NASA
PSI Database is Live with New Features to Improve User Experience
Since its launch in 2014, the Physical Sciences Informatics (PSI) system has served as NASA’s online repository for physical science data. Now, the PSI system is live with new updates to further align with NASA’s open data policy.
With its first significant update in over five years, the data repository has been completely redesigned, featuring a new layout, improved structure, and enhanced search functionalities. This updated system was created with a focus on user experience, and more updates are anticipated as new features are introduced.
A key new feature of the system is, the PSI Submission Portal. This tool is designed to streamline the processes of collecting, curating, and publishing new data by enabling Principal Investigators and scientific teams to upload files directly to the system with the support of a data curator. The Portal also offers a dedicated workspace for data submitters, assigns a unique digital object identifier to each dataset, and standardizes the documentation and data structure for each investigation.
Both the updated PSI system and Submission Portal can be accessed at PSI.NASA.gov.
Educator Night at the Museum of the North: Activating Science in Fairbanks Classrooms
2 min read
Educator Night at the Museum of the North: Activating Science in Fairbanks ClassroomsThe NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT) set out to activate science in Fairbanks classrooms in early October at the University of Alaska’s Museum of the North annual Educators’ Night. This free Fall semester event introduces educators and school staff to a variety of resources and connections, connecting attendees with resources and university departments that will support their classroom efforts.
In 2024, over 100 guests received support from exhibitors on classroom topics. The museum put several dynamic activity kits on display – Cultural Connections Northern Lights, Energetic Aurora, and Sun Discovery – and helped participants explore and engage with them as supplementary materials for their classroom units and opportunities for hands-on exploration. The museum also promoted an upcoming Spring 2025 teacher workshop focused on the aurora.
The Geophysical Institute’s (GI) Education Outreach Office – another active element of the NASA HEAT team – hosted a table to display some of their co-produced resources, including the Cultural Connections Northern Lights (Kiġuyat) student guides, which blend Iñupiaq culture and aurora borealis science. After directing educators on how to locate physical and digital resources, the GI Education Outreach team encouraged their visitors to wrap the term “heliophysics” into their own vocabulary!
The University of Alaska Museum of the North’s Education & Public Programs team are an impactful part of NASA HEAT, which is part of NASA’s Science Activation portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
https://www.uaf.edu/museum/education/educators/educators-night
Pulled from their kits and displayed for perusing, the Cultural Connections to Northern Lights kit is ready to be explored. UAF Geophysical Education Outreach staff Kaz Storm (left) and Mariah McNamara (right) introducing educators to curriculum materials co-produced with Alaska Native communities. Share Details Last Updated Oct 24, 2024 Editor NASA Science Editorial Team Related Terms Explore More 3 min read Europa Trek: NASA Offers a New Guided Tour of Jupiter’s Ocean MoonArticle
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NASA Funds Open-Source Software Underpinning Scientific Innovation
NASA has awarded $15.6 million in grant funding to 15 projects supporting the maintenance of open-source tools, frameworks, and libraries used by the NASA science community, for the benefit of all.
The agency’s Open-Source Tools, Frameworks, and Libraries awards provide support for the sustainable development of tools freely available to everyone and critical for the goals of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate.
“We received almost twice the number of proposals this year than we had in the previous call,” said Steve Crawford, program executive, Open Science implementation, Office of the Chief Science Data Officer, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The NASA science community’s excitement for this program demonstrates the need for sustained support and maintenance of open-source software. These projects are integral to our missions, critical to our data infrastructure, underpin machine learning and data science tools, and are used by our researchers, every day, to advance science that protects our planet and broadens our understanding of the universe.”
This award program is one of several cross-divisional opportunities at NASA focused on advancing open science practices. The grants are funded by NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer through the agency’s Research Opportunities for Space and Earth Science. The solicitation sought proposals through two types of awards:
- Foundational awards: cooperative agreements for up to five years for open-source tools, frameworks, and libraries that have a significant impact on two or more divisions of the Science Mission Directorate.
- Sustainment awards: grants or cooperative agreements of up to three years for open-source tools, frameworks, and libraries that have significant impact in one or more divisions of the Science Mission Directorate.
2024 awardees are:
Foundation awards:
- NASA’s Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley, California
- Principal investigator: Ross Beyer
- “Expanding and Maintaining the Ames Stereo Pipeline”
- Caltech, Pasadena, California
- Principal investigator: Brigitta Sipőcz
- “Enhancement of Infrastructure and Sustained Maintenance of Astroquery”
- Cornell University, Scarsdale, New York
- Principal investigator: Ramin Zabih
- “Modernize and Expand arXiv’s Essential Infrastructure”
- NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
- Principal investigator: D. Cooley
- “Enabling SMD Science Using the General Mission Analysis Tool”
- NumFOCUS, Austin, Texas
- Principal investigator: Thomas Caswell
- “Sustainment of Matplotlib and Cartopy”
- NumFOCUS
- Principal investigator: Erik Tollerud
- “Investing in the Astropy Project to Enable Research and Education in Astronomy”
Sustainment awards:
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Southern California
- Principal investigator: Cedric David
- “Sustain NASA’s River Software for the Satellite Data Deluge,” three-year award
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park
- Principal investigator: David Radice
- “AthenaK: A Performance Portable Simulation Infrastructure for Computational Astrophysics,” three-year award
- United States Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
- Principal investigator: Trent Hare
- “Planetary Updates for QGIS,” one-year award
- NASA JPL
- Principal investigator: Michael Starch
- “How To F Prime: Empowering Science Missions Through Documentation and Examples,” three-year award
- NASA Goddard
- Principal investigator: Albert Shih
- “Enhancing Consistency and Discoverability Across the SunPy Ecosystem,” three-year award
- Triad National Security, LLC, Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Principal investigator: Julia Kelliher
- “Enhancing Analysis Capabilities of Biological Data With the NASA EDGE Bioinformatics Platform,” four-year award
- iSciences LLC, Burlington, Vermont
- Principal investigator: Daniel Baston
- “Sustaining the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library,” three-year award
- University of Maryland, College Park,
- Principal investigator: C Max Stevens
- “Sustaining the Community Firn Model,” three-year award
- Quansight, LLC, Austin, Texas
- Principal investigator: Dharhas Pothina
- “Ensuring a Fast and Secure Core for Scientific Python – Security, Accessibility and Performance of NumPy, SciPy and scikit-learn; Going Beyond NumPy With Accelerator Support,” three-year award
For information about open science at NASA, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/open-science
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Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-617-4977
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov
NASA Releases Economic Impact Report for Fiscal Year 2023
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA logoIn fiscal year 2023, NASA investments supported 66,208 jobs in the state of California, generated $18.5 billion in economic output and $1 billion in tax revenue to the state’s economy.
Overall, NASA generated an estimated $9.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes throughout the United States.
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California is one of three NASA centers in the state that contributes to this economic achievement. The center supports critical research in sustainable flight, air mobility, and airborne science, reinforcing the region as a hub of aerospace innovation.
Most notably, NASA Armstrong plays a unique role in the Quesst mission and X-59 project, aimed at reducing the sonic booms into quieter “sonic thumps,” to change regulations impeding supersonic flight over land. Additionally, maturing key airframe technologies with the X-66 aircraft in the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project which may influence the next generation single-aisle seat class airliner. The Center also supports the research of electric air taxis and drones to operate safely in the national airspace as well as supporting science aircraft for NASA’s Earth Science Mission.
NASA’s Moon to Mars campaign generated 16,129 jobs and $4.7 billion in economic output in California. Collaborations with contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin further extended these benefits by creating thousands of high-skilled jobs in the Antelope Valley and across the state.
NASA also fosters partnerships with educational institutions across the state, investing $39.5 million in universities to cultivate the next generation of aerospace innovators. These investments bring STEM opportunities to local communities and prepare students for careers in cutting-edge industries – adding to the agency’s most valuable asset, its workforce.
NASA embraces the challenges of exploring the unknown and making the impossible possible as we continue our global leadership in science, human spaceflight, aerospace innovation, and technology development, and support the U.S. economy and benefit all.
Read the full Economic Impact Report for Fiscal Year 2023.
-end-
Nicolas Cholula / Sarah Mann
NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center
661-714-3853 / 661-233-2758
nicolas.h.cholula@nasa.gov /sarah.mann@nasa.gov
Armstrong Flight Research Center
Armstrong People
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Aircraft Flown at Armstrong
Statement from NASA’s Janet Petro on FY23 Economic Impact Report
America is returning to the Moon with our sights set on Mars, and NASA is leading the way. Along with our industry and international partners, we’re advancing scientific research, inspiring the next generation of explorers, and ensuring reliable and continuous access to space for our nation.
NASA’s Economic Impact Report for fiscal year (FY) 2023 highlights the nation’s strong return on its investment in NASA. Our missions help unveil the secrets of the universe and our home planet while also benefitting the taxpayers, communities, and industries across the country.
Here at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, we are on track for another record-setting year of launches from our Space Coast. Recent NASA missions will tell us more about Earth’s weather and climate, explore Jupiter’s moon Europa for the ingredients of life, and enable more innovative research on the International Space Station. We’re also busy building the Artemis rockets, spacecraft, and technologies that will allow our astronauts to live and work on the Moon.
While exploring the universe for the benefit of all, NASA is also supporting the U.S. economy. During FY23, an investment of less than one-half of 1% of the federal budget, the agency generated $76 billion in total economic output nationwide.
In Florida alone, NASA activities in FY2023 supported 35,685 jobs in the state and $8.2 billion in economic output, resulting in an additional $286.6 million in state tax revenue. NASA Kennedy’s unique facilities, proven technical capabilities, and master plan enable nearly 250 partnerships with 100 private-sector partners. And the dedication and commitment of our workforce means that our spaceport remains the world’s leader in space science, human exploration, and technology development.
As we look toward a future of more exploration and discovery, I invite you to learn more about the impacts that NASA missions may have had in your life. The agency’s technology transfer initiatives transition NASA innovations into private hands, where real impacts are made. And NASA’s STEM engagements encourage research and the study of science, technology, engineering, and math at all ages.
And, of course, I hope you will learn more about the exciting work we’re doing at Earth’s premier spaceport by visiting:
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Images of Janet Petro are available from NASA’s image library in vertical and horizontal formats.
Patti Bielling
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-501-7575
patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov
Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Victor Glover of NASA sips on a water bag.The latest book marks our third effort to review available literature regarding the role of nutrition in astronaut health. In 2009, we reviewed the existing knowledge and history of human nutrition for spaceflight, with a key goal of identifying additional data that would be required before NASA could confidently reduce the risk of an inadequate food system or inadequate nutrition to as low as possible in support of human expeditions to the Moon or Mars. We used a nutrient-by-nutrient approach to address this effort, and we included a brief description of the space food systems during historical space programs.
In 2014, we published a second volume of the book, which was not so much a second edition, but rather a view of space nutrition from a different perspective. This volume updated research that had been published in the intervening 6 years and addressed space nutrition with a more physiological systems-based approach.
The current version is an expanded, updated version of that second book, providing both a systems approach overall, but also including details of nutrients and their roles within each system. As such, this book is divided into chapters based on physiological systems (e.g., bone, muscle, ocular); highlighted in each chapter are the nutrients associated with that particular system. We provide updated information on space food
systems and constraints of the same, and provide dietary intake data from International Space Station (ISS) astronauts.
We present data from ground-based analog studies, designed to mimic one or more conditions similar to those produced by spaceflight. Head-down tilt bed rest is a common analog of the general (and specifically musculoskeletal) disuse of spaceflight. Nutrition research from Antarctica relies on the associated confinement
and isolation, in addition to the lack of sunlight exposure during the winter months. Undersea habitats help expand our understanding of nutritional changes in a confined space with a hyperbaric atmosphere. We also review spaceflight research, including data from now “historical” flights on the Space Shuttle, data from the Russian space station Mir, and earlier space programs such as Apollo and Skylab. The ISS, now more than
20 years old, has provided (and continues to provide) a wealth of nutrition findings from extended-duration spaceflights of 4 to 12 months. We review findings from this platform as well, providing a comprehensive review of what is known regarding the role of human nutrition in keeping astronauts healthy.
With this latest book, we hope we have accurately captured the current state of the field of space food and nutrition, and that we have provided some guideposts for work that remains to be done to enable safe and successful human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition – 2nd Edition Human Adaptation to Spaceflight: The Role of Food and Nutrition – 1st Edition Nutritional Biochemistry of Space FlightDownload Biochemistry of Space Flight PDF
Education and Outreach Share Details Last Updated Oct 23, 2024 EditorRobert E. LewisLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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October Transformer of the Month: Nipa Phojanamongkolkij
Dr. Nipa Phojanamongkolkij does not always do things the traditional way. As a systems engineer (SE) at Langley Research Center working closely with the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Nipa pushes boundaries and draws connections where few others would think to look. When she envisioned a way to use ChatGPT to help SE teams working on the Advanced Air Mobility Mission, she presented her initial idea to her team wondering, “Is this crazy?” Her idea evolved into a successful prototype, which is now used for air traffic management in the Airspace Operations and Safety Program. She has also leveraged natural language programming and NASA’s database of lessons learned to create a bot for flagging potential risks and mitigations in real time. Nipa’s journey in becoming the digital transformer she is today involves her ability to combine engineering principles and business outcomes with creative, human-centered approaches.
Nipa received an MS and PhD in industrial and systems engineering from Arizona State University after moving to the United States from Bangkok, Thailand, where she received her BS degree in electronics engineering. She joined NASA 15 years ago after honing her data analysis and process improvement skills in the business sector at Pepsi Corporation. Her previous experience molded her focus on demonstrating benefit and return on investment. In addition to a business-oriented mindset, Nipa credits much of her success at NASA to her abilities as an active listener, which helps her understand customer needs and address paint points.
One cross-cutting challenge Nipa noticed within the agency’s approach to SE was the issue of silos, particularly in handling requirements and research data. Many engineers stored information in documents on individual computers or SharePoint folders, making it difficult to share data and draw connections across missions, directorates, and centers. As a systems engineer, Nipa and her team work to pull these disparate elements into a connected digital format using methodology called model-based systems engineering (MBSE). “You can think of it like a gigantic database where you have everything connected—a table of research papers, a table of requirements, and a table of concept of operations documents,” she says.
However, using and leveraging this system requires specialized knowledge of the MBSE discipline and modeling language. To centralize system concept, architecture, and requirement data while democratizing access to it, Nipa conceived a way to leverage ChatGPT as an intermediary between the user and database. In fiscal year 2023, she received funding for her idea as a Digital Transformation Prototype Test, “Requirement Discovery Using Embedded Knowledge Graph with ChatGPT.” Nipa and her team developed a web-based dashboard that translates user questions into database queries and turns the database responses back into readable answers for the user. Nipa and her team curated the research used to create the database, reducing the chances of AI hallucination and misinformation. Using ChatGPT as a translator, general users benefitted from the system without needing to know how to formulate graph database queries.
Requirement creation through this system was seven times faster than traditional processes and yielded results comparable to those created by subject matter experts. In some cases, the approach even resulted in more creative requirements than human-generated ones. Nipa’s prototype allowed SEs to more efficiently analyze connections between existing requirements, predict new connections, and generate new requirements, streamlining critical processes for her team. The approach could benefit SEs across NASA centers, directorates, and missions and holds exciting potential for other use cases, such as generating candidate requirements and analyzing project risk. According to NASA Digital Engineering Lead Terry Hill, “The future of engineering is understanding how to do it from a data-centric perspective. Enabling the use of new and evolving technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large language models will aid our engineers to accomplish greater things and augment our workforce.”
Nipa and her team were recognized for their innovative work, receiving a Systems Engineering Technical Excellence Award (SETEA) in 2024 under the “Advancement of SE” category. Nipa’s out-of-the-box thinking has also positioned her as a trailblazer amongst her peers. “Nipa was ahead of everyone in terms of understanding what Digital Transformation is,” says Ian Levitt, Concepts Team Manager at Langley Research Center and co-lead on the Requirement Discovery Prototype Test. “She is extremely smart as well as practical, which is a rare combination. She has wonderful insights and helps me see more clearly what I am trying to do.” As a leader in the Digital Transformation community, Nipa recognizes the importance of collaboration, noting that her transformative work would not have been successful without her team. Their trust is what makes her ideas possible, along with Digital Transformation’s willingness to take chances on innovative, cutting-edge ideas. “They’re at the forefront of technology, so they’re receptive to high-risk projects,” she says. “That’s why I enjoy working with the Digital Transformation team.”
In turn, Nipa is excited to continue building community and momentum around transformation initiatives. Her team’s work inspired one group at Johnson Space Center to replicate their requirement discovery approach, and she has received multiple inquiries for demos on their prototype. Seeing how her work inspires and impacts others at the agency is one way she measures success. Whether she is connecting data sources or people, Nipa continues to push toward a more unified NASA, exemplifying what it means to be a digital transformer.
NASA Invites Media to 2024 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Hundreds of students, scientists, and other stakeholders listen in person and online as NASA leaders discuss the Artemis missions during the 2023 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium held Oct. 25–27 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. NASA / Charles BeasonMedia are invited to attend the 2024 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium Monday Oct. 28 to Wednesday, Oct. 30 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Organized by the American Astronautical Society in collaboration with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, the annual symposium gathers leaders from across government, industry, policy, and academia to discuss the current landscape of space exploration and chart a path forward amid the challenges that lie ahead.
The theme of this year’s event is “Expanding Exploration: From Vision to Reality,” focusing on NASA’s and Marshall’s plans for the future and the broader discourse about exploration and discovery, technology, the workforce, and other elements of the space ecosystem.
Media members interested should register with the astronautical society as a media representative under these guidelines for in-person or online attendance.
Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey will deliver opening remarks on Oct. 28, followed by panels on Artemis, artificial intelligence, and workforce development. NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails will deliver a keynote address to close out the first day.
Panels on, Oct. 29, will focus on space nuclear propulsion, science, and lunar logistics and mobility. Col. Eric Zarybnisky, Office of Space Launch director at the National Reconnaissance Office, will provide the luncheon keynote.
The third and final day of the symposium Oct. 30, will include discussions on nuclear propulsion, space technology, and human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free and Wayne Hale, who retired in 2010 as the deputy associate administrator of strategic partnerships at NASA Headquarters in Washington, will lead a discussion and present awards at the closing luncheon.
To arrange interviews with NASA Marshall speakers, contact Hannah Maginot, 256-932-1937, or Molly Porter, 256-424-5158.
For more information on NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, visit:
Hannah Maginot
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
hannah.l.maginot@nasa.gov
256-932-1937
Molly Porter
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
molly.a.porter@nasa.gov
256-424-5158
Missions
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Climate Change
Solar System
The Marshall Star for October 23, 2024
Editor’s Note: Starting Nov. 4, the Office of Communications at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will no longer publish the Marshall Star on nasa.gov. The last public issue will be Oct. 30. To continue reading Marshall news, visit nasa.gov/marshall.
Habitation Systems Business Unit Spotlight: Living and Working in SpaceFor centuries, humans have dreamed of the ability to live safely on the Moon and Mars. At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, team members supporting habitation systems development bring that dream closer to reality by envisioning and shaping humanity’s future in deep space and on the surface of other worlds.
Marshall’s Habitation Systems business unit – the center’s featured organization for October – develops the next generation of habitation systems to make living and working in space and on planetary bodies possible. These efforts are carried out through the Habitation Systems Development Office, in which the team works across programmatic and engineering organizations to support formulation activities for planetary surface habitation (Moon and Mars), transit habitats for deep space exploration, and the Gateway program. In addition, the Marshall team collaborates with commercial partners on future habitation concept development and risk reduction activities through NextSTEP Appendix A: Habitation Systems and Reimbursable Space Act Agreements.
Seth BellNASASeth Bell is currently the technical monitor for NASA’s commercial partner Sierra Space. Sierra has executed both full scale and subscale inflatable habitat burst tests at Marshall’s East Test Area. Bell has worked as a subsystem manager for the Mars Ascent Vehicle and as a system’s engineer and Engineering Directorate integrator.
“I am excited to eventually see softgood inflatables in low Earth orbit,” Bell said. “Seeing the success of the many teams working in this office is exciting, especially after developing so many lasting relationships and putting so much time and energy into this work.”
Yancy YoungNASASince joining NASA in 2008, Yancy Young has served in multiple positions, including manager of several International Space Station research projects and Launch Package manager for Gateway Co-manifested Payloads. Currently, Young is the technical monitor for Boeing efforts under NASA’s NextSTEP Appendix A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the development of deep space habitation concepts.
“I love being a part of laying the foundation for long term deep space exploration,” Young said.
Boeing’s current focus is a Design Analysis Cycle investigating the benefits and challenges of using composite materials in a pressurized Lunar Surface Habitat.
Brooke ThorntonNASAIn her 25-plus years at NASA, Brooke Thornton has worked on everything from ionized space radiation analysis to Earth observing satellites. Currently, Thornton is the industry engagement manager for the Habitation Systems Development Office and Strategy and Architecture Office. Thornton manages NextSTEP-2 Appendix A-Habitation Systems and Appendix R-Logistics and Mobility Systems BAA. In addition, Thornton fosters collaboration between industry and NASA for the Moon to Mars mission.
“I am excited about working with industry to develop the elements and concepts of operations for humans to live on the Moon and beyond,” Thornton said.
Team Members Enjoy Marshall Exchange BBQ FestJoseph Pelfrey, center, director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, talks with team members during the BBQ Fest hosted by the Marshall Exchange on Oct. 21. The event was held on the walking trail behind the Wellness Center and was open to team members, their family members, and retirees. “My thanks to those who came out to this year’s BBQ – and especially to those who helped make it happen,” Pelfrey said. “I could not have asked for better weather or a better group of people to spend the afternoon with. It was great to see everyone’s families join us on site to celebrate the hard work our teams have put in this year.” (NASA/Charles Beason)
Children play on an inflatable at the BBQ Fest with a space shuttle inflatable in the background. (NASA/Charles Beason)
Marshall team members participate in Bingo during the BBQ hosted by the Marshall Exchange. (NASA/Charles Beason)
Tony Clark Named Deputy Director of Marshall’s Engineering DirectorateTony Clark has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of deputy director of the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, effective immediately. In this role, Clark will be help lead the center’s largest organization, comprised of more than 2,500 civil service and contractor personnel, who design, test, evaluate, and operate flight hardware and software associated with Marshall-developed space transportation and spacecraft systems, science instruments, and payloads.
Tony Clark has been named to the Senior Executive Service position of deputy director of the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASAClark previously served as deputy director of the Space Systems Department at Marshall from 2021-2024 and served as acting director in 2024. In this role, Clark led the design, development, assembly, integration, testing, and delivery of flight, ground, prototype, and development products for NASA human spaceflight programs, science investigations, and exploration initiatives. He aided in the oversight of an annual budget of approximately $70 million and helped manage a diverse, highly technical workforce of approximately 660 civil service employees and contractors.
Over his three decades of service to NASA, Clark has held numerous key leadership roles, bringing a wealth of technical and supervisory experience to Marshall’s broad range of engineering endeavors. He served as manager of the vehicle equipment area in Johnson Space Center’s Vehicle Systems Integration Office of the Gateway Program from 2018-2021. He was also manager of the Engineering Resource Management Office in Marshall’s Engineering Directorate from 2014-2018, tasked with leading and coordinating resources among eight engineering departments, laboratories and offices staffed by more than 2,300 civil service and contract personnel.
He was acting deputy manager of the Engineering Directorate’s Spacecraft and Vehicle Systems Department from February 2014 to October 2014. Prior to that, Clark was chief of the directorate’s Electrical Integration and Fabrication Division from 2007-2014, and chief of the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects and Electrical Integration Branch from 2004-2007. He joined Marshall in September 1991 as an electromagnetic environmental effects engineer.
Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville in 1989 and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University in Columbus in 1991.
Among his many professional awards and honors, Clark received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2010 for his work on the Ares IX, the launch vehicle which informed development of NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System. He also received a Silver Snoopy award in 1999, reflecting outstanding service and the highest dedication to safe human spaceflight.
Clark was a founding member in 2004 of the Huntsville Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers’ Electromagnetic Compatibility Society.
I Am Artemis: Sarah RyanA passion for puzzles, problem-solving, and propulsion led Sarah Ryan – a native of Columbus, Ohio – to her current position as Raptor engine lead for NASA’s HLS (Human Landing System) insight team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The SpaceX Raptor rocket engine powers the company’s Starship and Super Heavy rocket. SpaceX will land astronauts on the Moon for NASA’s Artemis III and Artemis IV missions using the Starship HLS. NASA’s Artemis campaign aims to land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the Moon.
NASA’s Sarah Ryan is the Raptor engine lead for NASA’s HLS (Human Landing System) Program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “With Artemis, we’re moving beyond what NASA did with Apollo and that’s really inspiring, especially to our younger workforce. We’re trying to push farther and it’s really going to drive a lot of technology development on the way there,” Ryan said. “This is a dream come true to be working on Artemis and solving problems so humanity can get back to the Moon then on to Mars.”NASA/Ken Hall“My team looks at how the components of the Raptor engine work together. Then, we evaluate the performance of the full system to make sure it will accomplish the NASA HLS and Artemis missions,” Ryan said. “I get to see lots of pieces and parts of the puzzle and then look at the system as a whole to make sure it meets NASA’s needs.”
While earning a bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland with a dual major in aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering, Ryan had an internship at Marshall, working on a payload for a science mission onboard the International Space Station.
After working for a year on satellite design, Ryan returned to Marshall. She noted that the opportunity to work in Marshall’s Engine Systems branch, to be involved with pushing technology forward, and to work on Artemis, really drew her back to NASA. Ryan later earned a master’s degree in aerospace systems from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
When not occupied with rocket engine development, Ryan likes to work on quieter hobbies in her free time, including reading, board games, crocheting, and solving all manner of puzzles – crosswords, number games, word games, and more. Her interest for solving puzzles carries over into her work on the Raptor rocket engines for HLS.
“My favorite tasks are the ones that most resemble a puzzle,” Ryan said. “If we’re investigating an issue and have a lot of information to assess, I love putting all the pieces together and figuring out what happened, why, and the path forward. I enjoy digging into the data and solving those puzzles.”
With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the HLS, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
I Am Artemis: Casey WolfeWhile precision, perseverance, and engineering are necessary skills in building a Moon rocket, Casey Wolfe knows that one of the most important aspects for the job is teamwork.
“Engineering is vital, but to get this type of work done, you need to take care of the human element,” said Wolfe, the assistant branch chief of the advanced manufacturing branch in the Materials and Processes Laboratory at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
Casey Wolfe is developing and producing the next generation payload adapter for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super-heavy lift rocket. The adapter is made with some of the world’s most advanced composite manufacturing techniques.NASA/Sam LottTogether with her team, Wolfe is developing and producing the next generation payload adapter for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super-heavy lift rocket. The adapter is made with some of the world’s most advanced composite manufacturing techniques.
Wolfe’s work integrates the technical day-to-day operations and personnel management of the composites manufacturing team and additive manufacturing team, balancing production of SLS hardware with the creation of new engines using the latest manufacturing technologies.
“A lot of my day to day is in managing our two teams, making connections, building relationships, and making sure people feel supported,” Wolfe said. “I conduct individual tag ups with each team member so we can be proactive about anticipating and addressing problems.”
Wolfe grew up in Huntsville, a place known as the “Rocket City,” but it wasn’t until she visited a job fair while studying at Auburn University for a polymer and fiber engineering degree that she began to consider a career at Marshall. Wolfe applied for and was selected to be a NASA intern through the Pathways Program, working in the non-metallic materials branch of the Materials and Processes Laboratory.
Wolfe supported a coating system for electrostatic discharge on the first uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft. Launching Dec. 5, 2014, Orion traveled to an altitude of 3,600 miles, orbited Earth twice, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. It was during her internship that Wolfe realized how inspirational it felt to be treated like a vital part of a team.
“The SLS program gave everyone permission to sign the hardware, even me – even though I was just an intern,” Wolfe said. “It was impactful to me, knowing that something I had worked on had my name on it and went to space.”
Since being hired by NASA, Wolfe’s work has supported development of the Orion stage adapter diaphragms for Artemis II and Artemis III, and the payload adapters for Artemis IV and beyond. The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch. Beginning with Artemis IV, the SLS Block 1B variant will use the new, more powerful exploration upper stage to enable more ambitious missions to deep space, with the cone-shaped payload adapter situated atop the rocket’s exploration upper stage. The new variant will be capable of launching more than 38 metric tons (84,000 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch.
“While the engineering development unit of the payload adapter is undergoing large-scale testing, our team is working on the production of the qualification article, which will also be tested,” Wolfe said. “Flight components should be starting fabrication in the next six months.”
When Wolfe isn’t working, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and hanging out with her dogs and large family. Recently, she signed another piece of SLS hardware headed to space: the Orion stage adapter for the second Artemis mission.
With as many responsibilities as Wolfe juggles, it’s easy to lose sight of her work’s impact. “I work in the lab around the hardware all the time, and in many ways, it can become very rote,” she said.
But Wolfe won’t forget what she saw one evening when she worked late: “Everybody was gone, and as I walked past the launch vehicle stage adapter, there were two security guards taking pictures of each other in front of it. It was one of those things that made me step back and reflect on what my team accomplishes every day: making history happen.”
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, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.
NASA’s IXPE Helps Researchers Determine Shape of Black Hole CoronaBy Rick Smith
New findings using data from NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission offer unprecedented insight into the shape and nature of a structure important to black holes called a corona.
A corona is a shifting plasma region that is part of the flow of matter onto a black hole, about which scientists have only a theoretical understanding. The new results reveal the corona’s shape for the first time, and may aid scientists’ understanding of the corona’s role in feeding and sustaining black holes.
This illustration of material swirling around a black hole highlights a particular feature, called the “corona,” which can be seen as a purple haze floating above the underlying accretion disk and extending slightly inside its inner edge. The material within the inner accretion disk is incredibly hot and would glow with a blinding blue-white light, but here has been reduced in brightness to make the corona stand out with better contrast. Its purple color is purely illustrative, standing in for the X-ray glow that would not be obvious in visible light. The warp in the disk is a realistic representation of how the black hole’s immense gravity acts like an optical lens, distorting our view of the flat disk that encircles it.NASA/Caltech-IPAC/Robert HurtMany black holes, so named because not even light can escape their titanic gravity, are surrounded by accretion disks, debris-cluttered whirlpools of gas. Some black holes also have relativistic jets – ultra-powerful outbursts of matter hurled into space at high speed by black holes that are actively eating material in their surroundings.
Less well known, perhaps, is that snacking black holes, much like Earth’s Sun and other stars, also possess a superheated corona. While the Sun’s corona, which is the star’s outermost atmosphere, burns at roughly 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of a black hole corona is estimated at billions of degrees.
Astrophysicists previously identified coronae among stellar-mass black holes – those formed by a star’s collapse – and supermassive black holes such as the one at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy.
“Scientists have long speculated on the makeup and geometry of the corona,” said Lynne Saade, a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and lead author of the new findings. “Is it a sphere above and below the black hole, or an atmosphere generated by the accretion disk, or perhaps plasma located at the base of the jets?”
Enter IXPE, which specializes in X-ray polarization, the characteristic of light that helps map the shape and structure of even the most powerful energy sources, illuminating their inner workings even when the objects are too small, bright, or distant to see directly. Just as we can safely observe the Sun’s corona during a total solar eclipse, IXPE provides the means to clearly study the black hole’s accretion geometry, or the shape and structure of its accretion disk and related structures, including the corona.
“X-ray polarization provides a new way to examine black hole accretion geometry,” Saade said. “If the accretion geometry of black holes is similar regardless of mass, we expect the same to be true of their polarization properties.”
IXPE demonstrated that, among all black holes for which coronal properties could be directly measured via polarization, the corona was found to be extended in the same direction as the accretion disk – providing, for the first time, clues to the corona’s shape and clear evidence of its relationship to the accretion disk. The results rule out the possibility that the corona is shaped like a lamppost hovering over the disk.
The research team studied data from IXPE’s observations of 12 black holes, among them Cygnus X-1 and Cygnus X-3, stellar-mass binary black hole systems about 7,000 and 37,000 light-years from Earth, respectively, and LMC X-1 and LMC X-3, stellar-mass black holes in the Large Magellanic Cloud more than 165,000 light-years away. IXPE also observed a number of supermassive black holes, including the one at the center of the Circinus galaxy, 13 million light-years from Earth, and those in galaxies NGC 1068 and NGC 4151, 47 million light-years away and nearly 62 million light-years away, respectively.
Stellar mass black holes typically have a mass roughly 10 to 30 times that of Earth’s Sun, whereas supermassive black holes may have a mass that is millions to tens of billions of times larger. Despite these vast differences in scale, IXPE data suggests both types of black holes create accretion disks of similar geometry.
That’s surprising, said Marshall astrophysicist Philip Kaaret, principal investigator for the IXPE mission, because the way the two types are fed is completely different.
“Stellar-mass black holes rip mass from their companion stars, whereas supermassive black holes devour everything around them,” he said. “Yet the accretion mechanism functions much the same way.”
That’s an exciting prospect, Saade said, because it suggests that studies of stellar-mass black holes – typically much closer to Earth than their much more massive cousins – can help shed new light on properties of supermassive black holes as well. The team next hopes to make additional examinations of both types.
Saade anticipates there’s much more to glean from X-ray studies of these behemoths. “IXPE has provided the first opportunity in a long time for X-ray astronomy to reveal the underlying processes of accretion and unlock new findings about black holes,” she said.
The complete findings are available in the latest issue of The Astrophysical Journal.
Smith, an Aeyon employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
Michoud Gets a Rare VisitorThe Oort Cloud comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, passes over Southeast Louisiana near New Orleans, home of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility on Oct. 13. The comet is making its first appearance in documented human history; it was last seen in the night sky 80,000 years ago. The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet made its first close pass by Earth in mid-October and will remain visible to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere just between the star Arcturus and planet Venus through early November. Eric Bordelon, a photographer for Michoud, captured the image, which was featured as NASA’s image of the day. “On Sunday evening I decided to head out to find the comet I’ve read so much about,” Bordelon said. “Struggling at first to see it, once my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could faintly see it. I pulled my camera out and set up a tripod, with a longer exposure around six seconds I was able to capture this shot with a single frame. The far off setting sun made a beautiful color gradient in the dark sky with the other stars just beginning to appear.” Read more about the comet. (NASA/Eric Bordelon)
Hubble Captures New View of Galaxy M90A new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the striking spiral galaxy Messier 90 (M90, also NGC 4569), located in the constellation Virgo. In 2019, Hubble released an image of M90 created with Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) data taken in 1994, soon after its installation. That WFPC2 image has a distinctive stair-step pattern due to the layout of its sensors. Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) replaced WFPC2 in 2009 and Hubble used WFC3 when it turned its aperture to Messier 90 again in 2019 and 2023. That data resulted in this stunning new image, providing a much fuller view of the galaxy’s dusty disk, its gaseous halo, and its bright core.
This eye-catching image offers us a new view of the spiral galaxy Messier 90 from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST TeamThe inner regions of M90’s disk are sites of star formation, seen here in red H-alpha light from nebulae. M90 sits among the galaxies of the relatively nearby Virgo Cluster, and its orbit took M90 on a path near the cluster’s center about three hundred million years ago. The density of gas in the inner cluster weighed on M90 like a strong headwind, stripping enormous quantities of gas from the galaxy and creating the diffuse halo we see around it. This gas is no longer available to form new stars in M90, with the spiral galaxy eventually fading as a result.
M90 is located 55 million light-years from Earth, but it’s one of the very few galaxies getting closer to us. Its orbit through the Virgo cluster has accelerated so much that M90 is in the process of escaping the cluster entirely. By happenstance, it’s moving in our direction. Astronomers have measured other galaxies in the Virgo cluster at similar speeds, but in the opposite direction. As M90 continues to move toward us over billions of years, it will also be evolving into a lenticular galaxy.
Artemis II Astronauts Put Orion’s Side Hatch to the Test
Artemis II NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen recently traveled to Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, where they practiced opening and closing an Orion crew module side hatch model to help demonstrate its reliability and durability during their 10-day mission around the Moon.
During normal mission operations, the crew will not operate the hatches – the ground systems team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will assist the crew into Orion at the launch pad, then close the hatch behind them prior to liftoff. After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, recovery teams will open the side hatch and help crew to exit.
Back-up crew members Andre Douglas of NASA and Jenni Gibbons of CSA also trained on hatch operations, which help ensure the crew can safely enter and exit the spacecraft in the event of an emergency. The side hatch is normally opened using a manual gearbox system, but in an emergency, the hatch has release mechanisms containing small pyrotechnic (explosive) devices that release the latch pins on the hatch instantaneously, allowing the hatch to open quickly.
Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.
NASA Ames Stars of the Month: October 2024
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) America Reyes Wang, Sepideh Khajehei, Julie Nottage, and Ryan Felton. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the talent, camaraderie, and vision needed to explore this world and beyond.
Space Biosciences Star: America Reyes Wang
America Reyes Wang serves as the Space Biology Biospecimen Sharing Program (BSP) Lead in the Space Biosciences Research Branch, where she guides a team of support scientists and a logistics coordinator in planning and performing detailed, collaborative dissections to maximize the scientific return from biological investigations. Under her leadership, the BSP team has contributed over 5,000 samples to the NASA Biological Institutional Scientific Collection (NBISC), approximately half of which were collected in the last 10 months.
Earth Science Star: Sepideh Khajehei
Sepideh Khajehei is a NASA Earth eXchange (NEX) Data and Research Scientist in the Biospheric Science Branch, for the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute. She is recognized for her dedicated support of the NASA Administrator’s Earth Information Center, and recently for her outstanding support for an urgent request to revise climate indices just days before the October 7, 2024, opening of NASA’s Hometown Climate Dashboard at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Julie Nottage
Julie Nottage continuously goes above and beyond in her role as the Space and Earth Sciences Facilities Service Manager. She keeps a multi-use interdisciplinary science building running across all aspects of operations and is the go-to person for any problem. Her can-do approach and wealth of knowledge ensures the facility’s high-quality operation that enables scientists and engineers to focus on their research and instrument work. Her quality work and extensive coordination of the Voluntary Protection Program allowed these month-long inspections to run smoothly with an improved safety outcome.
Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Ryan Felton
Ryan Felton, a NASA Postdoctoral Management Fellow with the Exobiology Branch, is recognized for his successful coordination of an engaging community-wide seminar series focused on Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML). This seminar series featured four speakers so far over six months on a variety of exciting topics to advance AI/ML knowledge and use in the branch’s research.
NASA Welcomes Republic of Cyprus as 46th Artemis Accords Signatory
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free welcomed the Republic of Cyprus as the latest nation to commit to the responsible use of space for humanity on Wednesday, marking 46 signatories to date.
“We applaud Cyprus’ commitment to the Artemis Accords, which will enhance the country’s engagement with NASA and the international community,” said Free, who participated virtually. “By joining 45 other country signatories in this effort, Cyprus will help play a role in implementing the accords and exploration that is open, responsible, transparent, and peaceful for the benefit of all.”
Nicodemos Damianou, Cyprus’ deputy minister of research, innovation, and digital policy, signed the Artemis Accords during a ceremony in Nicosia, Cyprus. James O’Brian, assistant secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs for the U.S. Department of State, also attended the event.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Cyprus as we officially sign the Artemis Accords,” said Damianou. “As we embark on this exciting journey, we reaffirm our commitment to a safe and responsible space exploration, as well as our strong belief in the importance of international cooperation in ensuring space is utilized to the benefit of all humanity. Cyprus, an European Union member state, is capitalizing on its geostrategic location between three continents, and aspires to play an integral role in the international space community.”
The signing with Cyprus comes on the heels of an Artemis Accords meeting in Milan earlier this month with dozens of signatory countries, including the United States.
In 2020, NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State and seven other initial signatory nations, established the Artemis Accords, which identified an early set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity. The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
The commitments of the Artemis Accords and efforts by the signatories to advance implementation of these principles support the safe and sustainable exploration of space. More countries are expected to sign in the coming days and weeks ahead.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
-end-
Kathryn Hambleton / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
kathryn.a.hambleton@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov
Melbourne City Lights
Melbourne City Lights
Astronaut Don Pettit captured this image of Melbourne, Australia from the International Space Station on Oct. 9, 2024, as it orbited 271 miles above the city. Astronauts aboard the space station take photos using handheld digital cameras, usually through windows in the station’s cupola, for Crew Earth Observations. Crew members have produced hundreds of thousands of images of the Moon and Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere.
Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit
After 60 Years, Nuclear Power for Spaceflight is Still Tried and True
NASA
Editor’s Note: Originally published on June 21, 2021.
Six decades after the launch of the first nuclear-powered space mission, Transit IV-A, NASA is embarking on a bold future of human exploration and scientific discovery. This future builds on a proud history of safely launching and operating nuclear-powered missions in space.
“Nuclear power has opened the solar system to exploration, allowing us to observe and understand dark, distant planetary bodies that would otherwise be unreachable. And we’re just getting started,” said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “Future nuclear power and propulsion systems will help revolutionize our understanding of the solar system and beyond and play a crucial role in enabling long-term human missions to the Moon and Mars.”
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On June 29, 1961, the John’s Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory launched the Transit IV-A Spacecraft. It was a U.S. Navy navigational satellite with a SNAP-3B radioisotope powered generator producing 2.7 watts of electrical power — about enough to light an LED bulb. Transit IV-A broke an APL mission-duration record and confirmed the Earth’s equator is elliptical. It also set the stage for ground-breaking missions that have extended humanity’s reach across the solar system.
Since 1961, NASA has flown more than 25 missions carrying a nuclear power system through a successful partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), which provides the power systems and plutonium-238 fuel.
“The department and our national laboratory partners are honored to play a role in powering NASA’s space exploration activities,” said Tracey Bishop, deputy assistant secretary in DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy. “Radioisotope Power Systems are a natural extension of our core mission to create technological solutions that meet the complex energy needs of space research, exploration, and innovation.”
There are only two practical ways to provide long-term electrical power in space: the light of the sun or heat from a nuclear source.
We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.Alan Stern
Principal Investigator, NASA’s New Horizons Mission to Pluto and Beyond
“As missions move farther away from the Sun to dark, dusty, and harsh environments, like Jupiter, Pluto, and Titan, they become impossible or extremely limited without nuclear power,” said Leonard Dudzinski, chief technologist for NASA’s Planetary Science Division and program executive for Radioisotope Power.
That’s where Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, come in. They are a category of power systems that convert heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238 fuel into electricity.
“These systems are reliable and efficient,” said June Zakrajsek, manager for NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems Program office at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “They operate continuously over long-duration space missions regardless of sunlight, temperature, charged particle radiation, or surface conditions like thick clouds or dust. They’ve allowed us to explore from the Sun to Pluto and beyond.”
RPS powered the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package. They’ve sustained Voyager 1 and 2 since 1977, and they kept Cassini-Huygens’ instruments warm as it explored frigid Saturn and its moon Titan.
Today, a Multi-Mission Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) powers the Perseverance rover, which is captivating the nation as it searches for signs of ancient life on Mars, and a single RTG is sustaining New Horizons as it ventures on its way out of the solar system 15 years after its launch.
“The RTG was and still is crucial to New Horizons,” said Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute. “We couldn’t do the mission without it. No other technology exists to power a mission this far away from the Sun, even today.”
New Horizons carries seven scientific instruments and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. The spacecraft weighs 1,060 pounds. NASA/JHUAPL Great Things to Come: Science and Human ExplorationDragonfly, which is set to launch in 2028, is the next mission with plans to use an MMRTG. Part of NASA’s New Frontiers program, Dragonfly is an octocopter designed to explore and collect samples on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, an ocean world with a dense, hazy atmosphere.
“RPS is really an enabling technology,” said APL’s Zibi Turtle, principal investigator for the upcoming Dragonfly mission. “Early missions like Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini that relied on RPS have completely changed our understanding and given us a geography of the distant solar system…Cassini gave us our first close-up look at the surface of Titan.”
According to Turtle, the MMRTG serves two purposes on Dragonfly: power output to charge the lander’s battery and waste heat to keep its instruments and electronics warm.
“Flight is a very high-power activity. We’ll use a battery for flight and science activities and recharge the battery using the MMRTG,” said Turtle. “The waste heat from the power system is a key aspect of our thermal design. The surface of Titan is very cold, but we can keep the interior of the lander warm and cozy using the heat from the MMRTG.”
As the scientific community continues to benefit from RPS, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate is investing in new technology using reactors and low-enriched uranium fuel to enable a robust human presence on the Moon and eventually human missions to Mars.
Astronauts will need plentiful and continuous power to survive the long lunar nights and explore the dark craters on the Moon’s South Pole. A fission surface power system could provide enough juice to power robust operations. NASA is leading an effort, working with the DOE and industry to design a fission power system for a future lunar demonstration that will pave the way for base camps on the Moon and Mars.
NASA has also thought about viable ways to reduce the time it takes to travel to Mars, including nuclear propulsion systems.
As NASA advances its bold vision of exploration and scientific discovery in space, it benefits from 60 years of the safe use of nuclear power during spaceflight. Sixty years of enlightenment that all started with a little satellite called Transit IV-A.
News Media Contact
Jan Wittry
NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Submit Your 2025 Event Proposal to NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Shauntina Lilly, a NASA Glenn public affairs officer, smiles as she speaks to students about NASA’s available internships and educational resources during the STEM Goes Red for Girls event at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, on October 21.Credit: NASA/Debbie WelchNASA is making event plans for the 2025 calendar year, and we want to pencil you in! We are looking for the Midwest’s biggest and best community events with the broadest audiences to share NASA’s content and raise awareness of the agency’s most exciting aeronautics and space missions. NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is leading the agency’s efforts to inspire the Midwest through engagement.
Learn How to Submit a ProposalInterested organizations can submit an event proposal to Glenn now through Nov. 18, 2024. Those selected will receive notification via email by Dec. 31, 2024. Through this collaboration, selected organizations will gain access to NASA exhibits and artifacts, hands-on demonstrations, STEM and internship opportunities for students and educators, NASA’s innovative technology, and experts that align to the topics and themes of their events.
Eligibility RequirementsNASA is seeking:
- Organizations with direct community connections and an established event that reaches diverse audiences.
- Events scheduled to occur between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025.
- Events that are mutually beneficial – where a NASA presence will enhance the event experience and raise awareness of NASA’s contributions to the advancement of aeronautics and space exploration.
Selected organizations must agree to the following:
- Attend virtual planning meetings through an online business communication platform.
- Work with NASA Glenn’s Office of Communications when coordinating marketing, media communications, and logistics as described in the event proposal.
- Adhere to NASA Media Usage Guidelines for NASA media and logos.
- Provide final attendance data within two weeks of the conclusion of the event including the following:
- Number of attendees
- Estimated percentage of attendees from underrepresented audiences
All proposals are to be submitted through the online proposal form. Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 18, 2024. Only proposals submitted online will be accepted.
Proposal Review Process
Proposals will be evaluated and scored, and selections will be made using the following criteria:
- Estimated audience size.
- Percentage of audience from underserved and/or underrepresented communities as defined below.
- For purposes of this solicitation, underserved and/or underrepresented communities include Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. (Source: NASA’s Mission Equity).
- Alignment of the program’s goals and objectives to those of this opportunity.
- Plans to maximize audience participation through marketing and media communications.
- Evidence of historical attendance at this or similar events hosted by the proposing organization.
Proposing organizations will be notified of their selection status by Dec. 31, 2024.
Point of ContactIf you have questions about this opportunity or the online proposal form, contact NASA Glenn’s Office of Communications: GRC-Public-Engagement@mail.nasa.gov.
TimelineSolicitation posted: Oct. 23, 2024
Proposal form URL: https://osirris.grc.nasa.gov/request/request.cfm
Proposal submission deadline: Nov. 18, 2024
Notification of event selection: Dec. 13, 2024
NASA’s Glenn Research Center designs, develops, and tests innovative technology to revolutionize air travel, advance space exploration, and improve life on Earth. As one of 10 NASA centers, and the only one in the Midwest, Glenn is a vital contributor to the region’s economy and culture. Many NASA missions have Glenn contributions, and every U.S. aircraft has NASA Glenn technology on board, making flight cleaner, safer, and quieter.
NASA Begins New Deployable Solar Array Tech Demo on Pathfinder Spacecraft
NASA recently evaluated initial flight data and imagery from Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4 (PTD-4), confirming proper checkout of the spacecraft’s systems including its on-board electronics as well as the payload’s support systems such as the small onboard camera. Shown above is a test image of Earth taken by the payload camera, shortly after PTD-4 reached orbit. This camera will continue photographing the technology demonstration during the mission.
Payload operations are now underway for the primary objective of the PTD-4 mission – the demonstration of a new power and communications technology for future spacecraft. The payload, a deployable solar array with an integrated antenna called the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna, or LISA-T, has initiated deployment of its central boom structure. The boom supports four solar power and communication arrays, also called petals. Releasing the central boom pushes the still-stowed petals nearly three feet (one meter) away from the spacecraft bus. The mission team currently is working through an initial challenge to get LISA-T’s central boom to fully extend before unfolding the petals and beginning its power generation and communication operations.
Small spacecraft on deep space missions require more electrical power than what is currently offered by existing technology. The four-petal solar array of LISA-T is a thin-film solar array that offers lower mass, lower stowed volume, and three times more power per mass and volume allocation than current solar arrays. The in-orbit technology demonstration includes deployment, operation, and environmental survivability of the thin-film solar array.
“The LISA-T experiment is an opportunity for NASA and the small spacecraft community to advance the packaging, deployment, and operation of thin-film, fully flexible solar and antenna arrays in space. The thin-film arrays will vastly improve power generation and communication capabilities throughout many different mission applications,” said Dr. John Carr, deputy center chief technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “These capabilities are critical for achieving higher value science alongside the exploration of deep space with small spacecraft.”
The Pathfinder Technology Demonstration series of missions leverages a commercial platform which serves to test innovative technologies to increase the capability of small spacecraft. Deploying LISA-T’s thin solar array in the harsh environment of space presents inherent challenges such as deploying large highly flexible non-metallic structures with high area to mass ratios. Performing experiments such as LISA-T on a smaller, lower-cost spacecraft allows NASA the opportunity to take manageable risk with high probability of great return. The LISA-T experiment aims to enable future deep space missions with the ability to acquire and communicate data through improved power generation and communication capabilities on the same integrated array.
The PTD-4 small spacecraft is hosting the in-orbit technology demonstration called LISA-T. The PTD-4 spacecraft deployed into low Earth orbit from SpaceX’s Transporter-11 rocket which launched from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Aug. 16. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama designed and built the LISA-T technology as well as LISA-T’s supporting avionics system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program, based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, funds and manages the PTD-4 mission as well as the overall Pathfinder Technology Demonstration mission series. Terran Orbital Corporation of Irvine, California, developed and built the PTD-4 spacecraft bus, named Triumph.
Learn more about NASA’s LISA-T technology:
NASA teams are testing a key technology demonstration known as LISA-T, short for the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna. It’s a super compact, stowable, thin-film solar array that when fully deployed in space, offers both a power generation and communication capability for small spacecraft. LISA-T’s orbital flight test is part of the Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator series of missions. To travel farther into deep space, small spacecraft require more electrical power than what is currently available through existing technology. LISA-T aims to answer that demand and would offer small spacecraft access to power without compromising mass or volume. Watch this video to learn more about the spacecraft, its deployment, and the possibilities from John Carr, deputy center chief technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.NASA Stennis Takes Key Step in Expanding its Range Operations Work
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Skydweller Aero solar-powered, autonomous aircraft flies above the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during a September 2024 test operation. Skydweller Aero has an ongoing airspace agreement with NASA Stennis to conduct test flights of its aircraft in the area.Skydweller AeroNASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has entered into an agreement with Skydweller Aero Inc. for the company to operate its solar-powered autonomous aircraft in the site’s restricted airspace, a key step towards achieving a strategic center goal.
The Reimbursable Space Act agreement marks the first between NASA Stennis and a commercial company to utilize the south Mississippi center’s unique capabilities to support testing and operation of uncrewed systems.
“There are few locations like NASA Stennis that offer a secure location, restricted airspace and the infrastructure to support testing and operation of various uncrewed systems,” said NASA Stennis Director John Bailey. “Range operations is a critical area of focus as we adapt to the changing aerospace and technology landscape to grow into the future.”
NASA Stennis and Skydweller Aero finalized the agreement in late August, paving the way for the company to begin area test flights of its autonomous, uncrewed solar-powered aircraft, which features a wingspan greater than a 747 jetliner and is designed for long-duration flights. The company announced Oct. 1 it had completed an initial test flight campaign of the aircraft, including two test excursions totaling 16 and 22.5 hours.
NASA Stennis and Skydweller Aero began talks in the summer of 2023 when the company expressed interest in utilizing NASA Stennis airspace for its all-carbon fiber aircraft. The NASA Stennis area fits the company’s needs well since it provides ready access from Stennis International Airport to the Gulf of Mexico area. NASA Stennis airspace also provides a level of privacy for aircraft testing and operation.
“Access to the restricted airspace above NASA Stennis has been tremendously helpful to our uncrewed, autonomous flight operations,” said Barry Matsumori, president and chief operating officer of Skydweller Aero. “The opportunity to use the controlled environment above Stennis helps accelerate our efforts, allowing us to transition the aircraft in and out of civil airspace, while demonstrating its reliability and unblemished safety record to the FAA.”
Companies must be conducting public aircraft operations to use any restricted airspace. In this instance, Skydweller Aero is flying its aircraft in association with the U.S. Department of Defense, allowing for the Reimbursable Space Act agreement with NASA Stennis.
The agreement provides the company Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization for future test flights in designated areas of the NASA Stennis buffer zone. It also represents a key step in the center’s effort to grow its range operations presence.
“This really opens the door for others to come here,” said Jason Peterson, NASA Stennis range officer. “There are requirements that must be met, but for those who meet them, NASA Stennis is an ideal location for test and flight operations.”
The FAA established restricted airspace at NASA Stennis in 1966 and approved its expansion in 2016. The expansion was necessary to conduct propulsion testing safely, accommodate U.S. Department of Defense missions, and support unmanned aerial systems activities.
Restricted airspace at NASA Stennis allows qualifying organizations to conduct various uncrewed flight activities. NASA Stennis personnel provide scheduling and range operation support, including reviews and evaluations to ensure safe flight operations. Processes are in place to ensure communication between aircraft operators, FAA air traffic controllers, and range safety personnel.
Peterson said he hopes the agreement with Skydweller Aero will clear the way for future collaborations as NASA Stennis continues to expand its customer-based operations. For instance, although Skydweller Aero is not located onsite, NASA Stennis is able to support ground operations for a variety of unmanned aircraft system takeoffs and landings.
Beyond that, the center also hopes to expand its operational capabilities to include marine and ground activities. In addition to a large geographic footprint, the center features a secure 7.5-mile waterway canal system for testing unmanned underwater or surface vehicles.
For information about range operations at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
Range and Airspace Operations – NASA
Share Details Last Updated Oct 23, 2024 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA StennisRange and Airspace Operations
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