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NASA TechRise Student Challenge
Are you ready for this year’s NASA TechRise Student challenge? From researching Earth’s environment to designing experiments for space exploration, schools are invited to join NASA in its mission to inspire the world through discovery. If you are in sixth to 12th grade at a U.S. public, private, or charter school – including those in U.S. territories – your challenge is to team up with your schoolmates and develop a science or technology experiment idea for this year’s NASA TechRise flight vehicle – the high-altitude balloon! The High-Altitude Balloon will offer approximately four to eight hours of flight time at approximately 70,000 to 95,000 feet and exposure to Earth’s atmosphere, high-altitude radiation, and perspective views of our planet.
Award: $60,000 in total prizes
Open Date: August 1, 2024
Close Date: November 1, 2024
For more information, visit: https://www.futureengineers.org/nasatechrise
6 Ways Students Can Engage With NASA Glenn
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Students take a tour of NASA Glenn’s Telescience Support Center, where researchers operate International Space Station experiments. Credit: NASA/Jef JanisSchool is back in session, and the joy of learning is back on students’ minds. Teachers and parents seeking ways to extend students’ academic excitement outside of the classroom should know NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland offers various opportunities to engage with NASA.
NASA educators encourage Ohio students and teachers to take part in the incredible space and aeronautics research happening right in their backyards.
“We have lofty goals to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, on to Mars, and beyond. To get there, we’ll need all the creativity and talent available to us,” said Darlene Walker, Glenn’s Office of STEM Engagement director. “We offer programs, events, and experiences at Glenn to inspire and attract students to NASA careers.”
Throughout the year, NASA Glenn offers in-person and virtual events for students and schools.
6 Ways Students Can Engage With NASA GlennOne-day events are open to students and teachers who are U.S. citizens as well as Ohio schools or other youth-serving organizations. Registration generally opens one to two months prior to the event. Event dates may be subject to change. Check the Glenn STEM Engagement webpage for the most up-to-date information.
Events are designed to inspire students and spark their interest in STEM fields. These events feature NASA experts, engaging STEM activities, and tours of Glenn facilities.
1. High School Shadowing Days | High school studentsOffered in fall and spring, this one-day event allows high school students to explore career opportunities in STEM, as well as business.
Fall Event Date – Nov. 14, 2024
Registration Opens – Sept. 16, 2024
Spring Event Date – May 15, 2025
Registration Opens – March 14, 2025
2. Girls in STEM | 5-8th grade studentsTo inspire an interest in STEM fields among middle school students, Girls in STEM features female Glenn employees, STEM activities, and tours of center facilities.
Event Date – April 10, 2025
Registration Opens – Feb. 10, 2025
3. Aviation Day | Middle and high school studentsThis one-day event celebrates advancements in aviation and encourages middle and high school students’ interest in aeronautics.
Event Date – Aug. 28, 2025
Registration Opens – June 27, 2025
4. TECH Day | Middle school studentsTECH is short for Tours of NASA, Engineering challenge, Career exploration, and Hands-on activity. This event includes tours of center facilities, a student engineering design challenge, and career exploration opportunities.
Event Date – May 1, 2025
Registration Opens – Feb. 28, 2025
5. Manufacturing Day | High school studentsManufacturing Day aims to educate high school students about careers in the manufacturing field while encouraging an interest in STEM. Students will see how teams of engineers, researchers, and technicians work together to design and prototype aeronautics and space hardware.
Event Date – Sept. 18, 2025
Registration Opens – July 18, 2025
6. NASA STEM Kids Virtual Events | K-4th grade studentsThese virtual events are designed to engage kindergarten through fourth grade students by sharing the excitement of NASA’s missions of exploration and discovery through virtual tours, conversations with NASA experts, and hands-on activities.
Event Dates – Dec. 5, 2024; March 8, 2025; June 7, 2025; and Sept. 13, 2025
Registration Opens – 60 days prior to each event
“Through these opportunities, we want students to see astronauts, scientists, engineers, and role models who look like them and grew up like them work toward NASA’s missions and goals,” Walker said. “We hope they see themselves achieving these things too. We have all kinds of careers at NASA. Any career you can find outside of NASA, you can find here as well.”
Additional programs and projectsGlenn offers additional programs and projects for schools, teachers, and students looking for other ways to engage with NASA:
- High School Capstones
- Glenn Engineering Design Challenges
- MUREP Precollege Summer Institute
- MUREP Aerospace Academy
For more information about these opportunities, reach out the NASA contact listed on the correlating web page.
Learn more about NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.
Jacqueline Minerd
NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA Heliophysics
2 min read
Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA HeliophysicsMany teachers are exceptionally skilled at bridging students’ interests with real-world science. Now for the third year, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has brought together such a group of highly-motivated secondary and higher education teachers as part of their NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT) Space Physics Ambassador program. In June of 2024, eight educators from across the country gathered in Chicago to reflect on how they could make use of the AAPT NASA HEAT team’s instructional materials for teaching basic physics concepts in a space science context. Following the three-day summit, each ambassador would plan to carry out professional development workshops for approximately 20 other educators.
Heliophysics can provide ample opportunity for teaching many concepts that are foundational to the Next Generation Science Standards and can support teachers who want to teach physics in context, but don’t always feel they have the resources to do so. One of the team’s most popular instructional materials includes a lesson about using data from NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) to create motion graphs of coronal mass ejections. Another activity relates data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) from solar flare observations to explore how energy is stored and released in magnetic fields. These authentic learning resources offer the opportunity for teachers to bring space data into the classroom.
Educators who are interested in learning more about these and other lessons are welcome to join the team’s free 1.5-hour mini-workshops, one Saturday per month from September to December 2024.
Register: https://forms.gle/jD3fZskjqzFcuXGXA
NASA HEAT is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
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NASA’s Webb Reveals Distorted Galaxy Forming Cosmic Question Mark
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, V. Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary’s University).
It’s 7 billion years ago, and the universe’s heyday of star formation is beginning to slow. What might our Milky Way galaxy have looked like at that time? Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have found clues in the form of a cosmic question mark, the result of a rare alignment across light-years of space.
“We know of only three or four occurrences of similar gravitational lens configurations in the observable universe, which makes this find exciting, as it demonstrates the power of Webb and suggests maybe now we will find more of these,” said astronomer Guillaume Desprez of Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a member of the team presenting the Webb results.
Image A: Lensed Question Mark (NIRCam) The galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154 is so massive it is warping the fabric of space-time and distorting the appearance of galaxies behind it, an effect known as gravitational lensing. This natural phenomenon magnifies distant galaxies and can also make them appear in an image multiple times, as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope saw here. Two distant, interacting galaxies — a face-on spiral and a dusty red galaxy seen from the side — appear multiple times, tracing a familiar shape across the sky. Active star formation, and the face-on galaxy’s remarkably intact spiral shape, indicate that these galaxies’ interaction is just beginning. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, V. Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary’s University).While this region has been observed previously with NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the dusty red galaxy that forms the intriguing question-mark shape only came into view with Webb. This is a result of the wavelengths of light that Hubble detects getting trapped in cosmic dust, while longer wavelengths of infrared light are able to pass through and be detected by Webb’s instruments.
Astronomers used both telescopes to observe the galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154, which acts like a magnifying glass because the cluster is so massive it warps the fabric of space-time. This allows astronomers to see enhanced detail in much more distant galaxies behind the cluster. However, the same gravitational effects that magnify the galaxies also cause distortion, resulting in galaxies that appear smeared across the sky in arcs and even appear multiple times. These optical illusions in space are called gravitational lensing.
The red galaxy revealed by Webb, along with a spiral galaxy it is interacting with that was previously detected by Hubble, are being magnified and distorted in an unusual way, which requires a particular, rare alignment between the distant galaxies, the lens, and the observer — something astronomers call a hyperbolic umbilic gravitational lens. This accounts for the five images of the galaxy pair seen in Webb’s image, four of which trace the top of the question mark. The dot of the question mark is an unrelated galaxy that happens to be in the right place and space-time, from our perspective.
Image B: Hubble and Webb Side by Side Image Before/AfterIn addition to producing a case study of the Webb NIRISS (Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph) instrument’s ability to detect star formation locations within a galaxy billions of light-years away, the research team also couldn’t resist highlighting the question mark shape. “This is just cool looking. Amazing images like this are why I got into astronomy when I was young,” said astronomer Marcin Sawicki of Saint Mary’s University, one of the lead researchers on the team.
“Knowing when, where, and how star formation occurs within galaxies is crucial to understanding how galaxies have evolved over the history of the universe,” said astronomer Vicente Estrada-Carpenter of Saint Mary’s University, who used both Hubble’s ultraviolet and Webb’s infrared data to show where new stars are forming in the galaxies. The results show that star formation is widespread in both. The spectral data also confirmed that the newfound dusty galaxy is located at the same distance as the face-on spiral galaxy, and they are likely beginning to interact.
“Both galaxies in the Question Mark Pair show active star formation in several compact regions, likely a result of gas from the two galaxies colliding,” said Estrada-Carpenter. “However, neither galaxy’s shape appears too disrupted, so we are probably seeing the beginning of their interaction with each other.”
“These galaxies, seen billions of years ago when star formation was at its peak, are similar to the mass that the Milky Way galaxy would have been at that time. Webb is allowing us to study what the teenage years of our own galaxy would have been like,” said Sawicki.
The Webb images and spectra in this research came from the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS). The research paper is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Image C: Wide Field – Lensed Question Mark (NIRCam)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).
DownloadsRight click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu.
View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
View/Download the research results from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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 , Leah Ramsay – lramsay@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
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Research Plane Dons New Colors for NASA Hybrid Electric Flight Tests
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Dash 7 aircraft that will be modified into a hybrid electric research vehicle under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project is seen taking off from Moses Lake, Washington en route to Seattle for a ceremony unveiling its new livery. The aircraft is currently operating with a traditional fuel-based propulsion system but will eventually be modified with a hybrid electric system. NASA / David C. BowmanParked under the lights inside a hangar in Seattle, a hybrid electric research aircraft from electric motor manufacturer magniX showed off a new look symbolizing its journey toward helping NASA make sustainable aviation a reality.
During a special unveiling ceremony hosted by magniX on Aug. 22, leaders from the company and NASA revealed the aircraft, with its new livery, to the public for the first time at King County International Airport, commonly known as Boeing Field.
The aircraft is a De Havilland Dash 7 that was formerly used for carrying cargo. Working under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, magniX will modify it to serve as a testbed for hybrid electric aircraft propulsion research.
The company’s goal under EPFD is to demonstrate potential fuel savings and performance boosts with a hybrid electric system for regional aircraft carrying up to 50 passengers. These efforts will help reduce environmental impacts from aviation by lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
This livery recognizes the collaborative effort focused on proving that hybrid electric flight for commercial aircraft is feasible.
“We are a research organization that continues to advance aviation, solve the problems of flight, and lead the community into the future,” said Robert A. Pearce, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. “Through our EPFD project, we’re taking big steps in partnership to make sure electric aviation is part of the future of commercial flight.”
Lee Noble, director for NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Program (right) and Robert Pearce, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (middle) chat with an AeroTEC test pilot for the Dash 7. Battery packs are stored along the floor of the cabin for magniX’s hybrid electric flight demonstrationsNASA / David C. Bowman Collaborative EffortNASA is collaborating with industry to modify existing planes with new electrified aircraft propulsion systems. These aircraft testbeds will help demonstrate the benefits of hybrid electric propulsion systems in reducing fuel burn and emissions for future commercial aircraft, part of NASA’s broader mission to make air travel more sustainable.
“EPFD is about showing how regional-scale aircraft, through ground and flight tests, can be made more sustainable through electric technology that is available right now,” said Ben Loxton, vice president for magniX’s work on the EPFD project.
Thus far, magniX has focused on developing a battery-powered engine and testing it on the ground to make sure it will be safe for work in the air. The company will now begin transitioning over to a new phase of the project — transforming the Dash 7 into a hybrid electric research vehicle.
“With the recent completion of our preliminary design review and baseline flight tests, this marks a transition to the next phase, and the most exciting phase of the project: the modification of this Dash 7 with our magniX electric powertrain,” Loxton said.
To make this possible, magniX is working with their airframe integrator AeroTEC to help modify and prepare the aircraft for flight tests that will take place out of Moses Lake, Washington. Air Tindi, which supplied the aircraft to magniX for this project, will help with maintenance and support of the aircraft during the testing phases.
The Dash 7 that will be modified into a hybrid electric research vehicle under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project on display with its new livery for the first time. In front of the plane is an electric powertrain that magniX will integrate into the current aircraft to build a hybrid electric propulsion system.NASA/David C. Bowman Creating a Hybrid Electric AircraftA typical hybrid electric propulsion system combines different sources of energy, such as fuel and electricity, to power an aircraft. For magniX’s demonstration, the modified Dash 7 will feature two electric engines fed by battery packs stored in the cabin, and two gas-powered turboprops.
The work will begin with replacing one of the aircraft’s outer turboprop engines with a new, magni650-kilowatt electric engine – the base of its hybrid electric system. After testing those modifications, magniX will swap out the remaining outer turboprop engine for an additional electric one.
Earlier this year, magniX and NASA marked the milestone completion of successfully testing the battery-powered engine at simulated altitude. Engineers at magniX are continuing ground tests of the aircraft’s electrified systems and components at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility in Sandusky, Ohio.
By rigorously testing these new technologies under simulated flight conditions, such as high altitudes and extreme temperatures, researchers can ensure each component operates safely before taking to the skies.
The collaboration between EPFD, NASA, GE Aerospace, and magniX works to advance hybrid electric aircraft propulsion technologies for next-generation commercial aircraft in the mid-2030 timeframe. NASA is working with these companies to conduct two flight demonstrations showcasing different approaches to hybrid electric system design.
Researchers will use data gathered from ground and flight tests to identify and reduce certification gaps, as well as inform the development of new standards and regulations for future electrified aircraft.
“We at NASA are excited about EPFD’s potential to make aviation more sustainable,” Pearce said. “Hybrid electric propulsion on a megawatt scale accelerates U.S. progress toward its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, benefitting all who rely on air transportation every day.”
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Share Details Last Updated Sep 03, 2024 EditorJim BankeContactMichael Jorgensen Related TermsLa NASA invita a los medios al lanzamiento de Europa Clipper
Read this release in English here.
La NASA y SpaceX tienen planificado que la ventana para el lanzamiento de la misión Europa Clipper se abra el jueves 10 de octubre. Esta misión ayudará a los científicos a determinar si una de las lunas heladas de Júpiter podría albergar vida. Esta misión de la NASA despegará a bordo de un cohete Falcon Heavy de SpaceX, desde el Complejo de Lanzamientos 39A en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida.
Europa Clipper llevará a bordo nueve instrumentos y un experimento científico sobre gravedad para recopilar mediciones detalladas mientras se encuentra en órbita alrededor de Júpiter y realiza varios sobrevuelos cercanos de su luna Europa. Las investigaciones sugieren que, debajo de la corteza de hielo de Europa, existe un océano que tiene dos veces el volumen de todos los océanos de la Tierra.
Los medios de comunicación interesados en cubrir el lanzamiento de Europa Clipper deben solicitar una acreditación de prensa. Los plazos para la acreditación de los medios son los siguientes:
- Los ciudadanos estadounidenses que representen a medios de comunicación nacionales o internacionales deben solicitar su acreditación antes de las 11:59 p.m. hora del este del viernes 27 de septiembre.
- Los representantes de medios internacionales con ciudadanía de otros países deben presentar su solicitud antes de las 11:59 p.m. hora del este del viernes 20 de septiembre.
Los medios de comunicación que requieran arreglos logísticos especiales, tales como espacio para camiones de transmisión satelital, tiendas de campaña o conexiones eléctricas, deben escribir por correo electrónico a ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov antes del 1 de octubre.
Una copia del reglamento de la NASA para la acreditación de medios está disponible en línea (en inglés). Si tienes preguntas sobre tu acreditación, por favor envía un correo electrónico a ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Para otras preguntas sobre la misión, por favor comunícate con la sala de prensa del Centro Espacial Kennedy al teléfono 321-867-2468.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si deseas solicitar entrevistas en español, comunícate con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425, o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371.
Los medios de comunicación acreditados tendrán la oportunidad de participar en una serie de sesiones informativas previas al lanzamiento y entrevistas con el personal clave de la misión, incluyendo una sesión informativa la semana del 9 de septiembre. La NASA comunicará detalles adicionales sobre el programa de eventos para los medios a medida que se acerque la fecha de lanzamiento.
La NASA también publicará actualizaciones sobre los preparativos para el lanzamiento de la nave espacial en el blog (en inglés) de Europa Clipper de la NASA.
El principal objetivo científico de Europa Clipper es determinar si existen lugares debajo de la superficie de Europa que pudieran sustentar la vida. Los tres objetivos científicos principales de la misión son comprender la naturaleza de la capa de hielo y el océano que está debajo de ella, junto con la composición y la geología de esta luna. La detallada exploración de Europa que lleve a cabo esta misión ayudará a los científicos a comprender mejor el potencial astrobiológico de los mundos habitables más allá de nuestro planeta.
Administrado por Caltech en Pasadena, California, el Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL, por sus siglas en inglés) de la NASA en el sur de California lidera el desarrollo de la misión Europa Clipper, en asociación con el Laboratorio de Física Aplicada Johns Hopkins (APL, por sus siglas en inglés) en Laurel, Maryland, para la Dirección de Misiones Científicas de la NASA en Washington. APL diseñó el cuerpo principal de la nave espacial en colaboración con JPL y el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Goddard de la NASA en Greenbelt, Maryland. La Oficina del Programa de Misiones Planetarias en el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Marshall de la NASA en Huntsville, Alabama, gestiona la ejecución del programa de la misión Europa Clipper.
El Programa de Servicios de Lanzamiento de la NASA, con sede en el centro Kennedy, gestiona el servicio de lanzamiento de la nave espacial Europa Clipper.
Para obtener más detalles sobre la misión y actualizaciones sobre los preparativos del lanzamiento, visita el sitio web (en inglés):
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper
Leejay Lockhart
Centro Espacial Kennedy, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Alana Johnson
Sede de la NASA, Washington
202-358-1600 / 202-358-1501
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov
María José Viñas
Sede de la NASA, Washington
240-458-0248
maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov
Julian Coltre
Sede de la NASA, Washington
202-358-1100
Julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov
El X-59 de la NASA avanza en las pruebas de preparación para volar
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) El técnico de soporte vital de la NASA Matthew Sechler ayuda a instalar un asiento eyectable en el avión X-59, en las instalaciones de Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, en Palmdale, California. La culminación de instalación del asiento marca un hito en la integración de la aeronave mientras se prepara para las pruebas en tierra firme.Crédito: Lockheed MartinRead this story in English here.
El equipo que prepara el X-59 de la NASA continúa realizando pruebas en preparación para que el avión supersónico y silencioso realice su primer vuelo. Esto incluye un trío de importantes pruebas estructurales e inspecciones críticas en el camino hacia el vuelo.
El X-59 es un avión experimental que volará más rápido que la velocidad del sonido sin un fuerte estampido sónico. Será el primero de su clase en volar, con el objetivo de recopilar datos de sonido para la misión Quesst de la NASA, que podría abrir la puerta a vuelos supersónicos comerciales sobre tierra en el futuro.
Debido a su diseño único, el equipo de ingenieria del X-59 debe hacer todo lo posible para predecir cada aspecto del avión antes de que despegue, incluyendo cómo se comportarán juntos su fuselaje, las alas y las superficies de control en vuelo. Eso significa que las pruebas en la tierra darán al equipo los datos necesarios para validar los modelos que han desarrollado.
Las pruebas no sólo nos dicen que tan estructuralmente sólido es el avión, sino también qué tipo de fuerzas puede soportar una vez que esté en el aire.WALT SILVA
Investigador científico superior del Centro de Investigación Langley de la NASA en Hampton, Virginia, que dirige las estructuras de la NASA para el X-59.
Las pruebas estructurales del X-59 proporcionan información valiosa para el equipo. Entre 2022 y 2024, los ingenieros recopilaron datos sobre las fuerzas que el avión experimentará en vuelo y los efectos potenciales de las vibraciones en el avión.
“Haces estas pruebas, obtienes los datos, y las cosas se comparan bien en algunas áreas y en otras quieres mejorarlas,” Silva dijo. “Así que lo averiguas todo y luego trabajas para mejorarlo.”
Los técnicos de Lockheed Martin retiran temporalmente la cubierta del X-59 en preparación para la instalación final del asiento eyectable en el avión.Crédito: Lockheed MartinA principios de este año, el X-59 se sometió a pruebas de acoplamiento estructural que vieron sus superficies de control, incluyendo sus alerones, aletas y timón, movidos por computadora. Fue la última de tres pruebas estructurales vitales. En 2023, los ingenieros aplicaron “agitadores” a partes del avión para evaluar su reacción a las vibraciones, y a principios de 2022 realizaron un examen de prueba para asegurar que el avión absorberá las fuerzas que experimentará durante el vuelo. Este año se instaló el asiento eyectable del X-59 y pasó su inspección. El asiento eyectable es una medida de seguridad adicional que es crítica para la seguridad del piloto durante todo aspecto del vuelo.
Con las pruebas estructurales y la instalación del asiento eyectable finalizadas, el avion avanzará hacia un nuevo hito: encenderá sus motores para una serie de pruebas en tierra.
El X-59 también tiene por delante la prueba del sistema de aviónica y cableado extensivo para detectar posibles interferencias electromagnéticas, imitando las condiciones de vuelo en un entorno de pruebas en tierra y finalmente, completar las pruebas de rodaje para validar la movilidad en tierra antes de su primer vuelo.
“Los primeros vuelos siempre son muy intensos,” dijo Natalie Spivey, ingeniera aeroespacial del Centro de Investigación de Vuelo Armstrong de la NASA en Edwards, California. “Hay mucha anticipación, pero estamos listos para llegar allí y ver cómo responde el avion en el aire. Será muy emocionante.”
Artículo Traducido por: Nicolas Cholula y Elena Aguirre
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Share Details Last Updated Sep 03, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactKristen Hatfieldkristen.m.hatfield@nasa.gov Related Terms40 Years Ago: STS-41D – First Flight of Space Shuttle Discovery
On Aug. 30, 1984, space shuttle Discovery lifted off on the STS-41D mission, joining NASA’s fleet as the third space qualified orbiter. The newest shuttle incorporated newer technologies making it significantly lighter than its two predecessors. Discovery lofted the heaviest payload up to that time in shuttle history. The six-person crew included five NASA astronauts and the first commercial payload specialist. During the six-day mission, the crew deployed a then-record three commercial satellites, tested an experimental solar array, and ran a commercial biotechnology experiment. The astronauts recorded many of the activities using a large format film camera, the scenes later incorporated into a motion picture for public engagement. The mission marked the first of Discovery’s 39 trips to space, the most of any orbiter.
Left: Space shuttle Discovery rolls out of Rockwell’s Palmdale, California, facility. Middle: Discovery atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during the cross-country ferry flight. Right: Discovery arrives at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Space shuttle Discovery, the third space-qualified orbiter in NASA’s fleet and named after several historical ships of exploration, incorporated manufacturing lessons learned from the first orbiters. In addition, through the use of more advanced materials, the new vehicle weighed nearly 8,000 pounds less than its sister ship Columbia and 700 pounds less than Challenger. Discovery rolled out of Rockwell International’s plant in Palmdale, California, on Oct. 16, 1983. Five of the six crew members assigned to its first flight attended the ceremony. Workers trucked Discovery overland from Palmdale to NASA’s Dryden, now Armstrong, Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), where they mounted it atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747, for the transcontinental ferry flight to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Discovery arrived at KSC on Nov. 9 following a two-day stopover at Vandenberg Air Force, now Space Force Base, in California.
Left: STS-41D crew patch. Middle: Official photograph of the STS-41D crew of R. Michael “Mike” Mullane, front row left, Steven A. Hawley, Henry “Hank” W. Hartsfield, and Michael L. Coats; Charles D. Walker, back row left, and Judith A. Resnik. Right: Payloads installed in Discovery’s payload bay for the STS-41D mission include OAST-1, top, SBS-4, Telstar 3C, and Leasat-2.
To fly Discovery’s first flight, originally designated STS-12 and later renamed STS-41D, in February 1983 NASA assigned Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, a veteran of STS-4, and first-time flyers Pilot Michael L. Coats, and Mission Specialists R. Michael Mullane, Steven A. Hawley, and Judith A. Resnik, all from the 1978 class of astronauts and making their first spaceflights. In May 1983, NASA announced the addition of Charles D. Walker, an employee of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation, to the crew, flying as the first commercial payload specialist. He would operate the company’s Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES) experiment. The mission’s primary payloads included the Leasat-1 (formerly known as Syncom IV-1) commercial communications satellite and OAST-1, three experiments from NASA’s Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, including the Solar Array Experiment, a 105-foot long lightweight deployable and retractable solar array. Following the June 1984 launch abort, NASA canceled the STS-41F mission, combining its payloads with STS-41D’s, resulting in three communications satellites – SBS-4 for Small Business Systems, Telstar 3C for AT&T, and Leasat 2 (Syncom IV-2) for the U.S. Navy – launching on the flight. The combined cargo weighed 41,184 pounds, the heaviest of the shuttle program up to that time. A large format IMAX® camera, making its second trip into space aboard the shuttle, flew in the middeck to film scenes inside the orbiter and out the windows.
Left: First rollout of Discovery from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Right: The June 26 launch abort.
The day after its arrival at KSC, workers towed Discovery to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to begin preparing it for its first space flight. They towed it to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on May 12, 1984, for mating with its External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The completed stack rolled out to Launch Pad 39A a week later. On June 2, engineers successfully completed an 18-second Flight Readiness Firing of Discovery’s main engines. Post test inspections revealed a debonding of a thermal shield in main engine number 1’s combustion chamber, requiring its replacement at the pad. The work pushed the planned launch date back three days to June 25. The failure of the shuttle’s backup General Purpose Computer (GPC) delayed the launch by one day. The June 26 launch attempt ended just four seconds before liftoff, after two of the main engines had already ignited. The GPC detected that the third engine had not started and shut all three down. It marked the first time a human spaceflight launch experienced an abort after the start of its engines since Gemini VI in October 1965. The abort necessitated a rollback to the VAB on July 14 where workers demated Discovery from the ET and SRBs. Engineers replaced the faulty engine, and Discovery rolled back out to the launch pad on Aug. 9 for another launch attempt. The six-person crew participated in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, essentially a dress rehearsal for the actual countdown to launch, on Aug. 15. A software issue delayed the first launch attempt on Aug. 29 by one day.
Left: The STS-41D crew pose at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test. Right: Liftoff of Discovery on the STS-41D mission.
Finally, on Aug. 30, 1984, Discovery roared off its launch pad on a pillar of flame and within 8 and a half minutes entered orbit around the Earth. The crew got down to work and on the first day Mullane and Hawley deployed the SBS-4 satellite. On the second day in space, they deployed Leasat, the first satellite designed specifically to be launched from the shuttle. On the third day, they deployed the Telstar satellite, completing the satellite delivery objectives of the mission. Resnik deployed the OAST-1 solar array to 70% of its length to conduct dynamic tests on the structure. On the fourth day, she deployed the solar array to its full length and successfully retracted it, completing all objectives for that experiment.
The deployment of the SBS-4, left, Leasat-2, and Telstar 3C satellites during STS-41D.
Walker remained busy with the CFES, operating the unit for about 100 hours, and although the experiment experienced two unexpected shutdowns, he processed about 85% of the planned samples. Hartsfield and Coats exposed two magazines and six rolls of IMAX® film, recording OAST-1 and satellite deployments as well as in-cabin crew activities. Clips from the mission appear in the 1985 IMAX® film “The Dream is Alive.” On the mission’s fifth day, concern arose over the formation of ice on the orbiter’s waste dump nozzle. The next day, Hartsfield used the shuttle’s robotic arm to dislodge the large chunk of ice.
Left: Payload Specialist Charles D. Walker in front of the Continuous Flow Experiment System. Middle: Henry “Hank” W. Hartsfield loading film into the IMAX® camera. Right: The OAST-1 Solar Array Experiment extended from Discovery’s payload bay.
On Sep. 5, the astronauts closed Discovery’s payload bay doors in preparation for reentry. They fired the shuttle’s Orbital Maneuvering System engines to slow their velocity and begin their descent back to Earth. Hartsfield guided Discovery to a smooth landing at Edwards AFB in California, completing a flight of 6 days and 56 minutes. The crew had traveled 2.5 million miles and orbited the Earth 97 times.
Left: The STS-41D crew pose in Discovery’s middeck. Right: Space shuttle Discovery makes a perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end the STS-41D mission.
By Sept. 10, workers had returned Discovery to KSC to prepare it for its next mission, STS-51A, in November 1984. During its lifetime, Discovery flew a fleet leading 39 missions, making its final trip to space in February 2011. It flew both return to flight missions, STS-26 in 1988 and STS-114 in 2005. It launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 and flew two of the missions to service the facility. Discovery flew two mission to Mir, docking once. It completed the first docking to the International Space Station in 1999 and flew a total of 13 assembly and resupply missions to the orbiting lab. By its last mission, Discovery had traveled 149 million miles, completed 5,830 orbits of the Earth, and spent a cumulative 365 days in space in the span of 27 years. The public can view Discovery on display at the National Air and Space Museum’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Read recollections of the STS-41D mission by Hartsfield, Coats, Mullane, Hawley, and Walker in their oral histories with the JSC History Office. Enjoy the crew’s narration of a video about the STS-41D mission.
Explore More 6 min read 235 Years Ago: Herschel Discovers Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Article 6 days ago 11 min read 15 Years Ago: STS-128 Delivers Cargo to Enable Six-Person Space Station Crew Article 7 days ago 10 min read 40 Years Ago: President Reagan Announces Teacher in Space Project Article 1 week agoLa NASA invita a creadores de las redes sociales al lanzamiento de la misión Europa Clipper
Read this article in English here
La NASA invita a los creadores de contenido digital a inscribirse para asistir al lanzamiento de la nave espacial Europa Clipper, la cual recopilará datos para ayudar a los científicos a determinar si Europa, la luna helada de Júpiter, podría albergar vida.
La NASA y SpaceX planean que la ventana de lanzamiento se abra el jueves 10 de octubre. La misión despegará a bordo de un cohete Falcon Heavy de SpaceX, desde el Complejo de Lanzamientos 39A en el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida.
La nave espacial Europa Clipper llevará a bordo nueve instrumentos científicos para recopilar mediciones detalladas mientras realiza unos 50 sobrevuelos cercanos de esta luna del sistema joviano (es decir, perteneciente al planeta Júpiter). Las investigaciones sugieren que, debajo de la corteza de hielo de Europa, existe un océano que tiene dos veces el volumen de todos los océanos de la Tierra. La exploración detallada de Europa que llevará a cabo esta misión ayudará a los científicos a comprender mejor el potencial astrobiológico de los mundos habitables más allá de nuestro planeta.
Si tu pasión es comunicar e interactuar con el mundo digital, ¡este evento es para ti! Aprovecha la oportunidad para ver y compartir el lanzamiento de la misión Europa Clipper.
Se seleccionará a un máximo de 50 usuarios de las redes sociales para que asistan a este evento de dos días. Estos asistentes tendrán un acceso similar al de los medios de comunicación.
Los participantes de este evento de NASA Social tendrán la oportunidad de:
- Ver el lanzamiento de un cohete Falcon Heavy de SpaceX y la nave espacial Europa Clipper
- Recorrer las instalaciones de la NASA en el Centro Espacial Kennedy
- Conocer a expertos en temas relacionados con Europa Clipper e interactuar con ellos
- Conocer a otros entusiastas del espacio que están activos en las redes sociales
La inscripción de los participantes de NASA Social para el lanzamiento de Europa Clipper comenzará el martes 3 de septiembre, y la fecha límite para inscribirse es el lunes 9 de septiembre hasta las 10 a.m. hora del este. Todas las solicitudes de los creadores en redes sociales se considerarán caso por caso.
¿Necesito tener una cuenta en las redes sociales para inscribirme?
Sí. Este evento está diseñado para personas que:
- Utilizan activamente diferentes plataformas y herramientas de redes sociales para difundir información a un público característico
- Producen con regularidad nuevos contenidos que incluyen elementos multimedia
- Tienen el potencial de llegar a una gran cantidad de personas que utilizan plataformas digitales, o llegan a un público característico, definido y diferente de los medios de comunicación o los públicos tradicionales de la NASA
- Deben tener un historial acreditado de publicación de contenido en plataformas de redes sociales
- Tienen publicaciones anteriores que han logrado una gran visibilidad y que son respetadas y ampliamente reconocidas
Se anima a los usuarios de todas las redes sociales a utilizar la etiqueta #NASASocial. Las actualizaciones y la información sobre el evento se compartirán en X a través de las cuentas @NASASocial, @NASA_ES, y @NASAKennedy, y a través de publicaciones en Facebook e Instagram.
¿Cómo me inscribo?
Las inscripciones para este evento comienzan el martes 3 de septiembre y concluyen a las 10 a.m. hora del este del lunes 9 de septiembre. La inscripción es solo para una persona (tú) y no es transferible. Cada persona que desee asistir debe inscribirse por separado. Todas las solicitudes se considerarán caso por caso.
¿Puedo inscribirme si no tengo ciudadanía estadounidense?
Sí, cualquiera puede aplicar a este evento.
¿Cuándo sabré si mi inscripción ha sido seleccionada?
Después de que se hayan recibido y procesado las inscripciones, se enviará a los seleccionados un correo electrónico con información de confirmación e instrucciones adicionales. Esperamos enviar las notificaciones de aceptación antes del 30 de septiembre.
¿Qué son las credenciales de NASA Social?
Todas las solicitudes de los creadores en redes sociales se considerarán caso por caso. Las personas seleccionadas deben demostrar a través del proceso de inscripción que cumplen con los criterios específicos de participación.
Aunque tu inscripción no sea elegida en la lista de participantes para este evento de NASA Social, aún puedes asistir al lanzamiento fuera del sitio y participar en la conversación en línea. Descubre las formas en que puedes presenciar un lanzamiento en esta página web (en inglés).
¿Cuáles son los requisitos para la inscripción?
La inscripción debe indicar tu intención de viajar al Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida y de asistir en persona a este evento de dos días de duración. Eres responsable de tus propios gastos de viaje, alojamiento, comida y otros servicios.
La programación de algunos eventos y participantes en el evento está sujeta a cambios sin previo aviso. La NASA no se hace responsable de las pérdidas o daños ocasionados como resultado de la asistencia. Además, la NASA no es responsable de las pérdidas o daños ocasionados si el evento es cancelado con un aviso limitado o sin previo aviso. Por favor, planifica como corresponda.
El centro Kennedy es una instalación del gobierno. Aquellas personas seleccionadas deberán completar un paso de inscripción adicional para recibir autorización de ingresar a las áreas de seguridad.
IMPORTANTE: Para ingresar, deberás proporcionar dos formas de identificación vigentes emitidas por el gobierno; una debe ser una identificación con foto y esta debe coincidir con el nombre proporcionado en tu inscripción. No podrán ingresar personas sin la debida identificación.
Para obtener una lista completa de las formas de identificación aprobadas, visita el sitio web (en inglés): Requisitos de identificación para la acreditación de la NASA.
Todos los solicitantes deben tener al menos 18 años de edad cumplidos.
¿Qué sucede si cambia la fecha de lanzamiento?
Muchos factores diferentes pueden hacer que una fecha de lanzamiento programada cambie varias veces. Si la fecha de lanzamiento cambia, la NASA puede ajustar la fecha del evento de NASA Social como corresponda para que coincida con la nueva fecha de lanzamiento señalada. La NASA notificará por correo electrónico a las personas inscritas de cualquier cambio que ocurra.
Si el lanzamiento se pospone, se invitará a los asistentes a asistir a una fecha de lanzamiento posterior. La NASA no puede alojar a los asistentes por retrasos de más de 72 horas.
Los asistentes al evento de NASA Social son responsables de todos los gastos adicionales ocasionados en relación con cualquier retraso en el lanzamiento. Recomendamos encarecidamente a los participantes que hagan arreglos de viaje que sean reembolsables o flexibles.
¿Qué sucede si no puedo ir al Centro Espacial Kennedy?
Si no puedes venir al Centro Espacial Kennedy y asistir en persona, no debes inscribirte en el evento de NASA Social. Puedes seguir la conversación en línea usando la etiqueta#NASASocial.
Puedes ver el lanzamiento en NASA+ o en el sitio web plus.nasa.gov. La NASA ofrecerá actualizaciones periódicas sobre el lanzamiento y la misión en las cuentas @NASA_ES, @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASA_LSP, @NASAJPL y @EuropaClipper, así como en el blog de la misión Europa Clipper de la NASA (en inglés).
Si no puedes asistir a este evento de NASA Social, no te preocupes; ¡la NASA está planificando muchos otros eventos para participantes de las redes sociales en el futuro cercano que se realizarán en diferentes lugares!
NASA Mission Gets Its First Snapshot of Polar Heat Emissions
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Data from one of the two CubeSats that comprise NASA’s PREFIRE mission was used to make this data visualization showing brightness temperature — the intensity of infrared emissions — over Greenland. Red represents more intense emissions; blue indicates lower intensities. The data was captured in July.NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
The PREFIRE mission will help develop a more detailed understanding of how much heat the Arctic and Antarctica radiate into space and how this influences global climate.
NASA’s newest climate mission has started collecting data on the amount of heat in the form of far-infrared radiation that the Arctic and Antarctic environments emit to space. These measurements by the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-Infrared Experiment (PREFIRE) are key to better predicting how climate change will affect Earth’s ice, seas, and weather — information that will help humanity better prepare for a changing world.
One of PREFIRE’s two shoebox-size cube satellites, or CubeSats, launched on May 25 from New Zealand, followed by its twin on June 5. The first CubeSat started sending back science data on July 1. The second CubeSat began collecting science data on July 25, and the mission will release the data after an issue with the GPS system on this CubeSat is resolved.
The PREFIRE mission will help researchers gain a clearer understanding of when and where the Arctic and Antarctica emit far-infrared radiation (wavelengths greater than 15 micrometers) to space. This includes how atmospheric water vapor and clouds influence the amount of heat that escapes Earth. Since clouds and water vapor can trap far-infrared radiation near Earth’s surface, they can increase global temperatures as part of a process known as the greenhouse effect. This is where gases in Earth’s atmosphere — such as carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor — act as insulators, preventing heat emitted by the planet from escaping to space.
“We are constantly looking for new ways to observe the planet and fill in critical gaps in our knowledge. With CubeSats like PREFIRE, we are doing both,” said Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The mission, part of our competitively-selected Earth Venture program, is a great example of the innovative science we can achieve through collaboration with university and industry partners.”
Earth absorbs much of the Sun’s energy in the tropics; weather and ocean currents transport that heat toward the Arctic and Antarctica, which receive much less sunlight. The polar environment — including ice, snow, and clouds — emits a lot of that heat into space, much of which is in the form of far-infrared radiation. But those emissions have never been systematically measured, which is where PREFIRE comes in.
“It’s so exciting to see the data coming in,” said Tristan L’Ecuyer, PREFIRE’s principal investigator and a climate scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “With the addition of the far-infrared measurements from PREFIRE, we’re seeing for the first time the full energy spectrum that Earth radiates into space, which is critical to understanding climate change.”
This visualization of PREFIRE data (above) shows brightness temperatures — or the intensity of radiation emitted from Earth at several wavelengths, including the far-infrared. Yellow and red indicate more intense emissions originating from Earth’s surface, while blue and green represent lower emission intensities coinciding with colder areas on the surface or in the atmosphere.
The visualization starts by showing data on mid-infrared emissions (wavelengths between 4 to 15 micrometers) taken in early July during several polar orbits by the first CubeSat to launch. It then zooms in on two passes over Greenland. The orbital tracks expand vertically to show how far-infrared emissions vary through the atmosphere. The visualization ends by focusing on an area where the two passes intersect, showing how the intensity of far-infrared emissions changed over the nine hours between these two orbits.
The two PREFIRE CubeSats are in asynchronous, near-polar orbits, which means they pass over the same spots in the Arctic and Antarctic within hours of each other, collecting the same kind of data. This gives researchers a time series of measurements that they can use to study relatively short-lived phenomena like ice sheet melting or cloud formation and how they affect far-infrared emissions over time.
More About PREFIREThe PREFIRE mission was jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and provided the spectrometers. Blue Canyon Technologies built and now operates the CubeSats, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is processing and analyzing the data collected by the instruments.
To learn more about PREFIRE, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/prefire/
Jane J. Lee / Andrew Wang
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-0307 / 626-379-6874
jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov / andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov
2024-116
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NASA Invites Media to View Launch of Jupiter Moon Mission
NASA and SpaceX are targeting a launch period opening Thursday, Oct. 10, for the agency’s Europa Clipper mission, which will help scientists determine if one of Jupiter’s icy moons could support life. The mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Europa Clipper will carry nine instruments and a gravity science experiment aboard to gather detailed measurements as it orbits Jupiter and conducts multiple close flybys of its moon, Europa. Research suggests an ocean twice the volume of all of Earth’s oceans exists under Europa’s icy crust.
Media interested in covering the Europa Clipper launch must apply for media accreditation. Deadlines for accreditation are as follows:
- U.S. citizens representing domestic or international media must apply for accreditation by 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, Sept. 27.
- International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20.
Media requiring special logistical arrangements, such as space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections, should email ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov by Tuesday, Oct. 1.
A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other mission questions, please contact NASA Kennedy’s newsroom at 321-867-2468.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425, o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371.
Accredited media will have the opportunity to participate in a series of prelaunch briefings and interviews with key mission personnel, including a briefing the week of Sept. 9. NASA will communicate additional details regarding the media event schedule as the launch date approaches.
NASA also will post updates on spacecraft launch preparations on NASA’s Europa Clipper blog.
Clipper’s primary science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Europa that could support life. The mission’s three main science objectives are to understand the nature of the ice shell and the ocean beneath it, along with the moon’s composition and geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA Headquarters in Washington. The main spacecraft body was designed by APL in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.
NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
For further details about the mission and updates on launch preparations, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper
-end-
Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Alana Johnson
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600 / 202-358-1501
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov
Julian Coltre
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
Julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov
Great Aurora
A vivid aurora streams over the Earth as the International Space Station orbited 273 miles above the southern Indian Ocean in between Australia and Antarctica.
Image Credit: NASA/Shane Kimbrough
NASA Invites Social Creators to Experience Launch of Europa Clipper Mission
Lee este artículo en español aquí
Digital content creators are invited to register to attend the launch of the Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will collect data to help scientists determine if Jupiter’s icy moon Europa could support life.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting a launch period opening Thursday, Oct. 10. The mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry nine science instruments on board to gather detailed measurements while performing approximately 50 close flybys of the Jovian moon. Research suggests an ocean twice the volume of all the Earth’s oceans exists under Europa’s icy crust. Detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
If your passion is to communicate and engage the world online, then this is the event for you! Seize the opportunity to see and share the Europa Clipper mission launch.
A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend this two-day event and will be given access similar to news media.
NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:
- View a launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and Europa Clipper spacecraft
- Tour NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center
- Meet and interact with Europa Clipper subject matter experts
- Meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media
NASA Social registration for the Europa Clipper launch opens on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and the deadline to apply is at 10 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 9. All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Do I need to have a social media account to register?
Yes. This event is designed for people who:
- Actively use multiple social networking platforms and tools to disseminate information to a unique audience.
- Regularly produce new content that features multimedia elements.
- Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms, or reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media and/or NASA audiences.
- Must have an established history of posting content on social media platforms.
- Have previous postings that are highly visible, respected and widely recognized.
Users on all social networks are encouraged to use the hashtag #NASASocial. Updates and information about the event will be shared on X via @NASASocial and @NASAKennedy, and via posts to Facebook and Instagram.
How do I register?
Registration for this event opens on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and closes at 10 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 9. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen?
Yes, this event is open for all to apply.
When will I know if I am selected?
After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the acceptance notifications by Sept. 30.
What are NASA Social credentials?
All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process they meet specific engagement criteria.
If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch offsite and participate in the conversation online. Find out about ways to experience a launch here.
What are the registration requirements?
Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and attend the two-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodations, food, and other amenities.
Some events and participants scheduled to appear at the event are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is cancelled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly.
Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected will need to complete an additional registration step to receive clearance to enter the secure areas.
IMPORTANT: To be admitted, you will need to provide two forms of unexpired government-issued identification; one must be a photo ID and match the name provided on the registration. Those without proper identification cannot be admitted.
For a complete list of acceptable forms of ID, please visit: NASA Credentialing Identification Requirements.
All registrants must be at least 18 years old.
What if the launch date changes?
Many different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. If the launch date changes, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date. NASA will notify registrants of any changes by email.
If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. NASA cannot accommodate attendees for delays beyond 72 hours.
NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible.
What if I cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center?
If you cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. You can follow the conversation online using #NASASocial.
You can watch the launch on NASA+ or plus.nasa.gov. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASA_LSP, @NASAJPL and @EuropaClipper as well as on NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission blog.
If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t worry; NASA is planning many other Socials in the near future at various locations!
New NASA Sonifications Listen to the Universe’s Past
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Sonifications of three images have been released to mark the 25th anniversary of Chandra’s “First Light” image. For Cassiopeia A, which was one of the first objects observed by Chandra, X-ray data from Chandra and infrared data from Webb have been translated into sounds, along with some Hubble data. The second image in the sonification trio, 30 Doradus, also contains Chandra and Webb data. NGC 6872 contains data from Chandra as well as an optical image from Hubble. Each of these datasets have been mapped to notes and sounds based on properties observed by these telescopes.NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)A quarter of a century ago, NASA released the “first light” images from the agency’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. This introduction to the world of Chandra’s high-resolution X-ray imaging capabilities included an unprecedented view of Cassiopeia A, the remains of an exploded star located about 11,000 light-years from Earth. Over the years, Chandra’s views of Cassiopeia A have become some of the telescope’s best-known images.
To mark the anniversary of this milestone, new sonifications of three images – including Cassiopeia A (Cas A) – are being released. Sonification is a process that translates astronomical data into sound, similar to how digital data are more routinely turned into images. This translation process preserves the science of the data from its original digital state but provides an alternative pathway to experiencing the data.
This sonification of Cas A features data from Chandra as well as NASA’s James Webb, Hubble, and retired Spitzer space telescopes. The scan starts at the neutron star at the center of the remnant, marked by a triangle sound, and moves outward. Astronomers first saw this neutron star when Chandra’s inaugural observations were released 25 years ago this week. Chandra’s X-rays also reveal debris from the exploded star that is expanding outward into space. The brighter parts of the image are conveyed through louder volume and higher pitched sounds. X-ray data from Chandra are mapped to modified piano sounds, while infrared data from Webb and Spitzer, which detect warmed dust embedded in the hot gas, have been assigned to various string and brass instruments. Stars that Hubble detects are played with crotales, or small cymbals.
Another new sonification features the spectacular cosmic vista of 30 Doradus, one of the largest and brightest regions of star formation close to the Milky Way. This sonification again combines X-rays from Chandra with infrared data from Webb. As the scan moves from left to right across the image, the volume heard again corresponds to the brightness seen. Light toward the top of the image is mapped to higher pitched notes. X-rays from Chandra, which reveal gas that has been superheated by shock waves generated by the winds from massive stars, are heard as airy synthesizer sounds. Meanwhile, Webb’s infrared data show cooler gas that provides the raw ingredients for future stars. These data are mapped to a range of sounds including soft, low musical pitches (red regions), a wind-like sound (white regions), piano-like synthesizer notes indicating very bright stars, and a rain-stick sound for stars in a central cluster.
The final member of this new sonification triumvirate is NGC 6872, a large spiral galaxy that has two elongated arms stretching to the upper right and lower left, which is seen in an optical light view from Hubble. Just to the upper left of NGC 6872 appears another smaller spiral galaxy. These two galaxies, each of which likely has a supermassive black hole at the center, are being drawn toward one another. As the scan sweeps clockwise from 12 o’clock, the brightness controls the volume and light farther from the center of the image is mapped to higher-pitched notes. Chandra’s X-rays, represented in sound by a wind-like sound, show multimillion-degree gas that permeates the galaxies. Compact X-ray sources from background galaxies create bird-like chirps. In the Hubble data, the core of NGC 6872 is heard as a dark low drone, and the blue spiral arms (indicating active star formation) are audible as brighter, more highly pitched tones. The background galaxies are played as a soft pluck sound while the bright foreground star is accompanied by a crash cymbal.
More information about the NASA sonification project through Chandra, which is made in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning, can be found at https://chandra.si.edu/sound/. The collaboration was driven by visualization scientist Kimberly Arcand (CXC), astrophysicist Matt Russo, and musician Andrew Santaguida, (both of the SYSTEM Sounds project), along with consultant Christine Malec.
NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
More about ChandraChandra, managed for NASA by Marshall in partnership with the CXC, is one of NASA’s Great Observatories, along with the Hubble Space Telescope and the now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. It was first proposed to NASA in 1976 by Riccardo Giacconi, recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Physics based on his contributions to X-ray astronomy, and Harvey Tananbaum, who would later become the first director of the Chandra X-ray Center. Chandra was named in honor of the late Nobel laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, who earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his work explaining the structure and evolution of stars.
Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/
Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov
Missions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
Pollinator Initiatives at NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)Pollinators play a crucial role in both human agriculture and ecosystems by supporting thousands of plant species and crops which feed humans and livestock. Unfortunately, habitat loss, disease, and pesticides contribute to the decline in pollinator biodiversity worldwide, which has led to a substantial reduction in native bee species, impacts to honeybees, and the decline of the iconic Monarch Butterfly. In their efforts to integrate sustainable design, several NASA centers have implemented measures promoting preservation of pollinator habitats though gardens, meadows, and other initiatives.
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)In 2015, budget constraints resulted in the removal of plant beds to make way for low-maintenance turf grass. This prompted the Center’s Environmental Management team to propose a more sustainable landscape option resulting in the 0.1-acre Meadow Demonstration Project. With support from the University of Maryland Extension Service and Maryland Master Gardeners, the meadow became a certified Monarch Waystation. As the meadow flourished under the diligent efforts of staff and volunteers, an increasing number of pollinators were observed.
Due to the success of the initial meadow, GSFC partnered with USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service to convert additional areas around the center with the goal of perfecting restoration methods. GSFC’s grounds provided an ideal environment to test various approaches. The latest addition is a 1.3-acre plot cultivated this year. GSFC partnered with the NRCS to display this project and participate in the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge Festival in May and the Pollinator Day Festival in June at the USDA HQ to showcase their project.
GSFC Natural Resources staff will be hosting a Monarch Workshop with the Monarch Joint Venture on September 25th. You may virtually attend the first part of the workshop on TEAMS, but afternoon sessions will be in-person only. You can learn more about ongoing and upcoming events at the Meadow Demonstration Project blog.
Johnson Space Center (JSC)The Center is embedded in an urban landscape once dominated by Texas coastal prairies. To support resiliency of coastal prairie remnants on site, an altered mowing schedule promoting wildflower growth is implemented. JSC participates in a Houston Zoo program called the Prairie Pollinator Pathway to restore or recreate green pathways for pollinator movement through an otherwise highly fragmented urban environment. In 2012, a 30,000 square foot green roof was created on Building 12. Initially planted with non-native species that struggled in the Houston heat, the garden was replanted in 2022 with native grasses and flowers. To further protect pollinators, JSC employs alternative management techniques such as relocating honeybee swarms to minimize pesticide use wherever possible. Additionally, JSC continues to raise awareness about the importance of their prairies and pollinators.
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)Several groups work to enhance pollinator habitat and the understanding of pollinator species around the center. Two pollinator focused project have been completed at MSFC: the pollinator garden and the pollinator meadow. The pollinator garden was constructed by the MSFC Green Team in collaboration with the Northern Alabama Master Gardeners. Garden consists of five beds located just behind the MSFC Wellness Center on the south end of the Walking Trail and is certified with the North American Butterfly Association and a registered Monarch Waystation. In the fall of 2023, maintenance of the pollinator garden was handed over to the Pollinator Club. In the spring of 2023, a roughly 2-acre pollinator meadow was planted. The meadow includes a mix of native flowering plants and is mowed once each year.
In addition to the pollinator focused projects, MSFC also has a garden club, which maintains individual and club garden plots that attract pollinators to the Center. The MSFC Green Team and clubs hold regular education and outreach events to increase knowledge of pollinators, their importance, and threats to their survival.
Langley Research Center (LaRC)In addition to a registered Monarch Waystation, Langley Research Center (LaRC) is home to beehive colonies following two rescue missions on center. The first occurred in April of 2023, when a swarm of honeybees was discovered under a picnic table near the cafeteria. To relocate this colony, the center enlisted the help of LaRC personnel Dr. Jeremy Pinier, a member of the Colonial Beekeepers Association, along with his 6-year-old daughter Olivia, his apprentice beekeeper. The bees were relocated to a habitat near the community garden, which hosts 16 year-round and 24 seasonal plots rented by active members of the LaRC Garden Club. The second hive was relocated in April 2024 from a service vehicle’s truck bed. The bees are flourishing and have earned the nickname “The Artemis Colony,” coined by Dr. Pinier. Center personnel have enjoyed the colony’s honey and remain committed to nurturing its bee population and preserving the garden for the future.
White Sands Test Facility (WSTF)To enhance New Mexico’s natural beauty, four pollinator gardens were planted in 2022 on the south sides of B100 and B101 and at the main entrances to the cafeteria and rotunda. They were created to mitigate some function of the natural landscape that was offset to build the Center. These gardens also help to educate visitors on the beauty and names of surrounding desert flora and provide a peaceful place to sit and view the garden, the Jornada del Muerto, and mountains in the distance.
The native plants are drought resistant, hardy, and attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators. There are plans to install a trail camera at one of the garden sites to identify some of the visiting pollinator species. The Center also wants to register the gardens as wildlife habitats through the National Wildlife Federation and Monarch Waystations.
ConclusionIn addition to the great work already underway across NASA Centers, other sites such as Kennedy Space Center are developing plans for their own programs supporting local pollinators. Keep up to date with agency-wide education efforts and new developments in Pollinator Programs at EMD’s NRM Program EMD’s NRM Program Website.
Station Science Top News: August 29, 2024
Researchers used an interferometer that can precisely measure gravity, magnetic fields, and other forces to study the influence of International Space Station vibrations. Results revealed that matter-wave interference of rubidium gases is robust and repeatable over a period spanning months. Atom interferometry experiments could help create high-precision measurement capabilities for gravitational, Earth, and planetary sciences.
Using ultracold rubidium atoms, Cold Atom Lab researchers examined a three-pulse Mach–Zehnder interferometer, a device that determines phase shift variations between two parallel beams, to understand the influence of space station vibrations. Researchers note that atom sensitivities and visibility degrade due to the vibration environment of the International Space Station. The Cold Atom Lab’s interferometer uses light pulses to create a readout of accelerations, rotations, gravity, and subtle forces that could signify new physics acting on matter. Cold Atom Lab experiments serve as pathfinders for proposed space missions relying on the sustained measurement of wave-matter interference, including gravitational wave detection, dark matter detection, seismology mapping, and advanced satellite navigation.
Read more here.
Researchers developed a novel method to categorize and assess the fitness of each gene in one species of bacteria, N. aromaticavorans. Results published in BMC Genomics state that core metabolic processes and growth-promoting genes have high fitness during spaceflight, likely as an adaptive response to stress in microgravity. Future comprehensive studies of the entire genome of other species could help guide the development of strategies to enhance or diminish microorganism resilience in space missions.
The Bacterial Genome Fitness investigation grows multiple types of bacteria in space to learn more about important processes for their growth. Previous studies of microorganism communities have shown that spaceflight can induce resistance to antibiotics, lead to changes in biofilm formation, and boost cell growth in various species. N. aromaticivorans can degrade certain compounds, potentially providing benefits in composting and biofuel production during deep space missions.
Read more here.
Researchers burned large, isolated droplets of the hydrocarbon n-dodecane, a component of kerosene and some jet fuels, in microgravity and found that hot flames were followed by a prolonged period of cool flames at lower pressures. Results showed that hot flames were more likely to unpredictably reignite at higher pressures. Studying the burn behavior of hydrocarbons assists researchers in the development of more efficient engines and fuels that reduce fire hazards to ensure crew safety in future long-distance missions.
The Cool Flames investigation studies the low-temperature combustion of various isolated fuel droplets. Cool flames happen in microgravity when certain fuel types burn very hot and then quickly drop to a much lower temperature with no visible flames. This investigation studies several fuels such as pure hydrocarbons, biofuels, and mixtures of pure hydrocarbons to enhance understanding of low-temperature chemistry. Improved knowledge of low-temperature burning could benefit next-generation fuels and engines.
Read more here.
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough completing the Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus reconfiguration to the Cool Flames Investigation setup.NASACarbon Nanotubes and the Search for Life on Other Planets
A NASA-developed material made of carbon nanotubes will enable our search for exoplanets—some of which might be capable of supporting life. Originally developed in 2007 by a team of researchers led by Innovators of the Year John Hagopian and Stephanie Getty at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, this carbon nanotube technology is being refined for potential use on NASA’s upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)—the first telescope designed specifically to search for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars.
As shown in the figure below, carbon nanotubes look like graphene (a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice) that is rolled into a tube. The super-dark material consists of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (i.e., nested nanotubes) that grow vertically into a “forest.” The carbon nanotubes are 99% empty space so the light entering the material doesn’t get reflected. Instead, the light enters the nanotube forest and jiggles electrons in the hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms, converting the light to heat. The ability of the carbon nanotubes to eliminate almost all light is enabling for NASA’s scientific instruments because stray light limits how sensitive the observations can be. When applied to instrument structures, this material can eliminate much of the stray light and enable new and better observations.
Left: Artist’s conception of graphene, single and multiwalled carbon nanotube structures. Right: Scanning electron microscope image of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube forest with a section removed in the center. Credit: Delft University/Dr. Sten Vollebregt and NASA GSFCViewing exoplanets is incredibly difficult; the exoplanets revolve around stars that are 10 billion times brighter than they are. It’s like looking at the Sun and trying to see a dim star next to it in the daytime. Specialized instruments called coronagraphs must be used to block the light from the star to enable these exoplanets to be viewed. The carbon nanotube material is employed in the coronagraph to block as much stray light as possible from entering the instrument’s detector.
The image below depicts a notional telescope and coronagraph imaging an exoplanet. The telescope collects the light from the distant star and exoplanet. The light is then directed to a coronagraph that collimates the beam, making the light rays parallel, and then the beam is reflected off the apodizer mirror, which is used to precisely control the diffraction of light. Carbon nanotubes on the apodizer mirror absorb the stray light that is diffracted off edges of the telescope structures, so it does not contaminate the observations. The light is then focused on the focal plane mask, which blocks the light from the star but allows light from the exoplanet to pass. The light gets collimated again and is then reflected off a deformable mirror to correct distortion in the image. Finally, the light passes through the Lyot Stop, which is also coated with carbon nanotubes to remove the remaining stray light. The beam is then focused onto the detector array, which forms the image.
Even with all these measures some stray light still reaches the detector, but the coronagraph creates a dark zone where only the light coming from the exoplanet can be seen. The final image on the right in the figure below shows the remaining light from the star in yellow and the light from the exoplanet in red in the dark zone.
Schematic of a notional telescope and coronagraph imaging an exoplanet Credit: Advanced Nanophotonics/John Hagopian, LLCHWO will use a similar scheme to search for habitable exoplanets. Scientists will analyze the spectrum of light captured by HWO to determine the gases in the atmosphere of the exoplanet. The presence of water vapor, oxygen, and perhaps other gases can indicate if an exoplanet could potentially support life.
But how do you make a carbon-nanotube-coated apodizer mirror that could be used on the HWO? Hagopian’s company Advanced Nanophotonics, LLC received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to address this challenge.
Carbon nanotubes are grown by depositing catalyst seeds onto a substrate and then placing the substrate into a tube-shaped furnace and heating it to 1382 degrees F, which is red hot! Gases containing carbon are then flowed into the heated tube, and at these temperatures the gases are absorbed by the metal catalyst and transform into a solution, similar to how carbon dioxide in soda water fizzes. The carbon nanotubes literally grow out of the substrate into vertically aligned tubes to form a “forest” wherever the catalyst is located.
Since the growth of carbon nanotubes on the apodizer mirror must occur only in designated areas where stray light is predicted, the catalyst must be applied only to those areas. The four main challenges that had to be overcome to develop this process were: 1) how to pattern the catalyst precisely, 2) how to get a mirror to survive high temperatures without distorting, 3) how to get a coating to survive high temperatures and still be shiny, and 4) how to get the carbon nanotubes to grow on top of a shiny coating. The Advanced Nanophotonics team refined a multi-step process (see figure below) to address these challenges.
Making an Apodizer Mirror for use in a coronagraph Credit: Advanced Nanophotonics/John Hagopian, LLCFirst a silicon mirror substrate is fabricated to serve as the base for the mirror. This material has properties that allow it to survive very high temperatures and remain flat. These 2-inch mirrors are so flat that if one was scaled to the diameter of Earth, the highest mountain would only be 2.5 inches tall!
Next, the mirror is coated with multiple layers of dielectric and metal, which are deposited by knocking atoms off a target and onto the mirror in a process called sputtering. This coating must be reflective to direct the desired photons, but still be able to survive in the hot environment with corrosive gases that is required to grow carbon nanotubes.
Then a material called resist that is sensitive to light is applied to the mirror and a pattern is created in the resist with a laser. The image on the mirror is chemically developed to remove the resist only in the areas illuminated by the laser, creating a pattern where the mirror’s reflecting surface is exposed only where nanotube growth is desired.
The catalyst is then deposited over the entire mirror surface using sputtering to provide the seeds for carbon nanotube growth. A process called liftoff is used to remove the catalyst and the resist that are located where nanotubes growth is not needed. The mirror is then put in a tube furnace and heated to 1380 degrees Fahrenheit while argon, hydrogen, and ethylene gases are flowed through the tube, which allows the chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes where the catalyst has been patterned. The apodizer mirror is cooled and removed from the tube furnace and characterized to make sure it is still flat, reflective where desired, and very black everywhere else.
The Habitable Worlds Observatory will need a coronagraph with an optimized apodizer mirror to effectively view exoplanets and gather their light for evaluation. To make sure NASA has the best chance to succeed in this search for life, the mirror design and nanotube technology are being refined in test beds across the country.
Under the SBIR program, Advanced Nanophotonics, LLC has delivered apodizers and other coronagraph components to researchers including Remi Soummer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Eduardo Bendek and Rus Belikov at NASA Ames, Tyler Groff at NASA Goddard, and Arielle Bertrou-Cantou and Dmitri Mawet at the California Institute of Technology. These researchers are testing these components and the results of these studies will inform new designs to eventually enable the goal of a telescope with a contrast ratio of 10 billion to 1.
Reflective Apodizers delivered to Scientists across the country Credit: Advanced Nanophotonics/John Hagopian, LLCIn addition, although the desired contrast ratio cannot be achieved using telescopes on Earth, testing apodizer mirror designs on ground-based telescopes not only facilitates technology development, but helps determine the objects HWO might observe. Using funding from the SBIR program, Advanced Nanophotonics also developed transmissive apodizers for the University of Notre Dame to employ on another instrument—the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) Upgrade. In this case the carbon nanotubes were patterned and grown on glass that transmits the light from the telescope into the coronagraph. The Gemini telescope is an 8.1-meter telescope located in Chile, high atop a mountain in thin air to allow for better viewing. Dr. Jeffrey Chilcote is leading the effort to upgrade the GPI and install the carbon nanotube patterned apodizers and Lyot Stops in the coronagraph to allow viewing of exoplanets starting next year. Discoveries enabled by GPI may also drive future apodizer designs.
More recently, the company was awarded a Phase II SBIR contract to develop next-generation apodizers and other carbon nanotube-based components for the test beds of existing collaborators and new partners at the University of Arizona and the University of California Santa Clara.
Tyler Groff (left) and John Hagopian (right) display a carbon nanotube patterned apodizer mirror used in the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center coronagraph test bed. Credit: Advanced Nanophotonics/John Hagopian, LLCAs a result of this SBIR-funded technology effort, Advanced Nanophotonics has collaborated with NASA Scientists to develop a variety of other applications for this nanotube technology.
A special carbon nanotube coating developed by Advanced Nanophotonics was used on the recently launched NASA Ocean Color Instrument onboard the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission that is observing both the atmosphere and phytoplankton in the ocean, which are key to the health of our planet. A carbon nanotube coating that is only a quarter of the thickness of a human hair was applied around the entrance slit of the instrument. This coating absorbs 99.5% of light in the visible to infrared and prevents stray light from reflecting into the instrument to enable more accurate measurements. Hagopian’s team is also collaborating with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) team to apply the technology to mitigate stray light in the European Space Agency’s space-based gravity wave mission.
They are also working to develop carbon nanotubes for use as electron beam emitters for a project sponsored by the NASA Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (PICASSO) Program. Led by Lucy Lim at NASA Goddard, this project aims to develop an instrument to probe asteroid and comet constituents in space.
In addition, Advanced Nanophotonics worked with researcher Larry Hess at NASA Goddard’s Detector Systems Branch and Jing Li at the NASA Ames Research Center to develop a breathalyzer to screen for Covid-19 using carbon nanotube technology. The electron mobility in a carbon nanotube network enables high sensitivity to gases in exhaled breath that are associated with disease.
This carbon nanotube-based technology is paying dividends both in space, as we continue our search for life, and here on Earth.
For additional details, see the entry for this project on NASA TechPort.
PROJECT LEADJohn Hagopian (Advanced Nanophotonics, LLC)
SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONSMD-funded SBIR project
Share Details Last Updated Sep 03, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read Hubble Zooms into the Rosy Tendrils of AndromedaArticle
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NASA Sets Coverage for Starliner News Conference, Return to Earth
NASA will provide live coverage of the upcoming activities for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft departure from the International Space Station and return to Earth. The uncrewed spacecraft will depart from the orbiting laboratory for a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station at approximately 6:04 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 6, to begin the journey home, weather conditions permitting. NASA and Boeing are targeting approximately 12:03 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, for the landing and conclusion of the flight test.
NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA programming through a variety of platforms including social media.
Ahead of Starliner’s return, NASA will host a pre-departure news conference at 12 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 4, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA’s Commercial Crew and International Space Station Program managers and a flight director will participate.
To attend the pre-departure news conference in person, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111. To join the pre-departure news conference by phone, media must contact the NASA newsroom no later than two hours prior to the start of the call.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters. For the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced on Aug. 24 that Starliner will return to Earth from the station without a crew. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, Sept. 4
12 p.m. – Starliner pre-departure news conference from NASA’s Johnson Space Center on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
Friday, Sept. 6
5:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
6:04 p.m. – Undocking
10:50 p.m. – Coverage resumes for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
Saturday, Sept. 7
12:03 a.m. – Targeted landing
1:30 a.m. – Post-landing news conference with the following participants:
- Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida
- Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station, NASA Johnson
- John Shannon, vice president, Boeing Exploration Systems
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program
Coverage of the post-landing news conference will stream live on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
To attend the post-landing news conference in person, U.S. media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 12 p.m., Sept. 6. To join the post-landing news conference by phone, media must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than one hour prior to the start of the event.
See full mission coverage, NASA’s commercial crew blog, and more information about the mission at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
-end-
Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Leah Cheshier
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov
Steve Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.sieceloff@nasa.gov
Co-creating authentic STEM learning experiences with Latino communities
2 min read
Co-creating authentic STEM learning experiences with Latino communitiesLed by Arizona State University, the NASA Science Activation Program’s “Engaging Hispanic Communities in Authentic NASA Science” project advances NASA’s vision for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by co-creating learning experiences with Latino communities in six locations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Partners at each site – including educational organizations, community groups, and subject matter experts – are collaborating to offer culturally sustaining learning experiences that reflect the people, priorities, and assets of each community.
In the San Francisco Bay area, the University of California Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science is working with Bay Area Community Resources to offer hands-on Earth and space activities at hundreds of out-of-school-time programs. In San Diego, the Fleet Science Center and the San Ysidro STEM Committee are planning an annual STEM festival. In the Phoenix/Mesa metro area, Arizona State University and RAIL Community Development Corporation are working with community members and local artists to create STEAM (STEM + art) experiences that will be embedded in Hispanic neighborhoods. In Albuquerque, Explora and Horizons Albuquerque are hosting a teen summit to co-create a new futures-oriented exhibition for the science center. The Brownsville Children’s Museum in Texas is working with a variety of partners to engage families in STEM learning at community events across the area. Finally, in Houston, the Children’s Museum of Houston and Community Family Centers are offering STEM summer camp experiences in underserved Hispanic neighborhoods.
These activities have spanned across Spring and Summer 2024 and engaged over 10,000 learners in authentic STEM learning experiences. Looking ahead to the future, team members will continue to deepen their relationships among organizations and broaden participation across their local communities. The six sites also convene regularly as a community of practice, sharing insights, strategies, and practices. Learnings from the project and professional resources will also be shared widely across the STEM engagement and education professionals.
The Engaging Hispanic Communities in Authentic NASA Science project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number 80NSSC22M0122 and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
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CORRECTION: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Changes Ahead of September Launch
Editor’s note: This release was updated twice on Aug. 30, 2024. First, to correct Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov’s role as a mission specialist. It was updated again to correct a launch date.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24, on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, previously announced as crewmates, are eligible for reassignment on a future mission.
Hague and Gorbunov will fly to the space station as commander and mission specialist, respectively, as part of a two-crew member flight aboard a SpaceX Dragon.
The updated crew complement follows NASA’s decision to return the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test uncrewed and launch Crew-9 with two unoccupied seats. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will fly home with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025.
The decision to fly Hague was made by NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Acaba had to balance flying a NASA crew member with previous spaceflight experience to command the flight, while ensuring NASA maintains an integrated crew with a Roscosmos cosmonaut who can operate their critical systems for continued, safe station operations.
“While we’ve changed crew before for a variety of reasons, downsizing crew for this flight was another tough decision to adjust to given that the crew has trained as a crew of four,” said Acaba. “I have the utmost confidence in all our crew, who have been excellent throughout training for the mission. Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch, and they exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut.”
The agency will share reassignment details for Cardman and Wilson when available.
“I am deeply proud of our entire crew,” said Cardman, “and I am confident Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence. All four of us remain dedicated to the success of this mission, and Stephanie and I look forward to flying when the time is right.”
Wilson added, “I know Nick and Alex will do a great job with their work aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72.”
With 203 days logged in space, this will be Hague’s third launch and second mission to the orbiting laboratory. During his first launch in October 2018, Hague and his crewmate, Roscosmos’ Alexey Ovchinin, experienced a rocket booster failure, resulting in an in-flight, post-launch abort, ballistic re-entry, and safe landing in their Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft. Five months later, Hague launched aboard Soyuz MS-12 and served as a flight engineer aboard the space station during Expeditions 59 and 60. Hague conducted three spacewalks to upgrade space station power systems and install a docking adapter for commercial spacecraft. An active-duty colonel in the U.S. Space Force, Hague completed a developmental rotation at the Defense Department, and served as the Space Force’s director of test and evaluation from 2020 to 2022. In August 2022, Hague resumed duties at NASA, working on the Boeing Starliner Program until this flight assignment. Follow @astrohague on X and Instagram.
This will be Gorbunov’s first trip to space and the station. Born in Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region, Russia, he studied engineering with qualifications in spacecraft and upper stages from the Moscow Aviation Institute. Gorbunov graduated from the military department with a specialty in operating and repairing aircraft, helicopters, and aircraft engines. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, he worked as an engineer for Rocket Space Corp. Energia and supported cargo spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Hague and Gorbonov will become members of the Expedition 72 crew aboard the station. They will join Wilmore, Williams, fellow NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner conducting scientific research and maintenance activities into the station’s 24th year of continuous human presence.
Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
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Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov
