These earthly godfathers of Heaven's lights, that give a name to every fixed star, have no more profit of their shining nights than those that walk and know not what they are.

— William Shakespeare

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DART Changed the Shape of Asteroid Dimorphos, not Just its Orbit

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 11:50pm

On September 26th, 2022, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) collided with the asteroid Dimorphos, a moonlet that orbits the larger asteroid Didymos. The purpose of this test was to evaluate a potential strategy for planetary defense. The demonstration showed that a kinetic impactor could alter the orbit of an asteroid that could potentially impact Earth someday – aka. Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA). According to a new NASA-led study, the DART mission’s impact not only altered the orbit of the asteroid but also its shape!

The study was led by Shantanu P. Naidu, a navigation engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at Caltech. He was joined by researchers from the Lowell Observatory, Northern Arizona University (NAU), the University of Colorado Boulder (UCB), the Astronomical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Their paper, “Orbital and Physical Characterization of Asteroid Dimorphos Following the DART Impact,” appeared on March 19th in the Planetary Science Journal.

The Didymos double asteroid system consists of an 851-meter-wide (2792 ft) primary orbited by the comparatively small Dimorphos. The latter was selected as the target for DART because any changes in its orbit caused by the impact would be comparatively easy to measure using ground-based telescopes. Before DART impacted with the moonlet, it was an oblate spheroid measuring 170 meters (560 feet) in diameter with virtually no craters. Before impact, the moonlet orbited Didymos with a period of 11 hours and 55 minutes.

Artist’s impression of the DART mission impacting the moonlet Dimorphos. Credit: ESA

Before the encounter, NASA indicated that a 73-second change in Dimorphos’ orbital period was the minimum requirement for success. Early data showed DART surpassed this minimum benchmark by more than 25 times. As Naidu said in a NASA press release, the impact also altered the moonlet’s shape:

“When DART made impact, things got very interesting. Dimorphos’ orbit is no longer circular: Its orbital period is now 33 minutes and 15 seconds shorter. And the entire shape of the asteroid has changed, from a relatively symmetrical object to a ‘triaxial ellipsoid’ – something more like an oblong watermelon.”

Naidu and his team combined three data sources with their computer models to determine what happened to the asteroid after impact. The first was the images DART took of Dimorphos right before impact, which were sent back to Earth via NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN). These images allowed the team to gauge the dimensions of Didymos and Dimorphos and measure the distance between them. The second source was the Goldstone Solar System Radar (GSSR), part of the DNS network located in California responsible for investigating Solar System objects.

The GSSR was one of several ground-based instruments that precisely measured the position and velocity of Dimorphos relative to Didymos after impact – which indicated how the mission greatly exceeded expectations. The third source was provided by ground-based telescopes worldwide that measured changes in the amount of life reflected (aka. light curves) of both asteroids. Much like how astronomers monitor stars for periodic dips (which could indicate a transiting planet), dips in Didymos’ luminosity are attributable to Dimorphos passing in front of it.

Artist’s impression of the ESA’s Hera mission rendezvousing with Dimorphos. Credit: NASA

By comparing these light curves from before and after impact, the team learned how DART altered Dimorphos’ motion. Based on these data sources and their models, the team calculated how its orbital period evolved and found that it was now slightly eccentric. Said Steve Chesley, a senior research scientist at JPL and a co-author on the study:

“We used the timing of this precise series of light-curve dips to deduce the shape of the orbit, and because our models were so sensitive, we could also figure out the shape of the asteroid. Before impact, the times of the events occurred regularly, showing a circular orbit. After impact, there were very slight timing differences, showing something was askew. We never expected to get this kind of accuracy.”

According to their results, DART’s impact reduced the average distance between the two asteroids to roughly 1,152 meters (3,780 feet) – closer by about 37 meters (120 feet). It also shortened Dimorphos’ orbital period to 11 hours, 22 minutes, and 3 seconds – a change of 33 minutes and 15 seconds. These results are consistent with other independent studies based on the same data. They will be further tested by the ESA’s Hera mission, scheduled to launch in October 2024, when it makes a flyby of the double-asteroid and conducts a detailed survey.

Further Reading: NASA

The post DART Changed the Shape of Asteroid Dimorphos, not Just its Orbit appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

Cosmochemistry: Why study it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 11:48pm

Universe Today has had some fantastic discussions with researchers on the importance of studying impact craters, planetary surfaces, exoplanets, astrobiology, solar physics, comets, planetary atmospheres, and planetary geophysics, and how these diverse scientific fields can help researchers and the public better understand the search for life beyond Earth. Here, we will investigate the unique field of cosmochemistry and how it provides researchers with the knowledge pertaining to both our solar system and beyond, including the benefits and challenges, finding life beyond Earth, and suggestive paths for upcoming students who wish to pursue studying cosmochemistry. But what is cosmochemistry and why is it so important to study it?

“Cosmochemistry is the study of space stuff, the actual materials that make up planets, stars, satellites, comets, and asteroids,” Dr. Ryan Ogliore, who is an associate professor of physics at Washington University in St. Louis, tells Universe Today. “This stuff can take all the forms of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. Cosmochemistry is different from astronomy which is primarily concerned with the study of light that interacts with this stuff. There are two main benefits of studying actual astromaterials: 1) the materials record the conditions at the time and place where they formed, allowing us to look into the deep past; and 2) laboratory measurements of materials are extraordinarily precise and sensitive, and continue to improve as technology improves.”

In a nutshell, the field of cosmochemistry, also known as chemical cosmology, perfectly sums up Carl Sagan’s famous quote, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” To understand cosmochemistry is to understand how the Earth got here, how we got here, and possibly how life got wherever we’re (hopefully) going to find it, someday.

Like all scientific fields, cosmochemistry incorporates a myriad of methods and strategies with the goal of answering some of the universe’s most difficult questions, specifically pertaining to how the countless stellar and planetary objects throughout the universe came to be. These methods and strategies primarily include laboratory analyses of meteorites and other physical samples brought back from space, including from the Moon, asteroids, and comets. But what are some of the benefits and challenges of studying cosmochemistry?

“One of the primary benefits of cosmochemistry is the ability to reproduce measurements,” Dr. Ogliore tells Universe Today. “I can measure something in my lab, and somebody else can measure either the same object, or a very similar object, in another lab to confirm my measurements. Only after repeated measurements, by different labs and different techniques, will a given claim be universally accepted by the community. This is difficult to do in astronomy, and also difficult using remote-sensing measurements on spacecraft studying other bodies in the Solar System.”

Apart from the crewed Apollo missions to the Moon, all other samples from space have been returned via robotic spacecraft. While this might seem like an easy process from an outside perspective, collecting samples from space and returning them to Earth is a very daunting and time-consuming series of countless tests, procedures, precise calculations, and hundreds to thousands of scientists and engineers ensuring every little detail is covered to ensure complete mission success, often to only collect a few ounces of material. This massive effort is tasked with not only ensuring successful sample collection, but also ensuring successful storage of the samples to avoid contamination during their journey home, and then retrieving the samples once they land in a capsule back on Earth, where they are properly unpacked, cataloged, and stored for laboratory analysis.

To demonstrate the difficulty in conducting a sample return mission, only four nations have successfully used robotic explorers to collect samples from another planetary body and returned them to Earth: the former Soviet Union, United States, Japan, and China. The former Soviet Union successfully returned lunar samples to Earth throughout the 1970s; the United States has returned samples from a comet, asteroid, and even solar particles; Japan has successfully returned samples from two asteroids; and most recently, China succeeded in returning 61.1 ounces from the Moon, which is the current record for robotic sample return missions. But even with the difficulty of conducting a successful sample return mission, what can cosmochemistry teach us about finding life beyond Earth?

“Cosmochemistry can tell us about the delivery of the ingredients necessary for life to planets or moons via asteroids or comets,” Dr. Ogliore tells Universe Today. “Since we have both asteroid and comet material in the lab, we can tell if primitive pre-biotic organic compounds may have been delivered by these bodies. Of course, this doesn’t mean life on Earth (or elsewhere) started this way, only that it is one pathway. Detection of life on another world would be one of the biggest discoveries in the history of science. So of course we’d want to be absolutely sure! This requires repeated measurements by different labs using different techniques, which requires a sample on Earth. I think the only way we’d know for sure if there was life on Europa, Enceladus, or Mars is if we bring a sample back to Earth from these places.”

As it turns out, NASA is actively working on the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, for which Dr. Ogliore is a member of the MSR Measurement Definition Team. The goal of MSR will be to travel to the Red Planet to collect and return samples of Martian regolith to Earth for the first time in history. The first step of this mission is currently being accomplished by NASA’s Perseverance rover in Jezero Crater, as it is slowly collecting samples and dropping them in tubes across the Martian surface for future retrieval by MSR.

For Europa, while there have been several discussions regarding a sample return mission, including a 2002 study discussing a sample return mission from Europa’s ocean and a 2015 study discussing a potential plume sample return mission, no definitive sample return missions from Europa are currently in the works, possibly due to the enormous distance. Despite this, and while not a life-finding mission, Dr. Ogliore has been tasked to lead a robotic mission to Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io, to explore its plethora of volcanoes. For Enceladus, the Life Investigation for Enceladus (LIFE) mission has had a number of mission proposals submitted to return samples from Enceladus’ plumes, though it has yet to be accepted. But what is the most exciting aspect about cosmochemistry that Dr. Ogliore has studied during his career?

Image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft of the water vapor plumes emanating from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. (Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

“In my opinion the most important single measurement in the history of cosmochemistry was the measurements of the oxygen isotopic composition of the Sun,” Dr. Ogliore tells Universe Today. “To do this, we needed to return samples of the solar wind to Earth, which we did with NASA’s Genesis mission. However, the sample return capsule crashed on Earth. But did that stop the cosmochemists?! Hell no! Kevin McKeegan and colleagues at UCLA had built a specialized, enormous, complicated instrument to study these samples. Despite the crash, McKeegan and colleagues analyzed oxygen in the solar wind and found that it was 6% lighter than oxygen found on Earth, and it matched the composition of the oldest known objects in the Solar System: millimeter-sized calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs) found in meteorites.”

Dr. Ogliore continues by telling Universe Today about how this result was predicted by Bob Clayton at the University of Chicago, along with crediting his own postdoc, Lionel Vacher, for conducting a research project that built off the Genesis results, noting, “This was a really fun project because it was technically very challenging, and the results put the Solar System in its astrophysical context.”

Like the myriad of scientific disciplines that Universe Today has examined during this series, cosmochemistry is successful due to its multidisciplinary nature that contributes to the goal of answering some of the universe’s most difficult questions. Dr. Ogliore emphasizes that analysis of laboratory samples involves a multitude of scientific backgrounds to understand what the researchers are observing within each sample and the processes responsible for creating the samples. Additionally, this also includes the aforementioned sample return missions and hundreds to thousands of scientists and engineers who partake in each mission. Therefore, what advice can Dr. Ogliore offer to upcoming students who wish to pursue cosmochemistry?

“Biology, chemistry, geology, physics, math, electronics — you need it all!” Dr. Ogliore tells Universe Today. “If you like learning new things constantly, then planetary science is for you. It is good to get a very broad education. This will serve you well in a number of careers, but it is especially true for planetary science and cosmochemistry. I get to work with people who study volcanoes, and mathematicians working on chaotic motion. How cool is that?!”

All things considered, cosmochemistry is both an enormously challenging and rewarding field of study to try and answer some of the most difficult and longstanding questions regarding the processes responsible for the existence of celestial bodies in the Solar System and beyond, including stars, planets, moons, meteorites, and comets, along with how life emerged on our small, blue world. As noted, cosmochemistry perfectly sums up Carl Sagan’s famous quote, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” It is through cosmochemistry and the analysis of meteorites and other returned samples that enable researchers to slowly inch our way to answering what makes life and where we can find it.

“Meteorites are the most spectacular record of nature known to mankind,” Dr. Ogliore tells Universe Today. “We have rocks from Mars, the Moon, volcanic worlds, asteroid Vesta, and dozens of other worlds. Iron meteorites are the cores of broken apart planets. These rocks record processes that occurred four and a half billion years ago and fall to Earth in a blazing fireball traveling at miles per second. You can follow various blogs that track fireballs, and even calculate areas where meteorites might have fallen. If you ever have the opportunity, go try to find one of these freshly fallen meteorites. The odds are long, but it is worth a try. I have not found a meteorite myself yet, but it is a life goal of mine.”

How will cosmochemistry help us better understand our place in the universe in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!

As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!

The post Cosmochemistry: Why study it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth? appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

Webb Finds Deep Space Alcohol and Chemicals in Newly Forming Planetary 

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 9:13pm

Since its launch in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made some amazing discoveries. Recent observations have found a number of key ingredients required for life in young proto-stars where planetary formation is imminent. Chemicals like methane, acetic acid and ethanol have been detected in interstellar ice. Previous telescopic observations have only hinted at their presence as a warm gas. Not only have they been detected but a team of scientists have synthesised some of them in a lab.

These molecules found in the solid stage phase in young protostars are an indicator that the processes leading to formation of life may be more common than first thought. The complex organic molecules (COMs) were first predicted decades ago before space telescopes observations inconclusively identified them. A team of astronomers using the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on the JWST as part of the James Webb Observations of Young ProtoStars programme have identified the COMs individually. 

MIRI, ( Mid InfraRed Instrument ), flight instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, JWST, during ambient temperature alignment testing in RAL Space’s clean rooms at STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, 8th November 2010.

One of the target objects observed as part of this study was IRAS 2A, a low mass protostar. The science team are particularly interested because the system has similar characteristics as our own star, the Sun. It gives us a great test bed to explore the processes of the Solar System and Earth’s development.

The presence in the solid phase and earlier detections in the gas phase suggests the process behind their existence is sublimation of ice. The process of sublimation is the transition straight from solid to gas without going through the liquid phase. The detection of COMs in ice suggests this is the origin of the COMs in gas. 

The scientific community are now looking at the liklihood of transportation of the COMs to early planets as they form around the young stars. It is believed that their transportation as an ice are far more efficient to the protoplanetary disks than as a gas. It is quite likely that the icy COMs can be transported and inherited by comets and asteroids  as the planets form. These new icy objects that develop can then, through their impacts, carry the complex molecules to planets, seeding them with the ingredients for life.

A closeup of the inner region of the Orion Nebula as seen by JWST. There’s a protoplanetary disk there that is recycling an Earth’s ocean-full of water each month. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, PDRs4All ERS Team; Salomé Fuenmayor image

The team not only detected complex molecules, they also detected formic acid (the stuff that makes some insect bites sting), sulphur dioxide and formaldehyde. The sulphur dioxide was particularly useful since it allowed the team to calculate the deposits of oxidised sulphur as a function of emissions of the same. This is particularly of interest since it was pivotal in the development of metabolic reactions and processes in the young Earth. 

A team from the University of Hawaii’s Department of Chemistry led by Professor Ralf I. Kaiser managed to synthesise a complex molecule known as Glyceric Acid. Understanding its formation process helps us to understand how life evolved on Earth. The experiments used interstellar model ices and estimates of Galactic Cosmic Ray levels to form Glyceric Acid with a photo ionisation laser. This may have been similar to the role of lightning in the evolution of our own atmosphere.

Source : Cheers! Webb finds ethanol and other icy ingredients for worlds and Unraveling the origins of life: Scientists discover ‘cool’ sugar acid formation in space

The post Webb Finds Deep Space Alcohol and Chemicals in Newly Forming Planetary  appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

Mercury is the Perfect Destination for a Solar Sail

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 8:26pm

Solar sails rely upon pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces. Get the sail closer to the Sun and not surprisingly efficiency increases. A proposed new mission called Mercury Scout aims to take advantage of this to explore Mercury. The mission will map the Mercurian surface down to a resolution of 1 meter and, using the highly reflective sail surface to illuminate shadowed craters, could hunt for water deposits. 

Unlike conventional rocket engines that require fuel which itself adds weight and subsequently requires more fuel, solar sails are far more efficient. Light falling upon the sail can propel a prob across space. It’s a fascinating concept that goes back to the 1600’s when Johannes Kepler suggested the idea to Galileo Galilei. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 21st Century that the Planetary Society created the Cosmos 1 solar sail spacecraft. It launched in June 2005 but a failure meant it never reached orbit. The first successfully launched solar sail was Ikaros, launched by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency it superbly demonstrated the feasibility of the technology. 

Artist’s illustration of IKAROS. Credit: JAXA

It has been known since 1905 that light is made up of tiny little particles known as photons. They don’t have any mass but while travelling through space, they do have momentum. When a tennis ball hits a racket, it bounces off the strings and some of the ball’s momentum is transferred to the racket. In a very similar way, photons of light hitting a solar sail transfer some of their momentum to the sail giving it a small push. More photons hitting the sail give another small push and as they slowly build up, the spacecraft slowly accelerates. 

Mercury Scout will take advantage of the solar sail idea as its main propulsion once it has reached Earth orbit. The main objectives for the mission are to map out the mineral distribution on the surface, high resolution imaging down to 1 meter resolution and identification of ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters. The solar sail was chosen because it offers significant technical and financial benefits lowering overall cost and reducing transit time to Mercury. 

To propel the Mercury Scout module, the sail will be around 2500 square meters and 2.5 microns thick. The material is aluminised CP1 which is similar to that used in the heat shield of the James Webb Space Telescope. The sails four separate quadrants unfurl along carbon fibre supports and will get to Mercury in an expected 3.8 years. On arrival it will transfer into a polar orbit and then spend another 176 days mapping the entire surface. 

To enable the entire planet to be mapped the the orbit will have to be maintained by adjusting the angle of the sail. In the same way the captain of a sailing ship can sail against, or sometimes into wind by adjusting sail angle and position so the solar sail can be used to generate thrust in the required direction. 

Data from the Mercury Atmosphere and Surface Composition Spectrometer, or MASCS, instrument is overlain on the mosaic from the Mercury Dual Imaging System, or MDIS. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Unlike other more traditional rocket engines whose life is usually limited to fuel availability, the solar sail is limited by degradation in sail material. Its life expectancy is around 10 years. Additional coatings are being explored to see if the life of the sail can be extended further. 

Source : MERCURY SCOUT: A SOLAR SAIL MISSION TO THE INNERMOST PLANET

The post Mercury is the Perfect Destination for a Solar Sail appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

Spreading rock dust on farms boosts crop yields and captures CO2

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 8:01pm
We already have evidence that rock dust can remove carbon dioxide from the air – now there are signs that spreading the dust on farm fields also enhances crop growth
Categories: Astronomy

Spreading rock dust on farms boosts crop yields and captures CO2

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 8:01pm
We already have evidence that rock dust can remove carbon dioxide from the air – now there are signs that spreading the dust on farm fields also enhances crop growth
Categories: Astronomy

Stardust particle locked in meteorite holds secrets of a star's explosive death

Space.com - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 8:01pm
A tiny grain of dust sealed within an ancient meteorite weaves together the story of the solar system's creation and reveals a much older tale of a rare star's explosive supernova death.
Categories: Astronomy

US House of Representatives Columbia Accident Documents

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 6:10pm

5 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) House Representative Statements

The following are some of the statements made by Representatives regarding the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

February 1, 2003: Representative Sherwood Boehlert

PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Saturday, February 01, 2003
House Science Committee

Boehlert Statement on Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy

WASHINGTON, D.C. —House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) today released the following statement on the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy:

 “We are in a period of national mourning.  Our prayers are dedicated to the heroic crew of the Columbia and their families.  We are reminded again that our nation’s astronauts volunteer to put themselves in situations of inherent risk and that we take their efforts too much for granted. 

“At the same time, in the wake of this horrible event, NASA and the Congress must work together immediately to initiate the most complete and thorough investigation possible in search of all the facts.”

February 1, 2003: Representative Dana Rohrabacher

PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Saturday, February 01, 2003
Rep. Rohrabacher

Rohrabacher Reacts to Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) mourns the loss of Columbia’s crew. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the Columbia Space Shuttle crew. This is a horrific loss for the nation as well as the world, but we should not forget the ultimate sacrifice sometime space exploration requires of men and women who are dedicated to pushing the boundaries. We must not lose sight of the fact that our continued drive to the stars serves as a tribute to those who make that sacrifice in the name of humanity. 

Earlier today, NASA officials reported that the families of Columbia’s crew’s have a simple request of our space program: find out what happened, fix it, and move on. No one could say it any better. Now is the time for the Administration and Congress to support the efforts of Sean O’Keefe and the good people of NASA to investigate the events that led up to today’s tragedy. 

Once the problem is identified, we need to get moving on this great adventure as quickly as possible. We must continue to find new ways to improving our space program by discovering new innovative technologies. We must do this for our nation, our children, and for the families of Columbia’s crew.

February 2, 2003: Representative Dave Weldon

PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Sunday, February 02, 2003
Rep. Dave Weldon

Rep. Weldon Statement on the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident

Kennedy Space Center, FL —U.S. Congressman Dave Weldon (FL-15) released the following statement in the wake of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.

I mourn the loss of 7 brave men and women today. These dedicated pioneers — Commander -Rick Husband, Pilot-William McCool, Payload Commander – Michael Anderson, Specialist – Kalpana Chawla, Specialist – David Brown, Specialist – Laurel Clark and Specialist – Ilan Ramon — gave their lives in the name of science and exploration. This is a tragic day for America, for Israel, and for the world and we will forever be in their debt.

While we must learn the cause of this tragedy, and I know NASA will be working diligently to do so, we must not let this deter our exploration efforts. We should never retreat from our progress in space exploration.

We will reevaluate, however, how we conduct our human space flight operations, we will reexamine our processes, and we will learn how to make space flight safer. Then we will return to space. I believe the crew of Columbia would expect nothing less.

“I would ask all Americans, and, indeed, everyone around the world, to keep the families, friends, and colleagues of these heroic astronauts in your thoughts and prayers. Their contribution to opening the frontier will not be forgotten,” said Rep. Weldon.

House Committee on Science Hearings

The following are some of the hearing charters, hearing transcripts, and opening statements for some of the various House Committee on Science hearings regarding Columbia.

February 12, 2003

House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation—Joint Hearing on Space Shuttle Columbia

This information was originally located on the House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, 108th Congress – 1st Session Web site and on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s website.

February 27, 2003

Full Committee Hearing on NASA’s FY 2004 Budget Request

This information was originally located on the House Committee on Science Full Committee Hearing 108th Congress – 1st Session website.

September 4, 2003

Full Committee Hearing on The Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report

This information was originally located on the House Committee on Science Full Committee Hearing 108th Congress – 1st Session website.

September 10, 2023

Full Committee Hearing on NASA’s Response to the Columbia Report

This information was originally located on the House Committee on Science Full Committee Hearing 108th Congress – 1st Session website.

October 29, 2003

Full Committee Hearing on NASA’s Organizational and Management Challenges in the Wake of the Columbia Disaster

This information was originally located on the House Committee on Science Full Committee Hearing 108th Congress – 1st Session website.

More STS-107 Historical Resources Share Details Last Updated Mar 27, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 6 min read 45 Years Ago: Space Shuttle Columbia Arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Article 6 days ago 21 min read 55 Years Ago: Four Months Until the Moon Landing Article 1 week ago 11 min read 20 Years Ago: First Image of Earth from Mars and Other Postcards of Home Article 3 weeks ago
Categories: NASA

Phew, De-Icing Euclid’s Instruments Worked. It’s Seeing Better Now

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 5:23pm

From its vantage point at the Sun-Earth L2 point, the ESA’s Euclid spacecraft is measuring the redshift of galaxies with its sensitive instruments. Its first science images showed us what we can expect from the spacecraft. But the ESA noticed a problem.

Over time, less light was reaching the spacecraft’s instruments.

Euclid launched on July 1st, 2023 and made its way to the Sun-Earth Lagrange 2 point, the same spot where the JWST resides. Euclid is basically a wide-angle telescope with a 600 MB camera. Using its suite of scientific instruments, it measures the redshift of galaxies in an effort to understand the accelerating expansion of the Universe. Its measurements support the mission’s main science goals: to understand dark matter and dark energy.

Euclid released its first images in November 2023. To describe them as dazzling was not an exaggeration. Those images whetted our appetite for more and built anticipation for the science results to come.

The first test images from the Euclid spacecraft. Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi. CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence

But as time went on, a problem common to spacecraft cropped up. Water vapour from Earth had accumulated on the spacecraft during construction. Over time, the water was released from different parts of the spacecraft by the vacuum of space. The water attached to and froze to the first object it came into contact with. Some of it froze into a thin layer of water ice on VIS, the telescope’s visible wavelength camera. The layer was no thicker than a strand of DNA, but the sensitive instrument was nonetheless impaired.

Euclid personnel couldn’t see the ice. Instead, they observed a growing decrease in the amount of light reaching VIS. VIS is extremely sensitive and is designed to deliver the best low-light sensitivity ever achieved over a broad range of wavelengths. But that sensitivity to light also makes it very sensitive to even a small drop in starlight caused by the thin film of ice.

ESA personnel spent months trying to devise a method of removing the ice, and on March 19th, they started implementing their plan.

This image shows Euclid’s interior, VIS and NISP, and the path light will take as it reflects off of the spacecraft’s mirrors. Image Credit: ESA

Euclid has six different mirrors that collect light and deliver it to VIS and NISP, the Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer. The team in charge of dealing with the ice problem devised a way to heat the spacecraft without compromising the instruments’ sensitivity. They planned to heat the mirrors one by one, and after the first mirror was warmed by 34 degrees F, the ice melted away.

“It was midnight at ESOC mission control when we de-iced the first two mirrors in the procedure. We were very careful with our timings, ensuring we had constant contact between the spacecraft and our ground station in Malargüe, Argentina, so we could be ready to react in real-time if there were any anomalies,” explained Micha Schmidt, Euclid Spacecraft Operations Manager.

“Thankfully, it all went as planned. When we saw the first analysis provided by the science experts, we knew that they would be very happy – the result was significantly better than expected,” Schmidt said.

“It was an enormous team effort over the last months to plan, execute and analyze the heating of selected mirrors onboard Euclid, resulting in the fantastic result we see now,” explained Ralf Kohley, Euclid Instrument Scientist and in charge of the anomaly review board.

This figure shows the results of the effort to warm up Euclid’s mirrors and remove the ice. At about the 90-minute mark, the temperature reached the point where ice sublimes into water vapour. After that point, the amount of light the spacecraft collected rose dramatically. Image Credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium. ESA Standard Licence

Since the light collection improved on the first attempt, the success also showed mission personnel exactly where the ice was and where it’s likely to collect in the future if the problem crops up again.

“The mirrors and the amount of light coming in through VIS will continue being monitored, and the results from this first test will continue to be analyzed as we turn this experiment into a core part of flying and operating Euclid,” Kohley said.

With this problem behind it, Euclid can now get back to work. Its goal is to measure galaxies out to redshift 2. This corresponds to looking back in time by 10 billion years. The spacecraft will do it gradually, measuring the shapes of galaxies and their corresponding redshifts. The spacecraft will also measure how their light is distorted by dark matter. Eventually, the telescope will measure the amount of dark matter and compare its statistical properties to those of the galaxies. Critically, it will measure them over long periods of time, leading to an understanding of how both change over time and a better understanding of dark matter, dark energy, and the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, the spacecraft’s main scientific goal.

But none of that work can continue if the telescope can’t see properly. Even the thin film of ice impaired Euclid’s observations enough that it was a serious obstacle to progress.

Now that the ice is gone, Euclid can get back to work. And if the problem reappears, the Euclid team is ready to deal with it.

“We expect ice to cloud the VIS instrument’s vision again in the future,” explained Reiko Nakajima, VIS instrument scientist. “But it will be simple to repeat this selective decontamination procedure every six to twelve months and with very little cost to science observations or the rest of the mission.”

The post Phew, De-Icing Euclid’s Instruments Worked. It’s Seeing Better Now appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

New View Reveals Magnetic Fields Around Our Galaxy’s Giant Black Hole

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 5:20pm

Fresh imagery from the Event Horizon Telescope traces the lines of powerful magnetic fields spiraling out from the edge of the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, and suggests that strong magnetism may be common to all supermassive black holes.

The newly released image showing the surroundings of the black hole known as Sagittarius A* — which is about 27,000 light-years from Earth — is the subject of two studies published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. This picture follows up on an initial picture issued in 2022. Both pictures rely on radio-wave observations from the Event Horizon Telescope’s network of observatories around the world.

Sagittarius A* wasn’t the first black hole whose shadow was imaged by the EHT. Back in 2019, astronomers showed off a similar picture of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87, which is more than a thousand times bigger and farther away than the Milky Way’s black hole.

In 2021, the EHT team charted the magnetic field lines around M87’s black hole by taking a close look at the black hole in polarized light, which reflects the patterns of particles whirling around magnetic field lines. Researchers used the same technique to determine the magnetic signature of Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* for short.

Getting the image wasn’t easy, largely due to the fact that Sgr A* was harder to pin down than M87. The EHT team had to combine multiple views to produce a composite image.

“Making a polarized image is like opening the book after you have only seen the cover,” EHT project scientist Geoffrey Bower, an astronomer at Academia Sinica in Taiwan, explained in today’s news release. “Because Sgr A* moves around while we try to take its picture, it was difficult to construct even the unpolarized image. … We were relieved that polarized imaging was even possible. Some models were far too scrambled and turbulent to construct a polarized image, but nature was not so cruel.”

The resulting picture met the research team’s expectations, and then some.

“What we’re seeing now is that there are strong, twisted and organized magnetic fields near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy,” said project co-leader Sara Issaoun, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “Along with Sgr A* having a strikingly similar polarization structure to that seen in the much larger and more powerful M87* black hole, we’ve learned that strong and ordered magnetic fields are critical to how black holes interact with the gas and matter around them.”

The structure of the magnetic fields around Sgr A* suggests that the black hole is launching a jet of material into the surrounding environment. Previous research has shown that to be the case for M87’s black hole.

A computer simulation of the disk of plasma around M87’s supermassive black hole shows how magnetic fields help launch jets of matter at near the speed of light. Scientists say the Milky Way’s black hole appears to be doing something similar. (Credit: George Wong/ EHT)

“The fact that the magnetic field structure of M87* is so similar to that of Sgr A* is significant because it suggests that the physical processes that govern how a black hole feeds and launches a jet might be universal among supermassive black holes, despite differences in mass, size and surrounding environment,” said EHT deputy project scientist Mariafelicia De Laurentis, a professor at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy.

In the seven years since the EHT began gathering observations, the collaboration has been adding to its array of radio telescopes, which is resulting in the production of higher-quality imagery. The EHT team plans to observe Sgr A* again next month — and in the years ahead, the researchers aim to produce high-fidelity movies of Sgr A* that may reveal a hidden jet. They’ll also look for evidence of similar polarization features around other supermassive black holes.

More than 300 researchers are part of the EHT collaboration that produced the two studies published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters:

More explanatory videos from the Event Horizon Telescope:

The post New View Reveals Magnetic Fields Around Our Galaxy’s Giant Black Hole appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

It's Showtime! April's Total Solar Eclipse Is Upon Us!

Sky & Telescope Magazine - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 4:44pm

The much-anticipated April 8th total solar eclipse is finally here!

The post It's Showtime! April's Total Solar Eclipse Is Upon Us! appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s Artemis astronauts will try to grow plants on the moon

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 4:18pm
Three experiments have been selected to fly to the moon alongside NASA’s Artemis III astronauts, all designed to help with future long-term stays on the moon and eventually Mars
Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s Artemis astronauts will try to grow plants on the moon

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 4:18pm
Three experiments have been selected to fly to the moon alongside NASA’s Artemis III astronauts, all designed to help with future long-term stays on the moon and eventually Mars
Categories: Astronomy

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit to Conduct Science During Fourth Mission

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 3:36pm
NASA astronaut Don Pettit poses for a crew portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.NASA

During his fourth mission to the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Don Pettit will serve as a flight engineer and member of the Expedition 71/72 crew. After blasting off to space, Pettit will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare crew for future space missions.

Pettit will launch on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft in September 2024, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The trio will spend approximately six months aboard the orbital laboratory.

NASA selected Pettit as an astronaut in 1996. A veteran of three spaceflights, he made integral advancements in technology and demonstrations for human exploration. He served as a science officer for Expedition 6 in 2003, operated the robotic arm for STS-126 space shuttle Endeavour in 2008, and served as a flight engineer for Expedition 30/31 in 2012. Pettit has logged 370 days in space and conducted two spacewalks totaling 13 hours and 17 minutes.

The Expedition 6 crew launched on STS-113 space shuttle Endeavour expecting to return on STS-114 space shuttle Discovery after a two and a half month mission. Following the space shuttle Columbia accident that grounded the shuttle fleet, the crew returned on the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft after five and a half months, landing in Kazakhstan. On his next 16-day mission, STS-126, Pettit helped expand the living quarters of the space station and installed a regenerative life support system to reclaim potable water from urine. During Expedition 30/31, Pettit also captured the first commercial cargo spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon, using the robotic arm.

A native from Silverton, Oregon, Pettit holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University, Corvallis, and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona, Tucson. Prior to his career with NASA, Pettit worked as a staff scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

For more than two decades, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to focus more of its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.

Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on the station blog, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Julian Coltre / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov

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Categories: NASA

Overlooked Apollo data from the 1970s reveals huge record of 'hidden' moonquakes

Space.com - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 3:24pm
A reanalysis of 50-year-old Apollo mission data long abandoned by NASA has revealed 22,000 previously unrecognized moonquakes, almost tripling the known number of seismic lunar events.
Categories: Astronomy

The Marshall Star for March 27, 2024

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 3:07pm
31 Min Read The Marshall Star for March 27, 2024 Marshall Hosts 37th Small Business Alliance Meeting

By Celine Smith

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted its 37th Small Business Alliance meeting March 21 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration. The event brought together hundreds of attendees from 39 states and 21 countries to network and learn about opportunities to do business with NASA.

“Today is about bringing the NASA marketplace directly to small businesses so they cannot only learn about how to get involved at NASA, but specifically in Huntsville and at Marshall,” said David Brock, small business specialist in Marshall’s Office of Procurement.

David Brock, small business specialist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, talks to attendees at the 37th Small Business Alliance meeting March 21. NASA/Charles Beason

The mayors of Huntsville, Madison, and Decatur gave a series of welcome remarks and thanked small businesses for their positive impact on their communities and the local economy.

Lisa Bates, deputy director of Marshall’s Engineering Directorate, emphasized the importance of small businesses to Marshall. “We have had so many tremendous accomplishments and so much of that is due to partnerships with small businesses,” Bates said. “We’ve done this together as a team.”

Kathy Rice, center, an information technology specialist at Marshall, talks with an attendee about the center’s small business capabilities. NASA/Charles Beason

Bates said that small businesses make up more than half of NASA’s suppliers and 32 of the 45 SLS (Space Launch System) suppliers in Alabama.

“I truly believe that teamwork and partnership is at the heart of every great achievement, and I look forward to being successful and exceptional with each of you,” said Bates.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Take 5 with Mitzi Adams

By Wayne Smith

Mitzi Adams watched several astronauts walk on the Moon when she was a teenager during NASA’s Apollo missions. That’s when Adams realized she wanted to be a NASA scientist. She also envisioned having an office on the lunar surface by 2000.

Today, Adams is a NASA scientist at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. She is the assistant manager of the Heliophysics and Planetary Science branch of the Science and Technology Office. And while she doesn’t have an office on the Moon, she does see a path for future scientists and explorers to reach that destination.

Mitzi Adams is a NASA scientist at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. She is the assistant manager of the Heliophysics and Planetary Science branch of the Science and Technology Office, where she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the branch.NASA/Emmett Givens

“We are on the cusp of landing another human on the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years,” said Adams, who has worked at NASA for 35 years. “This time, however, there is a desire for a sustained presence, as well as a renewed interest in scientific research and discovery. If I were a high school student today, I feel that there would be a high probability that at least one of my offices would be located on the Moon in the not-too-distant future. There are many possibilities for this generation of students to be heavily involved in human space exploration. This is truly exciting.”

Heliophysics encompasses the study of the Sun and its effects on Earth, the solar system, and space itself. With the focus on the upcoming total solar eclipse April 8, Adams said participating and organizing NASA outreach events for the 2017 eclipse is one of the proudest moments of her career.

“We partnered with the city of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Austin Peay State University, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and The INSPIRE Project to involve high school students and the public in observations and science experiments surrounding the 2017 solar eclipse,” said Adams, who is from Atlanta, Georgia. “We presented science topics to the students and allowed them to choose their observation site, based on their interests. In the intervening years since the eclipse, those INSPIRE Project students have been extremely successful, both in academics and in the business world. One of those students graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2022. That student is currently in flight school and expects to earn her wings in the next couple of months. We like to think that we were a positive influence on her and that the eclipse inspired her to obtain a STEM degree.”         

Question: What excites you most about the future of human space exploration, or your NASA work, and your team’s role it?

Adams: For the safety of astronauts who will remain on the surface of a world devoid of a protective atmosphere, as well as when traveling between the Earth and the Moon (or Mars), it is imperative that we understand better the Sun and space weather. To date, through a fleet of spacecraft studying the Sun, we have made great strides in nowcasting solar events, such as flares and coronal-mass ejections. In addition, through a sounding-rocket program, our scientists have contributed to basic knowledge of solar physics and are beginning to unravel the puzzle surrounding magnetic-reconnection events in the solar atmosphere that may be causing flares and coronal-mass ejections.

Question: Who or what drives/motivates you?

Adams: Many things. As a teenager, I was inspired by Edgar Mitchell, lunar-module pilot on Apollo 14, whom I met and pestered throughout his life. He never discouraged me from my goals and always encouraged. I have always been a science fiction fan. I think my first science fiction book as a third-grade student was “Have Space Suit – Will Travel,” by Robert Heinlein. So, it was only natural that I became a Star Trek fan. From Star Trek, I was inspired by Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, and Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock, a science officer. 

When I speak to students, I ask what they think is the most important attribute of a scientist. The answer I seek from them is curiosity – puzzles and mysteries drive and motivate me. Observing the Sun, I have seen eruptions and phenomena that I want to understand, which drives me to access those data and do the analysis! 

Question: Who or what inspired you to pursue an education/career that led you to NASA and Marshall?

Adams: I’ve always wanted to be a scientist and I could have studied geology or astronomy. Since becoming an astronaut also was a goal, I decided that astronomy would be the best path. Specifically, as I was about to obtain my undergraduate degree from Georgia State University, I thought I needed internship experience. Since one of my caving friends, Joe Dabbs, worked at Marshall, I asked if he knew anyone who might need a summer student. Joe put me in touch with Ron Moore with NASA and Gordon Emslie of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), who hired me for the summer. They apparently were pleased with my work because they suggested I apply to UAH for graduate school and to the graduate co-op program. I was accepted by both and earned a master’s degree in physics from UAH, after which I was hired by Marshall as a research scientist in solar physics.  

Question: What advice do you have for employees early in their NASA career or those in new leadership roles?

Adams: Networking is important. Engage with colleagues at meetings and seek out collaborations. Read research papers and contact those scientists who are included in the references list. Don’t be intimidated by scientists who have a lot of experience. If a problem/question in your research world is appealing, find ways you can contribute to finding solutions and ask the first or second author scientist if you can help.      

Question: What do you enjoy doing with your time while away from work?

Adams: Believe it or not, I enjoy reading Latin in small doses and have read two of the Harry Potter books in Latin, with help from two friends. I also enjoy hiking on trails, playing with my 3-year-old white Shepherd named Albus, which means white in Latin, and reading and watching science fiction.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Steven Wofford Named Manager of SLS Stages Office at Marshall

Steven J. (Steve) Wofford has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of manager of the SLS (Space Launch System) Stages Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

In his new role, he will lead activities and operations associated with the core stage, associated main propulsion systems, and integration of the vehicle avionics system. Wofford also will be responsible for support equipment and facilities used in the design, development, test, and transfer of SLS core stages. He previously was appointed as manager of the Block 1B/Exploration Upper Stage Development Office at Marshall in 2020.

Steven J. (Steve) Wofford has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of manager of the SLS (Space Launch System) Stages Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA

From 2014 to 2020, Wofford was manager of the SLS Program’s Liquid Engines Office at Marshall. From 2012 to 2014, he was deputy director of Marshall’s Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, where he was responsible for overseeing safe execution of all center programs, projects, and institutional services. He was business manager for the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate from 2011 to 2012.

From 2009 to 2011, Wofford was deputy manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Office at Marshall, helping to see the shuttle program to its successful conclusion in 2011. He was Shuttle Propulsion chief safety officer for the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate from 2006 to 2009, formulating and communicating flight safety guidance and serving as Marshall’s safety technical authority on a wide gamut of propulsion technical issues.

In 2005 and 2006, he led engine component design and development for engine technologies supporting the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, next-generation rocket development programs that helped inform work resulting in the design, delivery, and manufacture of SLS engine systems.

Wofford began his NASA career in 2000 as a subsystem manager in Marshall’s Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Office. Before that, he supported the agency for more than 13 years as a contractor engineer, conducting assessment engineering and project integration engineering duties in support of the space shuttle main engine.

A Huntsville native, Wofford earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1986 from the University of Alabama, and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1991 from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

His numerous career honors include a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2009 for his leadership in defining, implementing, and executing safety and mission assurance technical authority for the Space Shuttle Program. He also received a NASA Silver Snoopy Award in 1998, presented to team members who have made significant contributions to the human spaceflight program; and a Spaceflight Awareness Award in 1992 for his contributions as a contractor to the space shuttle main engine. In 2018, he was named a distinguished fellow of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa’s College of Engineering.

Wofford and his wife, Marisa, reside in Huntsville and have two sons.

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Marshall’s Women of Excellence Host Author for Women’s History Month Event

The Women of Excellence employee resource group at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted an event March 18 in association with Women’s History Month.

Shehnaz Soni, center, a NASA senior systems engineer, author, and speaker, smiles with Women of Excellence members following her March 18 presentation to the employee resource group at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The event was a part of Women’s History Month in March. From left are Kristina Honeycutt, Leah Varner, Denise Smithers, Soni, LaBreesha Batey, Aquita Wherry, and Anastasia Byler.NASA/Danielle Burleson

The event, titled “Self-Ignite into Destiny: A Pivot from Stressful Environments,” was part of NASA’s agencywide table-talk series.

Shehnaz Soni, a NASA senior systems engineer, author, and speaker, discussed her story, methodologies to reduce stress, and the importance of self-care in a unique way, reiterating that “We Are the Quantum Being.”

Women of Excellence, or WE, is co-chaired by LaBreesha Batey and Denise Smithers. The group’s aim is to help Marshall women reach their full potential and have access to equal opportunities at NASA. Team members can visit Inside Marshall to learn more about WE and other employee resource groups.

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Mission Success is in Our Hands: Amit Patel

By Wayne Smith

Mission Success is in Our Hands is a safety initiative collaboration between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Jacobs. As part of the initiative, eight Marshall team members are featured in testimonial banners placed around the center. This is the fifth in a Marshall Star series profiling team members featured in the testimonial banners. The Mission Success team also awards the Golden Eagle Award on a quarterly basis to Marshall and contractor personnel who are nominated by their peers or management. Candidates for this award have made significant, identifiable contributions that exceed normal job expectations to advance flight safety and mission assurance. Nominations are open now to team members online at Inside Marshall.

Amit Patel is a Jacobs Space Exploration Group solid rocket motor design engineer supporting NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASA/Charles Beason

Amit Patel is a Jacobs Space Exploration Group solid rocket motor design engineer supporting Marshall, where he has produced multiple iterations for solid rocket motors on NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle and performed motor internal ballistics analysis on Space Launch System boosters and other programs. His key responsibilities include designing solid rocket motor grains, ensuring launch vehicles can meet mission requirements through ballistics performance analysis, manufacturing process flow, and testing.

Patel has worked at Marshall for three years. He previously was a research engineer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Propulsion Research Center, where he worked on design and hot-fire testing of solid, liquid, and hybrids motors and developed a testbed for electric propulsion thrusters for small satellites. A North Alabama native, Patel earned his doctorate in aerospace systems engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, along with a Master of Business Administration.

Question: How does your work support the safety and success of NASA and Marshall missions?

Patel: My work directly contributes to the success of NASA and Marshall missions by ensuring that solid rocket motors are designed to meet the stringent performance and reliability requirements necessary for achieving target orbital insertions. Through careful motor optimization, requirements management, and post-test data analysis I can help maximize the probability of mission success.

Question: What does the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative mean to you?

Patel: Overall, the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative reminds us that whatever role we play, we all are an integral part in the technical excellence and unwavering dedication to safety in the pursuit of NASA’s mission objectives. It serves as a reminder that the success of every mission is contingent upon the collective efforts and commitment of every individual involved, from engineers and scientists to administrators and support staff.

Question: How can we work together better to achieve mission success?

Patel: By prioritizing relationship-building within the team, we can harness the collective talents, creativity, and resilience of individuals to overcome engineering obstacles and contribute to the success of complex missions. We can build this synergy through enhanced communication, mutual respect and trust in one another, a shared understanding of goals and vision, and effective problem-solving when faced with challenges.

Question: Do you have anything else you’d like to share?

Patel: The work we do in the aerospace industry has far-reaching implications that extend beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere. By pushing the boundaries of exploration, innovation, and collaboration, we strive to leave a lasting legacy of progress and discovery that will benefit future generations and inspire them to reach even greater heights.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Panelists Highlight Centennial Challenges at South by Southwest Conference

South by Southwest chose to feature a panel discussion on NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program at this year’s conference and festival in Austin, Texas, on March 10.

Panelists from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the agency’s Johnson Space Center, and ICON Technology Inc. gave a presentation titled, “How NASA Supports Startups and Individuals to Collaborate on its Mission.” The panel touched on several notable success stories from Centennial Challenges, the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, and NASA Tournament Lab, including ICON’s journey from competing in NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge to securing multiple contracts and partnerships.

From left, panelists Steve Rader from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Angela Herblet from the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Andrew Rothgaber from ICON Technology, and Savannah Bullard from Marshall discuss NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program at the South by Southwest Conference on March 10 in Austin, Texas.NASA/Bailey Light

Centennial Challenges are part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and are managed at Marshall.

Centennial Challenges were initiated in 2005 to directly engage the public in the process of advanced technology development. The program offers incentive prizes to generate revolutionary solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation. The program seeks innovations from diverse and non-traditional sources. Competitors are not supported by government funding and awards are only made to successful teams when the challenges are met.

The annual South by Southwest Conference celebrates the convergence of technology, film and television, music, education, and culture.

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Shuttle, Family Inspire NASA’s Cryogenic Technology Manager

By Daniel Boyette

Jeremy Kenny squinted his eyes as he looked toward the brilliant light. Then came the deafening sound waves that vibrated his body. This was the moment he’d dreamed about since childhood.

It was Nov. 16, 2009, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and Kenny and his wife were watching space shuttle Atlantis embark on a mission to the International Space Station. Kenny, who was less than two years into his NASA career, had the opportunity to see the liftoff from Launch Pad 39A as part of receiving the Space Flight Awareness Award for supporting the Space Shuttle Program’s solid rocket booster flight program.

Jeremy Kenny, manager of NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project, holds a model spacecraft for the proposed large cryogenic demonstration mission. The mission aims to demonstrate liquid hydrogen management, including near-zero propellant boil off and highly efficient propellant transfer, needed to achieve long-duration transit to/from Mars and spacecraft loitering during on-surface campaigns.Credit: NASA/Danielle Burleson

“That was the first launch I ever witnessed in person,” said Kenny, whose inspiration for working at NASA came from watching televised shuttle launches as a youth. “It was amazing and made me appreciate how such a powerful system could be designed and flown so successfully.”

With the final shuttle mission two years later, NASA set its sights on designing and building its future Artemis rocket: SLS (Space Launch System). Kenny was selected to lead the SLS Modal Acoustic Test program, which helped engineers understand how loud the rocket would be during liftoff. He later joined another key Artemis effort, the human landing system program, as a technical manager, overseeing the development of lander systems that will transport astronauts to the Moon’s surface.

“Artemis is an inspiring campaign for future human spaceflight exploration,” Kenny said. “I worked with SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems, and it was very fulfilling to see all the pieces come together for the successful Artemis I launch.”

In January, Kenny was named manager of NASA’s Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) Portfolio project, where he oversees a cross-agency team based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Glenn Research Center. The CFM portfolio includes innovative technologies to store, transfer, and measure ultra-cold fluids – such as liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, and liquid methane. These cryogens are the most common propellants in space exploration, making CFM integral to NASA’s future exploration and science efforts.

“We must mature CFM technologies to support future flight mission architectures,” said Kenny. “The strong partnership between Marshall and Glenn in CFM maturation continues to produce excellent results, enabling in-space cryogenic systems vital to NASA’s Moon to Mars vision.”

Kenny’s choice of profession comes as little surprise, given his family background. He had a grandfather and an uncle who worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the family’s hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi. From them, Kenny learned how math and physics could be implemented in real-world applications. He earned three degrees in mechanical engineering: a bachelor’s from Mississippi State University in Starkville, a master’s from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and a doctorate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

“My grandfather showed me various engineering software programs he worked on to simulate ground terrains for military transportation systems,” Kenny said. “My uncle worked on engineering developments for various military systems; he was a key influence for me to pursue graduate degrees in mechanical engineering.”

When Kenny’s not working to evolve technology for NASA’s future deep space exploration missions, he’s spending time with his wife and their two daughters, who are involved in choir and dance.

“Watching them practice and perform inspires me,” Kenny said with a smile. “My biggest challenge is balancing my professional work, which I love, and spending time with my family, who I love. With work comes many exciting opportunities, and solving hard problems is fun. But that excitement should not detract from keeping your personal relationships healthy. One day, I’ll retire and spend all my free time with family.”

The CFM Portfolio Project’s work is under NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions Program, part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which oversees a broad portfolio of technology development and demonstration projects across NASA centers and American industry partners.

Read more about Cryogenic Fluid Management.

Boyette, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project and Marshall’s Office of Strategic Analysis & Communications.

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NASA Continues Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Tests

NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 and March 27 with hot fires on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.

NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 with a hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA/Danny Nowlin

The tests marked the 10th and 11th hot fire in a 12-test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company.

On March 22, the Stennis test team fired the certification engine for 500 seconds, or the same amount of time engines must fire to help launch the SLS rocket to space with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. Operators powered the engine up to a level of 113%, which is beyond the 111% power level new RS-25 engines use to provide additional thrust. Testing up to the 113% power level provides a margin of operational safety.

Newly produced engines will power NASA’s SLS rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V. For Artemis missions I-IV, NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne modified 16 former space shuttle engines for use on the SLS rocket. Four RS-25 engines fire simultaneously to help launch each SLS rocket, producing up to 2 million pounds of combined thrust.

The Stennis test team fired the certification engine March 22 for 500 seconds, or the same amount of time engines must fire to help launch the SLS rocket to space with astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft.NASA/Danny Nowlin

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS Program.

Through Artemis, NASA will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. RS-25 tests at NASA Stennis are conducted by a diverse team of operators from NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Syncom Space Services, prime contractor for site facilities and operations.

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Payload Adapter Testing: A Key Step for Artemis IV Rocket’s Success

A test article of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s payload adapter is ready for evaluation, marking a critical milestone on the journey to the hardware’s debut on NASA’s Artemis IV mission.

Comprised of two metal rings and eight composite panels, the cone-shaped payload adapter will be part of the SLS Block 1B configuration and housed inside the universal stage adapter atop the rocket’s more powerful in-space stage, called the exploration upper stage. The payload adapter is an evolution from the Orion stage adapter used in the Block 1 configuration of the first three Artemis missions that sits at the topmost portion of the rocket and helps connect the rocket and spacecraft.

Key adapters for the first crewed Artemis missions are manufactured at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The cone-shaped payload adapter, left, will debut on the Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket beginning with Artemis IV, while the Orion stage adapters, right, will be used for Artemis II and Artemis III.NASA/Sam Lott

“Like the Orion stage adapter and the launch vehicle stage adapter used for the first three SLS flights, the payload adapter for the evolved SLS Block 1B configuration is fully manufactured and tested at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center,” said Casey Wolfe, assistant branch chief for the advanced manufacturing branch at Marshall. “Marshall’s automated fiber placement and large-scale integration facilities provide our teams the ability to build composite hardware elements for multiple Artemis missions in parallel, allowing for cost and schedule savings.”

At about 8.5 feet tall, the payload adapter’s eight composite sandwich panels, which measure about 12 feet each in length, contain a metallic honeycomb-style structure at their thickest point but taper to a single carbon fiber layer at each end. The panels are pieced together using a high-precision process called determinant assembly, in which each component is designed to fit securely in a specific place, like puzzle pieces.

Teams at Marshall manufactured, prepared, and moved the payload adapter test article. The payload adapter will undergo testing in the same test stand that once housed the SLS liquid oxygen tank structure test article.NASA

After manufacturing, the payload adapter will also be structurally tested at Marshall, which manages the SLS Program. The first structural test series begins this spring. Test teams will use the engineering development unit – an exact replica of the flight version of the hardware – to check the structure’s strength and durability by twisting, shaking, and applying extreme pressure.

While every Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket will use a payload adapter, each will be customized to fit the mission’s needs. The determinant assembly method and digital tooling ensure a more efficient and uniform manufacturing process, regardless of the mission profile, to ensure hardware remains on schedule. Data from this test series will further inform design and manufacturing processes as teams begin manufacturing the qualification and flight hardware for Artemis IV.

NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft and Gateway in orbit around the Moon and commercial human landing systems, next-generational spacesuits, and rovers on the lunar surface. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

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Chandra Identifies an Underachieving Black Hole

A new image shows a quasar, a rapidly growing supermassive black hole, which is not achieving what astronomers would expect from it, as reported in a press release. Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (blue) and radio data from the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky’s Very Large Array (red) reveal some of the evidence for this quasar’s disappointing impact on its host galaxy.

Known as H1821+643, this quasar is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars are a rare and extreme class of supermassive black holes that are furiously pulling material inwards, producing intense radiation and sometimes powerful jets. H1821+643 is the closest quasar to Earth in a cluster of galaxies.

This composite image shows a quasar, a rare and extreme class of supermassive black hole. Known as H1821+643, this quasar is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth.X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Nottingham/H. Russell et al.; Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLA; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

Quasars are different than other supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxy clusters in that they are pulling in more material at a higher rate. Astronomers have found that non-quasar black holes growing at moderate rates influence their surroundings by preventing the intergalactic hot gas from cooling down too much. This regulates the growth of stars around the black hole.

The influence of quasars, however, is not as well known. This new study of H1821+643 that quasars – despite being so active – may be less important in driving the fate of their host galaxy and cluster than some scientists might expect.

To reach this conclusion the team used Chandra to study the hot gas that H1821+643 and its host galaxy are shrouded in. The bright X-rays from the quasar, however, made it difficult to study the weaker X-rays from the hot gas. The researchers carefully removed the X-ray glare to reveal what the black hole’s influence is, which is reflected in the new composite image showing X-rays from hot gas in the cluster surrounding the quasar. This allowed them to see that the quasar is actually having little effect on its surroundings.

Using Chandra, the team found that the density of gas near the black hole in the center of the galaxy is much higher, and the gas temperatures much lower, than in regions farther away. Scientists expect the hot gas to behave like this when there is little or no energy input (which would typically come from outbursts from a black hole) to prevent the hot gas from cooling down and flowing towards the center of the cluster.

A paper describing these results has been accepted into the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and is available online. The authors are Helen Russell (University of Nottingham, UK), Paul Nulsen (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Andy Fabian (University of Cambridge, UK), Thomas Braben (University of Nottingham), Niel Brandt (Penn State University), Lucy Clews (University of Nottingham), Michael McDonald (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Christopher Reynolds (University of Maryland), Jeremy Saunders (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Research), and Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland).

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

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OSIRIS-REx Mission Awarded Robert Goddard Memorial Trophy

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team was selected as the winner of the National Space Club and Foundation’s 2024 Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their tremendous work on the first U.S. mission to bring an asteroid sample to Earth. The winning team received the award at the 67th Annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 22.

The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) team includes NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland; Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colorado; University of Arizona, Tucson and KinetX in Tempe, Arizona.

The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.NASA/Keegan Barber

The trophy is National Space Club’s highest honor and presented annually to the individual or group who has made a substantial contribution to U.S. leadership in astronautics or rocketry.

“The OSIRIS-REx team’s successful delivery of the asteroid Bennu sample to Earth will enable important scientific discoveries for generations to come,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters. “I’m so pleased to see the mission team recognized with the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy for their accomplishments.”

Following its launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx mission made U.S. space history when it became the first U.S. spacecraft to touch an asteroid and capture a sample on Oct. 20, 2020, and again when it successfully returned with the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023.

The sample, which is the largest asteroid sample ever delivered to Earth, is from the ancient asteroid Bennu and will give researchers worldwide a glimpse into the earliest days of our solar system, offering insights into planet formation and the origin of organics that led to life on Earth. Data collected by the spacecraft combined with future analysis of the Bennu sample will also aid our understanding of asteroids that can impact Earth.

The OSIRIS-REx mission conducted unprecedented centimeter-scale mapping of Bennu, surpassing precision levels achieved for any other planetary body and setting three Guinness World Records for: smallest object orbited by a spacecraft, closest orbit of an asteroid and highest resolution satellite map of any planetary body.

“The OSIRIS-REx mission rewrote U.S. space exploration history,” said Joe Vealencis, president, NSCF. “The data the spacecraft collected, plus all that we have yet to uncover from the sample it brought back, means scientists and engineers will be reaping the benefits of this mission for years to come.”

Following its successful sample return, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and will now enter an extended mission to visit and study near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029.

OSIRIS-REx’s success was made possible by the unique contributions of over 1,000 individuals from government and mission partners like the science lead at the University of Arizona, the project team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the curation team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, spacecraft design, operations, and recovery by Lockheed Martin, guidance and navigation at KinetX, and the launch provider at United Launch Alliance.

OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

Read more about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

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Key Test Drive of Orion on NASA’s Artemis II to Aid Future Missions

Astronauts will test drive NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the first time during the agency’s Artemis II test flight next year. While many of the spacecraft’s maneuvers like big propulsive burns are automated, a key test called the proximity operations demonstration will evaluate the manual handling qualities of Orion.

During the approximately 70-minute demonstration set to begin about three hours into the mission, the crew will command Orion through a series of moves using the detached upper stage of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket as a mark. The in-space propulsion stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), includes an approximately two-foot target that will be used to evaluate how Orion flies with astronauts at the controls.

“There are always differences between a ground simulation and what an actual spacecraft will fly like in space,” said Brian Anderson, Orion rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking manager within the Orion Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “The demonstration is a flight test objective that helps us reduce risk for future missions that involve rendezvous and docking with other spacecraft.”

After NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are safely in space, the Moon rocket’s upper stage will fire twice to put Orion on a high Earth orbit trajectory. Then, the spacecraft will automatically separate from the rocket stage, firing several separation bolts before springs push Orion a safe distance away.

As the spacecraft and its crew move away, Orion will perform an automated backflip to turn around and face the stage. At approximately 300 feet away, Orion will stop its relative motion. The crew will take control and use the translational and rotational hand controllers and display system to make very small movements to ensure Orion is responding as expected.

Next, the crew will very slowly pilot Orion to within approximately 30 feet of the stage. A two-foot auxiliary target mounted inside the top of the stage, similar to the docking target used by spacecraft visiting the International Space Station, will guide their aim.

“The crew will view the target by using a docking camera mounted inside the docking hatch window on the top of the crew module to see how well aligned they are with the docking target mounted to the ICPS,” Anderson said.

“It’s a good stand in for what crews will see when they dock with Starship on Artemis III and to the Gateway on future missions.”

About 30 feet from the stage, Orion will stop and the crew will checkout the spacecraft’s fine handling qualities to evaluate how it performs in close proximity to another spacecraft. Small maneuvers performed very close to the ICPS will be done using the reaction control system thrusters on Orion’s European Service Module.

Orion will then back away and allow the stage to turn to protect its thermal properties. The crew will follow the stage, initiate a second round of manual maneuvers using another target mounted on the side of the stage, approach within approximately 30 feet, perform another fine handling quality check out, then back away.

At the end of the demonstration, Orion will perform an automated departure burn to move away from the ICPS before the stage then fires to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere over a remote location in the Pacific Ocean. During Orion’s departure burn, engineers will use the spacecraft’s docking camera to gather precise positioning measurements, which will help inform navigation during rendezvous activities on future missions in the lunar environment, where there is no GPS system. 

Because the Artemis II Orion is not docking with another spacecraft, it is not equipped with a docking module containing lights and therefore is reliant on the ICPS to be lit enough by the Sun to allow the crew to see the targets.

“As with many of our tests, it’s possible the proximity operations demonstration won’t go exactly as expected,” said Anderson. “Even if we don’t accomplish every part of the demonstration, we’ll continue on with the test flight as planned to accomplish our primary objectives, including evaluating Orion’s systems with crew aboard in the deep space environment and keeping the crew safe during the mission.”

The approximately 10-day Artemis II flight will test NASA’s foundational human deep space exploration capabilities, the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, for the first time with astronauts and will pave the way for lunar surface missions, including landing the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon.

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Categories: NASA

A Single Grain of Ice Could Hold Evidence of Life on Europa and Enceladus

Universe Today - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 2:58pm

The Solar System’s icy ocean moons are primary targets in our search for life. Missions to Europa and Enceladus will explore these moons from orbit, improving our understanding of them and their potential to support life. Both worlds emit plumes of water from their internal oceans, and the spacecraft sent to both worlds will examine those plumes and even sample them.

New research suggests that evidence of life in the moons’ oceans could be present in just a single grain of ice, and our spacecraft can detect it.

It’s all because of improvements to scientific instruments, particularly the mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometers can identify unknown chemical compounds by their molecular weights and can also quantify known compounds. These instruments are now powerful enough to detect a tiny amount of cellular material.

“For the first time, we have shown that even a tiny fraction of cellular material could be identified by a mass spectrometer onboard a spacecraft,” said Fabian Klenner, a University of Washington postdoctoral researcher in Earth and space sciences. Klenner is also the lead author of a new paper in the journal Science Advances. “Our results give us more confidence that using upcoming instruments, we will be able to detect lifeforms similar to those on Earth, which we increasingly believe could be present on ocean-bearing moons.”

The new research is “How to identify cell material in a single ice grain emitted from Enceladus or Europa.

Mass spectrometers have been around for decades but have improved rapidly in recent years. Researchers working on developing more powerful mass spectrometry have won two Nobel Prizes: one for Physics in 1989 and one for Chemistry in 2002. The 2002 prize is of particular interest in this research because it was awarded for the development of techniques that allowed mass spectrometers to detect biological macromolecules, including proteins.

Now, spacecraft and rovers often have mass spectrometers in their suite of instruments. NASA’s Curiosity rover has one, and so will the Europa Clipper, which will be sent on its way to Europa in October 2024. It’ll arrive there in 2030, so this research makes its anticipated arrival even more intriguing.

We know that Enceladus and Europa emit cryovolcanic plumes of material from their concealed oceans. The Cassini mission observed these eruptions coming from Enceladus’ south-polar region. Eventually, the spacecraft came within 50 km of the icy moon and passed directly through the plumes. Using its mass spectrometer, it detected carbon dioxide, water, various hydrocarbons, and organic chemicals.

A false-colour image of the plumes erupting from Enceladus. Image Credit: NASA/ESA

“Enceladus has got warmth, water and organic chemicals, some of the essential building blocks needed for life,” said Dennis Matson in 2008, a Cassini project scientist at NASA’s JPL at the time.

Europa also has cryovolcanic plumes. The Hubble Space Telescope spotted them in 2012, and then scientists working with data from the Galileo mission said that data supported the discovery.

This composite image shows suspected plumes of water vapour erupting at the 7 o’clock position off the limb of Jupiter’s moon Europa. The plumes, photographed by Hubble’s Imaging Spectrograph, were seen in silhouette as the moon passed in front of Jupiter. Hubble’s ultraviolet sensitivity allowed for the features, rising over 160 kilometres above Europa’s icy surface, to be discerned. The Hubble data were taken on January 26, 2014. The image of Europa, superimposed on the Hubble data, is assembled from data from the Galileo and Voyager missions. Image Credit: NASA/HST/STScI

When the Europa Clipper reaches its destination in 2030, it’ll employ an instrument called SUDA, the SUrface Dust Analyzer. SUDA will use mass spectrometry to detect chemicals in Europa’s plumes. This research suggests that SUDA should be able to detect cellular material on a single ice grain if it’s there.

This artist’s illustration shows what Europa might be like. Warm water containing organic material could make its way from the ocean, through cracks in the ice, out into space on ice grains via cryovolcanic plumes. Image Credit: NASA

This research is based on a common bacterium found in Alaskan waters. It’s called Sphingopyxis alaskensis, and the researchers chose it because it’s so small. It also lives in cold environments and can survive on few nutrients. It’s possible that its small size and other attributes make it an analogue for any life that may exist in Europa’s ocean.

In their experiments, the researchers simulated how mass spectrometry could detect organic material in a tiny ice grain. The results showed that along with detecting expected non-organic chemicals, mass spectrometry also detected amino acids from Sphingopyxis alaskensis.

“They are extremely small, so they are, in theory, capable of fitting into ice grains that are emitted from an ocean world like Enceladus or Europa,” Klenner said.

This figure from the research shows the cationic mass spectrum of the cell material equivalent to one S. alaskensis cell in a 15-?m-diameter H2O droplet. Although the mass spectrum is dominated by water, sodium-water, potassium-water, and ammonium-water clusters, amino acids, together with other metabolic intermediates from the S. alaskensis cell, can be identified. The spectrum is an average of 224 individual spectra. Image Credit: Klenner et al. 2024.

The search for life at Europa may come down to individual grains of ice. That’s partly because different molecules end up in different ice grains. If biological material is concentrated in ice grains, then it makes sense to detect individual ones rather than averaging results over a larger sample of ice.

But will there actually be biological material in ice grains? How would it get there?

On Earth, bacterial cells are encased in protective lipid membranes. That means that they sometimes form a surface layer on the ocean or other bodies of water. If the same is true of any life that may exist on Europa or Enceladus, then these bacteria can form a skin on the surface of the ocean. On these icy moons, gas bubbles that rise from the ocean and burst at the surface could incorporate cellular matter from the bacteria into the plumes.

The drawing on the left shows Enceladus and its ice-covered ocean, with cracks near the south pole that are believed to penetrate through the icy crust. The middle panel shows where life could thrive: at the top of the water, in a proposed thin layer (shown yellow) like on Earth’s oceans. The right panel shows that as gas bubbles rise and pop, bacterial cells could get lofted into space with droplets that then become the ice grains that were detected by Cassini. A mass spectrometer should be able to detect cellular matter on a single ice grain. Image Credit: European Space Agency

“We here describe a plausible scenario for how bacterial cells can, in theory, be incorporated into icy material that is formed from liquid water on Enceladus or Europa and then gets emitted into space,” Klenner said.

This is where mass spectrometry and SUDA come in. SUDA is much more powerful than earlier mass spectrometers, and has the capability to detect the fatty acids and lipids that may be launched into the plumes. While detecting actual DNA might seem like the holy grail, Klenner disagrees.

“For me, it is even more exciting to look for lipids, or for fatty acids, than to look for building blocks of DNA, and the reason is because fatty acids appear to be more stable,” Klenner said.

In their paper, the researchers state their results clearly. “Our experiments show that even if only 1% of a cell’s constituents are contained in a 15-micrometre ice grain (or one cell in a 70-micrometre-diameter grain), the bacterial signatures would be apparent in the spectral data,” they explain.

This is good news for the Europa Clipper and its SUDA instrument.

“With suitable instrumentation, such as the SUrface Dust Analyzer on NASA’s Europa Clipper space probe, it might be easier than we thought to find life, or traces of it, on icy moons,” said senior author Frank Postberg, a professor of planetary sciences at the Freie Universität Berlin. “If life is present there, of course, and cares to be enclosed in ice grains originating from an environment such as a subsurface water reservoir.”

The post A Single Grain of Ice Could Hold Evidence of Life on Europa and Enceladus appeared first on Universe Today.

Categories: Astronomy

Eclipse Citizen Science for Educators

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 2:53pm

3 min read

Eclipse Citizen Science for Educators

“Citizen” here refers to citizens of Planet Earth. These projects are open to everyone, regardless of country of birth or legal citizenship status.

If you are not already familiar with NASA’s citizen science opportunities or specific projects related to the April 8 solar eclipse, we encourage you to read Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day.

Jeffrey Bouwman at work in his classroom. Mr. Bouwman has long used citizen science projects in his classroom. Learn more about Mr. Bouwman in his NASA citizen scientist profile. Jeffrey Bouwman

Citizen science projects – research projects that need lots of people and are designed for participation by anyone – are a great way for formal and informal students and enthusiasts to learn science by doing it. There are a number of these participatory projects addressing a wide variety of research questions. These projects have a range of difficulty, training requirements, time requirements, and equipment – in short, there really is a project for everyone!

Finding Your First Project

Choosing a project that’s right for your students or informal learners begins with choosing a project that works for you. Use the tables here to identify some projects that have the appropriate timing, challenge level, and equipment (or lack thereof!) that are right for you and your learners. If you have never contributed to a participatory or citizen science project, it’s a great idea to start with a simple project that doesn’t require a lot of equipment.

Here are a few suggestions for getting started:

  1. Review the project descriptions to help choose the best one for you. Whittle your choice down to 1 or 2 projects. If you need a day-of-eclipse project, pick a second one that you can do anytime as a practice project for yourself.
  2. Do the project yourself. If you want to do a day-of eclipse project that is not yet available, pick another project to practice with. It will give you a sense of how these opportunities are structured and what it might feel like for your learners to participate. Read the project website, complete the preparation or training materials, and do the task enough to get a feel for what’s involved, what’s tricky, and what’s fun or satisfying about it. You don’t need to master the project or solve all problems that might arise. Do it until you have a sense for what participation feels like and what learning opportunities the project or task includes.
  3. When you introduce the project to your learners, emphasize that this is a real chance to do scientific research alongside other interested people around the world and with the professional team leading the project. Don’t hesitate to remind them that this is a NASA project working with NASA scientists!
  4. Are you an informal educator? Incorporate a citizen science project into an existing program with a small and/or familiar audience, or recruit a small group of volunteers or docents to try it with you. Set clear expectations (“we’ll be learning this together!”) and go for it. You will learn more about how to lead others through a project by trying it than any other way. Adjust your approach as you learn.
  5. Are you a formal educator? Start small by asking for volunteers to try the project out with you after school or during a study hall. Or pick a class and just go for it. You will learn the most about how to use and facilitate citizen science projects in your classroom by simply doing one. Adjust your approach as you and your students learn.

And thank you for participating!

By Sarah Kirn
Citizen Science Strategist, NASA, at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute

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Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day

NASA - Breaking News - Wed, 03/27/2024 - 2:53pm

4 min read

Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day

NASA is celebrating the Sun during the Heliophysics Big Year, which extends through the end of 2024. You can get involved to help us learn more about our star and its influence on our planet. With exciting experiments happening during the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on April 8, to widespread investigations going on throughout the year, keep reading to find a project that’s right for you.

The dark band that runs from Mexico into Texas and all the way to Maine and Maritime Canada shows the path of totality for the April 8, 2024, eclipse. This is the area where people on Earth can witness a total eclipse of the Sun. Outside of this path, observers may see a partial eclipse, with the amount of the Sun being blocked by the Moon decreasing with distance from the path.  NASA/Scientific Visualization Studio/Michala Garrison; Eclipse Calculations By Ernie Wright, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center What Is Citizen Science (Also Called Participatory Science)?

NASA defines citizen science as “a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate in the scientific process in various ways” from collecting and analyzing data to making discoveries and solving problems. ”Citizen” here refers to citizens of planet Earth, and these projects are open to everyone, regardless of country of birth or legal citizenship status.

NASA sponsors citizen science projects across all five areas of research that it pursues: Earth science, planetary science, astrophysics, biological and physical sciences, and heliophysics. And yes, there are a few projects that are focused on the April 8 solar eclipse!

What You Can Do

Depending which project you join, you might:

  • Observe and record in pictures or words natural phenomena like clouds, animal noises, or a solar eclipse.
  • Learn how to recognize or classify patterns in data or pictures of a comet or solar jet.
  • Learn how to build and use scientific equipment like radio telescopes or ham radios.

Your contribution may be a large or small piece of the picture, but what you do as part of a NASA citizen science project is essential to answering the research question or need that the project addresses. And while you’re contributing to science, you might also develop new skills and make friends. You can read about some project participants – and what motivates them – in these profiles.

The Projects

NASA citizen science projects related to the April 8, 2024, eclipse and solar science are presented in four groups below. You can see all NASA citizen science projects on this website.

Use the tables below to find the project for you! A few notes:

  • Minimum time required” refers to how much time it would take you to get up to speed from the start.
  • Where” refers to where you need to be in order to participate.

Are you an educator looking for ways to involve your formal or informal students in eclipse-related science? Check out this companion blog post for some tips for educators.

Eclipse Projects That Need You on April 8! Quick-Start Projects That Require No Special Equipment Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where Eclipse Soundscapes (Observer role) none online, minutes printable form easy minutes outside, in or near the path of totality GLOBE Observer: Eclipse Protocol none in app, minutes smartphone, air temperature thermometer easy minutes outside, in or near the path of totality SunSketcher none in app, minutes smartphone (download app in advance) easy minutes outside, in path of totality More Demanding Projects That Require Special Equipment Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where Eclipse Soundscapes (Data Collector role) none online, minutes AudioMoth with micro-SD cards easy hours outside, in or near the path of totality Eclipse Megamovie 2024 how to use DSLR camera online, minutes DSLR camera and tracking mount moderate hours outside, in path of totality HamSCI familiarity with ham radios online, self-directed, hours web-connected device and/or ham radio moderate days inside Radio JOVE none online, self-directed, days to weeks web-connected device and/or radio telescope moderate weeks outside and/or online Citizen Continental-America Telescope Eclipse (CATE) 2024 none in person, days telescope, computer, cameras – provided to selected teams high (application period closed) days outside, in path of totality Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative none online, hours telescope – provided to selected teams high (application period closed) days outside, in and off the path of totality Heliophysics Projects That You Can Do Anytime Quick-Start Projects, No Special Equipment Required Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where HARP – Heliophysics Audified: Resonance in Plasmas none online, minutes web-connected device easy minutes online Solar Jet Hunter none online, minutes web-connected device easy minutes online More Demanding Projects That Require Special Equipment Prerequisite knowledge Preparation/ Training Required equipment Challenge level Minimum time required Where Aurorasaurus none online, minutes web-connected device, camera optional moderate hours outside, high latitudes Dynamic Eclipse Broadcast (DEB) Initiative none online, hours telescope – provided to selected teams moderate hours outside HamSCI familiarity with ham radios online, self-directed, hours web-connected device and/or ham radio moderate weeks indoors Radio JOVE familiarity with radio telescopes online, self-directed, hours web-connected device and/or radio telescope moderate weeks outside and/or online Spritacular none online, minutes web-connected device and/or camera moderate minutes outside and/or online Sungrazer Project none online, hours web-connected device high hours online Advanced Participation

Many NASA citizen science projects start out with a straightforward, structured task, but that doesn’t have to be where your contributions end. Some projects offer webinars or host regular video conference calls where enthusiastic volunteers can learn about and participate in the work that comes after data collection or classification. Hundreds of volunteers have become involved in deep ways. Over 450 volunteers have even been recognized for their contributions by being named as co-authors of scientific papers, which are the formal way in which scientists announce new discoveries and ideas.

By Sarah Kirn
Citizen Science Strategist, NASA, at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute

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Last Updated

Mar 27, 2024

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Categories: NASA