angeles area by asking how vertical profiles of trace gases and aerosols compare during missed approaches in summer 2025 and winter 2021. Aircraft-based measurements of trace gases (CH₄, NH₄, O₃, NO₃), organic aerosols, and total number count of aerosols, were used to analyze how the PBL structure influences pollutant distribution across urban and coastal regions. Results indicate that summer mornings often exhibit deeper boundary layers from increased solar intensity. In contrast, winter morning profiles exhibit shallower and more stable boundary layers from less warming and more cloud coverage, with weaker vertical mixing. Observed chemical species, particularly O₃ and NH₄, displayed distinct vertical gradients at the PBL top, aiding in defining its height and dynamics. Additionally, ozone concentrations increase above PBL, while total aerosol number counts vary with altitude and location. These findings provide insight into pollutant dispersion, chemical reactivity, implications for regional air quality modeling, and a better understanding of the role of local geography and meteorology in shaping boundary layer behavior in Southern California. 

Jacob Garside Biomass Burning Aerosol Fingerprints: Combining Absorption and Trace Gas Measurements for Plume Characterization 

Jacob Garside, Plymouth State University 

With thousands of wildfires occurring annually in California, understanding smoke composition is critical for air quality and climate assessments. As wildfire severity and intensity are increasing year over year, being able to characterize aerosol plumes becomes more important. This study examines two significant 2025 fires through combined airborne and ground-based measurements: the June 30th Juniper Fire and the 24-day Eaton Fire (January 7th–31st). During the NASA Student Airborne Research Program, the P-3B aircraft intercepted the Juniper Fire plume, enabling a comprehensive analysis of biomass burning aerosols. We investigated whether aerosols and trace gases could serve as definitive fire signatures by comparing aircraft and surface measurements. The study utilized absorption measurements from both the airborne Langley Aerosols Research Group, instrument suite and a ground-based Atmospheric Science and Chemistry mEasuremet NeTwork (ASCENT) aethalometer to derive the absorption Ångström exponent (AAE), while simultaneous CO and CO₂ measurements on the aircraft identified plume intercepts and combustion efficiency. Calculated AAE values of 1.5-1.7 indicated mixed contributions from black carbon and brown carbon, which is characteristic of biomass burning. Elevated CO to CO₂ ratios confirmed inefficient smoldering fires, as high values of CO are usually linked to such fires. These findings demonstrate that integrated AAE and trace gas measurements from multiple platforms effectively characterize smoke composition, providing valuable discrimination between black carbon and brown carbon-dominated plumes for improved atmospheric modeling and public health assessment. 

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP West Land Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked on the tarmac at Guardian Jet Center in Southern California. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisors:

Daniel Sousa, San Diego State University 

Graduate Mentor:

Megan Ward-Baranyay, San Diego State University 

Land Group Introduction Faculty Advisor Daniel Sousa

Robert Purvis Fractional cover estimates of the epiphytic macrolichen Ramalina menziesii in oak canopies from simulated mixed spectra and airborne imaging spectroscopy 

Robert Purvis, Western Kentucky University 

Lichens, a symbiotic relationship between a fungus (mycobiont) and green algae or cyanobacterium (photobiont), occur globally with great variability in form and function. On the North American west coast, Ramalina menziesii is a robust lichen with net-like morphology found across three distinct biomes. In the mediterranean climate of coastal California, R. menziesii can survive with thallus water content as low as 13%, making the lichen a powerful medium for wildfire spread. As a late-successional community member, changes in wildfire incidence observed in the region have caused R. menziesii coverage to decline. Despite their importance, there is little research on the detection of lichen with imaging spectroscopy, which would provide a potentially novel piece of information to wildland firefighters. The lichen primarily grows on oaks of the region, with the percentage of top-cover ranging from near zero to tree canopy overgrowth due to the lichens’ pendulous growth form. These characteristics may make R. menziesii a good candidate for airborne imaging spectroscopy. Reflectance spectra were collected with a field spectrometer and contact probe from the Figueroa creek area of Sedgwick Reserve in Santa Barbara County, California. From this collection, a spectral library was built (n=70) to contain three endmember types: Quercus lobata (California Valley Oak) leaf (GV; n=34), Q. lobata bark (NPV; n=8), and R. menziesii, (lichen; n=28). This library was sampled using a stratification method and was split into a simulation library (n=41) and an unmixing library (n=29). Mixed spectroscopic pixels at 5% increments of lichen coverage were simulated (n=1344) with random fractions of GV and NPV coverage. Multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) on the simulated pixels recovered the known lichen fractions at an RMSE of 0.25 and R2 of 0.38, with some overestimation of lichen coverage at high GV fractions. Future work will include evaluating the performance of the model with Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy (AVIRIS) imagery over Sedgwick Reserve. 

Kyra Shimbo Investigating the Influence of Pre-Fire Fuels and Topography on Burn Severity Prediction in the 2024 Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, California 

Kyra Shimbo, University of Rochester 

Wildfires can pose significant threats to air and water quality, vegetation, soil health, and public safety. The growing severity, frequency, and intensity of wildfires underscore the need to mitigate their impacts on ecosystems and communities. In California, a total of 8,110 wildfires occurred in 2024—burning over 1 million acres of land and destroying more than 1,800 structures. Prospective modeling of potential burn severity in fire-prone areas can help inform decisions on effectively implementing fire management strategies to reduce wildfire hazards. Previous studies have demonstrated that various combinations of pre-fire environmental characteristics, such as fuels and topography, can explain burn severity patterns. However, identifying the dominant drivers of burn severity and accurately predicting it remains challenging across different landscapes. To gain a stronger understanding of burn severity dynamics, we evaluated the influence of pre-fire fuels and topography on predicting post-fire char fractional cover—a proxy for burn severity—for the 2024 Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, California. We used a random forest regression model to predict post-fire char fractional cover based on pre-fire measurements of fuel structure, fuel moisture, fuel condition, fuel water stress, and topography. Fuel structure was measured with the Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS), a full-waveform LiDAR. Fuel moisture, fuel condition, and char fractional cover were derived from surface reflectance collected by the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT). Variables related to fuel water stress were estimated from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS). Topographic variables were acquired from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Preliminary results indicate that the model explains 28% of the variance in post-fire burn severity for the Lake Fire (R-squared = 0.28), with canopy height, green vegetation fractional cover, and aspect ranking the highest in predictor importance. Future work could focus on model improvement by incorporating additional pre-fire and active fire weather variables into the model. Overall, this model can be applied to monitoring fuel parameters associated with high burn severity that jeopardize ecosystems and water resources. 

Nimay Mahajan  Evaluating Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA) Derived Vegetation Fraction for Improved ET Estimates in the Semi-Arid Ecosystems of the Sierra Foothills 

Nimay Mahajan, University of Miami 

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays a critical role in water and energy cycles, particularly in semi-arid ecosystems. For decades, ET models have used spectral indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to quantify the abundance of green vegetation. However, NDVI has long-recognized limitations in semi-arid environments, including saturation for densely vegetated pixels and sensitivity to soil reflectance in sparsely vegetated areas. We explore the potential for vegetation fraction (VF) derived from spectral mixture analysis (SMA) of imaging spectroscopy data to provide a more accurate alternative to NDVI for modeling ET. Focusing on a region east of Fresno, California, we leverage data from National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) flux towers (SJER and SOAP) which provide ground-based measurements of Latent Heat Flux (LE). We derive VF from surface reflectance collected by the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) and compare it to the Landsat-based NDVI product currently used by NASA’s Priestley-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL) model. Land Surface Temperature (LST) from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) is incorporated as the thermal data source for each PT-JPL model run. Both model configurations use the same six environmental variable inputs, differing only in their representation of fractional vegetation cover. Preliminary findings suggest that SMA-derived VF tends to produce more conservative LE estimates than NDVI, especially in areas with sparse or mixed vegetation cover. These VF-based estimates also appear to better align with flux tower observations, indicating that NDVI may be overestimating ET in this region. While both vegetation metrics show broad agreement in spatial structure (r = 0.73), localized LE differences highlight the importance of subpixel vegetation characterization in ET modeling. As orbital imaging spectrometers become more widely deployed, it is clear that improving remote sensing-based ET modeling can help support water monitoring, drought-resilient agriculture, and wildfire hazard assessments. 

Patricia Sibulo Comparative Analysis of UAVSAR Derived Flooding Extent During Hurricane Florence (2018) to Urban Flood Hazard Models 

Patricia Sibulo, University of San Francisco 

Urban flooding poses major risks to public safety, infrastructure, and city planning. Yet, floods remain difficult to detect, especially during storms, when high precipitation is often accompanied by spatially and temporally persistent cloud cover. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors, such as airborne Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), emit microwave pulses that can image regardless of cloud cover or time of day and respond sensitively to surface water. This is due to both the high dielectric constant and the flat geometry of standing water. Given sufficient resources, airborne SAR is capable of capturing rapidly evolving flood events that unfold on hourly timescales. We investigated how daily airborne SAR can be applied to improve flood hazard mapping and monitoring in urban areas. This study incorporates airborne quad-polarized L-band UAVSAR data acquired for five days during the 2018 Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and flood hazard models developed by the state. From daily inundation extent maps, we computed the total area flooded in the Northeast Cape Fear River Basin spanning the area between the cities of Wilmington and Goldsboro. Spatial overlap between the total flooded area estimated by UAVSAR and the region’s projected flood hazard zones was quantified. A LiDAR-derived digital terrain model (DTM) with a spatial resolution of 3ft was also used to identify low-lying areas prone to pooling. Preliminary findings suggest that roughly 66% of the SAR-detected flood did not appear within the state’s modeled 100-year flood hazard zone. Future work could compare UAVSAR estimates of total flooded area to estimates derived from lower temporal resolution (6-12 days) spaceborne SAR to improve flood mapping globally. These results support the integration of high-temporal-resolution airborne SAR and satellite SAR in urban flood workflows for hazard assessment and active flood monitoring. The recently launched NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission, with global coverage up to twice every 12 days, is expected to enhance this fusion approach by providing more frequent spaceborne observations. Integrating SAR and LiDAR may enable more accurate, timely assessments in response to flood disasters. 

Charlotte Perry Investigating Spaceborne Detection Limits of Geothermally Active Mud Features, Land Surface Temperature, and Surface Mineralogy in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field 

Charlotte Perry, Stonehill College 

Geothermally active mud features, such as mud pots and mud volcanoes, are manifestations of subsurface geothermal activity. Geothermal activity also provides energy resources. In California’s Salton Trough, geothermal power plants produce roughly 340 Megawatts of electric power annually. Detecting and monitoring geothermal surface features is thus valuable, as these features can be key indicators of geothermal resource potential. Here, we investigated the ability of spaceborne multispectral thermal imaging and imaging spectroscopy to detect and monitor these small-scale (sub-decameter) geothermal mud features near the southeastern edge of the Salton Sea. For this investigation, LST data were obtained from the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) and surface mineralogy estimates were provided by the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) L2B Estimated Mineral Identification and Band Depth product. To examine temporal variability, we processed four images per sensor acquired over two seasons from two consecutive years, May and August for 2023 and 2024. We conducted t-tests to determine if consistent differences in mineralogy and/or LST were observable between known mud pots and control areas. Preliminary results did not find a statistically significant relationship (p > 0.05) between the presence of small-scale geothermal mud features, spaceborne-acquired surface mineralogy, and LST. This study has identified key spatial resolution limitations to locating and monitoring small geothermal mud features. Future work is suggested to determine the threshold for spatial resolution relative to the size of geothermal features of interest. Effectively locating and monitoring geothermally active areas has implications for improving energy security, quantifying the abundance of critical minerals, investigating the effect of their emissions, and understanding the potential geologic hazards they pose. 

Brianna Francis AVIRIS, Altadena, and Asphalt: Assessing the capabilities of airborne imaging spectroscopy in classifying asphalt road condition 

Brianna Francis, University of Georgia 

Ninety-four percent of paved roads in the United States are surfaced with asphalt. Fire accelerates the aging process of asphalt and causes roads to degrade prematurely. This causes moisture pooling, accelerated pothole formation, and produces hazardous conditions for all motorists. Asphalt can have distinct spectral features depending on its condition. Undamaged asphalt typically has an albedo of 0.05 to 0.10 and is characterized by a notable decrease in reflectance near 1700 nm and 2300 nm due to absorption by the hydrocarbon-based asphalt sealant applied to the top of roads during its initial paving. As road surfaces are subjected to physical and chemical weathering, the hydrocarbon-based sealant is eroded away, revealing the mineral-filled aggregate below. Because of this process, the spectra of weathered asphalt is characterized by a reduction in complex hydrocarbon absorption, an increase in albedo, and an increase in mineral absorptions, especially that of iron oxide near 490 nm. Previous research has applied in situ imaging spectroscopy to identify these absorption features in asphalt roads and correlated them with pavement condition. We evaluated the capabilities of airborne imaging spectroscopy in detecting asphalt damage in Altadena, California after the January 2025 Eaton Fire to assess the accuracy of this method for mapping road damage for repair prioritization. AVIRIS-3 (Airborne Visible Infrared Spectrometer 3) surface reflectance data was collected post-fire over Altadena on January 16, 2025, at a spatial resolution of 1.8m. We compared two spectral methods for road damage classification, the VIS2 band difference and Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM). Results show that road conditions can be classified with an accuracy of 76% for SAM and 85% for VIS2 with a 10% margin of error based on 100 validation samples; however, these methods notably exhibited limited effectiveness in mountainous areas and sensitivity to crack sealing. These findings can contribute to near immediate post–fire recovery efforts by supporting detour planning, repair prioritization, and a smoother restoration process. 

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP West Oceans Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked on the tarmac at Guardian Jet Center in Southern California. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisor:

Henry Houskeper, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute 

Graduate Mentor:

Camille Pawlak, University of California, Los Angeles 

Oceans Group Introduction Faculty Advisor Henry Housekeeper

Molly McKellar Spatiotemporal dynamics of canopy-forming kelp forests in the Russian province of Kamchatka 

Maria (Molly) McKellar, University of Wisconsin, Madison 

Interannual variability in canopy-forming kelps and the environmental conditions in which kelps thrive have not been studied extensively in the Kamchatka region of eastern Russia. Canopy forming kelps promote diverse and productive coastal ecosystems by boosting coastal resilience and supporting ecological communities. To better understand how kelp in the Kamchatka region contributes to these impacts, we must understand the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of kelp forests in the region. In this study, we evaluate spatiotemporal patterns in kelp canopy, including characterizing the climatology and assessing medium and long-term trends. We compare patterns in kelp forest dynamics with biological parameters, such as satellite-derived chlorophyll-a time series, as well as climatological indices, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Northern Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO). New data from Kelpwatch, a global dataset utilizing Landsat satellite imagery, was used to map kelp canopy area from 1999 to present with quarterly resolution. This study is the first spatially resolved analysis of canopy-forming kelps in the Kamchatka region. Kelp area time series were assessed in three sub-regions corresponding to the eastern, western, and southern margins of Kamchatka. We found that the spatial extent of kelp across the entire region is maximal in the third quarter, which encompasses July 1 to September 30 and corresponds to the latter portion of the northern hemisphere growing season. We observed kelp forest patterns to vary spatially, with the southern subregion indicating a positive trend in climatologically adjusted canopy area. Pearson correlation indicated a strong relationship between phytoplankton and kelp dynamics in the southern subregion, perhaps suggesting the importance of nitrate as a regional driver of kelp forest variability. A weak correlation was found between the PDO and NPGO across the entire Kamchatka region and within the eastern and western subregions. While these results support a primary importance of nutrients to kelp population dynamics in the southern region, more work must be done to understand drivers of nutrients variability in Kamchatka. Further investigation of subregional dynamics is warranted given the climatological and mixing differences between the Sea of Okhotsk and the western Pacific Ocean, which each border Kamchatka. Sea surface temperature may also have an impact on kelp forests and should be considered. Understanding regional patterns and trends in Kamchatka would strengthen our understanding of spatiotemporal variability in kelp at global scales and the key associated drivers, including resolving key oceanic and atmospheric processes or modes. The findings supporting positive trends of kelp area in the southern portion of Kamchatka warrants further future research and investigation. 

Grace Woerner Tropical Storm Effects on Ocean Dynamics Measured Through a Multi-Platform Observing Approach 

Grace Woerner, North Carolina State University 

Elevated low-latitude sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are associated with heightened intensity and frequency of tropical cyclone events. Tropical systems can modify surface marine ecosystems, often to the detriment of coastal communities and fisheries. Characterizing ocean properties before and after storm events can provide insight into storm-driven mixing and corresponding ecosystem responses. However, extreme conditions during tropical storms can impede ocean observing. For example, satellite remote sensing of SST and ocean color during tropical storms is challenged by cloud cover and surface disturbances such as white capping. This study pairs satellite remote sensing observations with in-situ oceanographic data to characterize oceanographic changes in phytoplankton concentrations and SST associated with a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific during March 2024 to April 2025. Chlorophyll-a is a pigment present in phytoplankton and is commonly used as a proxy for estimating phytoplankton abundance. In-situ chlorophyll-a and SST measurements collected by Argo floats were used to validate satellite ocean color observations from the NASA Plankton, Aerosols, Clouds, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission and SST from the Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution (MUR) dataset before and after Typhoon ShanShan, the equivalent of a category four hurricane. The PACE observations indicate agreement with Argo float data, albeit with a slight positive bias and variability in post-storm conditions. MUR SST data also closely matched Argo measurements. It was found that the typhoon passage did not produce a detectable chlorophyll-a anomaly. This finding was further investigated by comparing changes in the mixed layer depth (MLD) and assessing whether the observed storm-induced mixing reached adequate depths to significantly increase surface nitrogen concentrations, prerequisite to inducing a phytoplankton bloom. The findings suggest that while the MLD deepened, deepening was inadequate at regional scales to bring nitrate and other nutrients to the surface. Although Typhoon Shanshan did not generate mixing deeper than the nutricline, more powerful storms or those occurring in waters with shallower nutriclines may more effectively introduce nutrients into surface waters. Limitations such as cloud coverage for satellite observing, plus the sampling frequency, coverage, and sensor availability of Argo float observations, highlight the importance of continued multi-platform observations for ocean environments to advance knowledge of tropical cyclone effects on surface ocean ecosystems. 

Alex Lacayo Peruvian Coastal Water Temperature Anomalies Correspond to Variability in El Niño Position and Timing 

Alex Lacayo, Columbia University 

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a basin-scale oscillation pattern in the tropical Pacific that drives, via teleconnections, atmospheric and oceanic variability at larger scales. El Niño events are ENSO phenomena defined by anomalously warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in low-latitude Pacific domains, and the spatial and temporal expression of El Niño events can vary. Recent literature has established distinct differences between the spatial expression of SST anomalies associated with El Niño events. Elevated SST in the Central (often called “Modoki”) and Eastern equatorial Pacific, for example, have been described as so-called El Niño “flavors” and are associated with different responses across global environments. 

This study investigates the relationship between El Niño variability and coastal upwelling within Peru’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), using satellite-derived SST as a proxy. Coastal upwelling is a vital driver of strongly elevated biological productivity in the Peru EEZ, sustaining one of the globe’s most productive fisheries and the largest anchovy stock worldwide. This analysis evaluates SST anomalies in the Peruvian EEZ as a function of the spatiotemporal dynamics of SST in the tropical Pacific during the onset and evolution of El Niño events spanning the past three decades. The analysis is conducted for two domains in the Peruvian EEZ. The first corresponds to primarily north-south coastline north of Pisco, and the second to the northwest-southeast coastline south of Pisco. Preliminary findings are consistent with Modoki events corresponding to less pronounced warming in Peru during El Niño peaks, along with a lag in post-event upwelling rebound response, compared to Eastern Pacific events. The findings indicate that seasonal timing of El Niño events modify the strength of temperature anomalies in coastal Peru. The subregional comparison suggests that the northern Peruvian EEZ is more impacted by El Niño timing and position variability, likely consistent with its lower latitude and exposure to Kelvin wave propagation. These findings support improved knowledge of how different El Niño expressions influence Peruvian coastal ecosystems, which is critical for assessing ecosystem resilience and informing the management of coastal fisheries. 

Melanie Lin Utility of SAR in detection of canopy-forming kelp in South Africa 

Melanie Lin, Boston University 

Kelp forests are valuable to coastal cities and towns because they support marine ecosystems, benefit economies, and dampen the effects of waves and erosion. This study aims to understand the extent to which synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can be used to accurately map the distribution of the South African canopy-forming kelp, Ecklonia maxima, or sea bamboo. SAR data was obtained from Sentinel-1, which has a five-day revisit time. SAR observations use radio waves, which penetrate clouds, thereby supporting observations of kelp forest habitat in any cloud condition. Despite the potential to use SAR to increase data availability on cloudy days, there are fewer SAR products for kelp canopy—especially sea bamboo—relative to passive optical remote sensing, which is obstructed by clouds. SAR observations were validated by comparing with manually classified optical imagery obtained using Airborne Visible Infrared Imagining Spectrometer – Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG), which was flown on NASA’s Gulfstream III in 2023 as part of The Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape). BioSCape was an integrated field and airborne campaign collaboration between the United States and South Africa to study the biodiversity of the Great Cape Floristic Region (GCFR). More commonly used passive optical remote sensing datasets were also assessed using imagery from Landsat that had been classified using a random forest. This research shows that SAR observations yield distinct values between kelp and ocean, indicating potential to use SAR data to map kelp canopy extent in calm oceanic conditions. SAR observations in the VH (vertically transmitted, horizontally received) polarization indicates a larger distinction between kelp and calm ocean water than data in the VV (vertically transmitted, vertically received) polarization. The sensitivity and responsivity of SAR kelp forest retrievals was dependent on the tidal state during the data acquisition. In VH polarized data, a lower tidal state supports more accurate classifications between kelp and calm ocean water than a high tidal state. Waves, which may contain kelp beneath them, obscure kelp backscatter response in SAR data. This study improves understanding of the utility of SAR for mapping sea bamboo extent, which in turn supports future opportunities to develop better understanding of marine biodiversity and coastal resilience in the GCFR where sea bamboo is the dominant canopy-forming taxa. 

John Lund Kinetic energy of multiscale oceanic features derived from SWOT altimetry 

John Lund, Adelphi University 

Oceanic eddies are circular movements of water that separate the main flow and facilitate oceanic energy transfer across multiple scales, thereby underlying biophysical interactions and modifying climate and ocean dynamics. Oceanic eddies correspond to dynamics spanning geostrophic to ageostrophic processes, spatial scales spanning 0.1 to 100 km, and temporal scales spanning hours to months. Eddies spanning horizontal spatial scales of 0.1 to 10 km and temporal scales of hours to days, termed submesoscale eddies, are difficult to resolve from legacy satellites due to the finer spatial resolution requirements for observing smaller scale features. Conversely, eddies spanning larger horizontal spatial scales and longer temporal scales, termed mesoscale eddies, are more readily resolved using legacy satellite altimeters. This research utilizes observations from the recently launched Surface Water and Ocean Topography’s (SWOT) Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) to resolve submesoscale eddies and quantify associated kinetic energy. We contextualize our SSHA observations using the Data Unification and Altimeter Combination System (DUACS)—a project that merges satellite data to observe coarser mesoscale fields on a global scale—to visualize ocean dynamics around SWOT swaths more clearly. Comparing the kinetic energy associated with SWOT-detected features to that estimated from DUACS data supports improved understanding of the relative importance of the submesoscale in global energy transfer. Results from this investigation demonstrate that SWOT supports characterizations of features at the upper bound of the submesoscale to analyze ocean dynamics and energy cascades at specific moments and locations. Resolving the temporal dynamics of submesoscale features remains challenging due to SWOT’s 21-day revisit cycle, which also limits submesoscale characterizations to isolated swaths, but novel SWOT observations nonetheless support snapshot opportunities to constrain the role of submesoscale processes in global energy transfer. Future directions with SWOT include coupling data with high-resolution numerical models or additional satellite missions such as PACE to map a wider region and investigate key controls on biophysical interactions associated with submesoscale processes. 

Logan Jewell Machine Learning Classification of Remote Sensing Imagery for Investigating Changes in Natural Oil Seepage 

Logan Jewell, State University of New York, Brockport 

Spatiotemporal variability in oil content of the Santa Barbara Channel (SBC) corresponds to natural hydrocarbon seepage and past anthropogenic spills. The marine geology of the SBC is characterized by a relatively shallow and abundant hydrocarbon reserve beneath faulted anticlines that run parallel to the shore. Natural seepage occurs when pressure in the reserve exceeds hydrostatic, and gaseous bubbles coated in liquid petroleum seep through the sea floor and enter the marine environment. Because gaseous hydrocarbons and oil are both buoyant in seawater, the seepage manifests as oil slicks at the surface of the ocean. Oil has historically been extracted from the reserve by human drilling, potentially alleviating pressure in the reserve, at sites such as Platform Holly, which operated in the SBC from 1966 until production ceased in 2015. Platform Holly is located roughly 3.2 kilometers from the shore and is the only offshore oil platform in California State waters. Since decommissioning, the only mechanism releasing oil in this region of the hydrocarbon reserves is natural seepage. In this study, machine learning via a random forest model is utilized to identify and classify oil slick regions in Sentinel-2 optical images encompassing the decommissioned oil platform Holly and other nearshore waters near Santa Barbara, CA. The random forest model was developed to predict 3 classes, or targets: clear, turbid, and oil-contaminated waters. Sentinel-2 supports a 5-day revisit time, which mitigates cloud obstruction in the region, and 10-meter spatial resolution appropriate for distinguishing small-scale surface features such as slicks. 6 images were manually classified for training, and classification using the random forest supported an additional 27 classified images. A time analysis was conducted using the combined 33 images, which spanned 2019 to present to assess variability in hydrocarbon seepage starting 4 years after decommissioning to present. Preliminary results do not indicate a trend in the area of the natural oil slick from 2019 to 2025. We conducted sensitivity testing by assessing covariance between oil slick area with wind and tidal measurements and found no significant correlation to winds or tides. More frequent imagery spanning a wider temporal range could help to better determine whether oil slick area is changing or stable through time. 

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The 2025 SARP West Whole Air Sampling (WAS) Group poses in front of the Dynamic Aviation B-200 aircraft, parked on the tarmac at Guardian Jet Center in Southern California. During the internship, students spend a week engaged in Earth science data collection and learning from instruments specialists while flying onboard both the B-200 and NASA’s P-3 aircraft.NASA/Milan Loiacono Return to 2025 SARP Closeout

Faculty Advisor:

Donald Blake, University of California, Irvine

Graduate Mentor:

Oluwaseun Moses Akinola, University of Connecticut

Whole Air Sampling Group Introduction Faculty Advisor Donald Blake

Sarah Kinlaw Impact of Dairies on Ozone Production in Ontario, CA 

Sarah Kinlaw, College of William & Mary 

In the center of Ontario, California’s urban sprawl sits 5 square miles of livestock farming, including many dairies. Emissions from silage from dairy farms result in significant amounts of ethanol and methanol entering the atmosphere. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can participate in the formation of tropospheric ozone through oxidation and photolytic processes. Ozone is known to have negative impacts on humans, agriculture, and the climate. Of concern is that the dairy regions and regions downwind will likely have enhanced levels of ozone. In this study, 19 samples were collected from dairy farms and downwind sites over two days. The extent of enhancement in reactive species was determined by comparing concentrations of speciated VOCs, collected from air samples from the downwind sampling sites, with estimated upwind background concentrations. The “ozone production potential” (OFP) was estimated by multiplying the mixing ratios of VOCs of interest by their respective hydroxyl rate constants, and it was found that methanol and ethanol were the major VOC contributors to OFP. HYSPLIT trajectory modeling was used to determine the dispersion patterns of air masses originating from the dairy farm area and identify potentially impacted downwind communities. This analysis emphasizes the need for more robust air quality and agricultural management with a focus on directing policies to improve air quality at a local and regional scales. 

Ryan Glenn Examining the Chemical Composition and Evolution of Palisades Fire Gas Emissions 

Ryan Glenn, Dartmouth College 

Wildland-urban-interface (WUI) fires in the US are increasing in frequency and intensity with disproportionately large impacts on air quality and human health. The 2025 Palisades Fire alone destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and displaced more than 30,000 people. Despite their significance, they remain understudied compared to wildland fires, especially in regard to emission composition, evolution, and ozone formation potential. Here we analyze trace gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) collected via air canisters during the Palisades Fire and use the Framework for 0-D Atmospheric Modeling (FOAM) box model to simulate their evolution. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry reveals high daytime VOC concentrations despite the increase of the boundary layer. C1-C4 oxygenates exhibited by far the highest reactivity and concentrations, accompanied by alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, biogenic, and chlorinated compounds indicative of the combustion of anthropogenic materials. Using the sampling data to constrain the FOAM box model, we characterize the regime as primarily VOC-limited and identify acetaldehyde and methanol as key ozone precursors and nitric acid as the primary nitrogen oxide (NOx) sink. These findings suggest that targeted reductions in oxygenates will be most effective in mitigating ozone formation from WUI fire emissions. This study has significant implications for wildfire air quality management and highlights the need for further research comparing WUI and wildland fire emission chemistry. 

Riley Gallen Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) in Long Beach: Assessing Its Role in Ozone Formation and Impact on Nearby Communities/Coastal Ecosystems 

Riley Gallen, University of Florida 

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a key precursor to ozone formation, is emitted from various combustion sources including vehicles, cargo ships, and power plants. In Long Beach, California, these sources are concentrated around highways and the busy port, thus raising concerns about localized air pollution and its broader environmental impact. This project investigates NO₂ concentrations over Long Beach using NASA’s B200 and DC-8 aircraft flight data from 2019, 2021, and 2025. Data were analyzed through latitude–longitude mapping and altitude comparisons to assess temporal trends and spatial distribution of NO₂. The 2021 dataset, collected during pandemic-related port congestion, showed elevated NO₂ levels, though seasonal differences required comparison between 2019 and 2025 for consistency. Overall, NO₂ concentrations increased in 2025 relative to 2019. HYSPLIT wind trajectory modeling often carried pollutants inland, particularly toward the communities of Wilmington and West Long Beach, which already experience elevated respiratory health risks due to pollution exposure. Although the scope of this study was not to determine the exact NO₂ sources in Long Beach, the prevailing wind patterns as indicated from the HYSPLIT model suggests the port as a likely source. While inland transport dominated during the selected flight days, wind patterns are unpredictable. This variability suggests that NO2 and its photochemical transformation into ozone could occur over adjacent marine ecosystems such as Bolsa Bay State Marine Conservation Area and Albone Cove State Marine Conservation Area. Collectively, this study highlights the potential impacts of NO₂ exposure on local communities and nearby coastal ecosystems and emphasizes the need for continued monitoring and apportionment of sources of NO2 in urban coastal regions. 

Owen Rader Quantifying the Impact of Meteorological Variables on Wildland Fire Spread 

Owen Rader, University of Delaware 

Past studies have revealed that wildfire is becoming more extreme due to increasing hydroclimate variability. Using Los Angeles County’s Eaton Fire, a primarily wind-driven fire, as a case study, I simulate the fire under isolated meteorological variables with a focus on quantifying the impacts of wind speed simulations on the fire’s spread. A comprehensive analysis of the Eaton Fire’s spread can indicate how Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), a growing transition zone particularly in Southern California, is vulnerable to enhanced fire activity under different meteorological conditions. This study aims to demonstrate how fuel metrics behave under different wind conditions, thus providing valuable insight into the potential rates of spread and response times to wildfire-encroached WUI areas. To achieve this, LANDFIRE surface/canopy fuel products and topographical products are used as pre-model run fire parametrizations using FLAMMAP’s built-in Landscape file generator, using variable wind speeds while holding other values constant, to output fuel-load metrics. Following this, I utilized ARSITE, a built-in application to FLAMMAP, to simulate several scenarios over time, using real-time ERA5 Reanalysis meteorological data from the wildfire event period, and quantified the impacts of variable wind speeds. These model runs can provide valuable insights into how fires behave under varying meteorological conditions, which can be further quantified through future research to better understand how a shift towards hydroclimate extremes impacts WUI fires. 

Stephen Shaner Analysis of Bromoform Concentrations and Impact in California 

Stephen Shaner, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 

Bromoform is a haloalkane which is commonly found over the ocean, with major sources being marine organisms such as phytoplankton and macroalgae. This compound has been measured around California during the NASA Student Airborne Research Program flights campaigns since 2010. Within this sampled period, 2014 showed significantly higher bromoform concentrations than any other measured year. In this study, the concentrations of bromoform from 2010–2022 were analyzed and consistently higher than average concentrations were evident over the Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Inland Empire area. The effect on ozone concentrations in the atmosphere caused by the higher concentrations was measured using the Framework for 0D atmospheric modeling (F0AM). It was found that at its peak of 28 ppt, bromoform decreases ozone concentration by 0.14% at the altitude where the sample was taken. However, the potential impact in the stratosphere of Br radicals which come from Bromoform is expected to be higher due to its reaction rates with various molecules commonly found in the stratosphere. 

Maggie Rasic Shifting Seas and Changing Chemistry: Gaseous Emissions in Upper Newport Bay 

Maggie Rasic, University of California, Los Angeles 

Coastal wetlands are ecologically rich environments that provide critical regulatory services, including carbon storage and nutrient cycling. However, these ecosystems are vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, which may alter biogeochemical cycles and enhance the production of trace gases. This study analyzed whole air samples collected across six sites spanning from San Diego Creek to Upper Newport Bay to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions at the study areas, with a focus on halomethanes and methane. Results showed increasing concentrations of halomethanes (specifically CHBr₃, CH₃Br, and CH₃Cl) as sample sites increase in proximity to the mouth of Newport Bay. Further research could indicate possible relationships between salinity, microbial activity, and halogenated compound production. Additionally, at the site closest to the ocean, a notably elevated concentration of methane was observed, a common byproduct of anaerobic microbial decomposition in wetlands. These findings suggest that sea level rise could intensify the production of both halomethanes and methane in coastal wetlands. Given their roles as potent greenhouse gases and, in the case of halomethanes, as stratospheric ozone-depleting substances, this emphasizes the importance of monitoring trace gas fluxes in dynamic coastal environments. 

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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4716-4722: Drilling Success at Nevado Sajama NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image of the “Nevado Sajama” drill hole, using its Left Navigation Camera on Nov. 13, 2025 — Sol 4718, or Martian day 4,718 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 19:46:43 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Written by Michelle Minitti, MAHLI Deputy Principal Investigator at Framework

Earth planning date: Friday, Nov. 14, 2025

From Curiosity’s ridge-top perch among the boxwork unit, the highlight of the week was the successful drilling of the “Nevado Sajama” target. The data collected by APXS, ChemCam, and MAHLI from the rover workspace and its immediate vicinity gave the team confidence to proceed with sampling. APXS and ChemCam data from two targets cleared by the DRT — Nevado Sajama (before it was drilled) and “Tesoro del Pangal” — demonstrated that the chemistry of the workspace was in family with the many ridge-top targets analyzed during the boxwork unit campaign. MAHLI imaging revealed the presence of fine veins in both targets, and also confirmed the structural soundness of the drill target after the rover engineers tested the strength of Nevado Sajama by pressing down on it with the drill tip. The types of veins observed by MAHLI were investigated by ChemCam on broken bedrock faces that exposed both bright white and gray materials. These targets, “Arenas Blancas,” “Camarones,” and “Exaltación,” will provide more insight into the fluids that penetrated the boxwork ridges, perhaps contributing to their erosion resistance. DAN collected data for long stretches across the sols over which all these activities occurred, gaining data on the hydrogen (and by extrapolation, water) content of the ridge. Mastcam began and will continue to build a large mosaic of our location which will include both Nevado Sajama and the drill target “Valle de la Luna” within an adjacent hollow. 

The rover payload was not only focused on studying the ridge and drill target, but also added to the systematic environmental dataset Curiosity has built over the last 13 years. REMS and RAD regularly recorded Martian and space weather, respectively, throughout the week. Mastcam and Navcam measured dust loading in the atmosphere, and looked for clouds and dust devils while ChemCam and APXS took turns measuring different chemical components in the atmosphere. 

The drill activity itself completed on Sol 4718. This weekend, the first portions of the drilled material will be delivered to and analyzed by CheMin. The whole team is anxiously awaiting the CheMin results in order to compare them to the Valle de la Luna mineralogy derived from the hollow below us. We hope their comparison will provide us with new insights into how the boxwork unit came to be. 

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NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity at the base of Mount Sharp NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

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Curiosity Blog, Sols 4709-4715: Drilling High and Low in the Boxwork Unit NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image of the “Nevado Sajama” drill site workspace, which is on the patch of more coherent ridge bedrock in front of the hollow, towards the right-hand side of the image. Curiosity used its Left Navigation Camera on Nov. 4, 2025 — Sol 4709, or Martian day 4,709 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — at 15:10:44 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Written by Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, APXS Strategic Planner and Payload Uplink/Downlink Lead, University of New Brunswick, Canada

Earth planning date: Friday, Nov. 7, 2025

We are in the most intensive phase of the boxwork structures investigation — the drill campaign. The boxwork campaign group requested a pair of drilled targets — one in a hollow (the topographic low) and one on an adjacent ridge, surrounding the hollow.

As we noted in a previous blog, finding a drill target in the hollows proved to be tricky, as the hollow floors are often covered by sand and pebbles, with minimal bedrock exposed. But over the past two weeks, we successfully drilled the bedrock target “Valle de la Luna” in a large hollow called “Monte Grande.” We finished up at Valle de la Luna on Monday and moved quickly up onto the ridge to get our second target, about 10 meters away (about 33 feet).

We wanted to name our targets to reflect the difference in location — from the topographic low to the (relatively speaking) high point on the nearby ridge. Our hollow target, Valle de la Luna, was named after an area of valleys in the Atacama Desert, in Chile. This area is one of the driest on Earth, with a unique environment and an incredible sculpted landscape with geological formations that would not look out of place in Gale crater.

Although there is a mere 2-meter difference in elevation (about 6½ feet) between the hollow floor and the ridge top, we decided to name our ridge target “Nevado Sajama,” which is an extinct volcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. Go big or go home!

Wednesday’s plan centered around our “Drill Sol Zero” activities. We use this day to finesse our position for drilling with a small drive (we refer to this kind of positioning drive as a “bump” as it is usually less than a couple of meters, which is less than 6 feet) to the most suitable potential drill target. On Wednesday, we bumped our way forward very slightly on the workspace, and this morning (Friday) the best potential target for drilling was in the perfect location. Today we do our Drill Sol 1 activities, which focus on triaging the Nevado Sajama bedrock block for drilling (the center of this Mastcam image; the lower block in this Navcam image). The Rover Planners (RPs) will test the coherency of the rock, to assess how it will hold up under the pressure of drilling. APXS and ChemCam will analyze the brushed bedrock in the intended drill area. We can compare this to targets from the very nearby Wednesday workspace (“Volcan Isluga” for APXS and “Luna Muerte” for ChemCam), so we can determine how homogenous or heterogenous this area is. MAHLI will image the bedrock here too, and again compare to targets from the Wednesday workspace (Volcan Isluga and the MAHLI-only target “Sipe Sipe,” which was an area of freshly broken rock, broken as we drove over it).

The drill campaign for the boxwork area has been two years in the planning. Over those years, the boxwork campaign focus group (including me) have had regular meetings and presentations and brainstorming sessions. It is so rewarding to finally be here, in the middle of this active drill campaign.

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NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity at the base of Mount Sharp NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

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Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical/IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI (HST and JWST); Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and N. Wolk

NGC 1068, a relatively nearby spiral galaxy, appears in this image released on July 23, 2025. The galaxy contains a black hole at its center that is twice as massive as the Milky Way’s. NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory data shows a million-mile-per-hour wind is being driven from NGC 1068’s black hole and lighting up the center of the galaxy in X-rays.

The image contains X-rays from Chandra (blue), radio data from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (pink), and optical data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (yellow, grey and gold).

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical/IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI (HST and JWST); Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt and N. Wolk

Brian Alpert’s path was always destined for the aerospace industry, but his journey turned toward NASA’s Johnson Space Center during his sophomore year in college. That was when Tricia Mack, who works in NASA’s Transportation Integration Office within the International Space Station Program, spoke to his aerospace seminar about planning spacewalks, training crews, and supporting operations from the Mission Control Center in Houston.

Alpert was inspired to join the agency and later earned a spot as an engineering co-op student at Johnson. “My first stop after new employee orientation was Tricia’s office,” he said.

Brian Alpert supports a spacewalk outside of the International Space Station from the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center in 2015. NASA/Bill Stafford

Eighteen years later, Alpert is the cross-program integration deputy for NASA’s human landing system (HLS) – the mode of transportation that will take astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis campaign. In his role, Alpert is responsible for coordinating with other Artemis programs, like the Orion Program, on issue resolution, joint agreements, data exchanges, hardware integration, and reviews. He also co-leads the Exploration Atmospheres Issue Resolution Team, assessing risks to and impacts on space vehicle atmosphere, spacesuit pressure, and operational timelines for Artemis missions.

Alpert has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in several proposal reviews for Artemis program contracts as well. “NASA’s model of embracing public-private partnerships to achieve its strategic goals and objectives is exciting and will continue to expand opportunities in space,” he said.

He applies lessons learned and skills gained from his previous roles as a spacewalk crew instructor, flight controller, and systems engineer to his current work on HLS. “I hope to pass on to the next generation that skills and lessons you learn as a student or a young employee can and will help you in your future work,” he said.

Brian Alpert routes cables in the Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in preparation for a crew training run in 2011. Image courtesy of Brian Alpert

Alpert’s prior NASA roles involved memorable experiences like working to address spacesuit and vehicle failures that occurred during a spacewalk on International Space Station Expedition 32. He was serving as the lead spacewalk systems flight controller in the Mission Control Center at the time and played a key role in getting NASA astronaut Suni Williams and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide safely back aboard the space station. Since Williams and Hoshide did not complete the spacewalk’s primary objective – replacing a Main Bus Switching Unit – a backup spacewalk was scheduled several days later. Alpert was on console for that spacewalk, too.

“One important lesson that I have learned through my career to date is how exceptionally talented, passionate, and hard-working everyone is here at NASA,” he said. “Whenever work gets stressful or problems get hard, there are teams of people that have your back, are willing to problem-solve with you, and can bring another perspective to finding a solution that you may not have considered.” He added that his colleagues are the best part of his job. “As much as I love what we do at NASA, what really gets me excited to come to work is all the outstanding people I get to work with every day.”

Brian Alpert completes a dive in NASA Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory for a spacesuit familiarization exercise in 2009. Image courtesy of Brian Alpert

Learning how to navigate change has been an important lesson for Alpert, as well. “NASA has been through a lot of change since I became a full-time employee in 2009,” he said. “Making sure that I have clear goals for myself, my work, and my team helps us all stay focused on the mission and the work at hand and helps us prioritize projects and tasks as questions or challenges inevitably arise.”

One challenge Alpert especially enjoys? Johnson’s annual Chili Cookoff. He has participated in many cookoffs as part of the Cosmic Chili team, noting that he often dons a Wolverine costume as part of the festive fun. He also welcomes a space trivia challenge – and a chance to add to his collection of trivia trophies.

Explore More 3 min read NASA signs US-Australia Agreement on Aeronautics, Space Cooperation Article 2 months ago 7 min read International Space Station: Launching NASA and Humanity into Deep Space Article 2 months ago 4 min read Astronaut Candidates Get to Work at Johnson Space Center Article 2 months ago

El cohete SLS (Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial) y la nave espacial Orion de la misión Artemis I, en la plataforma móvil de lanzamiento en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida, con la luna llena al fondo. Imagen tomada el 14 de junio de 2022.Crédito: NASA/Cory Huston

Read this press release in English here.

Ya está abierto el plazo de acreditación de medios de comunicación para el lanzamiento de la primera misión lunar tripulada de la campaña Artemis de la NASA.

Con un lanzamiento previsto para principios de 2026, el vuelo de prueba Artemis II enviará a los astronautas de la NASA Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover y Christina Koch y al astronauta de la CSA (Agencia Espacial Canadiense) Jeremy Hansen en un viaje de aproximadamente 10 días alrededor de la Luna y de regreso.

La tripulación despegará desde el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la agencia en Florida, a bordo de la nave espacial Orion de la NASA, transportada por el poderoso cohete Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial (SLS, por sus siglas en inglés) de la agencia, con el fin de ayudar a validar los sistemas y el hardware necesarios para la exploración humana del espacio profundo.

Los miembros de los medios que no dispongan de ciudadanía estadounidense deben solicitar el acceso para ver el lanzamiento antes del domingo 30 de noviembre. Los miembros de medios con ciudadanía estadounidense deben solicitarlo antes del lunes 8 de diciembre. Los periodistas que ya dispongan de acreditaciones anuales para el centro Kennedy de la NASA también deben solicitar acceso para este lanzamiento. Aquellos que estén acreditados para asistir al despegue de Artemis II recibirán también acreditación para asistir a eventos previos al lanzamiento, incluyendo la presentación del cohete y la nave espacial integrados, un evento que se dará varias semanas antes del despegue. Más adelante proporcionaremos detalles adicionales sobre las fechas del lanzamiento.

Los medios de comunicación pueden enviar sus solicitudes de acreditación en línea, en:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Debido al gran interés suscitado, la disponibilidad de plazas para asistir a las actividades del lanzamiento es limitada. Los medios acreditados recibirán un correo electrónico de confirmación tras la aprobación, junto con información adicional sobre las actividades previas al lanzamiento y actividades del lanzamiento. La política de acreditación de medios de la NASA está disponible en línea (en inglés). Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la acreditación, envíe un correo electrónico en inglés a: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Para otras preguntas, póngase en contacto con la sala de prensa del centro Kennedy  de la NASA a través del número: +1 321-867-2468.

Como parte de una edad dorada de innovación y exploración, Artemis allanará el camino para nuevas misiones tripuladas estadounidenses en la superficie lunar, en preparación para la primera misión tripulada a Marte.

Para obtener más información (en inglés) sobre la misión Artemis II, visite:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii

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Rachel Kraft / María José Viñas
Sede central, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov

Tiffany Fairley
Centro Espacial Kennedy, Florida
321-867-2468
tiffany.l.fairley@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Nov 17, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

• NASA en español
• Artemis
• Artemis 2
• Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
• Kennedy Space Center

The Artemis I SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a full Moon in the background on June 14, 2022.Credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Lee este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.

Media accreditation is open for the launch of the first crewed Moon mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Targeted to launch in early 2026, the Artemis II test flight will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back.

The crew will lift off from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft on the agency’s powerful (SLS) Space Launch System rocket to help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration.

International media without U.S. citizenship must apply to view the launch by Sunday, Nov. 30. U.S. media must apply by Monday, Dec. 8. Journalists who already have annual badges to NASA Kennedy also must apply. Those who are accredited to attend the Artemis II launch also will be accredited to attend pre-launch events, including rollout of the integrated rocket and spacecraft several weeks before launch. Additional details about launch dates will be provided later.

Media may submit accreditation requests online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

Due to high interest, space is limited to attend launch activities. Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval, along with additional information about pre-launch and launch activities. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

As part of a Golden Age of innovation and exploration, Artemis will pave the way for new U.S.-crewed missions on the lunar surface in preparation toward the first crewed mission to Mars.

To learn more about the Artemis II mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii

-end-

Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

Tiffany Fairley
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
tiffany.l.fairley@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Nov 17, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

• Artemis 2
• Artemis
• Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
• Kennedy Space Center

NASA/Christopher LC Clark

NASA ER-2 pilot Kirt Stallings waits inside the transport vehicle moments before boarding the airborne science aircraft at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. Outside the window, the aircraft is being readied for a high-altitude mission supporting the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx), a multi-year NASA–U.S. Geological Survey campaign to map critical mineral resources across the Western United States. The GEMx team believes that undiscovered deposits of at least some of the 50 mineral commodities deemed essential to U.S. national security, to the tech industry, and to clean energy exist domestically, and modern mineral maps will support exploration by the private sector.

In 2025 alone, the ER-2 flew 36 science missions, collecting more than seven billion measurements over 200 flight hours, contributing to the largest airborne surface mineralogy dataset ever gathered in a single NASA campaign. For this mission, pilots flew at approximately 65,000 feet altitude, requiring them to wear specially designed pressure suits to safely operate in the thin atmosphere.

Image credit: NASA/Christopher LC Clark

Text credit: Darin L. Dinius

El telescopio espacial Hubble captó esta imagen del cometa interestelar 3I/ATLAS el 21 de julio de 2025, cuando el cometa se encontraba a 445 millones de kilómetros (277 millones de millas) de la Tierra. Hubble muestra que el cometa tiene una envoltura de polvo en forma de lágrima que se desprende de su núcleo sólido y helado.Crédito: NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA); Procesamiento de imágenes: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Read this press release in English here.

La NASA ofrecerá un evento en vivo (en inglés) a las 3 p.m. EST del miércoles 19 de noviembre para compartir imágenes del cometa interestelar 3I/ATLAS captadas por varias misiones de la agencia. El evento tendrá lugar en el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la NASA, en Greenbelt, Maryland.

El cometa 3I/ATLAS, descubierto el 1 de julio por el observatorio ATLAS (por las siglas en inglés de Sistema de Última Alerta de Impacto Terrestre de Asteroides), financiado por la NASA. El cometa es el tercer objeto identificado hasta la fecha que ha entrado en nuestro sistema solar procedente de otra parte de la galaxia. Aunque no supone ninguna amenaza para la Tierra y no se acercará a menos de 273 millones de kilómetros (170 millones de millas) de nuestro planeta, el cometa pasó a menos de 30 millones de kilómetros (19 millones de millas) de Marte a principios de octubre.

El evento se retransmitirá en NASA+, la aplicación de la NASA, el sitio web y el canal de YouTube de la agencia, y Amazon Prime.

Entre los participantes en la sesión informativa, que proceden de la sede central de la NASA en Washington, se encuentran:

• Amit Kshatriya, administrador asociado de la NASA
• Nicky Fox, administradora asociada, Dirección de Misiones Científicas
• Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director interino, División de Astrofísica
• Tom Statler, científico jefe para cuerpos pequeños del sistema solar.

Para participar virtualmente en el evento NASA Live, los miembros de los medios de comunicación deben enviar su nombre completo, afiliación mediática, dirección de correo electrónico y número de teléfono a más tardar dos horas antes del inicio del evento a Molly Wasser: molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov. Los miembros del público también podrán hacer preguntas utilizando #AskNASA en las redes sociales, y sus preguntas podrían ser respondidas, en inglés y en tiempo real, durante la transmisión. También contamos con un experto en la materia con disponibilidad limitada para entrevistas de seguimiento en español. Para solicitar una entrevista en español, póngase en contacto con María José Viñas: maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov

Recursos de misiones científicas de la NASA proporcionan a Estados Unidos la capacidad única de observar a 3I/ATLAS prácticamente durante todo el tiempo que permanecerá en nuestra vecindad celeste y estudiar, con instrumentos científicos complementarios y desde diferentes direcciones, cómo se comporta el cometa. Estos instrumentos incluyen tanto naves espaciales en todo el sistema solar como observatorios terrestres.

Para más información sobre 3I/ATLAS, visite:

https://ciencia.nasa.gov/sistema-solar/cometa-3i-atlas/ (español)
https://go.nasa.gov/3I-ATLAS(inglés)

-fin-

Karen Fox / Molly Wasser / María José Viñas
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202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov

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• Astrophysics Division
• Science & Research
• Science Mission Directorate
• The Solar System

Hubble captured this image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on July 21, 2025, when the comet was 277 million miles from Earth. Hubble shows that the comet has a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust coming off its solid, icy nucleus. Credit: NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

Lee este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.

NASA will host a live event at 3 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 19, to share imagery of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS collected by a number of the agency’s missions. The event will take place at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered by the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) observatory on July 1, is only the third object ever identified as entering our solar system from elsewhere in the galaxy. While it poses no threat to Earth and will get no closer than 170 million miles to Earth, the comet flew within 19 million miles of Mars in early October.

The event will air on NASA+, the NASA app, the agency’s website and YouTube channel, and Amazon Prime.

Briefing participants include:

• NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya
• Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate
• Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director, Astrophysics Division
• Tom Statler, lead scientist for solar system small bodies

To participate virtually in the NASA Live event, members of the media must send their full name, media affiliation, email address, and phone number no later than two hours before the start of the event to Molly Wasser at: molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov. Members of the public also may ask questions, which may be answered in real time during the broadcast, by using #AskNASA on social media.

Assets within NASA’s science missions give the United States the unique capability to observe 3I/ATLAS almost the entire time it passes through our celestial neighborhood, and study – with complementary scientific instruments and from different directions – how the comet behaves. These assets include both spacecraft across the solar system, as well as ground-based observatories.

For more information on 3I/ATLAS, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/3I-ATLAS

-end-

Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Nov 17, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms

• Science Mission Directorate
• Astrophysics Division
• Science & Research
• The Solar System

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s research into the field of Advanced Air Mobility looks to enable autonomous aircraft with complex capabilities such as carrying cargo or providing medical aid, as seen in this artist’s concept. The Data and Reasoning Fabric project out of Ames Research Center tested delivery of programs and information to these kinds of vehicles.Credit: NASA

One of the biggest goals for companies in the field of artificial intelligence is developing “agentic” or autonomous systems. These metaphorical agents can perform tasks without a guiding human hand. This parallels the goals of the emerging urban air mobility industry, which hopes to bring autonomous flying vehicles to cities around the world. One company got a head start on doing both with some help from NASA.

Autonomy Association International Inc. (AAI) is a public benefit corporation based in Mountain View, California, near NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. In 2022, AAI signed a Space Act Agreement with Ames to support the agency’s Data and Reasoning Fabric project, which aimed to support the transportation of people and cargo to areas previously unserved or underserved by aviation, and to provide reliable, accurate, and current data for aeronautic decision-making. 

“Inspiration to lean into data fabric to solve certain complexities came from our NASA partnership,” said AAI cofounder and the project’s industry principal investigator Greg Deeds. “Working on this project was a great experience. Working with NASA engineers and leaders gave us experience that we’ll carry forward in all of our products.” 

Greg Deeds looks out the window of a helicopter flying over Arizona during a test of Autonomy Association International’s data fabric technology in collaboration with NASA. Through multiple evaluations above Phoenix, the testing proved the capabilities of the company’s Digital Infrastructure Platform. Credit: Autonomy Association International Inc.

Similar to how clothing fabric is made of intertwined threads, a data fabric comprises intertwined data sources. While a data fabric built by a tech company may include data from a few different cloud service providers, NASA’s Data and Reasoning Fabric can also use information provided by local governments and other service providers. By viewing airspace as a large data fabric, an autonomous vehicle can take in data and requests from the cities and towns it flies over and prioritize responses between them.

Working with Ken Freeman, principal investigator of the project at Ames, AAI and NASA performed four testing adaptations of the data fabric technology in the air over Arizona. Using hardware and software developed by AAI, the flights tested advanced air mobility passenger flights and the use of a drone for rapid delivery of medical supplies from urban to rural areas and back, while sending new tasks to the aircraft in flight. A helicopter stood in for the drone and air taxi, flying over towns, universities, tribal lands, and the airspace around Phoenix Sky Harbor airport and obtaining data and programs given to it from different places.

“We’re focusing on the digital infrastructure building blocks of smart cities and regions of the future,” said Jennifer Deeds, chief operating officer and cofounder of AAI.

In the years since the original NASA project, the company has cultivated relationships and customers abroad, including companies in agriculture, real estate development, and industrial food production using its system to aggregate and manage data. Released in 2024, the company’s Digital Infrastructure Platform uses the same technology originally designed for the NASA flight test. A new, “agentic” version followed not long after, able to retrieve necessary AI programs with minimal interaction. 

As AI unlocks innovation across American industries, NASA is equipping its commercial partners with the keys, using proven technology to generate breakthrough solutions. 

Learn more: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/  

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Details Last Updated Nov 18, 2025 Related Terms

• Technology Transfer & Spinoffs
• Ames Research Center
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Spinoffs
• Technology Transfer

Explore More 6 min read NASA Data Powers New Tool to Protect Water Supply After Fires

When wildfires scorch a landscape, the flames are just the beginning. NASA is helping U.S.…

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Advanced Air Mobility Mission

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) research will transform our communities by bringing the movement of people and goods off the ground, on…

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