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Children regularly exposed to temperatures over 30°C (86°F) have lower scores on literacy and numeracy tests at age 3 to 4, according to UNICEF data from six countries

Children regularly exposed to temperatures over 30°C (86°F) have lower scores on literacy and numeracy tests at age 3 to 4, according to UNICEF data from six countries

Small bursts of mindfulness practices lasting a minute or less can have unexpected benefits for those with busy lives - here’s how

Small bursts of mindfulness practices lasting a minute or less can have unexpected benefits for those with busy lives - here’s how

Do I really need to go over the evidence for dark matter again? Okay, fine, for those of you in the back who weren’t paying attention the first time.

A new sound-based system could squelch small fires before they grow into home-destroying blazes

Removing, or “scrubbing”, carbon dioxide from the air of confined spaces is a critical component of any life support system on a spacecraft or submarine. However, modern day ones are energy intensive, requiring temperatures of up to 200℃ to operate. So a research lab led by Dr. Hui He at Guangxi University in China has developed what they call “micro/nano reconfigurable robots” (MNRM) to scrub CO2 from the air much more efficiently. Their work is described in a new paper in Nano-Micro Letters.

Vaccine controversies, space pollution and puppy power.

The idea that we might be living in a simulated reality has worried us for centuries. Now physicists have found some tantalising clues – and devised an experiment that might reveal the truth

The idea that we might be living in a simulated reality has worried us for centuries. Now physicists have found some tantalising clues – and devised an experiment that might reveal the truth

By the time the Artemis II Orion spacecraft launches to the Moon next year, its many components will already have traveled thousands of miles and moved across multiple facilities before coming together at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Branelle Rodriguez, Artemis II vehicle manager for the Orion Program, has overseen many parts of that journey. Her job is to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its historic mission – carrying humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

Branelle Rodriguez crouches inside an Orion spacecraft training unit aboard the USS San Diego in March 2024. The training unit was used during a full recovery simulation with the Artemis II crew. Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

Based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Rodriguez has been involved in every stage of the spacecraft’s lifecycle – from development and production through testing and final launch readiness. Her program-level leadership focuses on ensuring the spacecraft’s hardware and subsystems are integrated and flight-ready. Most recently, she collaborated closely with Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy to oversee the spacecraft’s move to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it was mated with NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. “We are getting our teams trained and ready so that we are GO for the Artemis II mission,” she said.

Her 21-year NASA career spans numerous roles at Johnson. She started in the center’s Engineering Directorate, developing and building life support and habitation hardware for the Space Shuttle Program and the International Space Station Program. She went on to lead teams of engineers and flight controllers tasked with real-time resolution of anomalies aboard the International Space Station before transitioning to the Orion Program in 2022.

“Looking back, every role I’ve held, every team I’ve been a part of, and every milestone we’ve achieved together has been truly remarkable,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud to have played a part in it all.”

Rodriguez has been fascinated by space since she was a little girl. “Growing up in northern Minnesota, I was lucky to experience the beauty of clear, starlit skies on a regular basis,” she recalled. When Rodriguez was a teenager, her family encouraged her to attend Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, where she participated in mock astronaut training, flight controller simulations, and hands-on engineering projects. “It was a pivotal experience that only deepened my passion for space exploration.”

Branelle Rodriguez stands in front of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft as it completes processing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

Rodriguez applied to NASA’s internship program while studying mechanical engineering at the University of North Dakota. She was not accepted, but she did not give up. She spent a semester interning at Dow Chemical to gain more experience while continuing to apply for internships across multiple NASA centers. “On my eighth attempt, I was accepted at Johnson,” she said. Three internships and one graduation later, Rodriguez landed a full-time position in the Engineering Directorate’s Crew and Thermal Systems Division. “It’s been an incredible journey—and a dream realized,” she said.

As a student athlete, Rodriguez knew the importance of teamwork from a young age, but said its value really became clear after joining NASA. “Some goals take time. There will be setbacks and struggles, but when you stick together, you build the kind of trust and relationships that are the foundation for long-term success,” she said. “That’s exactly what NASA represents. We take on some of the most complex and ambitious challenges imaginable—and we do it as a team.”

She added, “Especially now, it’s more important than ever to remember what we’re capable of when we work together, and to celebrate the wins—big or small—because each one brings us closer to the extraordinary.”

Rodriguez also appreciates having a team outside of the office. One of the greatest challenges she has faced is balancing the demands of a fulfilling, high-impact career with the needs of her family. “Like many parents, there are days when everything feels in sync, and days when I know I’ve fallen short,” she said, acknowledging that she must continually adapt to shifting needs and prioritize tasks to remain focused on what matters most at any given moment. “I’m beyond grateful for my family,” she said. “They are my foundation, and they truly understand and support my passion for the work I do. Without their love, and the broader village that helps make it all possible, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Branelle Rodriguez, her husband Scott, and her children Samantha and Brooks in the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center during the Artemis I mission in 2022. The family had an opportunity to ask the Artemis I Orion spacecraft questions via the Callisto technology demonstration carried aboard the 25-day mission.Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

To her children and future generations, Rodriguez hopes to pass on a desire to keep exploring. “As humans, we are naturally driven to grow, learn, and push beyond our limits,” she said. “Space exploration is still in its early stages when viewed through the lens of history, and the achievements of the next generation will be truly extraordinary. I want them to carry forward the curiosity, courage, and determination needed to reach new frontiers and unlock the unknown.”

Explore More 4 min read NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science

NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of…

Article 5 days ago 5 min read Student Art Murals at Johnson Celebrate 25 Years of Humanity in Space  Article 6 days ago 8 min read Sugars, ‘Gum,’ Stardust Found in NASA’s Asteroid Bennu Samples Article 1 week ago

By the time the Artemis II Orion spacecraft launches to the Moon next year, its many components will already have traveled thousands of miles and moved across multiple facilities before coming together at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Branelle Rodriguez, Artemis II vehicle manager for the Orion Program, has overseen many parts of that journey. Her job is to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its historic mission – carrying humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years.

Branelle Rodriguez crouches inside an Orion spacecraft training unit aboard the USS San Diego in March 2024. The training unit was used during a full recovery simulation with the Artemis II crew. Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

Based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Rodriguez has been involved in every stage of the spacecraft’s lifecycle – from development and production through testing and final launch readiness. Her program-level leadership focuses on ensuring the spacecraft’s hardware and subsystems are integrated and flight-ready. Most recently, she collaborated closely with Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy to oversee the spacecraft’s move to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it was mated with NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. “We are getting our teams trained and ready so that we are GO for the Artemis II mission,” she said.

Her 21-year NASA career spans numerous roles at Johnson. She started in the center’s Engineering Directorate, developing and building life support and habitation hardware for the Space Shuttle Program and the International Space Station Program. She went on to lead teams of engineers and flight controllers tasked with real-time resolution of anomalies aboard the International Space Station before transitioning to the Orion Program in 2022.

“Looking back, every role I’ve held, every team I’ve been a part of, and every milestone we’ve achieved together has been truly remarkable,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud to have played a part in it all.”

Rodriguez has been fascinated by space since she was a little girl. “Growing up in northern Minnesota, I was lucky to experience the beauty of clear, starlit skies on a regular basis,” she recalled. When Rodriguez was a teenager, her family encouraged her to attend Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, where she participated in mock astronaut training, flight controller simulations, and hands-on engineering projects. “It was a pivotal experience that only deepened my passion for space exploration.”

Branelle Rodriguez stands in front of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft as it completes processing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

Rodriguez applied to NASA’s internship program while studying mechanical engineering at the University of North Dakota. She was not accepted, but she did not give up. She spent a semester interning at Dow Chemical to gain more experience while continuing to apply for internships across multiple NASA centers. “On my eighth attempt, I was accepted at Johnson,” she said. Three internships and one graduation later, Rodriguez landed a full-time position in the Engineering Directorate’s Crew and Thermal Systems Division. “It’s been an incredible journey—and a dream realized,” she said.

As a student athlete, Rodriguez knew the importance of teamwork from a young age, but said its value really became clear after joining NASA. “Some goals take time. There will be setbacks and struggles, but when you stick together, you build the kind of trust and relationships that are the foundation for long-term success,” she said. “That’s exactly what NASA represents. We take on some of the most complex and ambitious challenges imaginable—and we do it as a team.”

She added, “Especially now, it’s more important than ever to remember what we’re capable of when we work together, and to celebrate the wins—big or small—because each one brings us closer to the extraordinary.”

Rodriguez also appreciates having a team outside of the office. One of the greatest challenges she has faced is balancing the demands of a fulfilling, high-impact career with the needs of her family. “Like many parents, there are days when everything feels in sync, and days when I know I’ve fallen short,” she said, acknowledging that she must continually adapt to shifting needs and prioritize tasks to remain focused on what matters most at any given moment. “I’m beyond grateful for my family,” she said. “They are my foundation, and they truly understand and support my passion for the work I do. Without their love, and the broader village that helps make it all possible, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Branelle Rodriguez, her husband Scott, and her children Samantha and Brooks in the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center during the Artemis I mission in 2022. The family had an opportunity to ask the Artemis I Orion spacecraft questions via the Callisto technology demonstration carried aboard the 25-day mission.Image courtesy of Branelle Rodriguez

To her children and future generations, Rodriguez hopes to pass on a desire to keep exploring. “As humans, we are naturally driven to grow, learn, and push beyond our limits,” she said. “Space exploration is still in its early stages when viewed through the lens of history, and the achievements of the next generation will be truly extraordinary. I want them to carry forward the curiosity, courage, and determination needed to reach new frontiers and unlock the unknown.”

Explore More 4 min read NASA Selects 2 Instruments for Artemis IV Lunar Surface Science

NASA has selected two science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of…

Article 5 days ago 5 min read Student Art Murals at Johnson Celebrate 25 Years of Humanity in Space  Article 6 days ago 8 min read Sugars, ‘Gum,’ Stardust Found in NASA’s Asteroid Bennu Samples Article 1 week ago

Great news! We'll have dark skies for the year's richest meteor shower.

The post Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks December 13-14 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists believe they may have resolved a 39-year-old mystery about the radiation belts around Uranus.

How typical is our Solar System?

Some fermenting foods can carry the risk of a bacterium that produces an extremely strong toxin called bongkrekic acid

A severe accident at the Baikonur Cosmodrome involving a wrecked maintenance cabin has indefinitely delayed Russia's ability to launch crewed missions and payloads to the International Space Station (ISS).

More than 1 in 10 children in the U.S. have ADHD, fueling debate over the condition and how to treat it