NASA - Breaking News
The Marshall Star for May 1, 2024
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center is getting ready for the next big step in the evolution of its main campus. Through a series of multi-year infrastructure projects, Marshall is optimizing its footprint to assure its place as a vibrant and vital hub for the aerospace community in the next era.
Near-term plans call for the carefully orchestrated take-down of 19 obsolete and idle structures – among them the 363-foot-tall Dynamic Test Stand, the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, and Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. These facilities are not required for current or future missions, and the demolitions will help the center transition to a more modern, sustainable, and affordable infrastructure.
Test engineers fire up the Saturn I rocket’s first stage (S-1-10) at the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, or “T-tower,” at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in 1964.NASA“These facilities helped NASA make history – the Dynamic Test Stand was the tallest manmade structure in North Alabama and helped us test both the Saturn V rocket and the space shuttle,” said Joseph Pelfrey, Marshall’s center director. “Without these structures, we wouldn’t have the space program we have today. While it is hard to let them go, the most important legacy remaining are the people that built and stewarded these facilities and the missions they enabled. That same bold spirit fuels us, today. We are committed to carrying it forward to inspire the workforce of tomorrow.”
Built in 1964, the Dynamic Test Stand initially was used to test fully assembled Saturn V rockets. In 1978, engineers there also integrated all space shuttle elements for the first time, including the orbiter, external fuel tank, and solid rocket boosters.
The Propulsion and Structural Test Facility – better known at Marshall as the “T-tower” due to its unique shape – was built in 1957 by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency and transferred to NASA when Marshall was founded in 1960. There, engineers tested components of the Saturn launch vehicles, the Army’s Redstone Rocket, and shuttle solid rocket boosters.
The Neutral Buoyancy Simulator, including its 1.3-million-gallon tank and control room, was built in the late 1960s. From 1969 until its closing in 1997, the facility enabled NASA astronauts and researchers to experience near-weightlessness, conducting underwater testing of space hardware and practice runs for servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. It was replaced in 1997 by a new facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Astronauts conduct underwater testing on the International Space Station’s power module in the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at Marshall in 1995.NASAHonoring the Past, Building the Future
Marshall master planner Justin Taylor said the facilities team looked at every possibility for refurbishing the old sites.
“The upkeep of aging facilities is costly, and we have to put our funding where it does the most good for NASA’s mission,” he said. “These are tough choices, but we have to prioritize function and cost over nostalgia. We’re making way for what’s next.”
To preserve NASA history, the agency has worked with architectural historians over the years on detailed drawings, written histories, and large-format photographs of the sites. Those documents are part of the Library of Congress’s permanent Historic American Engineering Record collection, making their history and accomplishments available to the public for generations to come.
Marshall facilities engineers are still finalizing the details and timeline for the demolitions. Work is expected to begin in late 2024 and end in late 2025. Additionally, to support the center’s employees and all the mission work they are doing, Marshall has a few infrastructure projects in design stages that will include the construction of two state-of-the-art buildings within the decade ahead.
A new Marshall Exploration Facility will offer a two to three story facility at approximately 55,000 square feet located within the 4200 complex. The facility will include an auditorium, along with conferencing, training, retail, and administrative spaces. The new Engineering Science Lab – at approximately 140,000 square feet – will provide a modern, flexible laboratory environment to accommodate a new focus for research and testing capabilities.
Ultimately, NASA’s vision for Marshall is a dynamic, interconnected campus. The center’s master plan features a central greenway connecting its two most densely populated zones – its administrative complex and engineering complex.
“As we look towards the aspirational goals we have as an agency, Marshall’s contributions may look different than our past but be no less important,” said Pelfrey. “And we want our partners, employees, and the community to be part of the evolution with us, bringing complementary skills and capabilities, innovative ideas, and a passion for exploration and discovery.”
Center Helps Grow Team Redstone’s Green Canopy for Earth Day Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center leaders stand beside a carefully selected Ginkgo tree during Earth Day activities April 25 at Marshall’s food truck corral. The “Autumn Gold” Ginkgo will grow behind the Medical Center at Building 4249 as a living reminder of Marshall’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. From left, Redstone Arsenal Garrison Commander Col. Brian Cozine; Deputy Garrison Commander Martin Traylor; Deputy Director of Marshall’s Office of Center Operations Bill Marks; Environmental Engineering and Occupational Health Manager Farley Davis; Director of Center Operations June Malone; and Associate Center Director, Technical, Larry Leopard. NASA/Charles Beason Earth Day volunteers Sahana Parker, center, and Jacob Jolley, right, help hand out hundreds of saplings April 25 in a tree giveaway organized by Marshall’s Environmental Engineering and Occupational Health Office and Green Team. NASA/Charles Beason Environmental Protection Specialist Joni Melson, right, lends a helping hand to a fellow plant lover at Marshall’s Earth Day celebration April 25. Melson led Marshall’s planning and coordination for the event, a joint effort with Team Redstone. NASA/Charles Beason Michoud Workforce ‘Goes Green’ in Celebration of Earth DayTeam members at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility marked Earth Day 2024 on April 22 by planting satsuma trees and small plants near administrative and office buildings.
From left, Boeing Michoud Deputy Site Leader Brad Saxton, Michoud Assembly Facility Director Hansel Gill, Textron Supervisor Inventory Control/Shipping MAF/Stone Road Wendy Dedeaux, Lockheed Martin Environmental Health and Safety Engineer Darrell Christian, Michoud Environmental Officer Ben Ferrell, and Syncom Space Services Environmental Manager Eric Stack pack in dirt and mulch around a newly planted satsuma tree at Michoud.NASA/Steven SeipelNearly 50 employees from NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Syncom Space Services (S3), Textron, and various other contractors worked together to weed flower beds and pick up litter and debris around the 829-acre site on Earth Day.
“The Earth Day activities this morning were not only good for the environment, but also good for our workforce,” said Michoud Director Hansel Gill, “It was a pleasure to see folks from various contractors and tenants come together, get their hands dirty, and enjoy the comradery. Everyone was smiling, the weather was perfect, morale was high, and we look forward to hosting more opportunities such as this in the future.”
Earth Day-Tree Planting and Building 101/102 Alley Clean UpNASA/Steven Seipel Crystal Farmer, left, and Jennifer York of Boeing show off “MAF Goes Green” giveaways handed out during the April 22 cleanup activities. NASA/Steven Seipel Earth Day-Tree Planting and Building 101/102 Alley Clean UpNASA/Steven Seipel NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility team members join in cleanup and beautification efforts at Michoud in celebration of Earth Day 2024.NASA/Steven Seipel Export Control Office Keeps Marshall Safe and Secure When Sharing KnowledgeBy Jessica Barnett
As a team member at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, it’s your responsibility to help make sure information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. That includes checking in with the center’s Export Control Office before a presentation or visit with foreign nationals or entities.
Marshall’s Export Control Program features four staff members and a multitude of certified Center Export Representatives (CERs) who will work with team members to ensure organizations can get their work done without violating export control laws.
Marshall Space Flight Center’s Export Control Program team includes, from left, Elizabeth Ewald, senior export compliance specialist; Sean Benson, center export administrator; Chris Jones, export compliance specialist; and Chris Mathews, assistant center export administrator. NASA/Jessica Barnett“We’re a service organization with a mission to help NASA employees navigate the very complex world of export controls,” said Sean Benson, who serves as Marshall’s center export administrator. “They’re laws that all U.S. entities – government included – must follow. Our role is to help the exporter navigate those in an efficient and compliant way.”
It’s important to note that exports aren’t just physical goods being shipped overseas. They can include items shared virtually with foreign companies, visits from foreign nationals, presentations with non-U.S. schools or universities, and more.
“I often get asked to review presentations for export control content,” said Elizabeth Ewald, senior export compliance specialist at Marshall. “I also help with international shipping.”
“We review if NASA’s going to be disposing of property, selling it out to markets. We make sure that if it’s going, it’s going to the proper parties,” Benson said. “We also do a lot of work with foreign national visits. We do risk assessment for every foreign national visit that comes from Marshall Space Flight Center, including Michoud Assembly Facility and the National Space Science Technology Center.”
CERs play an important role in the process. Benson and Ewald advise each technical organization at Marshall to have at least one CER.
“They’re our eyes, ears, hands, and feet on the ground within the individual areas of the center,” Ewald said. “They speak engineering, and we don’t; we speak export, and they don’t. Together, we make a great team to help when reviewing papers, presentations, and what-have-you.”
To become a CER, a team member must complete 10 prerequisite courses in SATERN, then complete two live Teams sessions, which are four hours each. Once certified, they’ll need to complete annual recertification to remain on the office’s active CERs list.
One of the export control team’s many roles at Marshall is reviewing presentations, images, and other information that might be shared virtually with foreign nationals or entities. NASA/Jessica BarnettThat list is just one of the many tools available for team members who visit the office’s SharePoint page on Inside Marshall. The page also features contact information for the office’s staff members, ways to file a request for export authorization or policy review, and access to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which are the two rulebooks that govern the Export Control Program.
“You can request training, too,” Benson said. “You can also see our reference materials, including some helpful job aids for things like marking Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) documents.”
Each NASA center has its own Export Control Program to match that center’s focus. Benson said he’s proud to work at Marshall, where – in the words of Center Director Joseph Pelfrey – he can work on a rocket that’s going to the Moon in the morning and on a rocket that’s coming back from Mars in the afternoon.
“The best part of my job is being involved with helping programs and projects work with their national partners to do cool stuff in space,” Benson said. “I never thought that I would be involved in things like helping people get satellites from one place to another and safely to a launchpad.”
“We’re here to help,” Ewald said. “We want you guys to be able to do what you want to do, so get us involved. Sometimes the things we need to help you with will take more than 90 days to accomplish, so the sooner you get us involved, the better.”
Team members can learn more about Marshall’s Export Control Office by visiting its SharePoint page on Inside Marshall. Organizations can also reach out to the office to request a training or presentation tailored to that organization’s specific export control needs.
Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
Marshall’s Energy and Water Team Wins Federal Energy Management Program AwardBy Celine Smith
It’s easy to see the green pastures and rolling hills surrounding NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Redstone Arsenal and think of them as untouched.
In reality, the energy and water team within Marshall’s Center of Operations Office takes great care in managing the sustainable use of the environment. Not only does their work benefit the environment, but their commitment to decrease the usage of water and energy can save taxpayer’s money. The team was recently rewarded for their efforts, earning an award March 27 from the Federal Energy Management Program for their project: water leak detection and advanced metering infrastructure.
Marshall’s Water and Energy Manager Rhonda Truitt, center, smiles as she receives the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) award. She is joined by, from left, Creshonna Armwood, supervisor of Agency Services and Federal Engagement; Anna Siefen, deputy director within the Department of Energy’s FEMP; Mary Sotos, Department of Energy FEMP director; Denise Thaller, NASA’s Office of Strategic Infrastructure’s deputy assistant administrator; Charlotte Bertrand, NASA’s Environmental Management Division’s director; and Wayne Thalasinos, NASA’s Facilities and Real Estate Division’s program manager and NASA FEMP award coordinator.NASA/FEMP“I love saving energy and money for the taxpayer,” said Rhonda Truitt, the energy and water manager for Marshall. “I also feel like it’s the right thing to do as a good steward of our planet and for our community.”
The team ensures the center meets and exceeds federal expectations of efficient usage of energy and water. With this objective in mind, it implements innovative methods to conserve resources. The energy and water team partnered with the Army and Huntsville Utilities for the two projects.
For the water leak detection project, a team comprised of Truitt, Marshall’s Operation & Maintenance, and the SMART center initiative, placed acoustic sensors mimicking hydrant caps on hydrants across Marshall. The sensor monitors irregular sounds that indicate a leak and identifies its approximate location, decreasing the time needed in what was previously an hours-long process to find leaks.
Truitt said the technology has more benefits other than saving money. Fixing leaks prevents clean water from being contaminated by historical industrial operations and flowing into natural water resources like the Tennessee River. Leaks can also cause sinkholes that could endanger team members and buildings, so discovering them early is important.
From left, Thaller, Truitt, and Bertrand together at the FEMP award ceremony.NASA/FEMPFor example, the team discovered three leaks the first day the project was put into place. A hole causing one leak measured at one-sixteenth of an inch and was leaking 900 gallons of water a day. The sensors have led to four leaks being repaired, with about $10,000 saved for each.
“Small things can make a difference,” Truitt said. “With the number of employees at Marshall, small actions like allowing a leak or drip to go unreported can add up.”
The advanced metering infrastructure works together with water leak detection by calculating how much water used across the center. The energy and water team can ensure Marshall is accurately charged for water and keep track of overall water usage. The success of the two projects won’t only benefit Huntsville. According to Truitt, federal sites across the U.S. could adopt these methods, leading to water and money savings nationwide.
“My role doesn’t only make a difference financially, I get to support NASA’s missions while sustaining and protecting the world we live in,” Truitt said. “It’s really cool to feel like you make short-term and long-term differences.”
Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
Michoud All-Hands Provides Updates, Introductions to New Leadership and InitiativesNASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility Director Hansel Gill held a Michoud All-Hands meeting for facility team members April 24.
NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility Director Hansel Gill speaks to attendees during his first Michoud All-Hands since being named director in early April. NASA/Michael DeMockerThe meeting was the first formal all-hands for Gill since officially taking on his new role earlier in the month.
Michoud civil servants and direct support employees attend the facility’s all-hands meeting April 24, getting updates on topics including hardware production, infrastructure, and NASA 2040. NASA/Michael DeMockerMichoud civil servants and direct support employees attended the event, which included updates on hardware production and infrastructure improvements and repairs, as well as discussions on Michoud’s culture.
MAF Ambassadors Ben Ferrell, Jesse Lemonte, and Kevin Stiede address attendees on NASA 2040 and other Marshall Space Flight Center’s Center Action Team initiatives.NASA/Michael DeMockerGill then introduced the “MAF Ambassadors” from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Center Action Team to speak on NASA 2040 and other future initiatives before opening the floor to questions.
NASA’s Optical Comms Demo Transmits Data Over 140 Million MilesRiding aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, the agency’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration continues to break records. While the asteroid-bound spacecraft doesn’t rely on optical communications to send data, the new technology has proven that it’s up to the task. After interfacing with the Psyche’s radio frequency transmitter, the laser communications demo sent a copy of engineering data from over 140 million miles away, 1½ times the distance between Earth and the Sun.
This achievement provides a glimpse into how spacecraft could use optical communications in the future, enabling higher-data-rate communications of complex scientific information as well as high-definition imagery and video in support of humanity’s next giant leap: sending humans to Mars.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is shown in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 8, 2022. The optical communications gold-capped flight laser transceiver can be seen, near center, attached to the spacecraft.NASA/Ben Smegelsky“We downlinked about 10 minutes of duplicated spacecraft data during a pass on April 8,” said Meera Srinivasan, the project’s operations lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “Until then, we’d been sending test and diagnostic data in our downlinks from Psyche. This represents a significant milestone for the project by showing how optical communications can interface with a spacecraft’s radio frequency comms system.”
The laser communications technology in this demo is designed to transmit data from deep space at rates 10 to 100 times faster than the state-of-the-art radio frequency systems used by deep space missions today.
After launching on Oct. 13, 2023, the spacecraft remains healthy and stable as it journeys to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter to visit the asteroid Psyche.
NASA’s optical communications demonstration has shown that it can transmit test data at a maximum rate of 267 megabits per second (Mbps) from the flight laser transceiver’s near-infrared downlink laser – a bit rate comparable to broadband internet download speeds.
That was achieved on Dec. 11, 2023, when the experiment beamed a 15-second ultra-high-definition video to Earth from 19 million miles away (31 million kilometers, or about 80 times the Earth-Moon distance). The video, along with other test data, including digital versions of Arizona State University’s Psyche Inspired artwork, had been loaded onto the flight laser transceiver before Psyche launched last year.
Now that the spacecraft is more than seven times farther away, the rate at which it can send and receive data is reduced, as expected. During the April 8 test, the spacecraft transmitted test data at a maximum rate of 25 Mbps, which far surpasses the project’s goal of proving at least 1 Mbps was possible at that distance.
The project team also commanded the transceiver to transmit Psyche-generated data optically. While Psyche was transmitting data over its radio frequency channel to NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), the optical communications system simultaneously transmitted a portion of the same data to the Hale Telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California – the tech demo’s primary downlink ground station.
“After receiving the data from the DSN and Palomar, we verified the optically downlinked data at JPL,” said Ken Andrews, project flight operations lead at JPL. “It was a small amount of data downlinked over a short time frame, but the fact we’re doing this now has surpassed all of our expectations.”
This visualization shows the Psyche spacecraft’s position on April 8 when the optical communications flight laser transceiver transmitted data at a rate of 25 Mbps over 140 million miles to a downlink station on Earth.NASA/JPL-CaltechAfter Psyche launched, the optical communications demo was initially used to downlink pre-loaded data, including the Taters the cat video. Since then, the project has proven that the transceiver can receive data from the high-power uplink laser at JPL’s Table Mountain facility, near Wrightwood, California. Data can even be sent to the transceiver and then downlinked back to Earth on the same night, as the project proved in a recent “turnaround experiment.”
This experiment relayed test data – as well as digital pet photographs – to Psyche and back again, a round trip of up to 280 million miles. It also downlinked large amounts of the tech demo’s own engineering data to study the characteristics of the optical communications link.
“We’ve learned a great deal about how far we can push the system when we do have clear skies, although storms have interrupted operations at both Table Mountain and Palomar on occasion,” said Ryan Rogalin, the project’s receiver electronics lead at JPL. (Whereas radio frequency communications can operate in most weather conditions, optical communications require relatively clear skies to transmit high-bandwidth data.)
JPL recently led an experiment to combine Palomar, the experimental radio frequency-optical antenna at the DSN’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in Barstow, California, and a detector at Table Mountain to receive the same signal in concert. “Arraying” multiple ground stations to mimic one large receiver can help boost the deep space signal. This strategy can also be useful if one ground station is forced offline due to weather conditions; other stations can still receive the signal.
Managed by JPL, this demonstration is the latest in a series of optical communication experiments funded by the Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) program under NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. The Technology Demonstration Missions Program Office is at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Development of the flight laser transceiver is supported by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, L3 Harris, CACI, First Mode, and Controlled Dynamics Inc., and Fibertek, Coherent, and Dotfast support the ground systems. Some of the technology was developed through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program.
Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program under the Science Mission Directorate, managed by Marshall. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center managed the launch service. Maxar Technologies provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis from Palo Alto, California.
Read more about the laser communications demo.
Chandra Releases Doubleheader of Blockbuster HitsNew movies of two of the most famous objects in the sky – the Crab Nebula and Cassiopeia A – are being released from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Each includes X-ray data collected by Chandra over about two decades. They show dramatic changes in the debris and radiation remaining after the explosion of two massive stars in our galaxy.
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These two movies of the Cassiopeia A and Crab Nebula supernova remnants show Chandra’s capabilities of documenting changes in astronomical objects over human timeframes. Dramatic changes are apparent in the debris and radiation remaining after the explosion of these two massive stars in our galaxy. Such time-lapse movies would not be possible without Chandra’s archives that serve as public repositories for the data collected over Chandra’s nearly 25 years of operations.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, A. Jubett, K. ArcandThe Crab Nebula, the result of a bright supernova explosion seen by Chinese and other astronomers in the year 1054, is 6,500 light-years from Earth. At its center is a neutron star, a super-dense star produced by the supernova. As it rotates at about 30 times per second, its beam of radiation passes over the Earth every orbit, like a cosmic lighthouse.
As the young pulsar slows down, large amounts of energy are injected into its surroundings. In particular, a high-speed wind of matter and anti-matter particles plows into the surrounding nebula, creating a shock wave that forms the expanding ring seen in the movie. Jets from the poles of the pulsar spew X-ray emitting matter and antimatter particles in a direction perpendicular to the ring.
Over 22 years, Chandra has taken many observations of the Crab Nebula. With this long runtime, astronomers see clear changes in both the ring and the jets in the new movie. Previous Chandra movies showed images taken from much shorter time periods – a 5-month period between 2000 and 2001 and over 7 months between 2010 and 2011 for another. The longer timeframe highlights mesmerizing fluctuations, including whip-like variations in the X-ray jet that are only seen in this much longer movie. A new set of Chandra observations will be conducted later this year to follow changes in the jet since the last Chandra data was obtained in early 2022.
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This video begins with a composite version of the Crab Nebula, combining Chandra X-ray data with infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Over 22 years, Chandra has taken many observations of the Crab Nebula. With this long runtime, astronomers see clear changes in both the ring and the jets in the new movie. Previous Chandra movies showed images taken from much shorter time periods – a 5-month period between 2000 and 2001 and over 7 months between 2010 and 2011 for another. The longer timeframe highlights mesmerizing fluctuations, including whip-like variations in the X-ray jet that are only seen in this much longer movie. A new set of Chandra observations will be conducted later this year to follow changes in the jet since the last Chandra data was obtained in early 2022.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, A. Jubett, K. ArcandThe second billing in this doubleheader is just as spectacular. Cassiopeia A (Cas A for short) is the remains of a supernova that is estimated to have exploded about 340 years ago in Earth’s sky. While other Chandra movies of Cas A have previously been released, including one with data extending from 2000 to 2013, this new movie is substantially longer featuring data from 2000 through to 2019.
The outer region of Cas A shows the expanding blast wave of the explosion. The blast wave is composed of shock waves, similar to the sonic booms generated by a supersonic aircraft. These expanding shock waves are sites where particles are being accelerated to energies that are higher than the most powerful accelerator on Earth, the Large Hadron Collider. As the blast wave travels outwards it encounters surrounding material and slows down, generating a second shock wave that travels backwards relative to the blast wave, analogous to a traffic jam travelling backwards from the scene of an accident on a highway.
Cas A has been one of the most highly observed targets and publicly released images from the Chandra mission. It was Chandra’s official first-light image in 1999 after the Space Shuttle Columbia launched into orbit and quickly discovered a point source of X-rays in Cas A’s center for the first time, later confirmed to be a neutron star. Over the years, astronomers have used Chandra to discover evidence for “superfluid” inside Cas A’s neutron star, to reveal that the original massive star may have turned inside out as it exploded and to take an important step in pinpointing how giant stars explode. Chandra has also mapped the elements forged inside the star, which are now moving into space to help seed the next generation of stars and planets. More recently, Chandra data was combined with data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to help determine the origin of mysterious structures within the remnant.
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This video begins with a composite version of the Cassiopeia A, combining Chandra X-ray data with infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Cassiopeia A (Cas A for short) is the remains of a supernova that is estimated to have exploded about 340 years ago in Earth’s sky. This new Cas A movie features data from 2000 through to 2019. The images used in the latest Cas A movie have been processed using a state-of-the-art processing technique, led by Yusuke from Rikkyo University in Japan, to fully capitalize on Chandra's sharp X-ray vision.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, A. Jubett, K. ArcandThe images used in the latest Cas A movie have been processed using a state-of-the-art processing technique, led by Yusuke from Rikkyo University in Japan, to fully capitalize on Chandra’s sharp X-ray vision. The paper describing their work was published in The Astrophysical Journal and is available online.
These two movies show Chandra’s capabilities of documenting changes in astronomical objects over human timeframes. Such movies would not be possible without Chandra’s archives that serve as public repositories for the data collected over Chandra’s nearly 25 years of operations.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
NASA Sets Coverage for Boeing Starliner’s First Crewed Launch, DockingNASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, which will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to and from the International Space Station.
Launch of the ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner spacecraft is targeted for 9:34 p.m. CDT May 6, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft approaches the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will launch aboard Starliner on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test.Credits: NASAThe flight test will carry Wilmore and Williams to the space station for about a week to test the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems before NASA certifies the transportation system for rotational missions to the orbiting laboratory for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
The HOSC (Huntsville Operations Support Center) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center provides engineering and mission operations support for the space station, the Commercial Crew Program, and Artemis missions, as well as science and technology demonstration missions.
Starliner will dock to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 11:48 p.m., May 8.
NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Central and subject to change based on real-time operations):
May 3
11:30 a.m. – Prelaunch news conference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
- Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Dana Weigel, manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Emily Nelson, chief flight director, NASA
- Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
- Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
- Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Coverage of the prelaunch news conference will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
2:30 p.m. – NASA Social panel live stream event at Kennedy with the following participants:
- Ian Kappes, deputy launch vehicle office manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Amy Comeau Denker, Starliner associate chief engineer, Boeing
- Caleb Weiss, system engineering and test leader, ULA
- Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
Coverage of the panel live stream event will stream live at @NASAKennedy on YouTube, @NASAKennedy on X, and @NASAKennedy on Facebook. Members of the public may ask questions online by posting questions to the YouTube, X, and Facebook livestreams using #AskNASA.
May 6
5:30 p.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
9:34 p.m. – Launch
Launch coverage on NASA+ will end shortly after Starliner orbital insertion. NASA Television will provide continuous coverage leading up to docking and through hatch opening and welcome remarks.
All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on operations after launch. Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operations information.
NASA will provide a live video feed of Space Launch Complex-41 approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA Television, approximately four hours prior to launch. Once the feed is live, find it here: http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom.
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 5:30 p.m., May 6 as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff.
NASA Selects BAE Systems to Develop Air Quality Instrument for NOAA
NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected BAE Systems (formerly known as Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation) of Boulder, Colorado, to develop an instrument to monitor air quality and provide information about the impact of air pollutants on Earth for NOAA’s Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program.
This cost-plus-award-fee contract is valued at approximately $365 million. It includes the development of one flight instrument as well as options for additional units. The anticipated period of performance for this contract includes support for 10 years of on-orbit operations and five years of on-orbit storage, for a total of 15 years for each flight model. The work will take place at BAE Systems, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The GeoXO Atmospheric Composition (ACX) instrument is a hyperspectral spectrometer that measures a wide spectrum of light from ultraviolet to visible. The instrument will provide hourly observations of air pollutants emitted by transportation, power generation, industry, oil and gas extraction, volcanoes, and wildfires as well as secondary pollutants generated from these emissions once they are in the atmosphere. By providing continuous observations and measurements of atmospheric composition, ACX data will improve air quality forecasting and monitoring and mitigate health impacts from severe pollution and smoke events, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders. Data from ACX also will help scientists better understand linkages between weather, air quality and climate.
The contract scope includes the tasks and deliverables necessary to design, analyze, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, verify, evaluate, support launch, supply and maintain the instrument ground support equipment, and support mission operations at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland.
The GeoXO program is the follow-on to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R (GOES-R) Series Program.
The GeoXO satellite system will advance Earth observations from geostationary orbit. The mission will supply vital information to address major environmental challenges of the future in support of weather, ocean, and climate operations in the United States. Advanced capabilities from GeoXO will help address our changing planet and the evolving needs of NOAA’s data users. NOAA and NASA are working to ensure these critical observations are in place by the early 2030s when the GOES-R Series nears the end of its operational lifetime.
Together, NOAA and NASA will oversee the development, launch, testing, and operation of all the satellites in the GeoXO program. NOAA funds and manages the program, operations, and data products. On behalf of NOAA, NASA and commercial partners develop and build the instruments and spacecraft and launch the satellites.
For more information on the GeoXO program, visit:
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/geoxo
-end-
Liz Vlock
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
Jeremy Eggers
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
757-824-2958
jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov
John Leslie
NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
202-527-3504
nesdis.pa@noaa.gov
ScienceCraft for Outer Planet Exploration (SCOPE)
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist’s depiction of ScienceCraft, which integrates the science instrument with the spacecraft by printing a quantum dot spectrometer directly on the solar sail to form a monolithic, lightweight structure.Mahmooda SultanaMahmooda Sultana
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Missions to the outer solar system are an important part of NASA’s goals because these scarcely visited worlds, particularly the ice giants Neptune and Uranus, hold secrets about the formation and evolution of our solar system and countless others. However, due to the high cost, long travel time and narrow window for mission implementation, outer solar system exploration has been extremely limited in more than 60 years of space exploration. In this NIAC, we are developing a mission architecture that addresses all of these challenges by using a ScienceCraft and enables science missions at the outer planet system. Sciencraft integrates a science instrument and spacecraft into one monolithic and lightweight structure. By printing an ultra-lightweight quantum dot-based spectrometer, developed by the PI Sultana, directly on the solar sail we create a breakthrough spacecraft architecture allowing an unprecedented parallelism and throughput of data collection, and rapid travel across the solar system. Unlike conventional solar sails that serve only to propel small cubesats, ScienceCraft puts its area at use for spectroscopy, pushing the boundary of scientific exploration of the outer solar system. ScienceCraft offers an attractive low resource platform that can enable
science missions at a significantly lower cost and provide a large number of launch opportunities as a secondary payload. By leveraging these benefits, we propose a mission concept to Triton, a unique planetary body in our solar system, within the short window that closes around 2045 to answer compelling science questions about Triton’s atmosphere, ionosphere, plumes and internal structure. In Phase I, we performed an end-to-end feasibility study for a Neptune-Triton mission using a ScienceCraft, as well as identifying the key technologies needed for such a mission and tall poles that we need to address. As part of phase II, we plan to further mature the mission concept, develop and demonstrate some of the key technologies, address the tall poles identified in phase I and develop a roadmap for implementing SCOPE.
Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT)
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist concept of novel approach proposed by a 2024 NIAC Phase II awardee for possible future missions depicting lunar surface with planet Earth on the horizon.Credit: Ethan SchalerEthan Schaler
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
We want to build the first lunar railway system, which will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon. A durable, long-life robotic transport system will be critical to the daily operations of a sustainable lunar base in the 2030’s, as envisioned in NASA’s Moon to Mars plan and mission concepts like the Robotic Lunar Surface Operations 2 (RLSO2), to:
— Transport regolith mined for ISRU consumables (H2O, LOX, LH2) or construction
— Transport payloads around the lunar base and to / from landing zones or other outposts
We propose developing FLOAT — Flexible Levitation on a Track — to meet these transportation needs.
The FLOAT system employs unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a 3-layer flexible film track: a graphite layer enables robots to passively float over tracks using diamagnetic levitation, a flex-circuit layer generates electromagnetic thrust to controllably propel
robots along tracks, and an optional thin-film solar panel layer generates power for the base when in sunlight. FLOAT robots have no moving parts and levitate over the track to minimize lunar dust abrasion / wear, unlike lunar robots with wheels, legs, or tracks.
FLOAT tracks unroll directly onto the lunar regolith to avoid major on-site construction — unlike conventional roads, railways, or cableways. Individual FLOAT robots will be able to transport payloads of varying shape / size (>30 kg/m^2) at useful speeds (>0.5m/s), and a large-scale FLOAT system will be capable of moving up to 100,000s kg of regolith / payload multiple kilometers per day. FLOAT will operate autonomously in the dusty, inhospitable lunar environment with minimal site preparation, and its network of tracks can be rolled-up / reconfigured over time to match evolving lunar base mission requirements.
In Phase 2, we will continue to retire risks related to the manufacture, deployment, control, and long-term operation of meter-scale robots / km-scale tracks that support human exploration (HEO) activities on the Moon, by accomplishing the following key tasks:
— Design, manufacture, and test a series of sub-scale robot / track prototypes, culminating with a demonstration in a lunar-analog testbed (that includes testing various site preparation and track deployment strategies)
— Investigate impacts of environmental effects (e.g. temperature, radiation, charging, lunar regolith simulant contamination, etc.) on system performance and longevity
— Investigate / define a technology roadmap to address technology gaps and mature manufacturing capability for critical hardware (e.g. large-area magnetic arrays with mm-scale magnetic domains, and large-area flex-circuit boards)
— Continue refining simulations of FLOAT system designs with increased fidelity, to provide improved performance estimates under the RLSO2 mission concept We will also leverage these sub-scale prototypes to explore opportunities for follow-on technology demonstrations on sub-orbital flights (via Flight Opportunities / TechFlights) or lunar technology demos (via LSII / CLPS landers)
Keep Exploring Discover More NIAC TopicsSpace Technology Mission Directorate
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Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power Generator
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist’s depiction of Radioisotope Thermoradiative Cell Power GeneratorStephen PollyStephen Polly
Rochester Institute of Technology
In this project we will continue our Phase I efforts to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of a revolutionary power source for missions to the outer planets utilizing a new paradigm in thermal power conversion, the thermoradiative cell (TRC). Operating like a solar cell in reverse, the TRC converts heat from a radioisotope source into infrared light which is sent off into the cold universe. In this process, electricity is generated. In our Phase I study, we showed 8 W of electrical power is possible from the 62.5 W Pu-238 pellet from a general purpose heat source using a 0.28 eV bandgap TRC operating at 600 K. The necessary array includes 1,125 cm² of TRC emitters, or just over 50% of the surface area of a 6U cubesat. With a mass (heat source + TRC) of 622 g, a mass specific power of 12.7 W/kg is possible, over a 4.5x improvement from heritage multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) was shown. Building on our results from Phase I, we believe there is much more potential to unlock here.
Using low-bandgap III-V materials such as InAsSb in nanostructured arrays to limit potential loss mechanisms, a 25x improvement in mass specific power and a four order of magnitude decrease in volume from a MMRTG is an early estimate, with higher performance possible depending on operating conditions. TRC technology will allow a proliferation of small versatile spacecraft with power requirements not met by photovoltaic arrays or bulky, inefficient MMRTG systems. This will directly enable small-sat missions to the outer planets as well as operations in permanent shadow such as polar lunar craters.
This study will investigate the thermodynamics and feasibility of the development of a radioisotope enabled thermoradiative power source focusing on system size, weight, power (SWaP) while continuing to integrate the effects of potential power and efficiency loss mechanisms developed in Phase I. Experimentally, materials and TRC devices will be grown including InAsSb-based type-II superlattices by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) to target low-bandgap materials with suppressed Auger recombination. Metal-semiconductor contacts capable of surviving the required elevated temperatures will be investigated. TRC devices will be tested for performance at elevated temperature facing a cold ambient under vacuum in a modified cryostat testing apparatus developed in Phase I.
We will analyze a radioisotope thermoradiative converter to power a cubesat mission operating at Uranus. This will include an engineering design study of our reference mission with the Compass engineering team at NASA Glenn Research Center with expertise on the impact of new technologies on spacecraft design in the context of an overall mission, incorporating all engineering disciplines and combining them at a system level. Finally, we will develop a technological roadmap for the necessary components of the TRC to power a future mission.
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The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW)
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist’s depiction of The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW)Mary KnappMary Knapp
MIT
Humankind has never before seen the low frequency radio sky. It is hidden from ground-based telescopes by the Earth’s ionosphere and challenging to access from space with traditional missions because the long wavelengths involved (meter- to kilometer-scale)
require infeasibly massive telescopes to see clearly. Electromagnetic radiation at these low frequencies carries crucial information about exoplanetary and stellar magnetic fields (a key ingredient to habitability), the interstellar/intergalactic medium, and the earliest
stars and galaxies.
The Great Observatory for Long Wavelengths (GO-LoW) proposes an interferometric array of thousands of identical SmallSats at an Earth-Sun Lagrange point (e.g. L5) to measure the magnetic fields of terrestrial exoplanets via detections of their radio emissions at
frequencies between 100 kHz and 15 MHz. Each spacecraft will carry an innovative Vector Sensor Antenna, which will enable the first survey of exoplanetary magnetic fields within 5 parsecs.
In a departure from the traditional approach of a single large and expensive spacecraft (i.e. HST, Chandra, JWST) with many single points of failure, we propose an interferometric Great Observatory comprised of thousands of small, cheap, and easily-replaceable
nodes. Interferometry, a technique that combines signals from many spatially separated receivers to form a large ‘virtual’ telescope, is ideally suited to long wavelength astronomy. The individual antenna/receiver systems are simple, no large structures are required, and the very large spacing between nodes provides high spatial resolution.
In our Phase I study, we found that a hybrid constellation architecture was most efficient. Small and simple “listener” nodes (LNs) collect raw radio data using a deployable vector sensor antenna. A small number of larger, more capable “communication and computation” nodes (CCNs) collect data from LNs via a local radio network, perform beamforming processing to reduce the data volume, and then transmit the data to Earth via free space optics (lasercomm). Cross correlation of the beamformed data is performed on Earth, where computational resources are not tightly constrained. The CCNs are also responsible for constellation management, including timing distribution and ranging. The Phase I study also showed that the LN-CCN architecture optimizes packing efficiency, allowing a small number of super-heavy lift launch vehicles (e.g. Starship) to deploy the entire constellation to L4.
The Phase I study showed that the key innovation for GO-LoW is the “system of systems.” The technology needed for each individual piece of the observatory (e.g. lasercomm, CubeSats, ranging, timing, data transfer, data processing, orbit propagation) is not a big leap from current state of the art, but the coordination of all these physical elements, data products, and communications systems is novel and challenging, especially at scale.
In the proposed study, we will (1) develop a real-time, multi-agent simulation of the GO-LoW constellation that demonstrates the autonomous operations architecture required to achieve a
large (up to 100k) constellation outside of Earth’s orbit, (2) continue to refine the science case and requirements by simulating science output from the constellation and assessing major error sources informed by the real-time simulation, (3) develop appropriate orbital modeling to assess propulsion requirements for stationkeeping at a stable Lagrange point, and (4) further refine the technology roadmap required to make GO-LoW feasible in the next 10-20 years. GO-LoW represents a disruptive new paradigm for space missions. It achieves reliability through massive redundancy rather than extensive testing. It can evolve and grow with new technology rather than being bound to a fixed point in hardware/software development. Finally, it promises to open a new spectral window on the universe where unforeseen discoveries surely await.
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Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR): Shielded, Fast Transits for Humans to Mars
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Simplified image of the PPR system. Brianna ClementsBrianna Clements
Howe Industries
The future of a space-faring civilization will depend on the ability to move both cargo and humans efficiently and rapidly. Due to the extremely large distances that are involved in space travel, the spacecraft must reach high velocities for reasonable mission transit times. Thus, a propulsion system that produces a high thrust with a high specific impulse is essential. However, no such technologies are currently available.
Howe Industries is currently developing a propulsion system that may generate up to 100,000 N of thrust with a specific impulse (Isp) of 5,000 seconds. The Pulsed Plasma Rocket (PPR) is originally derived from the Pulsed Fission Fusion concept, but is smaller, simpler, and more affordable. The exceptional performance of the PPR, combining high Isp and high thrust, holds the potential to revolutionize space exploration. The system’s high efficiency allows for manned missions to Mars to be completed within a mere two months. Alternatively, the PPR enables the transport of much heavier spacecraft that are equipped with shielding against Galactic Cosmic Rays, thereby reducing crew exposure to negligible levels. The system can also be used for other far range missions, such as those to the Asteroid Belt or even to the 550 AU location, where the Sun’s gravitational lens focuses can be considered. The PPR enables a whole new era in space exploration.
The NIAC Phase I study focused on a large, heavily shielded ship to transport humans and cargo to Mars for the development of a Martian base. The main topics included: assessing the neutronics of the system, designing the spacecraft, power system, and necessary subsystems, analyzing the magnetic nozzle capabilities, and determining trajectories and benefits of the PPR. Phase II will build upon these assessments and further the PPR concept.
In Phase II, we plan to:
- Optimize the engine design for reduced mass and higher Isp
- Perform proof-of-concept experiments of major components
- Complete a ship design for shielded human missions to Mars
Space Technology Mission Directorate
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Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE): Enabling the Next Generation of Large Space Observatories
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Artist’s depiction of the Fluidic Telescope (FLUTE)Edward BalabanEdward Balaban
NASA ARC
The future of space-based UV/optical/IR astronomy requires ever larger telescopes. The highest priority astrophysics targets, including Earth-like exoplanets, first generation stars, and early galaxies, are all extremely faint, which presents an ongoing challenge for current missions and is the opportunity space for next generation telescopes: larger telescopes are the primary way to address this issue.
With mission costs depending strongly on aperture diameter, scaling current space telescope technologies to aperture sizes beyond 10 m does not appear economically viable. Without a breakthrough in scalable technologies for large telescopes, future advances in
astrophysics may slow down or even completely stall. Thus, there is a need for cost-effective solutions to scale space telescopes to larger sizes.
The FLUTE project aims to overcome the limitations of current approaches by paving a path towards space observatories with largeaperture, unsegmented liquid primary mirrors, suitable for a variety of astronomical applications. Such mirrors would be created in
space via a novel approach based on fluidic shaping in microgravity, which has already been successfully demonstrated in a laboratory neutral buoyancy environment, in parabolic microgravity flights, and aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Theoretically
scale-invariant, this technique has produced optical components with superb, sub-nanometer (RMS) surface quality. In order to make the concept feasible to implement in the next 15-20 years with near-term technologies and realistic cost, we limit the diameter of the primary mirror to 50 meters.
In the Phase I study, we: (1) explored choices of mirror liquids, deciding to focus on ionic liquids, (2) conducted an extensive study of ionic liquids with suitable properties, (3) worked on techniques for ionic liquid reflectivity enhancement, (4) analyzed several alternative architectures for the main mirror frame, (5) conducted modeling of the effects of slewing maneuvers and temperature variations on the mirror surface, (6) developed a detailed mission concept for a 50-m fluidic mirror observatory, and (7) created a set of initial concepts for a subscale small spacecraft demonstration in low Earth orbit.
In Phase II, we will continue maturing the key elements of our mission concept. First, we will continue our analysis of suitable mirror frame architectures and modeling of their dynamic properties. Second, we will take next steps in our machine learning-based modeling and experimental work to develop reflectivity enhancement techniques for ionic liquids. Third, we will further advance the work of modeling liquid mirror dynamics. In particular, we will focus on modeling the effects from other types of external disturbances (spacecraft control accelerations, tidal forces, and micrometeorite impacts), as well as analyzing and modeling the impact of the thermal Marangoni effect on nanoparticle-infused ionic liquids. Fourth, we will create a model of the optical chain from the liquid mirror surface to the science instruments. Fifth, we will further develop the mission concept for a larger-scale, 50-m aperture observatory, focusing on its highest-risk elements. Finally, we will mature the concept for a small spacecraft technology demonstration mission in low Earth orbit, incorporating the knowledge gained in other parts of this work.
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Two Small NASA Satellites Will Measure Soil Moisture, Volcanic Gases
4 min read
Two Small NASA Satellites Will Measure Soil Moisture, Volcanic Gases NASA engineers Austin Tanner (left) and Manuel Vega stand beside SNoOPI, short for Signals of Opportunity P-Band Investigation, at the NanoRacks clean room facility in Houston. NASA / Denny HenryTwo NASA pathfinding missions were recently deployed into low-Earth orbit, where they are demonstrating novel technologies for observing atmospheric gases, measuring freshwater, and even detecting signs of potential volcanic eruptions.
The Signals of Opportunity P-Band Investigation (SNoOPI), a low-noise radio receiver, tests a new technique for measuring root-zone soil moisture by harnessing radio signals produced by commercial satellites — a big job for a 6U CubeSat the size of a shoebox.
Separately, the Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI) is measuring trace gases linked to volcanic eruptions. HyTI, also a 6U CubeSat, could pave the way for future missions dedicated to detecting volcanic eruptions weeks or months in advance.
Both instruments were launched on March 21 from NASA’S Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft as part of the company’s 30th commercial resupply mission. On April 21, the instruments were released into orbit from the station.
“Flying Ace” for Finding Freshwater in Soil and SnowAs a measurement technique, “signals of opportunity try to reutilize what already exists,” said James Garrison, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University and principal investigator for SNoOPI.
Garrison and his team will try to collect the P-band radio signals produced by many commercial telecommunications satellites and repurpose them for science applications. The instrument maximizes the value of space-based assets already in orbit, transforming existing radio signals into research tools.
SNOOPI will prototype a new technique for measuring soil moisture.“By looking at what happens when satellite signals reflect off the surface of the Earth and comparing that to the signal that has not reflected, we can extract important properties about the surface where the signal reflects,” said Garrison.
P-band radio signals are powerful, penetrating Earth’s surface to a depth of about one foot (30 cm). This makes them ideal for studying root-zone soil moisture and snow water equivalent.
“By monitoring the amount of water in the soil, we get a good understanding of crop growth. We can also more intelligently monitor irrigation,” said Garrison. “Similarly, snow is very important because that’s also a place where water is stored. It has been hard to measure accurately on a global scale with remote sensing.”
High-time for HyTI and High-Resolution Thermal Imaging“I study volcanoes from space to try and work out when they’re going to start and stop erupting,” said Robert Wright, director of the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the principal investigator for HyTI.
HyTI, short for Hyperspectral Thermal Imager, is testing a novel instrument for measuring thermal radiation.Hyperspectral imagers like HyTI measure a broad spectrum of thermal radiation signatures, and they’re particularly useful for characterizing gases in low concentrations. Wright and his team hope HyTI will help them quantify concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere around volcanoes.
Weeks or even months before they erupt, volcanoes often emit increased amounts of sulfur dioxide and other trace gases. Measuring those gases could indicate an impending eruption HyTI’s sensitivity to thermal radiation will also be useful for observing water vapor and convection.
“There are two science objectives for HyTI. We want to try and improve how we can predict when a volcano will erupt and when a volcanic eruption is going to end,” said Wright. “And we’re also going to be measuring soil moisture content as it pertains to drought.”
Setting the Stage for Future Science MissionsThrough its Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), NASA worked closely with both Garrison and Wright to help transform their research into fully-functioning, space-ready prototypes.
“The ESTO program allows for scientists to have interesting ideas and actually turn them into reality,” said Wright. Garrison agreed. “ESTO’s been a great partner.”
For more information about collaborating with NASA to create new technologies for Earth observation, visit ESTO’s homepage here.
Related Link: SNoOPI: A Flying Ace for Soil Moisture and Snow Measurements
By Gage Taylor
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
About the Author Gage TaylorShare
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By Their Powers Combined
This April 20, 2024, image shows a first: all six radio frequency antennas at the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex, part of NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), carried out a test to receive data from the agency’s Voyager 1 spacecraft at the same time.
Combining the antennas’ receiving power, or arraying, lets the DSN collect the very faint signals from faraway spacecraft. Voyager 1 is over 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) away, so its signal on Earth is far fainter than any other spacecraft with which the DSN communicates. It currently takes Voyager 1’s signal over 22 ½ hours to travel from the spacecraft to Earth. To better receive Voyager 1’s radio communications, a large antenna – or an array of multiple smaller antennas – can be used. A five-antenna array is currently needed to downlink science data from the spacecraft’s Plasma Wave System (PWS) instrument. As Voyager gets further way, six antennas will be needed.
Image Credit: MDSCC/INTA, Francisco “Paco” Moreno
May’s Night Sky Notes: Stargazing for Beginners
3 min read
May’s Night Sky Notes: Stargazing for Beginnersby Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Millions were able to experience the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, inspiring folks to become amateur astronomers – hooray! Now that you’ve been ‘bitten by the bug’, and you’ve decided to join your local astronomy club, here are some stargazing tips!
The Bortle ScaleBefore you can stargaze, you’ll want to find a site with dark skies. It’s helpful learn what your Bortle scale is. But what is the Bortle scale? The Bortle scale is a numeric scale from 1-9, with 1 being darkest and 9 being extremely light polluted; that rates your night sky’s darkness. For example, New York City would be a Bortle 9, whereas Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania is a Bortle 2.
The Bortle scale helps amateur astronomers and stargazers to know how much light pollution is in the sky where they observe. International Dark Sky AssociationDetermining the Bortle scale of your night sky will help narrow down what you can expect to see after sunset. Of course, other factors such as weather (clouds namely) will impact seeing conditions, so plan ahead. Find Bortle ratings near you here: www.lightpollutionmap.info
No Equipment? No Problem!There’s plenty to see with your eyes alone. Get familiar with the night sky by studying star maps in books, or with a planisphere. These are great to begin identifying the overall shapes of constellations, and what is visible during various months.
A full view of the northern hemisphere night sky in mid-May. Stellarium WebInteractive sky maps, such as Stellarium Web, work well with mobile and desktop browsers, and are also great for learning the constellations in your hemisphere. There are also several astronomy apps on the market today that work with the GPS of your smartphone to give an accurate map of the night sky.
Keep track of Moon phases. Both the interactive sky maps and apps will also let you know when planets and our Moon are out! This is especially important because if you are trying to look for bright deep sky objects, like the Andromeda Galaxy or the Perseus Double Cluster, you want to avoid the Moon as much as possible. Moonlight in a dark sky area will be as bright as a streetlight, so plan accordingly! And if the Moon is out, check out this Skywatcher’s Guide to the Moon: bit.ly/MoonHandout
Put On That Red LightIf you’re looking at your phone, you won’t be able to see as much. Our eyes take approximately 30 minutes to get dark sky adapted, and a bright light can ruin our night vision temporarily. The easiest way to stay dark sky adapted is to avoid any bright lights from car headlights or your smartphone. To avoid this, simply use red lights, such as a red flashlight or headlamp.
The reason: white light constricts the pupils of your eyes, making it hard to see in the dark, whereas red light allows your pupils to stay dilated for longer. Most smartphones come with adaptability shortcuts that allow you to make your screen red, but if you don’t have that feature, use red cellophane on your screen and flashlight.
Up next: why binoculars can sometimes be the best starter telescope, with Night Sky Network’s upcoming mid-month article through NASA’s website!
How NASA Continues Inspiring Engineer’s Future
Work at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, takes one site engineer back to a childhood memory, where a dream of being a member of the NASA team began. Now, Briou Bourgeois is working to launch a career with even bigger aspirations.
A lot of the work we do at NASA Stennis … I think is going to be beneficial to the agency’s focus of establishing the first long-term presence on the MoonBriou Bouregois
NASA Stennis Mechanical Test Operations Engineer
The Bay St. Louis native recalls childhood watching the Apollo 13 movie with his dad. He became fascinated with the story of how astronauts overcame challenges when NASA attempted the third lunar landing in 1970.
Even as the lunar portion of the mission was aborted due to the rupture of a service module oxygen tank, Bourgeois was fascinated by how everybody on the ground at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston fought through challenges to come up with solutions.
Bourgeois said he did not understand the gravity of the situation he was watching unfold, but he was not short of questions. He wanted to learn more.
“That probably spurred me into wanting to become part of the NASA team but, even more so, to become an astronaut and be sort of the tip of the spear when it comes to space exploration and doing the hard things that allow humanity to further understand the universe and space in general,” Bourgeois said.
Now in his seventh year at NASA Stennis, the Mississippi State University graduate said the wide range of testing capabilities at the south Mississippi site, coupled with working alongside a variety of people “highly specialized in the aerospace operations realm” is what he enjoys most.
He currently works at the versatile E Test Complex, where the mechanical test operations engineer supports research and development testing as NASA collaborates with commercial companies pursuing a future in space.
The Pass Christian, Mississippi, resident is the mechanical operations lead for the Relativity Space thrust chamber assembly test project and the Blue Origin pre-burner project. In those roles, he has written test procedures and developed a thorough knowledge of test operations.
Even as Bourgeois continues adding to his experience, he also has applied to become a NASA astronaut. Thanks, to his work at NASA Stennis, he feels equipped to make the split-second decisions needed during highly critical and hazardous moments. In addition, his NASA Stennis experience has taught him greatly about the importance of teamwork.
“A lot of the work we do at NASA Stennis with propellant transfers, managing cryogenic systems, pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, and just having the hands-on experience and operational knowledge of those systems, I think is going to be beneficial to the agency’s focus of establishing the first long-term presence on the Moon,” Bourgeois said.
Whether Bourgeois’ future is at NASA Stennis or beyond, the NASA employee looks forward to helping the agency explore the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.
Learn more about the people who work at NASA StennisU.S. Department of State Open House at NASA Headquarters
This event was part of Space Diplomacy Week, focused on deepening bilateral relationships, specifically how international partnerships are strengthened by space exploration.
NASA Ames Astrogram – March/April 2024
On April 23, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System CubeSat mission launched successfully aboard an Electron rocket launched by Rocket Lab and carried Ames’ payload from Māhia, New Zealand. The CubeSat was subsequently delivered to a Sun-synchronous orbit around Earth.
Ames has pioneered the use of CubeSats and small satellites to run innovative, cost-effective missions and test technologies in space, providing leadership in cost-effective spaceflight missions for NASA.
An artist’s concept of NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft in orbit.NrediASA/Aero Animation/Ben SchweighartUnder the auspices of STMD’s Small Spacecraft Technology Program, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System mission demonstrates next-generation solar sail technology for small interplanetary spacecraft. It will test a new way of navigating our solar system when the mission’s CubeSat hoists its sail into space – not to catch the wind, but the propulsive power of sunlight. This technology could advance future space travel and expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system.
NASA, FAA Partner to Develop New Wildland Fire TechnologiesRecently, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established a research transition team to guide the development of wildland fire technology.
Wildland fires are occurring more frequently and at a larger scale than in past decades, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Emergency responders will need a broader set of technologies to prevent, monitor, and fight these growing fires more effectively. Under this Wildland Fire Airspace Operations research transition team, NASA and the FAA will develop concepts and test new technologies to improve airspace integration.
Artist’s rendering of remotely piloted aircraft providing fire suppression, monitoring and communications capabilities during a wildland fire.Credit: NASACurrent aerial firefighting operations are limited to times when aircraft have clear visibility – otherwise pilots run the risk of flying into terrain or colliding with other aircraft. Drones could overcome this limitation by enabling responders to remotely monitor and suppress these fires during nighttime and low visibility conditions, such as periods of heavy smoke. However, advanced airspace management technologies are needed to enable these uncrewed aircraft to stay safely separated and allow aircraft operators to maintain situational awareness during wildland fire management response operations.
Over the next four years, NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project, in collaboration with the FAA, will work to develop new airspace access and traffic management concepts and technologies to support wildland fire operations. These advancements will help inform a concept of operations for the future of wildland fire management under development by NASA and other government agencies. The team will test and validate uncrewed aircraft technologies for use by commercial industry and government agencies, paving the way for integrating them into future wildland fire operations.
ACERO is led out of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley under the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
Studying the Ocean with NASA Computer Simulations A tool developed at NASA Ames’ Advanced Supercomputing division provides researchers with a global view of their ocean simulation in high resolution. In this part of the global visualization, the Gulf Stream features prominently. Surface water speeds are shown ranging from 0 meters per second (dark blue) to 1.25 meters (about 4 feet) per second (cyan). The video is running at one simulation day per second. The data used comes from the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) consortium.Credit: NASA/Bron Nelson, David Ellsworth“Every time I help with visualizing [ocean] simulation data, I learn about an entirely new area of ocean or climate research, and I’m reminded of how vast and rich this area of research is. And…the real magic happens at the intersection and interaction of simulated and observed data.
It is a great honor – and a thrill – to collaborate with devoted, world-class scientists doing such important, cutting-edge research and sometimes to even help them learn something new about their science.”
—Dr. Nina McCurdy, a data visualization scientist with the NASA Advanced Supercomputing division at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley
Luxembourg Leaders Focus on Lunar Exploration During Visit to NASA Amesby Abigail Tabor
The challenges of working on the surface of the Moon are at the center of a facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The Lunar Lab and Regolith Testbeds help scientists and engineers – from NASA and industry alike – study how well science instruments, robots, and people might be able to safely work, manipulate, navigate, and traverse the tough lunar terrain. On March 7, three visitors from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Minister of the Economy Lex Delles, and Ambassador to the United States Nicole Bintner – learned more about the work happening here.
Left to right: Ames Deputy Center Director David Korsmeyer, Ames Center Director Eugene Tu, Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg Minister of Economy Lex Delles, and Ambassador Nicole Bintner meet at Ames on March 7, 2024.Credit: NASA Ames/Brandon TorresDuring the visit, lunar rock and crater features crafted from lunar soil, or regolith, simulant were lit by harsh, low-angle illumination to simulate sunlight conditions at the Moon’s poles. Members of the VIPER mission (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) discussed their work testing optical sensors at the lab for NASA’s water-hunting Moon rover. Engineering versions of VIPER’s hazard-avoidance cameras and lighting system, tested in the facility, were also on display. The lab is managed by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI).
The Regolith Testbeds enable research applicable to places beyond our Moon as well, including Mercury, asteroids, and regolith-covered moons like Mars’ Phobos.
Luxembourg was one of the first nations to sign the Artemis Accords and has taken steps to enable commercial space exploration. At Ames, the visitors learned about the center’s support of NASA’s Artemis exploration goals, including with VIPER, agency supercomputing resources, and the development of advanced tools for lunar operations.
AI, Robots, Autonomy Software Discussed at Star Trek Convention Above: Left to right are Abigail Tabor of the Office of Communications Division, J. Benton, computer science researcher; and Dr. Jennifer Blank, senior scientist in the Space Science and Astrobiology Directorate speaking on a panel at the March Star Trek Convention held in Hyatt Regency SFO, Burlingham, California. They spoke about artificial intelligence for a future space station that will orbit the Moon and the use of legged robot technology, autonomy software, and remote science operations in a volcanic cave. At least 7,000 attended the Star Trek Convention. Majoring in Liberal Studies: Giving Back, Honoring Culture, and Working at NASAChoosing a major can be intimidating, so finding Liberal Studies was perfect for community-centered Maria Lopez, deputy operations manager for the NASA Ames Exchange. Maria was interviewed by the Puente Project, a mission to increase the number of educationally underrepresented students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities, as part of the “Puente Major 2 Career Video Series.” The Major 2 Career video series, which is on YouTube, focuses on different majors. The project highlights various professionals’ journey from college to their career. The premise is to feature two professionals who earned the same bachelor’s degrees but following different professions to show the range and opportunities to first-generation college bound students currently at the middle school, high school, and community college levels.
Maria highlighted how she landed on Liberal Studies after trying a few majors, the challenges she faced along the way, and her unexpected and exciting career with NASA. She started out in STEM education and has supported the NASA mission in different roles with the technical publications office, international office, protocol office, and the office of diversity and equal opportunity. Maria shares an array of mission enabling positions with NASA and how NASA fuels her passion for celebrating culture and community outreach. In the video, she demonstrates by example that NASA is within reach and inspires students to pursue their dreams.
Watch and learn more about Maria’s journey!
Maria on detail with the Protocol Office supporting a presidential visit in 2023.Credit: photo by Lisa Lockyer Ames Engineer Natasha Schatzman Excites Kids about the Mars Helicopter On April 13, the Sunnyvale Public Library hosted “Space Camp 2024” with space-themed activities for kids, such as crafts, scavenger hunts, speakers, and more. Apollo 16 lunar samples were displayed at the event and Ames engineer Dr. Natasha Schatzman of Code AV gave a presentation to an enthusiastic crowd of a few hundred people about her NASA journey, her work on the Mars helicopter efforts, and led a Mars paper helicopter activity with the children. Students young and old enjoyed the fun of learning about vertical flight. Mayor Larry Klein attended the event and did a reading for the kids. Ames Staff Shares NASA Mission Info with Cal Academy Nightlife AttendeesAmes Office of Communications (OComm) supported a NASA exhibits booth at the California Academy of Sciences Nightlife festivities on the evening of Feb. 29, in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. About a third of the 2,000 plus attendees interacted with the NASA booth and presenters, experiencing many high-quality interactions with many of the attendees. The QUESST (NASA’s mission to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms), VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), Artemis, Orion missions were discussed and many attendees were asked if they’d like to send their names with VIPER on its upcoming launch. Hillary Smith of OComm is seen below interacting with visitors at the event.
Hillary Smith at Academy of Sciences in San Francisco interacting with event attendees. Lego Exhibit Brings Out the Engineering Creativity with the KidsOn April 13 and 14, the Office of Communications team members facilitated VIPER’s (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) subject matter experts Vandana Jay and Hans Thomas who interacted with audiences at LEGOLand Bay Area in Miliptas, California. The experts worked alongside “master builders” supplied by LEGOLand to help younger engineers design and test moon rovers of their own creation, creating a fun engineering challenge. During the day, the team interacted with about 80 families and close to 500 individual attendees. See below for photos from the event.
Kids enjoying making their own little lego Moon rovers. Building rovers at the April 13 LegoLand Bay Area event. Moon rovers built by students at the April 13 LegoLand Bay Area event. Building model lego rovers. Ames Space Biology and Astrobiology Teams Engage Kids with Science Demos Tri-Valley Innovation Fair at Alameda County Fairgrounds was held April 18 – 19 and is an annual event featuring STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) providers and vendors across the Bay Area. The Ames booth highlighted the Space Biology and Astrobiology groups. The space biology team highlighted how model organisms, such as tardigrades, drosophila, yeast and C. elegans give researchers insights into the effects of space on living organisms and the astrobiology team highlighted the search for life in the universe and Earth’s extremophiles. Attendees to the event enjoyed posing with the astronaut cutouts and learning about the electromagnetic spectrum and the James Webb Space Telescope with an interactive infrared demo. Close to 1,000 interactions occurred during the event. SJCU Research Week Event Highlights its Partnerships with NASA Ames San Jose State University (SJSU) Research Week, April 15 – 19, consists of a series of events at the campus that highlight the university’s engagement in research with partners such as NASA Ames. The Ames booth at Paseo de Cesar Chavez on campus on April 15 featured the TechEdSat small sat project, the Ames Aeronautics directorate and OSTEM. Marcus Murbac and his team comprised of many SJSU alumni, showed off their latest iteration of the TechEdSat and Zach Roberts spoke about Ames aeronautics projects as well as a couple of drones. Francesa Bura, an intern at Ames, talked about internship and OSTEM resources. Information about Ames Atmospheric Sciences and NASA jobs also were shared. About 200 students visited the display and the event supported the activities that Ames has with the university. PASIFIKA STEM Fair Provides Engaging Hands-on STEM Experience The Bay Area PASIFIKA STEM Fair is an annual event organized by the Pacific Islander Encouraging Fun Engineering Science and Technology (PIEFEST) organization dedicated to improving Pacific Islander representation and access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related careers. The event brings STEM organization and enthusiasts in the Bay Area together to provide Pacific Islander students and families an Interactive, hands-on STEM experience. The NASA booth featured a new VIPER mission demo, permanently shadowed craters of the Nobile region, and emissions spectra of various elements and molecules, the astronaut cutouts, as well as an electromagnetic spectrum demo. More than 1,000 students of varying grade levels and their parents and families attended the event, with more than 20 vendors participating with hands-on activities and demonstrations. Interacting with the exhibits at the Bay Area PASIFIKA STEM Fair. Jonas Dino of the Ames Office of Communications Division at the Bay Area PASIFIKA STEM fair, connecting with and inspiring kids of all ages as to the wonders of science. Kids enjoying the interactive exhibits at the NASA booth during the Bay Area PASIFIKA STEM Fair. Future Aspirations, the Importance of STEM Discussed at Grimmer Career Day Jonas Dino from the Ames Public Engagement team was the featured speaker at the Grimmer Elementary Career Day on April 26. He presented to the entire school body of more than 300 TK to 5th grade students, teachers and administrators talking about careers at NASA and the need for the students to be STEM literate and possibly entering the NASA workforce pipeline in the future. He also interacted with the students at lunch talking to them about their future aspirations and answering specific questions they had about NASA. The career day featured members of the Fremont community including fire, police, engineers and medical personnel visiting classrooms talking about their careers. Starling Stuns at Golden Gate Park Planetarium Show Bay Area audiences got a unique look at a NASA Ames CubeSat mission during a full-dome planetarium show as part of the Benjamin Dean lecture series at the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, on March 4. NASA Ames aerospace flight systems engineer and Starling mission deputy project manager Scott Miller shared Ames’ legacy in CubeSats and swarms and how technologies used in NASA’s Starling mission aims to tackle crowding in low Earth orbit and enhance how we study deep space, in his presentation, “NASA Spacecraft Swarms for Low Earth Orbit and Beyond.” Credit: photos by Josh Roberts In Memoriam …Dr. Anna McHargue (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) passed away peacefully on March 26, 2024, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. Hospital staff honored her with a brief ceremony for passing veterans, which her close friends attended.
Dr. Anna McHargueDr. McHargue began her higher education at Murray State University in Kentucky, graduating in 1956 and eventually being selected as Distinguished Alumna. She pursued her medical degree at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky, at a time when women were not very welcome in the field. She persevered and finished at the top of her class in 1962. She chose not to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology until later at the Stanford University Hospital, where she was a faculty member from 1974-1980. She practiced in the specialty for several years in Oakland and in Redwood City, California, and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
She served in the United States Air Force (USAF), joining in 1966, was promoted to colonel, and was trained as an aviation medical examiner qualified to perform Federal Aviation Administration flight physicals. She enjoyed flying all over the world with transport aircraft crews on military and humanitarian missions. In the USAF Reserves, she was named the 1999 and 2000 Flight Surgeon of the Year by the 312th Airlift Squadron. She retired in 2001 after 25 years of service.
From 1989-2020, she served as a part-time physician at the Health Unit at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Ultimately, she dedicated herself to the field of medicine for 58 years. Dr. McHargue was actively involved in the Church of the Advent as a deacon and on the Board of Trustees of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
Her funeral service and internment are planned at her hometown in Kentucky. Friends can donate and send condolences online to:
Equal Opportunity if the LawSols 4171-4172: Scoot Over!
3 min read
Sols 4171-4172: Scoot Over! This image was taken by Right Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4169 (2024-04-28 19:56:23 UTC). NASA/JPL-CaltechEarth planning date: Monday, April 29, 2024
On this two sol-planning day, the Curiosity science team logged in and found ourselves face to face with ‘Pinnacle Ridge’ (pictured above), part of the upper Gediz Vallis Ridge (uGVR). We saw two types of rocks in our workspace: light-toned layered rocks and darker toned rocks. Rocks that look this different are very exciting to a geologist’s eye – it means the rocks could have been formed in different environments, and could be made of different things… so how did these two types of rock end up next to each other? That’s for our clever team of scientists to work out, and we need our full suite of instruments to do that. Unfortunately, one of Curiosity’s wheels wasn’t on firm ground so we couldn’t safely unstow the arm, but these rocks are so exciting, we decided to scoot backwards about 15 cm to readjust the wheels so we can hopefully get full contact science on Wednesday.
However, we made the most of the time we have here taking lots of images. On the first sol, Curiosity has a massive 2.5 hours of science planned! This includes ChemCam Laser Induced Bedrock Spectroscopy (LIBS) and a Mastcam documentation image on one of the lighter toned rocks in the workspace named ‘Dawn Wall,’ as well as a passive observation on a darker toned rock named ‘Banner Peak.’ ChemCam will also take an RMI of ‘Pinnacle Ridge,’ and a long distance RMI of the base of ‘Kukenan’ butte. Team members interested in Mastcam are making the most of the science time scheduling a massive 37×2 mosaic of ‘Pinnacle Ridge’ to look at the distribution of the light and dark toned rocks we are seeing, as well as two smaller mosaics including within Pinnacle Ridge including a 9×1 of a scarp and a 4×1 of a possible basal contact. On this sol, Curiosity will then scoot over – a drive of ~15 cm – hopefully giving us a stable base to unstow the arm and get full contact science on these rocks later in the week.
On the second sol, Curiosity performs a ChemCam LIBS target on a rock in our new(ish) workspace. Curiosity will also take some environmental monitoring activities, including a 30 minute Navcam dust devil movie and a suprahorizon movie. We are also performing the SAM instrument’s electrical baseline test (EBT) that periodically occurs to monitor the instrument’s functioning. Curiosity will be kept very busy over the next few sols exploring Pinnacle Ridge here at uGVR.
Written by Emma Harris, Graduate Student at Natural History Museum
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NASA Balloons Head North of Arctic Circle for Long-Duration Flights
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)NASA is set to begin launch operations mid-May for the 2024 Sweden Long-Duration Scientific Balloon Campaign. Four stadium-sized, scientific balloons carrying science missions and technology demonstrations are scheduled to lift off from Swedish Space Corporation’s Esrange Space Center, situated north of the Arctic Circle near Kiruna, Sweden. The campaign will continue through early July.
Technicians attach the SUNRISE payload to its balloon and parachute from the launch site in Kiruna, Sweden, during the 2009 campaign. The mission returns for the 2024 Sweden Long-Duration Scientific Balloon Campaign as one of four primary missions set to launch between May and July.University Corporation for Atmospheric Research“NASA’s Balloon Program is excited to conduct our long-duration balloon campaign from Sweden this year,” said Andrew Hamilton, acting director of NASA’s Balloon Program Office. “Our partnership with the Swedish Space Corporation is valuable to NASA and the scientific community by allowing us to use their high-quality facilities at Esrange.”
Esrange, located in a vast unpopulated area in the northernmost part of Sweden, is an ideal location for the campaign. This area in Sweden’s polar region experiences constant daylight during summer. NASA’s zero-pressure balloons, used during the campaign, typically experience gas loss during the warming and cooling of the day to night cycle. However, they can perform long-duration flights in the constant sunlight of a polar region. “The location of the launch range and the stratospheric winds allow for excellent flight conditions to gather many days of scientific data as the balloons traverse from Sweden to northern Canada,” said Hamilton.
Four primary missions on deck for the Sweden campaign include:
- HELIX (High-Energy Light Isotope eXperiment): A balloon-borne experiment that features a powerful superconducting magnet designed to measure the flux of high-energy cosmic ray isotopes to energies that have not been explored. The measurements will help determine the age of cosmic rays in our galaxy.
- BOOMS (Balloon Observation of Microburst Scales): A high-resolution imager of X-rays from energetic electron microbursts that appear in the polar atmosphere. The mission will fly on a 60 million cubic feet balloon, a test flight set to qualify the balloon for reaching altitudes greater than 150,000 feet, which is higher than NASA’s current stratospheric inventory.
- SUNRISE-III: A solar observatory that takes high-resolution imaging and spectro-polarimetry of layers of the Sun called the solar photosphere and chromosphere, and active regions to measure magnetic field, temperature, and velocities with high height temporal resolution.
- XL-Calibur: A telescope that will observe a sample of galactic black hole and neutron star sources to gain new insight on how these objects accelerate electrons and emit X-rays.
Piggyback missions, or smaller payloads, sharing a ride on the XL-Calibur balloon flight include:
- IRCSP (Infrared Channeled Spectro-Polarimeter): A technology development mission for high-altitude spectro-polarimetric measurements of cloud tops to help improve measurements of the size and shape of ice particles, which are crucial in understanding weather and improving climate models.
- WALRUSS (Wallops Atmospheric Light Radiation and Ultraviolet Spectrum Sensor): A technology development mission for a sensor package capable of measuring the total ultraviolet (UV) − split among UVA, UVB, and UVC wavelengths − and ozone concentration.
NASA’s scientific balloons are a quick and cost-effective way to test, track, and recover scientific experiments for NASA and universities from all over the world. These heavy-lift balloons offer near-space access for suspended payloads weighing up to 8,000 pounds.
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia manages the agency’s scientific balloon flight program with 10 to 15 flights each year from launch sites worldwide. Peraton, which operates NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) in Texas, provides mission planning, engineering services, and field operations for NASA’s scientific balloon program. The CSBF team has launched more than 1,700 scientific balloons over some 40 years of operations. NASA’s balloons are fabricated by Aerostar. The NASA Scientific Balloon Program is funded by the NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate Astrophysics Division.
For mission tracking, click here. For more information on NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/scientificballoons.
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.
Share Details Last Updated Apr 30, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactOlivia F. Littletonolivia.f.littleton@nasa.govLocationWallops Flight Facility Related Terms Explore More 3 min read NASA Wallops to Launch Three Sounding Rockets During Solar Eclipse Article 4 weeks ago 2 min read NASA, Salisbury U. Enact Agreement for Workforce Development Article 1 month ago 2 min read NRO Mission Launches from NASA Wallops on Electron Rocket Article 1 month agoNASA Showcases Innovations at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championships
NASA engaged with fans, student robotics teams, and industry leaders at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championships held April 17-20, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The exhibit highlighted the future of technology and spaceflight, attracting over 50,000 participants from across the United States and worldwide.
The FIRST Robotics World Championships was established in 1992. Since relocating to Houston in 2017, the event has featured significant involvement from NASA, which annually supports and mentors more than 250 robotics teams, from elementary to high school levels.
Students and mentors explored NASA exhibits at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championships at the George R. Brown Convention Center from April 17-20. Credit: NASA/Joseph ZakrzewskiThe 2024 championships celebrated the integration of arts into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), empowering students to create a world of endless possibilities with big ideas, bold actions, and creativity.
Multiple NASA centers participated in the event including the Johnson Space Center, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Langley Research Center, Michoud Assembly Facility, and Stennis Space Center.
The NASA exhibits offered a platform for engaging discussions about the agency’s latest projects, including the X-59 supersonic plane, the Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, Mars Perseverance Rover and Ingenuity Helicopter, Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration, Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, and the Europa Clipper mission. These interactions provided a firsthand look at NASA’s groundbreaking science and technologies and their potential to benefit all humanity.
Attendees learn about NASA’s Europa Clipper mission at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championships. Credit: NASA/Joseph Zakrzewski“The energy during the event was phenomenal. It’s inspiring to see so many people passionate about robotics and eager to solve complex problems,” said Johnson Public Affairs Specialist Joseph Zakrzewski. “We are excited to unite tomorrow’s leaders from all corners of the world.”
The event also fostered discussions about STEM career opportunities, with many students expressing their aspirations to join the space industry.
As the championships drew to a close, the excitement was palpable, with students and mentors alike looking forward to the next season. With a successful turnout and the enthusiastic involvement of teams, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters, the future of STEM education appears brighter than ever.
Johnson Celebrates New Opportunities for Space Industry in Texas
NASA’s Johnson Space Center was recently involved in two major announcements with important implications for the future of space exploration and the aerospace industry.
On Feb. 29, 2024, NASA announced that the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) signed an agreement to become a tenant at Johnson’s 240-acre Exploration Park. ACMI will lease a portion of the underutilized land to develop a Space Systems Campus that enables commercial and defense space manufacturing. The campus will incorporate an applied research facility partnered with multiple stakeholders across academia, state and local government, the Department of Defense, and regional economic development organizations.
NASA signed a separate lease with the Texas A&M University System earlier this year. Both agreements represent key achievements for Johnson’s Dare | Unite | Explore, with commitments focused on maintaining the center’s position as the hub of human spaceflight, developing strategic partnerships, and paving the way for a thriving space economy.
American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation Founder and CEO John Burer shakes hands with NASA’s Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche at the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s aerospace advisory committee meeting on March 6, 2024. Photo Credit: NASA/Robert MarkowitzJohnson Center Director Vanessa Wyche shared the news at the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s aerospace advisory committee meeting on March 6, emphasizing the agreement’s value to NASA, the State of Texas, and the nation. “At JSC, we have a vision to dare to expand frontiers and unite with our partners to explore for the benefit of all humanity. Today’s announcement is a significant component of bringing that vision to fruition,” she said. “The future of Texas’ legacy in aerospace is bright as Exploration Park will create an unparalleled aerospace, economic, business development, research and innovation region across the state.”
Texas’ role in space exploration and aerospace development was also highlighted during Governor Greg Abbott’s visit to Johnson on March 26. Abbott toured the Mission Control Center and spoke to native Texan and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara aboard the International Space Station before joining Wyche and other state leaders to announce the launch of the Texas Space Commission and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium. Speaking to media in Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, Abbott said that these new entities will promote innovation in the fields of space exploration and commercial aerospace, including by identifying research and development opportunities.
“We are so excited for what the Texas Space Commission will bring to the state of Texas and the flourishing aerospace industry here,” said Wyche. “With continued investment in the region, the Texas economy will benefit significantly from the ancillary job creation and growth resulting from new aerospace companies in the state.”
Several former NASA employees were named to the Commission’s inaugural board of directors and the Consortium’s first executive committee. They include Kathy Lueders, John Shannon, Kirk Shireman, Matt Ondler, Robert Ambrose, Brian Freedman, and former astronauts Nancy Currie-Gregg and Jack “2fish” Fischer.
NASA’s Hubble Pauses Science Due to Gyro Issue
2 min read
NASA’s Hubble Pauses Science Due to Gyro Issue The Hubble Space Telescope as seen from the space shuttle Atlantis (STS-125) in May 2009, during the fifth and final servicing of the orbiting observatory. NASAUpdated April 30, 2024
Editor’s note: On April 30, 2024, NASA announced it restored the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope to science operations April 29. The spacecraft is in good health and once again operating using all three of its gyros. All of Hubble’s instruments are online, and the spacecraft has resumed taking science observations.
Published April 26, 2024
NASA is working to resume science operations of the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope after it entered safe mode April 23 due to an ongoing gyroscope (gyro) issue. Hubble’s instruments are stable, and the telescope is in good health.
The telescope automatically entered safe mode when one of its three gyroscopes gave faulty readings. The gyros measure the telescope’s turn rates and are part of the system that determines which direction the telescope is pointed. While in safe mode, science operations are suspended, and the telescope waits for new directions from the ground.
This particular gyro caused Hubble to enter safe mode in November after returning similar faulty readings. The team is currently working to identify potential solutions. If necessary, the spacecraft can be re-configured to operate with only one gyro, with the other remaining gyro placed in reserve . The spacecraft had six new gyros installed during the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission in 2009. To date, three of those gyros remain operational, including the gyro currently experiencing fluctuations. Hubble uses three gyros to maximize efficiency, but could continue to make science observations with only one gyro if required.
NASA anticipates Hubble will continue making groundbreaking discoveries, working with other observatories, such as the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope, throughout this decade and possibly into the next.
Launched in 1990, Hubble has been observing the universe for more than three decades and recently celebrated its 34th anniversary. Read more about some of Hubble’s greatest scientific discoveries and visit nasa.gov/hubble for updates.
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.
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NASA Grants Support Academic Collaborations for STEM Student Success
NASA has awarded $3.9 million to 13 teams at under-resourced academic institutions across the country, to support collaborative projects with NASA that offer students mentorship and career development in science, technology, engineering, and math.
This is the second round of seed funding awards given through the agency’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Bridge Program, which was established in 2022 to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the science and engineering communities, as well as NASA’s workforce.
“We are thrilled to welcome 13 new teams into our community,” said Padi Boyd, director, SMD Bridge Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We look forward to nurturing these collaborations between faculty and NASA researchers, while supporting the development of the next generation of researchers.”
NASA’s SMD Bridge Program funds research projects at academic institutions – including Hispanic-serving institutions, historically Black colleges and universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, and primarily undergraduate institutions – that build or strengthen relationships with NASA. The projects offer hands-on training and mentorship for students that will help them transition into graduate schools, employment at NASA, or STEM careers.
In February, the program awarded a first round of seed funding to 11 teams. This second cohort of grant recipients includes 13 teams with projects connected to seven NASA centers. A third round of seed funding will be awarded this summer.
The following projects were selected as the second cohort to receive seed funding:
“Bubble Trapping and Ullage Formation in an Acoustic Field”
Principal investigator: Kevin Crosby, Carthage College
This project, a collaboration between Carthage College and NASA’s Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, will offer undergraduate students hands-on activities and training related to microgravity fluids and liquid propellant transfer, as well as the opportunity to work with high-school and middle-school students at under-resourced schools.
“Expanding Heliophysics Scientific Discovery through HelioAnalytics”
Principal investigator: M. Chantale Damas, Queensborough Community College
This project continues a collaboration between Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to engage students in research that emphasizes the use of computer science, machine learning, and statistics to expand the discovery potential of Heliophysics data, models, and simulations.
“Enhancing Ice Cloud Retrieval Through Multitask Machine Learning”
Principal investigator: Leah Ding, American University
This collaboration between American University in Washington and NASA Goddard will develop machine learning techniques for analyzing satellite data to retrieve information about ice clouds, with interdisciplinary research and mentorship opportunities for students.
“Analysis of Abiotic/Primordial Peptides with Noncanonical Amino Acids”
Principal investigator: Jay Forsythe, College of Charleston
Student research and internship experiences through this project, a collaboration between the College of Charleston and NASA Goddard, will investigate how amino acid diversity affects chemical analysis, in support of research into the origins of life.
“Facilitating Undergraduate Research Through the Development of Novel Gravity Gradiometers”
Principal investigator: Charles Hoyle, Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation
This collaboration between Cal Poly Humboldt and NASA Goddard will support students with training, mentorship, and research in the development of novel gravity gradiometers for Earth science and fundamental physics investigations.
“Supporting Opportunities for Cooperative Climate Education and Research at
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (SOCCER @ FDLTCC)”
Principal investigator: Carl Lemke Oliver Sack, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
This project will strengthen relationships between Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, local tribal agencies, NASA Goddard, and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to support students with mentorship and training in snow research, including how to accurately observe snow throughout the season in various landscapes.
“Bridging NASA and Cal State LA Partnerships for Research Capacity Building in Remote Sensing”
Principal investigator: Jingjing Li, California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Los Angeles, will collaborate with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California (JPL) in this project to strengthen research capacity and student mentorship and training opportunities in the field of remote sensing, including applications for pre- and post-wildfire analysis.
“Fusion of Lidar 3D Vegetation Structure Measurements and a Terrestrial Biosphere Model for Improved
Predictions of Current and Future Land Carbon Dynamics”
Principal investigator: Wenge Ni-Meister, Hunter College
This collaboration, a project between Hunter College of the City University of New York and NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York (GISS), will offer student training as it aims to link lidar remote sensing of vegetation with modeling to improve our understanding of Earth’s ecosystem change.
“Assessment and Development of Surface Coatings for Multifunctional Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs)”
Principal investigator: Josiah Owusu-Danquah, Cleveland State University
This multidisciplinary project with Cleveland State University and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland will advance student research and education in the field of advanced materials, focusing on surface coating materials that satisfy requirements for space systems and structures.
“Student Construction and Deployment of Low Cost Sensor Network in Whittier, California”
Principal investigator: Peter Peterson, Whittier College
This project, a collaboration with Whittier College and NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, focuses on hands-on learning for students in the use of low-cost sensors and satellite-based measurements to study regional air pollution.
“High Density Capacitive Energy Storage Using Multi-Layered Polymer-2D Nanofillers Heterostructure for Space Application”
Principal investigator: Nihar Pradhan, Jackson State University
This collaborative project between Jackson State University and NASA JPL will offer undergraduate and high-school students research and training opportunities in the field of next-generation polymer-nanocomposites for energy storage.
“Astrobiology Scholars Program Immersive Research Experience (ASPIRE)”
Principal investigator: Andro Rios, San Jose State University Research Foundation
This project, a collaboration between Skyline College, San Jose State University, and NASA Ames, will give students an opportunity to conduct research that contributes to two pillars of astrobiology: origins of life and exobiology.
“Fire & Air: Burning Issues in the Central Valley: Unraveling Fire’s Influence on Air Quality, Fuel Mapping, and Carbon Dynamics”
Principal investigator: Wing To, California State University, Stanislaus
This collaboration between California State University, Stanislaus, and NASA Ames will offer a multi-tiered mentorship and research program for students, as well as a year-long undergraduate program, to study ground-based air quality and wildfire fuel mapping.
Learn more about the SMD Bridge Program at:
https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/smd-bridge-program/
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Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov
