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Meet NASA Interns Shaping Future of Open Science
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Meet NASA Interns Shaping Future of Open Science Intern Lena Young, whose work revolves around DEIA and open science, stands next to a NASA sign at NASA’s Earth Information Center in Washington, D.C.Photo courtesy of Lena YoungStudents at NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer (OCSDO) are working to promote open science during the summer 2024 internship session. Their projects fall across a variety of areas, including user experience, policy, and DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility).
Lena Young: Increasing DEIA EngagementLena Young, a doctoral candidate in the Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change program at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, envisions equitable space societies 100 – 300 years in the future as part of her dissertation. Her NASA internship project involves researching ways to make science more accessible for different groups and interacting with NASA leadership to assess how well they are engaging historically underserved or excluded communities.
Young also worked with her mentors to find overlap between her internship project and her PhD work as a futurist. “In 30 years, once NASA has achieved their goals, what would open science look like?” Young said. “I want to see what different futures I can create for open science and DEIA engagement.”
Becca Michelson: Advancing PolicyBecca Michelson has a passion for increasing the availability of scientific information. A soon-to-be-graduate in physics and astronomy from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, she was drawn to an internship role in researching the current state of open science policy for the OCSDO. By understanding the challenges and opportunities in this area, she’s helping NASA better support researchers in making their science accessible to all.
“Open science makes this a more inclusive field, where if I’m an early career scientist, I can build on the science that other people who are experts in the field have done,” Michelson said. In the future, she hopes to implement open science principles into her own research in astronomy, drawing from the best practices she has learned at NASA.
Salma Elsayed-Ali: Bridging Science, User ExperienceSalma Elsayed-Ali is on a mission to bridge the gap between science and usability. She recently completed her PhD in Information Science with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her NASA internship project involves conducting UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) research on some of the OCSDO’s scientific products, most notably the Open Science 101 online course.
Elsayed-Ali became interested in open science during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she conducted UI/UX research on open data sites that provided the public with real-time information about the spread of the virus. This experience sparked her interest in helping users reap the benefits of open science as part of an internship with NASA.
In improving the OCSDO’s open science interfaces, Elsayed-Ali has acted as the product lead on a UI/UX research project for the first time. “I was drawn to this project as it was an opportunity to advocate for both end users and the advancement of open science,” Elsayed-Ali said. “I have really enjoyed brainstorming creative, practical solutions that enhance the user experience and simultaneously save the product team time and resources.”
By helping open science at NASA to thrive, these interns are ushering in a future of greater access to data and scientific research. Learn more about NASA internships at the NASA Internship Programs page.
Learn to navigate the principles and practices of open science with the Open Science 101 online course.
By Lauren Leese
Web Content Strategist for the Office of the Chief Science Data Officer
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Tech Today: Space Age Swimsuit Reduces Drag, Breaks Records
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The LZR Racer reduces skin friction drag by covering more skin than traditional swimsuits. Multiple pieces of the water-resistant and extremely lightweight LZR Pulse fabric connect at ultrasonically welded seams and incorporate extremely low-profile zippers to keep viscous drag to a minimum.Credit: SpeedoUSAA supersonic airplane and a competitive swimmer have much more in common than people might realize; both have to contend with the slowing influence of drag. NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate focuses primarily on improving flight efficiency and fluid dynamics, especially the forces of pressure and drag, which are the same for bodies moving through air as for bodies moving through water. Shortly after the 2004 Olympics, Los Angeles-based SpeedoUSA, also known as Speedo, asked NASA’s Langley Research Center to help design a swimsuit with reduced surface drag. The manufacturer sought a partnership with NASA because of the agency’s expertise in fluid dynamics.
In competitive swimming, where every hundredth of a second counts, achieving the best possible drag reduction is crucially important. Researchers at NASA began flat plate testing of fabrics, using a small wind tunnel developed for earlier research on low-speed viscous drag reduction and collaborated over the next few years with Speedo to design the LZR Racer swimsuit.
Researcher Corey Diebler inspects a model of the supersonic X-59 after a test in Langley Research Center’s 12 foot wind tunnel. Wind tunnel testing at Langley enabled Speedo’s LZR Racer to achieve its excellent underwater performance.NASA/David C. Bowman.NASA and Speedo performed tests on traditionally sewn seams, ultrasonically welded seams, and the fabric alone, which gave Speedo a baseline for reducing drag caused by seams and helped identify problem areas. NASA wind tunnel results helped Speedo create a bonding system that eliminates seams and reduces drag. The results also showed that a low-profile zipper ultrasonically bonded into the fabric inside the suit generated eight percent less drag in wind tunnel tests than a standard zipper. Low-profile seams and zippers were a crucial component in the LZR Racer, because the suit consists of multiple connecting fabric pieces—instead of just a few sewn pieces such as found in traditional suits—that provide extra compression for maximum efficiency.
In March 2008, the LZR Racer made its mark on the world of competitive swimming. Athletes donning this innovative swimsuit shattered 13 world records, a testament to the power of collaboration between NASA and Speedo. While the original LZR Racer is no longer used in competition because of the advantage it gave wearers, its legacy lives on in today’s swimsuits approved by World Aquatics, the governing body for international competitive swimming.
Read More Share Details Last Updated Jul 25, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Tech Today: NASA’s Moonshot Launched Commercial Fuel Cell IndustryAgency’s technology development prepared fuel cells for tomorrow’s renewable energy grids
Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read NASA Prepares for Air Taxi Passenger Comfort Studies Article 4 weeks ago 5 min read Langley Celebrates Pride Month: Derek Bramble Article 4 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsTechnology Transfer & Spinoffs
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NASA Supports Burst Test for Orbital Reef Commercial Space Station
An element of a NASA-funded commercial space station, Orbital Reef, under development by Blue Origin and Sierra Space, recently completed a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test as part of the agency’s efforts for new destinations in low Earth orbit.
NASA, Sierra Space, and ILC Dover teams conducting a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test on Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat structure using testing capabilities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Video Credits: Sierra SpaceThis milestone is part of a NASA Space Act Agreement awarded to Blue Origin in 2021. Orbital Reef includes elements provided by Sierra Space, including the LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat structure.
A close-up view of Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat, which is fabricated from high-strength webbings and fabric, after the pressurization to failure experienced during a burst test.Sierra SpaceTeams conducted the burst test on Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat structure using testing capabilities at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The inflatable habitat is fabricated from high-strength webbings and fabric that form a solid structure once pressurized. The multiple layers of soft goods materials that make up the shell are compactly stowed in a payload fairing and inflated when ready for use, enabling the habitat to launch on a single rocket.
A close-up view of a detached blanking plate from the Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat structure following its full-scale ultimate burst pressure test at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The plate is used to test the concept of a habitat window.Sierra Space“This is an exciting test by Sierra Space for Orbital Reef, showing industry’s commitment and capability to develop innovative technologies and solutions for future commercial destinations,” said Angela Hart, manager of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Every successful development milestone by our partners is one more step to achieving our goal of enabling commercial low Earth orbit destinations and expanding the low Earth orbit marketplace.”
Dr. Tom Marshburn, Sierra Space chief medical officer, speaks with members of the Sierra Space team following the burst test.Sierra SpaceThe pressurization to failure during the test demonstrated the habitat’s capabilities and provided the companies with critical data supporting NASA’s inflatable softgoods certification guidelines, which recommend a progression of tests to evaluate these materials in relevant operational environments and understand the failure modes.
Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat following a full-scale ultimate burst pressure test at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.Sierra SpaceDemonstrating the habitat’s ability to meet the recommended factor of safety through full-scale ultimate burst pressure testing is one of the primary structural requirements on a soft goods article, such as Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat, seeking flight certification.
Prior to this recent test, Sierra Space conducted its first full-scale ultimate burst pressure test on the LIFE habitat at Marshall in December 2023. Additionally, Sierra Space previously completed subscale tests, first at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and then at Marshall as part of ongoing development and testing of inflatable habitation architecture.
NASA supports the design and development of multiple commercial space stations, including Orbital Reef, through funded and unfunded agreements. The current design and development phase will be followed by the procurement of services from one or more companies.
NASA’s goal is to achieve a strong economy in low Earth orbit where the agency can purchase services as one of many customers to meet its science and research objectives in microgravity. NASA’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit will provide the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.
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How NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Will Illuminate Cosmic Dawn
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Your browser does not support the audio element.Today, enormous stretches of space are crystal clear, but that wasn’t always the case. During its infancy, the universe was filled with a “fog” that made it opaque, cloaking the first stars and galaxies. NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will probe the universe’s subsequent transition to the brilliant starscape we see today –– an era known as cosmic dawn.
“Something very fundamental about the nature of the universe changed during this time,” said Michelle Thaller, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Thanks to Roman’s large, sharp infrared view, we may finally figure out what happened during a critical cosmic turning point.”
Lights Out, Lights On
Shortly after its birth, the cosmos was a blistering sea of particles and radiation. As the universe expanded and cooled, positively charged protons were able to capture negatively charged electrons to form neutral atoms (mostly hydrogen, plus some helium). That was great news for the stars and galaxies the atoms would ultimately become, but bad news for light!
It likely took a long time for the gaseous hydrogen and helium to coalesce into stars, which then gravitated together to form the first galaxies. But even when stars began to shine, their light couldn’t travel very far before striking and being absorbed by neutral atoms. This period, known as the cosmic dark ages, lasted from around 380,000 to 200 million years after the big bang.
Then the fog slowly lifted as more and more neutral atoms broke apart over the next several hundred million years: a period called the cosmic dawn.
“We’re very curious about how the process happened,” said Aaron Yung, a Giacconi Fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, who is helping plan Roman’s early universe observations. “Roman’s large, crisp view of deep space will help us weigh different explanations.”
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Your browser does not support the audio element.Prime Suspects
It could be that early galaxies may be largely to blame for the energetic light that broke up the neutral atoms. The first black holes may have played a role, too. Roman will look far and wide to examine both possible culprits.
“Roman will excel at finding the building blocks of cosmic structures like galaxy clusters that later form,” said Takahiro Morishita, an assistant scientist at Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California, who has studied cosmic dawn. “It will quickly identify the densest regions, where more ‘fog’ is being cleared, making Roman a key mission to probe early galaxy evolution and the cosmic dawn.”
The earliest stars were likely starkly different from modern ones. When gravity began pulling material together, the universe was very dense. Stars probably grew hundreds or thousands of times more massive than the Sun and emitted lots of high-energy radiation. Gravity huddled up the young stars to form galaxies, and their cumulative blasting may have once again stripped electrons from protons in bubbles of space around them.
“You could call it the party at the beginning of the universe,” Thaller said. “We’ve never seen the birth of the very first stars and galaxies, but it must have been spectacular!”
But these heavyweight stars were short-lived. Scientists think they quickly collapsed, leaving behind black holes –– objects with such extreme gravity that not even light can escape their clutches. Since the young universe was also smaller because it hadn’t been expanding very long, hordes of those black holes could have merged to form even bigger ones –– up to millions or even billions of times the Sun’s mass.
Supermassive black holes may have helped clear the hydrogen fog that permeated the early universe. Hot material swirling around black holes at the bright centers of active galaxies, called quasars, prior to falling in can generate extreme temperatures and send off huge, bright jets of intense radiation. The jets can extend for hundreds of thousands of light-years, ripping the electrons from any atom in their path.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is also exploring cosmic dawn, using its narrower but deeper view to study the early universe. By coupling Webb’s observations with Roman’s, scientists will generate a much more complete picture of this era.
So far, Webb is finding more quasars than anticipated given their expected rarity and Webb’s small field of view. Roman’s zoomed-out view will help astronomers understand what’s going on by seeing how common quasars truly are, likely finding tens of thousands compared to the handful Webb may find.
This view from the James Webb Space Telescope contains more than 20,000 galaxies. Researchers analyzed 117 galaxies that all existed approximately 900 million years after the big bang. They focused on 59 galaxies that lie in front of quasar J0100+2802, an active supermassive black hole that acts like a beacon, located at the center of the image above appearing tiny and pink with six prominent diffraction spikes. The team studied both the galaxies themselves and the illuminated gas surrounding them, which was lit up by the quasar’s bright light. The observation sheds light on how early galaxies cleared the “fog” around them, eventually leading to today’s clear and expansive views.NASA, ESA, CSA, Simon Lilly (ETH Zürich), Daichi Kashino (Nagoya University), Jorryt Matthee (ETH Zürich), Christina Eilers (MIT), Rob Simcoe (MIT), Rongmon Bordoloi (NCSU), Ruari Mackenzie (ETH Zürich); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Ruari Macken“With a stronger statistical sample, astronomers will be able to test a wide range of theories inspired by Webb observations,” Yung said.
Peering back into the universe’s first few hundred million years with Roman’s wide-eyed view will also help scientists determine whether a certain type of galaxy (such as more massive ones) played a larger role in clearing the fog.
“It could be that young galaxies kicked off the process, and then quasars finished the job,” Yung said. Seeing the size of the bubbles carved out of the fog will give scientists a major clue. “Galaxies would create huge clusters of bubbles around them, while quasars would create large, spherical ones. We need a big field of view like Roman’s to measure their extent, since in either case they’re likely up to millions of light-years wide –– often larger than Webb’s field of view.”
Roman will work hand-in-hand with Webb to offer clues about how galaxies formed from the primordial gas that once filled the universe, and how their central supermassive black holes influenced galaxy and star formation. The observations will help uncover the cosmic daybreakers that illuminated our universe and ultimately made life on Earth possible.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems, Inc in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Former Space Communications, Navigation Interns Pioneer NASA’s Future
For over a decade, NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Internship Project alumni have played important roles in extending the agency’s long-term vision for exploration. For National Intern Day on Thursday, July 25, previous program interns reflect on their journeys to and through NASA and offer advice for current and future interns.
Every summer interns join NASA’s SIP (SCaN Internship Project) program to advance the capabilities of the agency’s Deep and Near Space Networks that enable missions to communicate and navigate.
The SIP intern program develops the future workforce that will imagine, maintain, and operate the next generation of communications and navigation systems. In addition to interns’ main projects, which can range from network engineering and orbital mathematics to mission awareness campaigns and graphic design, SIP interns participate in programming that enhances their professional development and networking skills.
Justin LongJustin Long was a SIP intern in 2017 while earning his degree in electrical engineering.
Before he applied for an internship, Long was set on working in space communications at NASA and looked out for opportunities to deepen his aerospace experience. Long attributes his work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ CubeSat lab for his acceptance into the intern program, as well as his university’s unique partnership with NASA.
“On my morning walks, I would pass by several of the Near Space Network ground stations operated by the Alaska Satellite Facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks,” Long said. “At the time I was working on a ground station for our CubeSat program, so I went to intern.nasa.gov and searched anything space communications-related.”
Long was selected for a project at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia focused on ground station improvements to the agency’s Near Space Network. In addition to looking at hardware upgrades for NASA-owned ground stations, Long also explored opportunities to expand the network by integrating commercial and university assets.
Justin Long, 2017 SCaN Internship Project (SIP) Intern Courtesy of Justin LongNow, Long works as a telecommunications engineer at NASA Goddard, designing antennas and communication systems for spacecraft. His experience with ground stations at NASA Wallops influences his work on spacecraft today.
“Working on communications systems means figuring out what the end-to-end system for a spacecraft looks like, from the radio to the antenna,” Long said. “The internship prepared me to answer questions about how we’re transmitting the data, how fast we can transmit it, and how much data we can receive in one day.”
The major difference between his current role and his intern project is that the hardware he is developing will fly on a spacecraft rather than remain on Earth as part of a ground station antenna. Long will also test his hardware to ensure it functions as expected in orbit. The reward for this rigorous testing is the knowledge that the communications hardware he designed is a critical part of ensuring the spacecraft’s successful operation.
“There is nothing more exciting than working hands-on with a spacecraft,” Long said. “Getting to see the hardware integrated onto the spacecraft — watching the whole thing come together — is my favorite part of the job.”
While Long’s internship allowed him to come into his current position with a broader knowledge base than other engineers at his level of experience, he stresses that the networking opportunities he had with SIP were more important than the intern project itself.
“Even if you have an internship that’s not directly in your field of expertise, the opportunity to network with NASA professionals and meet different groups can have impact on your career,” Long said. “I’m still in contact with people I met as an intern.”
Thomas MontanoThomas Montano was completing his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering during his SIP internships in 2019 and 2020. In his current role as an electrical engineer in NASA’s Search and Rescue office at Goddard, Montano supports human spaceflight recovery efforts as well as the development of a lunar search and rescue system.
Thomas Montano during Artemis II Underway Recovery Test 10.NASAMontano was initially interested in digital signal processing and communication systems, so he decided to apply for a SCaN internship.
“It wasn’t really a contest between NASA and other internship programs,” Montano said. “I got to work on cool projects. I got to work with cool people. Goddard is just a place that makes you want to do better and learn things.”
Montano’s first internship was rewriting a software tool for running link budgets, a log of signal gains and losses in a radio communications system. In his second internship, Montano developed a virtual model of the physical transmission environment for lunar communications systems that could combine with the link budget tool to create an end-to-end communication channel simulation.
Both tools continue to be used at the agency today, though Montano’s current position has shifted his focus to the special realities of human spaceflight. Now, Montano is helping NASA test location beacons for the Artemis II astronauts. He describes meeting the Artemis crew while practicing capsule recovery on a U.S. Navy ship as an exciting and sobering reminder of the importance of his work.
“Nothing can top putting boots on the ground,” Montano said. “Meeting the crew made the work all the more real. My work isn’t hypothetical or theoretical. These are real people going to the Moon. My system cannot fail. The search and rescue system cannot go down. Failure really is not an option.”
Nothing can top putting boots on the ground. Meeting the Artemis crew made the work all the more real.THomas Montano
Electrical Engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Montano advises new interns to explore the center, ask questions, and learn how the agency works. He encourages anyone considering an internship to apply.
“The biggest reason that people don’t get NASA internships is because they don’t apply,” he said. “They count themselves out, and that’s nonsense. If you have good qualifications, go submit your résumé.”
Katrina LeeBefore becoming the engagement coordinator for NASA’s Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) office at Goddard, Katrina Lee was a communications intern with SIP.
For her project, Lee wrote promotional materials highlighting NASA’s then-upcoming LCRD (Laser Communications Relay Demonstration), which launched Dec. 7, 2021. The role required her to research the science behind laser communications and understand the role the technology is playing in advancing communications at NASA. The following summer, Lee applied her experience to writing and producing promotional materials for Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) — LCRD’s first in-space user.
When Lee first joined the program in 2021, she was planning to work in national security. Her internship experience shifted her attention to pursuing a degree in marketing and business. She also joined her student newspaper as a contributing writer.
“The project I was covering resonated with me. I learned that I was really interested in writing and communications,” said Lee. “I homed in on my interest in public-facing opportunities to share very technical information in a digestible way.”
Katrina Lee, SCaN Internship Project (SIP) Intern Summer 2021 and 2022.Courtesy of Katrina LeeIn her current role, Lee applies the skills she developed as an intern to promote the Near Space Network’s commercialization opportunities. In addition to writing promotional and informational material, Lee manages event logistics, plans and guides center tours for the public and potential partners, attends conferences, and generates ideas for promoting the CIS office.
Lee’s work gives her special insight into the continuing development of the Near Space Network.
“I get to see the future of space exploration in real time,” Lee said. “There’s a greater emphasis on collaboration than we’ve seen in the past, and that collaboration is going to help space communications capabilities go further than ever before.”
When Lee reflects on what aspects of her internship were most important, she returns to the value of her work and her mentor-mentee relationship.
“I felt challenged here,” Lee said. “It was an opportunity to build confidence and learn from your mistakes beside someone who wants you to succeed. It really helped me grow as a professional.”
Lee advises new interns and students considering an internship to remember that mistakes are a valuable part of the experience. “No one at NASA expects you to know everything right away,” Lee said. “They recognize that you’re an intern and you are here to learn. This is a place where you can learn something new every day.”
Unsh RawalUnsh Rawal joined SIP in 2022 as a rising high school senior. He came to the program with a passion for robotics and a desire to expand his interests and try new things.
Rawal’s project contributed to the development of an interface that allows students to control robots over local and remote wireless connections. The interface is part of an educational activity for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) exploring telerobotics, or the distant remote control of a robot.
Unsh Rawal, SCaN Internship Project (SIP) Intern Summer 2022.Courtesy of Unsh RawalRawal continued to develop his project with ARISS beyond his internship. He spent the past winter porting the activity’s code to a Raspberry Pi, a palm-sized minicomputer, while broadening its functionality. His work is key to ARISS’s efforts to distribute accessible, interactive educational tools.
Rawal hopes to return to the intern program to continue his NASA project alongside his educational pursuits. While Rawal came to the intern program planning to pursue a degree in robotics, his project ignited his passion for a new field. “I learned a lot about networking, gained UI and API experience, learned about sockets,” he said. “I learned I really enjoy computer science.”
When asked to share his advice with interns new to the program, Rawal recommends scheduling regular meetings with your project mentor.
“Having consistent meetings with the people supervising the project helps you stay on track and better understand the project requirements,” Rawal said. “They’re an opportunity to learn new things from someone willing to give you one-on-one guidance.”
Lindsay WhiteLindsay White was a SIP intern in 2018 and 2019 before joining NASA’s Pathways program in 2020. She completed her internship while earning her master’s degree in electrical engineering, specifically applied electromagnetics.
During her SIP internship, White programmed software-defined radios, a communication system where computer software is used to replace physical radio hardware like modulators and amplifiers, to create test benches for the development of novel signals. That internship evolved into learning more about Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) in her second summer, a customizable hardware that can be reconfigured into different digital circuits. White then applied her FPGA knowledge to laser communications missions.
White’s first summer in the internship program confirmed that she wanted to work for NASA. “The environment is so welcoming and supportive,” she said. “People want to answer your questions and help you. I enjoyed the work I was doing and learned a ton.”
White sees a direct relationship between the work she completed as an intern and her current role as a signal analysis engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “The work I do now is an evolution of all the work I did as an intern. I’m applying the skills I gained by working in laser communications to my current work in radio communications.”
Lindsay White, SCaN Internship Project (SIP) Intern in 2018 and 2019.NASAWhite works on the digital signal processing inside the Mars Sample Return mission’s radio, as well as a research and development project called Universal Space Transponder Lite, a flexible, modular radio with a broad series of potential applications. Sometimes even she is surprised by the importance of her role to NASA’s commitment to space exploration.
“The impact is astonishing,” White said. “My work is essential to a Mars mission. Something I’m touching is going to end up on Mars.”
The impact is astonishing. My work is essential to a Mars mission. Something I'm touching is going to end up on Mars.Lindsay White
Signal Analysis Engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
White advises incoming interns to use their time in the program to develop their understanding of the agency’s personnel and projects. “SIP provides an opportunity to talk with people you otherwise wouldn’t meet,” said White. “Learning the different things NASA is working on can be even more important than hitting stretch goals on your technical project.”
White’s advice for students considering a SIP internship is straightforward: “Do it! Even if you don’t have a technical background, there’s a spot for you at NASA.”
By Korine Powers
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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Article 1 year ago Share Details Last Updated Jul 25, 2024 EditorKatherine SchauerContactKatherine Schauerkatherine.s.schauer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms55 Years Ago: One Year Before the Moon Landing
In July 1968, much work still remained to meet the goal President John F. Kennedy set in May 1961, to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth before the end of the decade. No American astronaut had flown in space since the November 1966 flight of Gemini XII, the delay largely a result of the tragic Apollo 1 fire. Although the Apollo spacecraft had successfully completed several uncrewed test flights, the first crewed mission still lay three months in the future. The delays in getting the Lunar Module (LM) ready for its first flight caused schedule concerns, but also presented an opportunity for a bold step to send the second crewed Apollo mission, the first crewed flight of the Saturn V, on a trip to orbit the Moon. Using an incremental approach, three flights later NASA accomplished President Kennedy’s goal.
Left: The charred remains of the Apollo 1 spacecraft following the tragic fire that claimed the lives of astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee. Middle left: The first launch of the Saturn V rocket on the Apollo 4 mission. Middle right: The first Lunar Module in preparation for the Apollo 5 mission. Right: Splashdown of Apollo 6, the final uncrewed Apollo mission.
The American human spaceflight program suffered a jarring setback on Jan. 27, 1967, with the deaths of astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee in the Apollo 1 fire. The fire and subsequent Investigation led to wholesale changes to the spacecraft, such as the use of fireproof materials and redesign of the hatch to make it easy to open. The early Block I spacecraft, such as Apollo 1, would now only be used for uncrewed missions, with crews flying only aboard the more advanced Block II spacecraft. The fire and its aftermath also led to management changes. For example, George M. Low replaced Joseph F. Shea as Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager. The first Apollo mission after the fire, the uncrewed Apollo 4 in November 1967, included the first launch of the Saturn V Moon rocket as well as a 9-hour flight of a Block I Command and Service Module (CSM). Apollo 5 in January 1968 conducted the first uncrewed test of the LM, and despite a few anomalies, managers considered it successful enough that they canceled a second uncrewed flight. The April 1968 flight of Apollo 6, planned as a near-repeat of Apollo 4, encountered several significant anomalies such as first stage POGO, or severe vibrations, and the failure of the third stage to restart, leading to an alternate mission scenario. Engineers devised a solution to the POGO problem and managers decided that the third flight of the Saturn V would carry a crew.
Left: Apollo 7 astronauts R. Walter Cunningham, left, Donn F. Eisele, and Walter M. Schirra participate in water egress training. Middle: Workers stack the Apollo 7 spacecraft on its Saturn IB rocket at Launch Pad 34. Right: Schirra, left, Cunningham, and Eisele stand outside the spacecraft simulator.
As of July 1968, NASA’s plan called for two crewed Apollo flights in 1968 and up to five in 1969 to achieve the first lunar landing to meet President Kennedy’s deadline, with each mission incrementally building on the success of the previous ones. The first mission, Apollo 7, would return American astronauts to space following a 23-month hiatus. Planned for October 1968, the crew of Walter M. Schirra, Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham would launch atop a Saturn IB rocket and conduct a shakedown flight of the Block II CSM in Earth orbit, including testing the Service Propulsion System engine, critical on later lunar missions for getting into and out of lunar orbit. The flight plan remained open-ended, but managers expected to complete a full-duration 11-day mission, ending with a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. Preparations for Apollo 7 proceeded well during the summer of 1968. Workers had stacked the two-stage Saturn IB rocket on Launch Pad 34 back in April. In KSC’s Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB), Schirra, Eisele, and Cunningham completed altitude chamber tests of their spacecraft, CSM-101, on July 26 followed by their backups three days later. Workers trucked the spacecraft to the launch pad on Aug. 9 for mating with the rocket. Among major milestones, Schirra, Eisele, and Cunningham completed water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 5, in addition to spending time in the spacecraft simulators at KSC and at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Left: The original Apollo 8 crew of Russell L. Schweickart, left, David R. Scott, and James A. McDivitt during training in June 1968. Middle: Lunar Module-3 arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida in June 1968. Right: In July 1968, workers in KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building stack the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo 8 mission.
The second flight, targeting a December 1968 launch, would feature the first crewed launch of the Saturn V rocket. The Apollo 8 crew of James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart would conduct the first crewed test of the LM in the relative safety of low Earth orbit. McDivitt and Schweickart would fly the LM on its independent mission, including separating the ascent stage from the descent stage to simulate a takeoff from the Moon, while Scott remained in the CSM. After redocking, Schweickart would conduct a spacewalk to practice an external transfer between the two vehicles. Workers completed stacking the three-stage Saturn V rocket (SA-503) in KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Aug. 14. The first component of the spacecraft, LM-3, arrived at KSC on June 9, while CSM-103, arrived on Aug. 12. Workers in the MSOB began to prepare both spacecraft for flight.
Left: The original Apollo 9 crew of William A. Anders, left, Michael Collins, and Frank Borman during training in March 1968. Middle: Lunar Module-3 during preflight processing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida in August 1968. Right: Following the revision of the mission plans for Apollo 8 and 9 and crew changes, the Apollo 8 crew of James A. Lovell, Anders, and Borman stand before their Saturn V rocket as it rolls out of KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building in October 1968.
The third flight, planned for early 1969, and flown by Frank Borman, Michael Collins, and William A. Anders, would essentially repeat the Apollo 8 mission, but at the end would fire the SPS engine to raise the high point of their orbit to 4,600 miles and then simulate a reentry at lunar return velocity to test the spacecraft’s heat shield. On July 23, Collins underwent surgery for a bone spur in his neck, and on August 8, NASA announced that James A. Lovell from the backup crew would take his place. Later missions in 1969 would progress to sending the CSM and LM combination to lunar orbit, leading to the first landing before the end of the year. Construction of the rocket and spacecraft components for these future missions continued at various contractor facilities around the country.
Left: In Mission Control during the Apollo 6 mission, Director of Flight Crew Operations Christopher C. Kraft, left, Director of the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston Robert R. Gilruth, and Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager George M. Low. Middle left: Chief of Flight Crew Operations Donald K. “Deke” Slayton. Middle right: Director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Kurt H. Debus. Right: Director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Challenges to this plan began to arise in June 1968. Managers’ biggest concern centered around the readiness of LM-3. After its delivery to KSC on June 9, managers realized the vehicle needed much more work than anticipated and it would not meet the planned December Apollo 8 launch date. Best estimates put its flight readiness no earlier than February 1969. That kind of delay would jeopardize meeting President Kennedy’s fast-approaching deadline. To complicate matters, intelligence reports indicated that the Soviets were close to sending cosmonauts on a trip around the Moon, possibly before the end of the year, and also preparing to test a Saturn V-class rocket for a Moon landing mission.
Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager Low formulated a plan both audacious and risky. Without a LM, an Earth orbital Apollo 8 mission would simply repeat Apollo 7’s and not advance the program very much. By sending the CSM on a mission around the Moon, or even to orbit the Moon, NASA would gain valuable experience in navigation and communications at lunar distances. To seek management support for his plan, on Aug. 9 Low met with MSC Director Robert R. Gilruth, who supported the proposal. They called in Christopher C. Kraft, director of flight operations, for his opinion. Two days earlier, Low had asked Kraft to assess the feasibility of a lunar orbit mission for Apollo 8, and Kraft deemed it achievable from a ground control and spacecraft computer standpoint. Chief of Flight Crew Operations Donald K. “Deke” Slayton joined the discussion, and all agreed to seek support for the plan from the directors of KSC and of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, as well as NASA Headquarters (HQ) in Washington, D.C. That afternoon, the four flew to Huntsville and met with MSFC Director Wernher von Braun, KSC Director Kurt H. Debus, and HQ Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips. By the end of the meeting, the group identified no insurmountable technical obstacles to the lunar mission plan, with the qualification that the Apollo 7 mission in October concluded successfully. Von Braun had confidence that the Saturn V would perform safely, and Debus believed KSC could support a December launch.
Slayton called Borman, who was with Lovell and Anders conducting tests with their spacecraft in Downey, California. He ordered Borman to immediately fly to Houston, where he offered him command of the new circumlunar Apollo 8 mission, which Borman accepted. His crew would swap missions with McDivitt’s, who agreed to fly an Earth orbital test of the LM in February 1969, putting that crew’s greater experience with the LM to good use. The training challenge fell on Borman’s crew, who now had just four months to train for a flight around the Moon.
Left: Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips. Middle left: Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller. Middle right: Deputy Administrator Thomas O. Paine. Right: Administrator James E. Webb.
On Aug. 14, representatives from MSC, MSFC, and KSC attended a meeting in Washington with NASA Deputy Administrator Thomas O. Paine and Apollo Program Director Phillips, the senior Headquarters officials present as NASA Administrator James E. Webb and Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller attended a conference in Vienna. The group discussed Low’s proposal and agreed on the technical feasibility of accomplishing a circumlunar flight with Apollo 8 in December. During the discussion, Mueller happened to call from Vienna and when they presented him with the proposal, he was at first reticent, especially since NASA had yet to fly Apollo 7. He requested more information and more time to consider the proposal so he could properly brief Webb. Paine then polled each center director for his overall assessment. Von Braun, who designed the Saturn V rocket, stated that whether it went to the Moon or stayed in Earth orbit didn’t matter too much. Debus stated that KSC could support a Saturn V launch in December – as noted above, his team was already processing both the rocket and the spacecraft. Gilruth agreed that the proposal represented a key step in achieving President Kennedy’s goal, and emphasized that the mission should not just loop around the Moon but actually enter orbit. Following additional discussions after Webb’s return from Vienna, he agreed to the plan, but would not make a formal decision until after a successful Apollo 7 flight in October. NASA kept the lunar orbit plan quiet even as the crews began training for their respective new missions. An announcement on Aug. 19 merely stated that Apollo 8 would not carry a LM, as the agency continued to assess various mission objectives. Ultimately, the plan required President Lyndon B. Johnson’s approval.
Left: Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong ejects just moments before his Lunar Landing Research Vehicle crashed. Middle left: Pilot Gerald P. Gibbons, left, and astronaut James B. Irwin prepare to enter an altitude chamber for one of the Lunar Module Test Article-8 (LTA-8) vacuum tests. Middle right: Astronauts Joe H. Engle, left, Vance D. Brand, and Joseph P. Kerwin preparing for the 2TV-1 altitude test. Right: One of the final Apollo parachute tests.
As those discussions took place, work around the country continued to prepare for the first lunar landing, not without some setbacks. On May 8, astronaut Neil A. Armstrongejected just in the nick of time as the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) he was piloting went out of control and crashed. Managers suspended flights of the LLRV and its successor, the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV), until Oct. 3. Astronauts used the LLRV and LLTV to train for the final few hundred feet of the descent to the Moon’s surface. On May 27, astronaut James B. Irwin and pilot Gerald P. Gibbons began a series of altitude tests in Chamber B of the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) at MSC. The tests, using the LM Test Article-8 (LTA-8), evaluated the pressure integrity of the LM as well as the new spacesuits designed for the Apollo program. The first series of LTA-8 tests supported the Earth-orbital flight of LM-3 on Apollo 9 while a second series in October and November supported the LM-5 flight of Apollo 11, the first lunar landing mission. In June, using SESL’s Chamber A, astronauts Joseph P. Kerwin, Vance D. Brand, and Joe H. Engle completed an eight-day thermal vacuum test using the Apollo 2TV-1 spacecraft to certify the vehicle for Apollo 7. A second test in September certified the vehicle for lunar missions. July 3 marked the final qualification drop test of the Apollo parachute system, a series begun five years earlier. The tests qualified the parachutes for Apollo 7.
History records that Apollo 11 accomplished the first human landing on the Moon in July 1969. It is remarkable to think that just one year earlier, with the agency still recovering from the Apollo 1 fire, NASA had not yet flown any astronauts aboard an Apollo spacecraft. And further, the agency took the bold step to plan for a lunar orbital mission on just the second crewed mission. With a cadence of a crewed Apollo flight every two months between October 1968 and July 1969, NASA accomplished President Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.
John Uri
NASA Johnson Space Center
25 Years Ago: STS-93, Launch of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory
On July 23, 1999, space shuttle Columbia took to the skies on its 26th trip into space, to deliver its heaviest payload ever – the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The STS-93 crew included Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission, Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, and Mission Specialists Catherine “Cady” G. Coleman, Steven A. Hawley, and Michel A. Tognini of the French Space Agency (CNES). On the mission’s first day, they deployed Chandra, the most powerful X-ray telescope. With a planned five-year lifetime, Chandra continues its observations after a quarter century. For the next four days, the astronauts worked on twenty secondary middeck payloads and conducted Earth observations. The successful five-day mission ended with a night landing.
Left: The STS-93 crew patch. Middle: Official photo of the STS-93 crew of Eileen M. Collins, left, Steven A. Hawley, Jeffrey S. Ashby, Michel A. Tognini of France, and Catherine “Cady” G. Coleman. Right: The patch for the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Tognini, selected by CNES in 1985 and a member of NASA’s class of 1995, received the first assignment to STS-93 in November 1997. He previously flew aboard Mir as a cosmonaut researcher, spending 14 days aboard the station in 1992. On March 5, 1998, First Lady Hilary R. Clinton announced Collins’ assignment as the first woman space shuttle commander in a ceremony at the White House together with President William J. “Bill” Clinton. NASA announced the rest of the crew the same day. For Collins, selected in the class of 1990, STS-93 represented her third space mission, having previously served as pilot on STS-63 and STS-84. Ashby, a member of the class of 1994, made his first flight aboard STS-93, while Coleman, selected in 1992, made her second flight, having flown before on STS-73. Hawley made his fifth flight, having previously served as a mission specialist on STS-41D, STS-61C, STS-31, and STS-82. He has the distinction of making the last flight by any member of his class of 1978, more than 21 years after his selection.
Left: Schematic of the Chandra X-ray Observatory showing its major components. Right: Diagram of the trajectory Chandra took to achieve its final operational 64-hour orbit around the Earth – IUS refers to the two burns of the Inertial Upper Stage and IPS to the five burns of Chandra’s Integral Propulsion System.
Because the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs X-ray radiation emitted by cosmic sources, scientists first came up with the idea of a space-based X-ray telescope in the 1970s. NASA launched its first X-ray telescope called Einstein in 1978, but scientists needed a more powerful instrument, and they proposed the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF). After a major redesign of the telescope in 1992, in 1998 NASA renamed AXAF the Chandra X-ray Observatory after Indian American Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar who made significant contributions to our knowledge about stars, stellar evolution, and black holes. Chandra, the third of NASA’s four Great Observatories, can detect X-ray sources 100 times fainter than any previous X-ray telescope. At 50,162 pounds including the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) it used to achieve its operational orbit, Chandra remains the heaviest payload ever launched by the space shuttle, and at 57 feet long, it took up nearly the entire length of the payload bay. It has far exceeded its expected five-year lifetime, still returning valuable science after 25 years.
Left: The STS-93 crew during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Middle: The Chandra X-ray Observatory loaded into Columbia’s payload bay. Right: Liftoff of Columbia on the STS-93 mission carrying the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the first woman shuttle commander.
Columbia returned to KSC following its previous flight, the STS-90 Neurolab mission, in May 1998. Workers in KSC’s Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) serviced the orbiter and removed the previous payload. With all four orbiters at KSC at the same time, workers temporarily stowed Columbia in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), returning it to the OPF for final preflight processing on April 15, 1999. Rollover of Columbia from the OPF to the VAB took place on June 2, where workers mated it with an external tank and two solid rocket boosters. Following integrated testing, the stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39B on June 7. The crew participated in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test on June 24. Workers placed Chandra in Columbia’s payload bay three days later.
On July 23, 1994, Columbia thundered into the night sky from KSC’s Launch Pad 39B to begin the STS-93 mission. Two previous launch attempts on July 20 and 22 resulted in scrubs due to a faulty sensor and bad weather, respectively. As Columbia rose into the sky, for the first time in shuttle history a woman sat in the commander’s seat. Far below, problems arose that could have led to a catastrophic abort scenario. During the engine ignition sequence, a gold pin in Columbia’s right engine came loose, ejected with great force by the rapid flow of hot gases, and struck the engine’s nozzle, punching holes in three of its hydrogen cooling tubes. Although small, the hydrogen leak caused the engine’s controller to increase the flow of oxidizer, making the engine run hotter than normal. Meanwhile, a short-circuit knocked out the center engine’s digital control unit (DCU) and the right engine’s backup DCU. Both engines continued powered flight without a redundant DCU, with a failure in either causing a catastrophic abort. Although this did not occur, the higher than expected oxidizer usage led to main engine cutoff occurring 1.5 seconds early, leaving Columbia in a lower than planned orbit. The shuttle’s Orbiter Maneuvering System engines made up for the deficit. The harrowing events of the powered flight prompted Ascent Flight Director John P. Shannon to comment, “Yikes! We don’t need any more of these.”
Left: Eileen M. Collins, the first woman shuttle commander, shortly after reaching orbit. Right: First time space flyer STS-93 Pilot Jeffrey S. Ashby, shortly after reaching space.
After reaching orbit, the crew opened the payload bay doors and deployed the shuttle’s radiators, and removed their bulky launch and entry suits, stowing them for the remainder of the flight. The astronauts prepared for the mission’s primary objective, deployment of Chandra, and also began activating some of the middeck experiments.
Left: The Chandra X-ray Observatory in Columbia’s payload bay shortly after reaching orbit. Middle: Chandra raised to the deployment angle. Right: Chandra departs Columbia.
Coleman had prime responsibility for deploying Chandra. After initial checkout of the telescope by ground teams, the astronauts tilted Chandra and the IUS to an angle of 29 degrees. After additional checks, they tilted it up to the release angle of 58 degrees. A little over seven hours after launch, Coleman deployed the Chandra/IUS stack. Collins and Ashby flew Columbia to a safe distance, and about an hour after deployment, the IUS fired its first stage engine for about two minutes, followed by a two-minute burn of the second stage. This placed Chandra in a temporary elliptical Earth orbit with a high point of 37,200 miles. After separation of the IUS, Chandra used its own propulsion system over the next 10 days to raise its altitude to 6,214 miles by 86,992 miles, its operational orbit, circling the Earth every 64 hours. For the next four days of the mission, the astronauts operated about 20 middeck experiments, including a technology demonstration of a treadmill vibration isolation system planned for the International Space Station.
Left: Michel A. Tognini works with the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus. Middle: Jeffrey S. Ashby checks the status of the Space Tissue Lab experiment. Right: Catherine G. Coleman harvests plants from the Plant Growth in Microgravity experiment.
Left: Catherine G. Coleman, left, and Michel A. Tognini pose near the Lightweight Flexible Solar Array Hinge technology demonstration experiment. Middle: Stephen A. Hawley checks the status of the Micro Electromechanical Systems experiment. Right: Tognini places samples of the Biological Research in Canisters experiment into a gaseous nitrogen freezer.
Left: Eileen M. Collins runs on the Treadmill Vibration Isolation System. Middle: Stephen A. Hawley, left, and Michel A. Tognini operate the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System instrument. Right: Inflight photograph of the STS-93 crew.
A selection of the STS-93 crew Earth observation photographs. Left: Laguna Verde in Chile. Middle left: Sunrise over the Mozambique Channel. Middle right: Darling River and lakes in Australia. Right: The Society Islands of Bora Bora, Tahaa, and Raiatea.
Left: Eileen M. Collins prepares to bring Columbia home. Middle: Columbia streaks through the skies over NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during reentry. Right: Collins guides Columbia to a smooth touchdown on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Left: Three holes visible in the hydrogen cooling tubes of Columbia’s right main engine, seen after landing. Middle: The STS-93 crew pose in front of Columbia on the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Right: Eileen M. Collins addresses the crowd at Houston’s Ellington Field during the welcome home ceremony for the STS-93 crew, as Vice President Albert “Al” A. Gore and other dignitaries listen.
At the end of five days, the astronauts finished the last of the experiments and prepared for the return to Earth. On July 28, they closed Columbia’s payload bay doors, donned their launch and entry suits, and strapped themselves into their seats for entry and landing. Collins piloted Columbia to a smooth landing on KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility, completing the 12th night landing of the shuttle program. The crew had flown 80 orbits around the Earth in 4 days, 22 hours, and 50 minutes. Columbia wouldn’t fly again until March 2002, the STS-109 Hubble Servicing Mission-3B. A postflight investigation into the cause of the short on ascent that led to two DCUs failing revealed a wire with frayed insulation, likely caused by workers inadvertently stepping on it, that rubbed against a burred screw head that had likely been there since Columbia’s manufacture. The incident resulted in significant changes to ground processes during shuttle inspections and repairs. With regard to the pin ejected during engine ignition that damaged the hydrogen cooling tubes, investigators found that those pins never passed any acceptance testing. Since STS-93 marked the last flight of that generation of main engines, newer engines incorporated a different configuration, requiring no design or other changes.
Enjoy the crew narrate a video about the STS-93 mission. Read Hawley’s recollections of the STS-93 mission in his oral history with the JSC History Office.
Explore More 13 min read 55 Years Ago: One Year Before the Moon Landing Article 16 hours ago 11 min read 45 Years Ago: Space Shuttle Enterprise Completes Launch Pad Checkout Article 1 day ago 5 min read Eileen Collins Broke Barriers as America’s First Female Space Shuttle Commander Article 3 days agoUPDATE: NASA, Boeing to Stream Flight Test Mission Briefing on NASA+
NASA and Boeing will host a news conference with mission leadership at 11:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 25, to provide the latest status of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test aboard the International Space Station. NASA previously planned an audio-only media teleconference to host the discussion.
The agency will provide live coverage on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Participants include:
- Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
United States-based media seeking to attend in person must contact the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than 9:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 25, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. U.S. and international media interested in participating by phone must contact NASA Johnson or NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov by 10:30 a.m. the day of the event. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
Engineering teams with NASA and Boeing recently completed ground hot fire testing of a Starliner reaction control system thruster at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The test series involved firing the engine through similar in-flight conditions the spacecraft experienced during its approach to the space station, as well as various stress-case firings for what is expected during Starliner’s undocking and the deorbit burn that will position the spacecraft for a landing in the southwestern United States. Teams are analyzing the data from these tests, and leadership plans to discuss initial findings during the briefing.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the orbiting laboratory on June 6, after lifting off aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on June 5. Since their arrival, the duo has been integrated with the Expedition 71 crew, performing scientific research and maintenance activities as needed.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission is an end-to-end test of the Starliner system. Following a successful return to Earth, NASA will begin the process of certifying Starliner for rotational missions to the International Space Station. Through partnership with American private industry, NASA is opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities.
For NASA’s blog and more information about the mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
-end-
Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Steve Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie Plucinsky
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
Leah Cheshier / Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
The Future is Bright: Johnson Space Center Interns Shine Throughout Summer Term
More than 100 interns supported operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston this summer, each making an important impact on the agency’s mission success. Get to know seven stellar interns nominated by their mentors for their hard work and outstanding contributions.
Stella Alcorn stands inside the Orion mockup within Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.Stella Alcorn
Assignment: Engineering Directorate, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Autonomous Flight Systems Branch, Orion Program
Education: Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University; graduating May 2026
Proudest internship accomplishment: Learning a new software program and applying topics I learned in school to develop a dynamic overlay display prototype for Orion Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking. My eagerness to learn and support from my mentor and colleagues has allowed me to make great progress on writing code to enable new display prototyping capabilities to support future Artemis missions.
Important lesson learned: Ask questions and engage with coworkers because you don’t gain valuable skills or experience without putting yourself out there. It can be nerve-wracking to collaborate with new people, but I have learned that taking initiative opens a gateway of opportunities.
Advice for incoming interns: Get to know other interns, go to NASA events, don’t be afraid to reach out or ask questions to your mentor, peers, or superiors (even if they’re not in your office or branch). This internship is a privilege, and you should take advantage of all available opportunities. Make connections and learn, but also have fun!
Laila Deshotel meets NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Jessica Watkins.Laila Deshotel
Assignment: Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Space Habitation Systems Division, Computer Safety and Software Assurance Branch
Education: Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio; graduating 2026
Proudest internship accomplishment: Being of service to the International Space Station and Gateway Programs. I contributed to JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) unmanned cargo vehicle, the HTV-X, as a Computer-Based Control Systems (CBCS) safety reviewer. This involves understanding CBCS requirements, reviewing hazard reports in the given safety data package, and attending safety review panels. I am also assisting with the software safety and assurance for Gateway.
Important lesson learned: This term allowed me to see the results of taking initiative and networking with others for professional development outlets. When you aren’t stepping outside of your comfort, you don’t allow any room for further improvement.
Advice for incoming interns: Channel your passion for space into productive work by taking initiative and staying organized. Network actively, seek feedback, embrace learning opportunities, be adaptable, and maintain a positive attitude to make the most of your internship and pave the way for a successful career.
Hunter Kindt during a tour of the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center.Hunter Kindt
Assignment: Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Space Habitation Systems Division, Computer Safety and Software Assurance Branch
Education: Mechanical Engineering, University of Wyoming; graduating December 2024
Proudest internship accomplishment: I am performing a hazard analysis on a spacesuit for armadillos for my exit presentation project. This was inspired by my “Texas to-do list” for the summer, which included seeing an armadillo. I also love iced coffee, and, for fun, I created a cartoon of an armadillo in a spacesuit drinking iced coffee. All of us at the safety review panel I was supporting had a good laugh about it, and it led to a conversation about the logistics of an armadillo in a spacesuit. This project demonstrates my ability to apply the knowledge I have learned during my internship, specifically in safety, to any situation accurately.
Favorite Johnson experience: On a professional level, it was the ability to work with JAXA personnel during the safety review panel for their new HTV-X. Working and building connections with international partners is an experience I will never forget! On a personal level, it was touring the Mission Control Center and seeing the sun rise and set live from the International Space Station!
Advice for incoming interns: Say yes to any opportunity you are presented with.
Mia Garza speaks to Johnson Space Center employees and their family members during a launch viewing event for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test.Mia Garza
Assignment: Office of Communications
Education: Marketing, University of Houston’s Bauer School of Business; graduating December 2024
Proudest internship achievement: My intern project of creating and executing an employee engagement plan for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). I worked with two other interns to create a unique plan to get the Johnson workforce excited about the CFT launch. We created custom crew drinks with RoyalTEA & Coffee Co., held a crew sendoff event which also included a poster decorating party for employees, hosted CFT booths at center-wide events, and hung ‘Godspeed, Suni and Butch’ banners around campus. We ended the project with a fun viewing event for employees and their families.
Favorite Johnson experience: Planning the building 12 dedication that happened on July 19. The tasks have varied between planning the seating chart, writing scripts, and helping create the run of show for the event. But getting to experience the planning process of this event and seeing it come to life has been a surreal experience.
Important lesson learned: The true power of teamwork. It takes a village to accomplish all of the great things that happen here.
Yosefine Santiago-Hernandez poses for a photo with two spacesuits.Yosefine Santiago-Hernandez
Assignment: Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, Space Habitation Systems Division, Computer Safety and Software Assurance Branch
Education: Mechanical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; graduating May 2027
Proudest internship accomplishment: Serving as lead representative for CBCS in a safety review panel of an International Space Station payload.
Favorite Johnson experience: Working while surrounded by space history. There is always something going on, and something to see. It has been incredible to tour places like the Mission Control Center, Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, and vacuum chambers. Also, it was pretty cool to meet an astronaut from my home country, Puerto Rico.
Important lesson learned: To persevere and step out of my comfort zone. I am working on concepts I have not worked on previously and are not taught in the classroom, therefore it has been a challenge to learn about them and contribute to the work. I took this challenge with a positive attitude and have been able to gain further understanding of systems engineering and CBCS and complete my tasks.
Courtney Thompson during a tour of Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.Courtney Thompson
Assignment: Center Operations Directorate, Logistics Division and Director’s Office
Education: Supply Chain Management, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; graduated December 2023
Proudest internship achievement: Getting here! Working at NASA was always the dream, though it didn’t seem like that was going to happen for me. I went back to school as a nontraditional business student a few years ago. I thought that would work against me but rolled the dice and here I am. Both my spring and summer internship mentors have been incredibly supportive during my time here. Temporary or not, this has been one of the best experiences of my life.
Important lesson learned: Remember what we are a part of. There are so many amazing things humanity has accomplished; many of those things are right here at NASA. Tour the facilities, ask questions, watch the launches, and celebrate and share with your friends. We are so lucky to get to witness these things up close and be a part of that history.
Advice for incoming interns: Always ask questions. Someone else probably has that question, too, or has never thought of things that way. It also helps show initiative and gets people to learn your name. Have a crazy new idea for something? Ask if it’s been done before or if it’s even feasible. And if they love the idea, you might just find more people to help make it happen.
Luis Valdez during a tour of Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.Luis Valdez
Assignment: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning – Software Development for Decision Intelligence Capability, Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Information, Data, and Analytics Services Team
Education: Computer Science, Texas A&M University; graduating May 2026
Proudest internship achievement: I’m proud of how much I’ve been able to learn and get done as the only intern on my project. It was pretty daunting at first, but I also saw it as an opportunity to show what I have to offer. Also, networking with other interns, civil servants, and even other companies like Google has been a dream come true.
Important lesson learned: Everything always changes. At the beginning of my internship, there was no clear path for me to take to achieve our objective, so it was all up to me to make the vision come to life. If something wasn’t working out, or if the customer wanted something different that wasn’t possible, I changed my methods to make it possible.
Advice for incoming interns: Get involved. Let yourself integrate fully into this internship. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and working at NASA has been the dream of millions of people so make sure you take it all in. Also, connect with your mentor! They have so much to offer, and they truly want the best for you.
The Marshall Star for July 24, 2024
By Rick Smith
“The art of aerospace engineering is a matter of seeing around corners,” said NASA thermal analyst Jodi Turk. In the case of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, marking its 25th anniversary in space this year, some of those corners proved to be as far as 80,000 miles away and a quarter-century in the future.
Turk is part of a dedicated team of engineers, designers, test technicians, and analysts at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Together with partners outside and across the agency, including the Chandra Operations Control Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, they keep the spacecraft flying, enabling Chandra’s ongoing studies of black holes, supernovae, dark matter, and more – and deepening our understanding of the origin and evolution of the cosmos.
Engineers in the X-ray Calibration Facility – now the world-class X-ray & Cryogenic Facility – at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center integrate the Chandra X-ray Observatory’s High Resolution Camera with the mirror assembly inside a 24-foot-diameter vacuum chamber, in this photo taken March 16, 1997. Chandra was launched July 23, 1999, aboard space shuttle Columbia.NASA“Everything Chandra has shown us over the last 25 years – the formation of galaxies and super star clusters, the behavior and evolution of supermassive black holes, proof of dark matter and gravitational wave events, the viability of habitable exoplanets – has been fascinating,” said retired NASA astrophysicist Martin Weisskopf, who led Chandra scientific development at Marshall beginning in the late 1970s. “Chandra has opened new windows in astrophysics that we’d hardly begun to imagine in the years prior to launch.”
Following extensive development and testing by a contract team managed and led by Marshall, Chandra was lifted to space aboard the space shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999. Marshall has continued to manage the program for NASA ever since.
“How much technology from 1999 is still in use today?” said Chandra researcher Douglas Swartz. “We don’t use the same camera equipment, computers, or phones from that era. But one technological success – Chandra – is still going strong, and still so powerful that it can read a stop sign from 12 miles away.”
That lasting value is no accident. During early concept development, Chandra – known prior to launch as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility – was intended to be a 15-year, serviceable mission like that of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, enabling periodic upgrades by visiting astronauts.
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the longest cargo ever carried to space aboard the space shuttle, seen in Columbia’s payload bay prior to being tilted upward for release and deployment on July 23, 1999.NASABut in the early 1990s, as NASA laid plans to build the International Space Station in orbit, the new X-ray observatory’s budget was revised. A new, elliptical orbit would carry Chandra a third of the way to the Moon, or roughly 80,000 miles from Earth at apogee. That meant a shorter mission life – five years – and no periodic servicing.
The engineering design team at Marshall, its contractors, and the mission support team at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory revised their plan, minimizing the impact to Chandra’s science. In doing so, they enabled a long-running science mission so successful that it would capture the imagination of the nation and lead NASA to extend its duration past that initial five-year period.
“There was a lot of excitement and a lot of challenges – but we met them and conquered them,” said Marshall project engineer David Hood, who joined the Chandra development effort in 1988.
“The field of high-powered X-ray astronomy was still so relatively young, it wasn’t just a matter of building a revolutionary observatory,” Weisskopf said. “First, we had to build the tools necessary to test, analyze, and refine the hardware.”
On July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory is released from space shuttle Columbia’s payload bay. Twenty-five years later, Chandra continues to make valuable discoveries about high-energy sources and phenomena across the universe.NASAMarshall renovated and expanded its X-ray Calibration Facility – now known as the X-ray & Cryogenic Facility – to calibrate Chandra’s instruments and conduct space-like environment testing of sensitive hardware. That work would, years later, pave the way for Marshall testing of advanced mirror optics for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
“Marshall has a proven history of designing for long-term excellence and extending our lifespan margins,” Turk said. “Our missions often tend to last well past their end date.”
Chandra is a case in point. The team has automated some of Chandra’s operations for efficiency. They also closely monitor key elements of the spacecraft, such as its thermal protection system, which have degraded as anticipated over time, due to the punishing effects of the space environment.
“Chandra’s still a workhorse, but one that needs gentler handling,” Turk said. The team met that challenge by meticulously modeling and tracking Chandra’s position and behavior in orbit and paying close attention to radiation, changes in momentum, and other obstacles. They have also employed creative approaches, making use of data from sensors on the spacecraft in new ways.
An artist’s illustration depicting NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in flight, with a vivid star field behind it. Chandra’s solar panels are deployed and its camera “eye” open on the cosmos.NASAActing project manager Andrew Schnell, who leads the Chandra team at Marshall, said the mission’s length means the spacecraft is now overseen by numerous “third-generation engineers” such as Turk. He said they’re just as dedicated and driven as their senior counterparts, who helped deliver Chandra to launch 25 years ago.
The work also provides a one-of-a-kind teaching opportunity, Turk said. “Troubleshooting Chandra has taught us how to find alternate solutions for everything from an interrupted sensor reading to aging thermocouples, helping us more accurately diagnose issues with other flight hardware and informing design and planning for future missions,” she said.
Well-informed, practically trained engineers and scientists are foundational to productive teams, Hood said – a fact so crucial to Chandra’s success that its project leads and support engineers documented the experience in a paper titled, “Lessons We Learned Designing and Building the Chandra Telescope.”
“Former program manager Fred Wojtalik said it best: ‘Teams win,’” Hood said. “The most important person on any team is the person doing their work to the best of their ability, with enthusiasm and pride. That’s why I’m confident Chandra’s still got some good years ahead of her. Because that foundation has never changed.”
As Chandra turns the corner on its silver anniversary, the team on the ground is ready for whatever fresh challenge comes next.
Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission.
Smith, an Aeyon/MTS employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
NASA Sounding Rocket Launches, Studies Heating of Sun’s Active RegionsBy Wayne Smith
Investigators at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will use observations from a recently launched sounding rocket mission to provide a clearer image of how and why the Sun’s corona grows so much hotter than the visible surface of Earth’s parent star. The MaGIXS-2 mission – short for the second flight of the Marshall Grazing Incidence X-ray Spectrometer – launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on July 16.
The mission’s goal is to determine the heating mechanisms in active regions on the Sun by making critical observations using X-ray spectroscopy.
NASA’s MaGIXS-2 sounding rocket mission successfully launches from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on July 16.United States NavyThe Sun’s surface temperature is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit – but the corona routinely measures more than 1.8 million degrees, with active regions measuring up to 5 million degrees.
Amy Winebarger, Marshall heliophysicist and principal investigator for the MaGIXS missions, said studying the X-rays from the Sun sheds light on what’s happening in the solar atmosphere – which, in turn, directly impacts Earth and the entire solar system.
X-ray spectroscopy provides unique capabilities for answering fundamental questions in solar physics and for potentially predicting the onset of energetic eruptions on the Sun like solar flares or coronal mass ejections. These violent outbursts can interfere with communications satellites and electronic systems, even causing physical drag on satellites as Earth’s atmosphere expands to absorb the added solar energy.
“Learning more about these solar events and being able to predict them are the kind of things we need to do to better live in this solar system with our Sun,” Winebarger said.
The NASA team retrieved the payload immediately after the flight and has begun processing datasets.
“We have these active regions on the Sun, and these areas are very hot, much hotter than even the rest of the corona,” said Patrick Champey, deputy principal investigator at Marshall for the mission. “There’s been a big question – how are these regions heated? We previously determined it could relate to how often energy is released. The X-rays are particularly sensitive to this frequency number, and so we built an instrument to look at the X-ray spectra and disentangle the data.”
The MaGIXS-2 sounding rocket team stand on the launchpad in White Sands, New Mexico, prior to launch July 16.United States NavyFollowing a successful July 2021 launch of the first MaGIXS mission, Marshall and its partners refined instrumentation for MaGIXS-2 to provide a broader view for observing the Sun’s X-rays. Marshall engineers developed and fabricated the telescope and spectrometer mirrors, and the camera. The integrated instrument was exhaustively tested in Marshall’s state-of-the-art X-ray & Cryogenic Facility. For MaGIXS-2, the team refined the same mirrors used on the first flight, with a much larger aperture and completed the testing at Marshall’s Stray Light Test Facility.
A Marshall project from inception, technology developments for MaGIXS include the low-noise CCD camera, high-resolution X-ray optics, calibration methods, and more.
Winebarger and Champey said MaGIXS many of the team members started their NASA careers with the project, learning to take on lead roles and benefitting from mentorship.
“I think that’s probably the most critical thing, aside from the technology, for being successful,” Winebarger said. “It’s very rare that you get from concept to flight in a few years. A young engineer can go all the way to flight, come to White Sands to watch it launch, and retrieve it.”
NASA routinely uses sounding rockets for brief, focused science missions. They’re often smaller, more affordable, and faster to design and build than large-scale satellite missions, Winebarger said. Sounding rockets carry scientific instruments into space along a parabolic trajectory. Their overall time in space is brief, typically five minutes, and at lower vehicle speeds for a well-placed scientific experiment.
The MaGIXS mission was developed at Marshall in partnership with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Sounding Rockets Program Office, located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility, provides suborbital launch vehicles, payload development, and field operations support to NASA and other government agencies.
Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
From 1 Crew to Another: Artemis II Astronauts Meet NASA Barge CrewMembers of the Artemis II crew met with the crew of NASA’s Pegasus barge prior to their departure to deliver the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to the Space Coast.
NASA astronaut and pilot of the Artemis II mission Victor Glover met the crew July 15. NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist, visited the barge July 16 shortly before the flight hardware was loaded onto it.
Crew members of NASA’s Pegasus barge meet with NASA astronaut Victor Glover at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility prior to their departure to deliver the core stage of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to the Space Coast. From left are Ashley Marlar, Jamie Crews, Nick Owen, Jefferey Whitehead, Scott Ledet, Jason Dickerson, John Campbell, Glover, Farid Sayah, Kelton Hutchinson, Terry Fitzgerald, Bryan Jones, and Joe Robinson.NASA/Brandon HancockPegasus is currently transporting the SLS core stage from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, where it will be integrated and prepared for launch. During the Artemis II test flight, the core stage with its four RS-25 engines will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send the Artemis II crew around the Moon.
The Pegasus crew and team, from left, includes Kelton Hutchinson, Jeffery Whitehead, Jason Dickerson, Arlan Cochran, John Brunson, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Marc Verhage, Terry Fitzgerald, Scott Ledet, CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Wil Daly, Ashley Marlar, Farid Sayah, Jamie Crews, Joe Robinson, and Nick Owen.NASA/Sam LottPegasus, which was previously used to ferry space shuttle tanks, was modified and refurbished to ferry the SLS rocket’s massive core stage. At 212 feet in length and 27.6 feet in diameter, the Moon rocket stage is more than 50 feet longer than the space shuttle external tank.
I am Artemis: John CampbellHow do you move NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s massive 212-foot-long core stage across the country? You do it with a 300-foot-long barge. However, NASA’s Pegasus barge isn’t just any barge. It’s a vessel with a history, and John Campbell, a logistics engineer for the agency based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is one of the few people who get to be a part of its legacy.
John Campbell, a logistics engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, stands on NASA’s Pegasus barge July 15.NASAFor Campbell, this journey is more than just a job – it’s a lifelong passion realized. “Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been fascinated by engineering,” he said. “But to be entrusted with managing NASA’s Pegasus barge, transporting history-making hardware for human spaceflight across state lines and waterways – is something I never imagined.”
NASA has used barges to ferry the large and heavy hardware elements of its rockets since the Apollo Program. Replacing the agency’s Poseidon and Orion barges, Pegasus was originally crafted for the Space Shuttle Program and updated in recent years to help usher in the Artemis Generation and accommodate the mammoth dimensions of the SLS core stage. The barge plays a big role in NASA’s logistical operations, navigating rivers and coastal waters across the Southeast, and has transported key structural test hardware for SLS in recent years.
Campbell grew up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in mechanical engineering, he ventured south to Panama City, Florida, where he spent a few years with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning consulting team. Looking for an opportunity to move home, he applied for and landed a contractor position with NASA and soon moved to his current civil service role.
With 17 years under his belt, Campbell has many fond memories during his time with the agency. One standout moment was witnessing the space shuttle stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. But it’s not all about rockets and launch pads for Campbell. When he isn’t in his office making sure Pegasus has everything it needs for its next trip out, he is on the water accompanying important pieces of hardware to their next destinations. With eight trips on Pegasus under his belt, the journey never gets old.
“There is something peaceful when you look out and it’s just you, the water, one or two other boats, and wildlife,” Campbell said. “On one trip we had a pod of at least 20 dolphins surrounding us. You get to see all kinds of cool wildlife and scenery.”
From cherishing special moments like this to ensuring the success of each journey, Campbell recognizes the vital role he plays in the agency’s goals to travel back to the Moon and beyond and does not take his responsibility lightly.
“To be a part of the Artemis campaign and the future of space is just cool. I was there when the barge underwent its transformation to accommodate the colossal core stage, and in that moment, I realized I was witnessing history unfold. Though I couldn’t be present at the launch of Artemis I, watching it on TV was an emotional experience. To see something you’ve been a part of, something you’ve watched evolve from mere components to a giant spacecraft hurtling into space – it’s a feeling beyond words.”
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.
Marshall manages the SLS Program.
Read other I am Artemis features.
Icelandic Graduate Student Brings High-Performance Computing Knowledge to IMPACTBy Derek Koehl
For the last six months, NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) foundation model development team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, has been joined by Þorsteinn Elí Gíslason, a visiting graduate student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville from the University of Iceland.
His participation on the Prithvi geospatial foundation model, an open-source geospatial artificial intelligence (AI) foundation model for Earth observation data, was part of a collaboration partnership between NASA, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), the University of Iceland, and the Jülich Supercomputing Centre in Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.
Þorsteinn Elí Gíslason, a graduate student from the University of Iceland, is supported by NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. NASAThe goal of the collaboration was to share expertise and knowledge across institutions in an open and synergetic way. This partnership serves as a pathfinder for students to work on an international collaborative project and provides extensive research opportunities to graduate students like Elí in fields such as AI foundation models and high-performance computing (HPC).
“Elí demonstrated exceptional support in running experiments on the geospatial foundation model, showcasing his expertise and dedication,” said Sujit Roy, Gíslason’s mentor and IMPACT FM team lead from UAH. “I loved one specific quality of Elí, that he asks a lot of questions and puts effort into understanding the problem statement.”
Gíslason was instrumental in helping the team overcome the hoops and hurdles involved when pre-training a foundation model on a high-performance computing system. His ability to understand models and scale them to multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) was an instrumental skill for the project. He facilitated scripts and simulations to run seamlessly over multiple nodes and GPUs, optimizing resources and accelerating research outcomes. Additionally, Elí’s adeptness in running these models on high-performance computing systems significantly enhanced the team’s computational efficiency. Gíslason also contributed his knowledge of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre’s HPC systems and served an important role with respect to the Centre’s operations.
By helping the team overcome the challenges of pre-training, Gíslason’s interest in AI models expanded.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in programming and computers. I’ve always found it fun to apply programming to a problem I’m facing, especially if it has the opportunity to reduce the overall work required,” said Gíslason. “AI, machine learning, and deep learning are just advanced forms of this interest. These models capture my interest in that they are able to solve problems by capturing patterns that don’t have to be explicitly defined beforehand.”
Gíslason’s work with IMPACT supports his master’s thesis in computational engineering at the University of Iceland. His graduate work builds on his Bachelor of Science in physics.
This collaboration was facilitated by Gabriele Cavallaro from Jülich Supercomputing Center and Manil Maskey, IMPACT deputy project manager and research scientist at Marshall.
“Open science thrives on sharing expertise, and artificial intelligence encompasses a vast field requiring knowledge across many areas,” Maskey said. “Elí provided one of the key expertise areas crucial to our project. This collaboration was mutually beneficial- our foundation model project gained from his specialized knowledge, while Elí gained valuable technical skills and experience as part of a major NASA project.”
IMPACT is managed by Marshall and is part of the center’s Earth Science branch. The collaboration was conducted through the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society Earth Science Informatics Technical Committee. Along with IMPACT and Marshall, development of the Prithvi geospatial foundation model featured significant contributions from NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer, IBM Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Koehl is a research associate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville supporting IMPACT.
Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower Best Seen in Southern Hemisphere in Late JulyMost casual skywatchers know the bright, busy Perseids meteor shower arrives in late July and peaks in mid-August. Fewer are likely to name-drop the Southern delta Aquariids, which overlap with the Perseids each summer and are typically outshone by their brighter counterparts, especially when the Moon washes out the Southern delta Aquariids.
Perseids meteors – which coincide with the Southern Delta Aquariids at the tail end of July – streak over Sequoia National Forest in this 2023 NASA file photo. NASA/Preston Dyches)This year, with the Southern delta Aquariids set to peak on the night of July 28, the underdog shower isn’t likely to deliver any surprises. Unless you’re below the equator, it’ll take a keen eye to spot one.
“The Southern delta Aquariids have a very strong presence on meteor radars which can last for weeks,” said NASA astronomer Bill Cooke, who leads the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “Sadly, for most observers in the Northern Hemisphere, they’re difficult to spot with the naked eye, requiring the darkest possible skies.”
Meteor watchers – particularly those in the southern United States and points south – will be best served to check out the night sky July 28-29 before moonrise at 2 a.m.
During peak shower activity, under ideal viewing conditions with no Moon in the sky, casual watchers may see 2-5 meteors per hour, flashing into view at speeds of 25 miles per second. A small percentage of these may leave glowing, ionized gas trails that linger visibly for a second or two after the meteor has passed. But most of the noticeable activity for the Southern delta Aquariids occurs over a couple of days around its peak, so don’t expect to see any past the end of July.
You can distinguish Southern delta Aquariids meteors from the Perseids by identifying their radiant, or the point in the sky from which a meteor appears to originate. Southern delta Aquariids appear to come from the direction of the constellation of Aquarius, hence the name. The Perseids’ radiant is in the constellation of Perseus in the northern sky.
Most astronomers agree the Southern delta Aquariids originate from Comet 96P/Machholz, which orbits the Sun every 5.3 years. Discovered by Donald Machholz in 1986, the comet’s nucleus is roughly 4 miles across – about half the size of the object suspected to have wiped out the dinosaurs. Researchers think debris causing the Southern delta Aquariid meteor shower was generated about 20,000 years ago.
Juno Mission Captures Colorful, Chaotic Clouds of JupiterDuring its 61st close flyby of Jupiter on May 12, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured a color-enhanced view of the giant planet’s northern hemisphere. It provides a detailed view of chaotic clouds and cyclonic storms in an area known to scientists as a folded filamentary region. In these regions, the zonal jets that create the familiar banded patterns in Jupiter’s clouds break down, leading to turbulent patterns and cloud structures that rapidly evolve over the course of only a few days.
During its 61st close flyby of Jupiter on May 12, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured a color-enhanced view of the giant planet’s northern hemisphere.Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing by Gary Eason © CC BYCitizen scientist Gary Eason made this image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument, applying digital processing techniques to enhance color and clarity.
At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 18,000 miles above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 68 degrees north of the equator.
JunoCam’s raw images are available for the public to peruse and process into image products at https://missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/processing. More information about NASA citizen science can be found at https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA’s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft.
Learn more about Juno.
A Saturnian Summer
A Saturnian Summer
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of Saturn and its colossal rings on July 4, 2020, during summer in the gas giant’s northern hemisphere. Two of Saturn’s icy moons are also clearly visible: Mimas at right, and Enceladus at bottom.
The light reddish haze over the northern hemisphere seen in this color composite could be due to heating from increased sunlight, which could either change the atmospheric circulation or remove ices from aerosols in the atmosphere. Another theory is that the increased sunlight in the summer months is changing the amounts of photochemical haze produced. Conversely, the just-now-visible south pole has a blue hue, reflecting changes in Saturn’s winter hemisphere.
This image was taken as part of the Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) project. OPAL is helping scientists understand the atmospheric dynamics and evolution of our solar system’s gas giant planets. In Saturn’s case, astronomers continue tracking shifting weather patterns and storms.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley), and the OPAL Team
NASA’s Webb Images Cold Exoplanet 12 Light-Years Away
An international team of astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has directly imaged an exoplanet roughly 12 light-years from Earth. The planet, Epsilon Indi Ab, is one of the coldest exoplanets observed to date.
The planet is several times the mass of Jupiter and orbits the K-type star Epsilon Indi A (Eps Ind A), which is around the age of our Sun, but slightly cooler. The team observed Epsilon Indi Ab using the coronagraph on Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). Only a few tens of exoplanets have been directly imaged previously by space- and ground-based observatories.
Image A: Exoplanet Epsilon Indi Ab This image of the gas-giant exoplanet Epsilon Indi Ab was taken with the coronagraph on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument). A star symbol marks the location of the host star Epsilon Indi A, whose light has been blocked by the coronagraph, resulting in the dark circle marked with a dashed white line. Epsilon Indi Ab is one of the coldest exoplanets ever directly imaged. Light at 10.6 microns was assigned the color blue, while light at 15.5 microns was assigned the color orange. MIRI did not resolve the planet, which is a point source.“Our prior observations of this system have been more indirect measurements of the star, which actually allowed us to see ahead of time that there was likely a giant planet in this system tugging on the star,” said team member Caroline Morley of the University of Texas at Austin. “That’s why our team chose this system to observe first with Webb.”
“This discovery is exciting because the planet is quite similar to Jupiter — it is a little warmer and is more massive, but is more similar to Jupiter than any other planet that has been imaged so far,” added lead author Elisabeth Matthews of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.
Previously imaged exoplanets tend to be the youngest, hottest exoplanets that are still radiating much of the energy from when they first formed. As planets cool and contract over their lifetime, they become significantly fainter and therefore harder to image.
A Solar System Analog“Cold planets are very faint, and most of their emission is in the mid-infrared,” explained Matthews. “Webb is ideally suited to conduct mid-infrared imaging, which is extremely hard to do from the ground. We also needed good spatial resolution to separate the planet and the star in our images, and the large Webb mirror is extremely helpful in this aspect.”
Epsilon Indi Ab is one of the coldest exoplanets to be directly detected, with an estimated temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) — colder than any other imaged planet beyond our solar system, and colder than all but one free-floating brown dwarf. The planet is only around 180 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) warmer than gas giants in our solar system. This provides a rare opportunity for astronomers to study the atmospheric composition of true solar system analogs.
“Astronomers have been imagining planets in this system for decades; fictional planets orbiting Epsilon Indi have been the sites of Star Trek episodes, novels, and video games like Halo,” added Morley. “It’s exciting to actually see a planet there ourselves, and begin to measure its properties.”
Not Quite As PredictedEpsilon Indi Ab is the twelfth closest exoplanet to Earth known to date and the closest planet more massive than Jupiter. The science team chose to study Eps Ind A because the system showed hints of a possible planetary body using a technique called radial velocity, which measures the back-and-forth wobbles of the host star along our line of sight.
“While we expected to image a planet in this system, because there were radial velocity indications of its presence, the planet we found isn’t what we had predicted,” shared Matthews. “It’s about twice as massive, a little farther from its star, and has a different orbit than we expected. The cause of this discrepancy remains an open question. The atmosphere of the planet also appears to be a little different than the model predictions. So far we only have a few photometric measurements of the atmosphere, meaning that it is hard to draw conclusions, but the planet is fainter than expected at shorter wavelengths.”
The team believes this may mean there is significant methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere that are absorbing the shorter wavelengths of light. It might also suggest a very cloudy atmosphere.
The direct imaging of exoplanets is particularly valuable for characterization. Scientists can directly collect light from the observed planet and compare its brightness at different wavelengths. So far, the science team has only detected Epsilon Indi Ab at a few wavelengths, but they hope to revisit the planet with Webb to conduct both photometric and spectroscopic observations in the future. They also hope to detect other similar planets with Webb to find possible trends about their atmospheres and how these objects form.
NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will use a coronagraph to demonstrate direct imaging technology by photographing Jupiter-like worlds orbiting Sun-like stars – something that has never been done before. These results will pave the way for future missions to study worlds that are even more Earth-like.
These results were taken with Webb’s Cycle 1 General Observer program 2243 and have been published in the journal Nature.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
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Media ContactsLaura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu , Hannah Braun hbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Animation: Eclipse/Coronagraph Animation
Webb Blog: NASA’s Webb Takes Its First-Ever Direct Image of Distant World
Webb Blog: How Webb’s Coronagraphs Reveal Exoplanets in the Infrared
Article: Webb’s Impact on Exoplanet Research
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Mechanical Engineer Jeff Pollack finalizes his design for the integration of the laser communications terminal into the PC-12 research aircraft.Credit: NASA/Sara LowthianNASA invites media to attend a real-time laser communications experiment at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Researchers are testing a laser communications networking system that could enable the public to watch the first woman and first person of color walk on the Moon in HD during the Artemis missions.
The media availability begins at 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 30 (weather permitting) at the NASA Glenn aircraft hangar. Media will have the opportunity to see NASA’s Pilatus PC-12 aircraft take off and to film researchers on the ground as they communicate with the airborne team.
During these tests, researchers flying over Lake Erie will test communications between NASA Glenn and the aircraft using High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking developed by Glenn. The data is transferred over laser communications links at a rate of 1.2 gigabits per second — faster than most home internet speeds.
Earlier this summer, the research team streamed 4K video to the International Space Station from an aircraft for the first time in history.
Media interested in attending should contact Jan Wittry at jan.m.wittry-1@nasa.gov by 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 29.
These experiments are part of NASA’s goal to stream very high-bandwidth video and other data from deep space, enabling future human missions beyond Earth orbit. In December, NASA streamed a video featuring a cat named Taters back to Earth from nearly 19 million miles away in deep space using NASA’s laser communications demonstration, marking a historic milestone.
About Laser Communications
Historically, missions have relied on the use of radio waves to exchange information to and from space. Now, NASA is embracing the power of laser communications, also known as optical communications, which uses infrared light rather than radio waves to transmit more data at once.
As NASA explores the lunar surface with advanced science instruments and captures high-definition data, researchers will need faster ways to send large amounts of information to Earth. Laser communications will accelerate the data transfer process and enable 10 to 100 times more data transmitted back to Earth than current radio frequency systems.
For more information on NASA, visit:
http://www.nasa.govnasa.gov
-end-
Jan Wittry
NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-5466
jan.m.wittry-1@nasa.gov
NASA Streams First 4K Video from Aircraft to Space Station, Back
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A graphic representation of a laser communications relay between the International Space Station, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration spacecraft, and the Earth.Credit: NASA/Dave RyanA team at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the International Space Station and back for the first time using optical, or laser, communications. The feat was part of a series of tests on new technology that could provide live video coverage of astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis missions.
Historically, NASA has relied on radio waves to send information to and from space. Laser communications use infrared light to transmit 10 to 100 times more data faster than radio frequency systems.
Working with the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, Glenn engineers temporarily installed a portable laser terminal on the belly of a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. They then flew over Lake Erie sending data from the aircraft to an optical ground station in Cleveland. From there, it was sent over an Earth-based network to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where scientists used infrared light signals to send the data.
The signals traveled 22,000 miles away from Earth to NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), an orbiting experimental platform. The LCRD then relayed the signals to the ILLUMA-T (Integrated LCRD LEO User Modem and Amplifier Terminal) payload mounted on the orbiting laboratory, which then sent data back to Earth. During the experiments, High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN), a new system developed at Glenn, helped the signal penetrate cloud coverage more effectively.
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4K video footage was routed from the PC-12 aircraft to an optical ground station in Cleveland. From there, it was sent over an Earth-based network to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The signals were then sent to NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration spacecraft and relayed to the ILLUMA-T payload on the International Space Station. Video Credit: NASA/Morgan Johnson“These experiments are a tremendous accomplishment,” said Dr. Daniel Raible, principal investigator for the HDTN project at Glenn. “We can now build upon the success of streaming 4K HD videos to and from the space station to provide future capabilities, like HD videoconferencing, for our Artemis astronauts, which will be important for crew health and activity coordination.”
Mechanical Engineer Jeff Pollack finalizes his design for the integration of the laser communications terminal into the PC-12 research aircraft.Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-HannaAfter each flight test, the team continuously improved the functionality of their technology. Aeronautics testing of space technology often finds issues more effectively than ground testing, while remaining more cost-effective than space testing. Proving success in a simulated space environment is key to moving new technology from a laboratory into the production phase.
“Teams at Glenn ensure new ideas are not stuck in a lab, but actually flown in the relevant environment to ensure this technology can be matured to improve the lives of all of us,” said James Demers, chief of aircraft operations at Glenn.
The flights were part of an agency initiative to stream high-bandwidth video and other data from deep space, enabling future human missions beyond low Earth orbit. As NASA continues to develop advanced science instruments to capture high-definition data on the Moon and beyond, the agency’s Space Communications and Navigation, or SCaN, program embraces laser communications to send large amounts of information back to Earth.
While the ILLUMA-T payload is no longer installed on the space station, researchers will continue to test 4K video streaming capabilities from the PC-12 aircraft through the remainder of July, with the goal of developing the technologies needed to stream humanity’s return to the lunar surface through Artemis.
Explore More 11 min read LIVE: NASA is with you from Oshkosh Article 3 hours ago 5 min read NASA’s 21st Northrop Grumman Mission Launches Scientific Studies to Station Article 1 day ago 5 min read Ground Antenna Trio to Give NASA’s Artemis Campaign ‘LEGS’ to Stand On Article 2 days ago45 Years Ago: Space Shuttle Enterprise Completes Launch Pad Checkout
On July 23, 1979, space shuttle Enterprise completed its time as a pathfinder vehicle at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Workers towed it back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). During its four-month stay at KSC, Enterprise validated procedures for the assembly of the space shuttle stack and interfaces at the launch pad. The tests proved valuable in preparing space shuttle Columbia for its first orbital mission in 1981. Earlier, Enterprise proved the flight worthiness of the shuttle during atmospheric tests and certified the vehicle’s structure to handle launch loads. Later, Enterprise supported the Challenger and Columbia accident investigations. Following a restoration, Enterprise went on public display, first near Washington, D.C., and then in New York City where it currently resides.
Left: NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher, left, poses with several cast members and creator of the TV series “Star Trek” at Enterprise’s rollout. Middle: Enterprise moments after release from the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during the first Approach and Landing Test free flight. Right: At NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for vibration tests, a shuttle orbiter joins an External Tank and twin Solid Rocket Boosters for the first time.
On Jan. 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon directed NASA to build the reusable space shuttle, formally called the Space Transportation System (STS). Manufacture of the first components of Orbital Vehicle-101 (OV-101) at the North American Rockwell Corporation’s plant in Downey, California, began on June 4, 1974. This first vehicle, designed for ground and atmospheric flight tests, received the name Enterprise, following a dedicated write-in campaign by fans of the television science fiction series “Star Trek.” Enterprise rolled out of Rockwell’s Palmdale facility on Sept. 17, 1976. In January 1977, workers trucked Enterprise 36 miles overland from Palmdale to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, for the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT), a series of increasingly complex flights to evaluate the shuttle’s air worthiness. At Dryden, workers placed Enterprise on the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747. The duo began taxi runs in February, followed by the first captive inactive flight later that month. The first captive active flight with a crew aboard the orbiter took place in June, and Enterprise made its first independent flight on Aug. 12. Four additional approach and landing flights completed the ALT program by October. In March 1978, Enterprise began its first cross-country trip from Edwards to the Redstone Arsenal’s airfield in Huntsville, Alabama. Workers trucked Enterprise to the adjacent NASA Marshall Space Flight Center where engineers for the first time mated it with an External Tank (ET) and inert Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) in the Dynamic Structural Test Facility. For the next year, engineers conducted a series of vibration tests on the combined vehicle, simulating conditions expected during an actual launch.
Left: Enterprise atop its Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) touches down on the runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Middle: Workers remove Enterprise from the SCA in the Mate-Demate Device. Right: Workers tow Enterprise into the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Left: At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building prepare to lift Enterprise. Middle: Enterprise in the vertical position. Right: Workers lower Enterprise for attachment to the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters.
Following the year-long series of tests at Marshall, on April 10, 1979, NASA ferried Enterprise atop its SCA to KSC. Workers at the SLF removed the orbiter from the back of the SCA in the Mate-Demate Device,and towed it into High Bay 3 of the VAB where on April 25 they completed attaching it to an ET and inert SRBs on a Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) repurposed from carrying Saturn rockets. These activities enabled verification of towing, assembly, and checkout procedures. Since the Apollo and Skylab programs, engineers had made many significant modifications to Launch Pads 39A and 39B to accommodate the space shuttle. Among these included the addition of a fixed launch tower, accommodations for payload handling, and a mobile service structure for access to the vehicle.
Left: Enterprise exiting the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Middle: Enterprise on its Mobile Launch Platform during the rollout to the pad. Right: Enterprise at Launch Pad 39A.
Rollout of Enterprise from the VAB to Launch Pad 39A occurred on May 1, and its arrival marked the first time that a vehicle stood on that facility since the Skylab 1 space station launch in May 1973. The assembled vehicle including the MLP weighed about 11 million pounds. Technicians drove the stack atop the Crawler Transporter at varying speeds to determine the optimum velocity to minimize vibration stress on the vehicle. The 3.5-mile rollout took about eight hours to complete. Once at the pad, engineers used Enterprise to conduct fit checks and to validate launch pad procedures. During the critical countdown demonstration test, workers filled the ET with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The significant discovery that ice built up at the top of the ET during this process led to the addition of the gaseous oxygen vent hood (familiarly known as the “beanie cap”) to the launch pad facility and a procedure to retract it just a few minutes before liftoff. This prevented the dangerous buildup of ice during the countdown and ranks as perhaps one of Enterprise’s greatest contributions as a test vehicle during its time at the launch pad.
Left: Engineer Richard W. Nygren poses in front of Enterprise at Launch Pad 39A with astronauts Richard H. Truly, John W. Young, Robert L. Crippen, and Joe H. Engle, the prime and backup crews assigned to STS-1, the first space shuttle mission. Middle left: Pilot’s eye view of the launch tower looking up through Enterprise’s forward windows. Middle right: Enterprise rolls back into the Vehicle Assembly Building. Right: Enterprise departs NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
On July 23, after three months of fit checks and testing, workers rolled Enterprise back from Launch Pad 39A to the VAB’s High Bay 1. The activities conducted at the pad proved instrumental in paving the way for its sister ship Columbia to make its first launch in 1981. John Bell, who managed the activities at KSC said of the test program, “Overall, it was a very successful venture and well worth it.” Launch Pad 39A Site Manager John J. “Tip” Talone added, “Having [Enterprise] out here really saved the program a lot of time in getting things ready for [Columbia].” In the VAB, workers removed Enterprise from its ET on July 25 and towed it to the SLF on Aug. 3 where it awaited the arrival of the SCA. The ferry flight back to Dryden took place Aug. 10-16, making six stops along the way – Atlanta, St. Louis, Tulsa, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Vandenberg AFB in California. Up to 750,000 people came out to see the orbiter and SCA. Back at Dryden, workers demated Enterprise and on Oct. 30 trucked it back to the Palmdale plant where engineers removed computers and instruments to be refurbished and used in other orbiters then under construction. Previous plans to convert Enterprise into an orbital vehicle proved too costly and NASA abandoned the idea.
Left: Enterprise as the backdrop for President Ronald W. Reagan welcomes home the STS-4 crew at NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center in July 1982. Middle: Enterprise on display at the World’s Fair in New Orleans in 1984. Right: Enterprise during static pad tests at Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force, now Space Force, Base in 1985.
With its major pathfinder tasks completed, and its future uncertain, NASA returned Enterprise to Dryden on Sep. 6, 1981, for long-term storage. On July 4, 1982, NASA used it as a backdrop for President Ronald W. Reagan to welcome home the STS-4 crew. The following year, NASA sent Enterprise on a European tour, departing Dryden on May 13, 1983, with stops in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France for the annual Paris Air Show. Enterprise made a stop in Ottawa, Canada, on its return trip to Dryden, arriving there June 13. Workers once again placed it in temporary storage. For its next public appearance, NASA placed it on display in the U.S. pavilion of the World’s Fair in New Orleans between April and November 1984. After the World’s Fair, NASA ferried Enterprise to Vandenberg AFB in California to conduct fit checks at the Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6), that NASA had planned to use for polar orbiting shuttle missions. NASA used Enterprise to conduct tests at SLC-6 similar to the 1979 tests at KSC’s Launch Complex 39. The tests at Vandenberg completed, NASA ferried Enterprise back to Dryden on May 24, 1985, but this time for only a short-term storage. On Sep. 20, 1985, NASA ferried Enterprise to KSC and placed it on temporary public display near the VAB, next to the Saturn V already displayed there. After two months on display at KSC, NASA flew Enterprise to Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia, arriving on Nov. 18. NASA officially retired Enterprise and transferred ownership to the Smithsonian Institution that had plans to build a large aircraft museum annex at the airport. The Smithsonian placed Enterprise in storage in a hangar, awaiting the completion of its new home. That turned into an 18-year wait.
Left: Launch of STS-61A in October 1985, with Enterprise and the Saturn V in the foreground. Middle: Enterprise in long-term storage at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia. Right: Enterprise during arresting barrier testing at Dulles.
But even during that 18-year wait, NASA found practical use for the venerable Enterprise. In 1987, the agency studied how to handle an orbiter returning from space should it suffer a brake failure. To test the efficacy of an arresting barrier, workers at Dulles slowly winched Enterprise into a landing barrier to see if the vehicle suffered any damage. Later that same year, NASA used Enterprise to test various crew bailout procedures being developed in the wake of the Challenger accident. In 1990, experimenters used Enterprise’s cockpit windows to test mount an antenna for the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment, with no other orbiters available. Periodically, engineers removed parts from Enterprise to test for materials durability, and evaluated the structural integrity of the vehicle including its payload bay doors and found it to be in sound condition even after years in storage. In April 2003, in the wake of the Columbia accident, investigators borrowed Enterprise’s left landing gear door and part of the port wing for foam impact tests. The tests provided solid evidence for the foam strike as the cause of the accident.
Left: Space shuttle Enterprise undergoes restoration at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Chantilly, Virginia. Note the missing wing leading edge, donated for the Columbia accident investigation. Right: Enterprise on display at the Hazy Center. Image credits: courtesy NASM.
On Nov. 20, 2003, workers towed Enterprise from its storage facility into a newly completed display hangar at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum at Dulles. After specialists spent eight months restoring the orbiter, the museum placed it on public display on Dec. 15, 2004.
Left: Space shuttle orbiters Enterprise, left, and Discovery meet nose-to-nose at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. Right: Actor Leonard Nimoy greets Enterprise at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
In 2011, NASA retired the space shuttle fleet and donated the vehicles to various museums around the country. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City acquired Enterprise, and on Apr. 19, 2012, workers removed the orbiter from its display at the Hazy Center – replacing it with the orbiter Discovery – and placed it atop a SCA for the final time. Eight days later, after a short flight from Dulles, Enterprise landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Workers lifted the orbiter from the SCA and placed it on a barge. It eventually arrived at the Intrepid Museum on June 3 and went on public display July 19. Enterprise suffered minor damage during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, but workers fully restored it.
Enterprise in the Shuttle Pavilion at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. Image credit: courtesy Intrepid Museum.
Sols 4253-4254: Pit Stop for Contact Science
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Sols 4253-4254: Pit Stop for Contact Science This image was taken by Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4251 (2024-07-22 00:02:59 UTCEarth planning date: Monday, July 22, 2024
Last week we wrapped up activities at Fairview Dome and started heading south towards our next potential drill location in the Upper Gediz Vallis ridge campaign. We had about a 29-meter (about 95 feet) drive over the weekend, which set us up nicely for contact science and remote sensing today.
Today’s two-sol plan includes APXS and MAHLI on a gray rock named “Discovery Pinnacle” to assess variations in bedrock chemistry and compare it to what we have seen recently. We also planned ChemCam LIBS on “Miguel Meadow” to evaluate the typical bedrock in our workspace, as seen in the above image from the front Hazcam. The plan also includes a Mastcam mosaic covering the large patch of light-toned rocks in front of the rover to look for variations in lithology. Two ChemCam long-distance RMIs are also planned to evaluate the stratigraphy exposed by a channel cut into the Gediz Vallis ridge deposit, and to look more closely at a well-laminated dark-toned boulder on the channel floor. Then Curiosity will drive about 16 meters (about 52 feet) farther south, and will take post-drive imaging to help us evaluate another patch of light-toned bedrock in the next plan.
In addition to targeted remote sensing, today’s plan includes observations of atmospheric opacity, searching for dust devils, an autonomously selected ChemCam AEGIS target, and standard DAN and REMS activities.
We’re all curious to see what Wednesday’s workspace will hold as we start thinking about the next place to drill! Meanwhile, much of the science team is gathered in Pasadena, California, this week at the Tenth International Conference on Mars, sharing lots of exciting results from the mission thus far. Looking forward to what comes next!
Written by Lauren Edgar, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
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Sols 4250-4252: So Many Rocks, So Little Time
- Curiosity Home
- Science
- News and Features
- Multimedia
- Mars Missions
- The Solar System
3 min read
Sols 4250-4252: So Many Rocks, So Little Time This image was taken by Right Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4248 – Martian day 4,248 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission – on July 19, 2024, at 02:34:33 UTC.Earth planning date: Friday, July 19, 2024
As usual with our weekend plans, we are packing a lot of science into today’s three-sol plan. I had the fun of planning a complex and large set of arm activities as the Arm Rover Planner today. Since we did not drive in Wednesday’s plan, we still are looking at targets in the same workspace – shown in the image with the arm down on a contact science target. We are finishing up the observations at our current location on “Fairview Dome.”
In our first set of imaging, we begin with a Navcam dust devil movie. Then, ChemCam is taking a LIBS observation on “Koip Peak” (a nodular bedrock) and an RMI mosaic on Texoli butte. We also have Mastcam imaging on Koip Peak, “Amphitheater Dome” (Wednesday’s contact science target), the channel wall, and the AEGIS target from sol 4247. After a nap, we’re ready for the arm. The arm work was challenging today, as we had a lot to do. We start by taking MAHLI images of a target named “Saddlebag Lake,” a bumpy, rough part of the bedrock. We then brush and take MAHLI images of “Eagle Scout Peak,” which is a dusty portion of the same bedrock. We are also running an experiment today to see if we can run the DRT brush in parallel with using our UHF antenna, to downlink data without impacting the data. After integrating with APXS on Eagle Scout Peak, we take nighttime MALHI imaging (using the LEDs) of the CheMin inlet to look for any signs of stuck sample and stow the arm. We are also cleaning out the sample from the CheMin instrument, by “dumping” it out and then running an analysis on the empty cell.
The second sol begins with more atmospheric observations. We have another ChemCam LIBS observation of the “Smith Peak” target, which is a dark and dusty spot on the bedrock, and Mastcam mosaics of “Virginia Peak” (the gray edge of the rock), the summit of “Milestone Peak”, and “McDonald Pass” (a nearby piece of bedrock that looks similar to our recent drill target, “Whitebark Pass”). We’re then ready to drive. Today’s drive is taking us about 30 meters south (about 98 feet). We’re driving cross-slope, which is always a challenge because we have to account for sliding sideways, away from the planned path. Fortunately there are no major hazards in the area, so we can tolerate some deviation from our path. This drive should take us close to our next potential drill location! We’re also testing, for the first time on Mars, a new capability that helps the rover make more precise arc turns, which can reduce the amount of steering we need to do, and help preserve our wheels. After taking our normal post-drive imaging, our final activity on this sol is an APXS atmospheric observation.
On our third sol, around noon, we are taking a ChemCam AEGIS observation and a lot of atmospheric observations, including another dust devil survey and Mastcam solar tau. Finally, just before handing things over to Monday’s plan, we take additional atmospheric observations in the early morning.
Written by Ashley Stroupe, Mission Operations Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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All Mars ResourcesExplore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…
Rover BasicsEach robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…
Mars Exploration: Science GoalsThe key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…
