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NASA’s TESS Finds Intriguing World Sized Between Earth, Venus
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NASA’s TESS Finds Intriguing World Sized Between Earth, VenusUsing observations by NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and many other facilities, two international teams of astronomers have discovered a planet between the sizes of Earth and Venus only 40 light-years away. Multiple factors make it a candidate well-suited for further study using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Gliese 12 b, which orbits a cool red dwarf star located just 40 light-years away, promises to tell astronomers more about how planets close to their stars retain or lose their atmospheres. In this artist’s concept, Gliese 12 b is shown retaining a thin atmosphere. NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)TESS stares at a large swath of the sky for about a month at a time, tracking the brightness changes of tens of thousands of stars at intervals ranging from 20 seconds to 30 minutes. Capturing transits — brief, regular dimmings of stars caused by the passage of orbiting worlds — is one of the mission’s primary goals.
“We’ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date,” said Masayuki Kuzuhara, a project assistant professor at the Astrobiology Center in Tokyo, who co-led one research team with Akihiko Fukui, a project assistant professor at the University of Tokyo. “Although we don’t yet know whether it possesses an atmosphere, we’ve been thinking of it as an exo-Venus, with similar size and energy received from its star as our planetary neighbor in the solar system.”
The host star, called Gliese 12, is a cool red dwarf located almost 40 light-years away in the constellation Pisces. The star is only about 27% of the Sun’s size, with about 60% of the Sun’s surface temperature. The newly discovered world, named Gliese 12 b, orbits every 12.8 days and is Earth’s size or slightly smaller — comparable to Venus. Assuming it has no atmosphere, the planet has a surface temperature estimated at around 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).
Astronomers say that the diminutive sizes and masses of red dwarf stars make them ideal for finding Earth-size planets. A smaller star means greater dimming for each transit, and a lower mass means an orbiting planet can produce a greater wobble, known as “reflex motion,” of the star. These effects make smaller planets easier to detect.
Gliese 12 b’s estimated size may be as large as Earth or slightly smaller — comparable to Venus in our solar system. This artist’s concept compares Earth with different possible Gliese 12 b interpretations, from one with no atmosphere to one with a thick Venus-like one. Follow-up observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope could help determine just how much atmosphere the planet retains as well as its composition. NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC)The lower luminosities of red dwarf stars also means their habitable zones — the range of orbital distances where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface — lie closer to them. This makes it easier to detect transiting planets within habitable zones around red dwarfs than those around stars emitting more energy.
The distance separating Gliese 12 and the new planet is just 7% of the distance between Earth and the Sun. The planet receives 1.6 times more energy from its star as Earth does from the Sun and about 85% of what Venus experiences.
“Gliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-size planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on planets across our galaxy,” said Shishir Dholakia, a doctoral student at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. He co-led a different research team with Larissa Palethorpe, a doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh and University College London.
Both teams suggest that studying Gliese 12 b may help unlock some aspects of our own solar system’s evolution.
“It is thought that Earth’s and Venus’s first atmospheres were stripped away and then replenished by volcanic outgassing and bombardments from residual material in the solar system,” Palethorpe explained. “The Earth is habitable, but Venus is not due to its complete loss of water. Because Gliese 12 b is between Earth and Venus in temperature, its atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop.”
One important factor in retaining an atmosphere is the storminess of its star. Red dwarfs tend to be magnetically active, resulting in frequent, powerful X-ray flares. However, analyses by both teams conclude that Gliese 12 shows no signs of extreme behavior.
A paper led by Kuzuhara and Fukui was published May 23 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The Dholakia and Palethorpe findings were published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on the same day.
During a transit, the host star’s light passes through any atmosphere. Different gas molecules absorb different colors, so the transit provides a set of chemical fingerprints that can be detected by telescopes like Webb.
“We know of only a handful of temperate planets similar to Earth that are both close enough to us and meet other criteria needed for this kind of study, called transmission spectroscopy, using current facilities,” said Michael McElwain, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and a co-author of the Kuzuhara and Fukui paper. “To better understand the diversity of atmospheres and evolutionary outcomes for these planets, we need more examples like Gliese 12 b.”
TESS is a NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission managed by NASA Goddard and operated by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Additional partners include Northrop Grumman, based in Falls Church, Virginia; NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley; the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts; MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory; and the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. More than a dozen universities, research institutes, and observatories worldwide are participants in the mission.
Download additional images and video from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
By Francis Reddy
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
301-286-1940
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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New Images From Euclid Mission Reveal Wide View of the Dark Universe
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Messier 78 is a nursery of star formation enveloped in a shroud of interstellar dust located 1,300 light-years away from Earth. Using its infrared camera, Euclid exposed hidden regions of star formation for the first time and mapped complex filaments of gas and dust in unprecedented detail.ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence Galaxy cluster Abell 2764 (top right), imaged by ESA’s Euclid telescope, contains hundreds of galaxies. The area outside the cluster also contains distant galaxies that appear as they did when the universe was only 700 million years old.ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard Licence Euclid’s view of the Dorado group of galaxies shows signs of galaxies interacting and merging. The shells of hazy white and yellow material, as well as curving “tails” extending into space, are evidence of gravitational interaction between the galaxies. ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard LicenceWith NASA contributions, the mission will complement dark energy studies to be made by the agency’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
The Euclid mission, led by ESA (the European Space Agency) with contributions from NASA, has released five new images that showcase the space telescope’s ability to explore two large-scale cosmic mysteries: dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter is an invisible substance five times more common in the universe than “regular” matter but with an unknown composition. “Dark energy” is the name given to the unknown source causing the universe to expand faster and faster.
By 2030, Euclid will create a cosmic map that covers almost a third of the sky, using a field of view that is far wider that than NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, which are designed to study smaller areas in finer detail. Scientists will then chart the presence of dark matter with higher precision than ever before. They can also use this map to study how dark energy’s strength has changed over time.
The five new images feature views of varying sizes — from a star-forming region in the Milky Way galaxy to clusters of hundreds of galaxies — and were taken shortly after Euclid’s launch in July 2023 as part of its early release observations program. The mission released five images from that program last year as a preview of what Euclid would offer, before scientists had analyzed the data.
The new images, related science papers, and data are available at the Euclid website. A pre-recorded program by ESA about these findings is available on ESA TV and YouTube.
Mission planners with NASA’s forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will use Euclid’s findings to inform Roman’s complementary dark energy work. Scientists will use Roman, with its better sensitivity and sharpness, to extend the kind of science Euclid enables by studying fainter and more distant galaxies.
Curved Space More than 50,000 galaxies are visible in this image of Abell 2390, a galaxy cluster 2.7 billion light-years away from Earth. Near the center of the image, some of the galaxies appear smudged and curved, an effect called strong gravitational lensing that can be used to detect dark matter.ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard LicenceOne way Euclid will help scientists study dark matter is by observing how this mysterious phenomenon warps the light from distant galaxies, as seen in one of the new images featuring a cluster of galaxies called Abell 2390. The mass of the galaxy cluster, which includes dark matter, creates curves in space. Light from more distant galaxies traveling over those curves appears to bend or arc, similar to how light looks when passing through the warped glass of an old window. Sometimes the warping is so powerful it can create rings, pronounced arcs, or multiple images of the same galaxy — a phenomenon called strong gravitational lensing.
Scientists interested in exploring the effects of dark energy will primarily look for a subtler effect, called weak gravitational lensing, which requires detailed computer analysis to detect and reveals the presence of even smaller clumps of dark matter. By mapping that dark matter and tracing how these clumps evolve over time, scientists will investigate how the outward acceleration of dark energy has changed dark matter’s distribution.
“Because dark energy is a relatively weak effect, we need larger surveys to give us more data and better statistical precision,” said Mike Seiffert, the NASA project scientist for Euclid at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “It’s not something where we can zoom in on one galaxy and study it in detail. We need to look at a much bigger area but still be able to detect these subtle effects. To make that happen, we needed a specialized space telescope like Euclid.”
The telescope uses two instruments that detect different wavelengths of light: the visible-light imager (VIS) and the near-infrared spectrometer and photometer (NISP). Foreground galaxies emit more light in visible wavelengths (those the human eye can perceive), while background galaxies are typically brighter in infrared wavelengths.
“Observing a galaxy cluster with both instruments allows us to see galaxies at a wider range of distances than what we could get using either visible or infrared alone,” said JPL’s Jason Rhodes, principal investigator for NASA’s Euclid dark energy science team. “And Euclid can make these types of deep, wide, high-resolution images hundreds of times faster than other telescopes.”
Discoveries Beyond Dark Energy Euclid’s large field of view captures the entirety of galaxy NGC 6744 and shows astronomers key areas of star formation. Forming stars is the main way by which galaxies grow and evolve, so these investigations are central to understanding why galaxies look the way they do.ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA, image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre (CEA Paris-Saclay), G. Anselmi; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO or ESA Standard LicenceWhile dark matter and dark energy are central to the Euclid, the mission has a variety of other astronomical applications. Euclid’s large-area sky map can, for instance, be used to discover faint objects and observe changes in cosmic objects, like a star changing in brightness. Euclid’s new science results include the detection of free-floating planets (planets that don’t orbit stars), which are difficult to find because of their faintness. In addition, the data reveals newly discovered brown dwarfs. Thought to form like stars but not quite large enough to begin fusion in their cores, these objects highlight the differences between stars and planets.
“The data, images, and scientific papers coming out now mark the very beginning of Euclid’s scientific results, and they show a startlingly wide variety of science beyond the primary objective of the mission,” said Seiffert. “What we’re already seeing from Euclid’s wide view has produced results that study individual planets, features in our home Milky Way galaxy, and the structure of the universe at large scales. It’s both thrilling and a little overwhelming to keep up with all the developments.”
More About the MissionThree NASA-supported science teams contribute to the Euclid mission. In addition to designing and fabricating the sensor-chip electronics for Euclid’s Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument, JPL led the procurement and delivery of the NISP detectors as well. Those detectors, along with the sensor chip electronics, were tested at NASA’s Detector Characterization Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Euclid NASA Science Center at IPAC (ENSCI), at Caltech in Pasadena, California, will archive the science data and support U.S.-based science investigations. JPL is a division of Caltech.
For more information about Euclid go to:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/euclid/main/index.html
For more information about Roman, go to:
News Media ContactCalla Cofield
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
626-808-2469
calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov
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This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth.NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScISols 4193-4194: Stay Overnight? No, Touch-and-Go!
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Sols 4193-4194: Stay Overnight? No, Touch-and-Go! This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4192 (2024-05-22 06:36:49 UTC).NASA/JPL-CaltechEarth planning date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024
One of the biggest challenges that comes with operating a rover on another planet is that we don’t always know exactly what we’re going to have in front of us when we park after driving. The science teams and our rover planners (who actually plan out the drives) do their best of what we have available, consisting of a combination of high-resolution imagery from the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and images from Curiosity looking off in our planned drive direction.
Ultimately though, we don’t know what we’re going to be dealing with on any given planning day until we actually get there. Sometimes that’s because the drive “faults” and ends early, something that happens when driving over rocky or sandy terrain that causes the rover’s mobility systems to exceed their maximum allowable limits. That wasn’t the case today, as the 30 metre drive further towards the Gediz Vallis channel crossing that we planned on Monday executed perfectly. Instead, our “workspace” (the area in front of the rover that is reachable by the arm) was not as exciting as we had anticipated, consisting mostly of sand and smaller rocks.
Consequently, it was decided to convert today from a “contact science” plan where we unstow the arm on the first sol for a lengthy list of activities before driving away on the second sol, to a “touch and go” plan where we mostly focus on remote sensing and a more limited list of contact science activities (the “touch”) and drive away on the first sol (the “go”). From the environmental science side, these kinds of major plan reorganizations can be a bit stressful as they often involve lots of last-minute shuffling around of our pre-planned activities, but the transition today was thankfully fairly straightforward.
The decision to convert the plan ended up being a good decision anyway, as we parked with our left front wheel on top of a pile of small rocks, which limited the kinds of arm activities we could safely perform regardless of how interesting the workspace was. Moving the drive from the second to the first sol also means that we’ll be able to get more useful data down to Earth before planning for the long weekend begins on Friday.
Despite the less interesting workspace (and setting aside the fact that calling any part of the surface of another planet “less interesting” feels a little crazy), we’re still fitting a decent amount of science into this plan. The first sol kicks off with our remote sensing, beginning with ChemCam LIBS on “Lake Catherine” and two ChemCam RMI mosaics, one on the Kukenán butte that’s filled up our eastern view for many months now and another on “Echo Ridge,” a feature near the rover that we’re currently driving towards in the hopes of understanding its origin. Mastcam then performs its documentation of the LIBS target and takes a couple of images of “Evelyn Lake” and “Emerson Lake,” two of the slightly larger rocks that lie just outside of the current workspace.
We wrap this remote sensing session up with some environmental science, including a Mastcam tau to monitor the amount of dust in the atmosphere, a dust devil movie, and Navcam monitoring of the dust and sand on the rover deck. Before we drive, we briefly unstow the arm to take some MAHLI observations of Lake Catherine. Curiosity finishes its first sol in this plan by driving away, followed by our standard suite of post-drive images to help us with planning on Friday, including another Navcam deck monitoring mosaic to see if the drive moved around any of the sand and dust.
Because we’ll be in a new location, the second sol of this plan is all untargeted remote sensing. ChemCam will use AEGIS to autonomously search for a LIBS target in our new location, then we’ll take a series of short Navcam movies to look for dust devils around the rover and a Navcam 3×1 line-of-sight mosaic to determine the amount of dust currently in the atmosphere within Gale. Shortly after noon, Curiosity will call it a day (or sol, really) and head back to sleep for the rest of this plan, occasionally waking up to phone home with the data it has gathered. As always, DAN, REMS, and RAD remain hard at work in the background, RAD particularly so given the high solar activity that has been seen recently.
Written by Conor Hayes, Graduate Student at York University
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The Marshall Star for May 22, 2024
By Celine Smith
Engineers, researchers, and scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center had the opportunity to showcase their vast range of projects and learn about others at Marshall’s annual Science, Technology, and Engineering Jamboree and Poster Expo.
Tom Inman, lead organizer of the jamboree and assistant director of Marshall’s Science and Technology Office, greets attendees of the 2024 Science, Technology, and Engineering Jamboree and Poster Expo. NASA/Danielle BurlesonThe jamboree took place May 16 in Activities Building 4316. Team members created and displayed more than 100 posters summarizing their projects at the center. From engineering easier ways for astronauts to take pictures in space to studying galaxies light years away, the projects represented Marshall’s diverse capabilities. The jamboree also included eight flash talks, which are brief speeches from team members about their research and experiments.
The idea to host a jamboree originated from flash talks presented during past holiday luncheons at the National Space Science Technology Center (NSSTC) at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
“Scientists were only allowed to speak about their discoveries and research for two minutes and were limited to one slide,” said Tom Inman, lead organizer and assistant director of Marshall’s Science and Technology Office. A cowbell was rung if the speaker went over their time, which added to the fun.
Kagen Crawford, left, building manager and controls engineer for the Environmental Control and Life Support System with Jesus Dominguez, a subject matter expert, on their study, “Metal Extraction Lunar Technology from Carbothermal Production (MELT-CR).” NASA/Danielle BurlesonThe event became its own entity to bring together NSSTC and other Marshall technologists. With Marshall team members becoming more aware of all that’s happening at the center, they can better connect with each other, according to Inman. In addition, learning about existing work could aid another project or create an entirely new one.
“If we know what other people are working on it sparks more work and more innovation, while also building our portfolio and Marshall,” Inman said. “It’s an opportunity to see our colleagues and potentially collaborate.”
During the expo, engineers, researchers, and scientists stood alongside their poster, educating viewers and answering questions about their work. Food trucks were present right outside the building for the lunch. The event also was open to attendees from other government agencies at Redstone Arsenal. The jamboree attracted about 850 people.
Hannah Pankratz, center, NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow in the Earth Science branch, talks about her poster with Mitzi Adams, assistant manager of the Heliophysics and Planetary Science branch of the Science and Technology Office, during the 2024 Science, Technology, and Engineering Jamboree and Poster Expo. Pankratz’s poster represented the Disaster Team at Marshall, highlighting some of the center’s response work and recent research. NASA/Danielle BurlesonLarry Leopard, Marshall’s associate director, technical, welcomed attendees to the event.
“Innovation thrives in an environment where connections are nurtured, ideas are shared, and collaboration flourishes,” Leopard said. “That’s why today’s event is so important. It provides us with a platform to come together, exchange ideas, and forge new connections that will drive us forward.”
Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
Rae Ann Meyer Selected as Marshall’s Deputy DirectorRae Ann Meyer has been selected for the position of deputy director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, effective June 2.
Rae Ann Meyer has been selected for the position of deputy director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASAIn this role, Meyer will assist in leading Marshall’s nearly 7,000 on-site and near-site civil service and contractor employees and an annual budget of approximately $5 billion. She will also help guide the center as it continues to deliver vital propulsion systems and hardware, flagship launch vehicles, world-class space systems, state-of-the-art engineering technologies and cutting-edge science and research projects and solutions.
Prior to this assignment, Meyer served as Marshall’s associate director from 2022-2024, where she led execution and integration of the center’s business operations, mission support enterprise functions, and budget management.
Meyer was previously deputy manager of Marshall’s Science and Technology Office. Named to the Senior Executive Service position in May 2019, she assisted in leading the organization responsible for planning, developing, and executing a broad range of science and technology investigations, programs, projects, and activities in support of NASA’s science, technology, and exploration goals. The office also leads the pursuit of new partnership opportunities with other government agencies and private industry. Meyer helped oversee an annual budget of more than $475 million and managed a diverse, highly technical workforce of approximately 300 civil service and contractor employees.
Among her other roles over the years, she was manager of Marshall’s Science and Technology Partnerships and Formulation Office from 2017-2019, worked a detail as technical advisor in 2016 for the Office of Strategy and Plans at NASA Headquarters in Washington, and was chief of key Engineering Directorate structure and flight analysis divisions at Marshall from 2007-2017. Meyer was manager of the Constellation Support Office from 2006-2007. She led Marshall’s In-Space Propulsion Technology Office from 2004-2006 and was assistant manager of the Space Transfer Technology Project from 2000-2002, managing in-space technology program funding at NASA centers nationwide.
Meyer’s NASA career began in 1989 as a control mechanisms engineer in Marshall’s Propulsion Laboratory.
Among her achievements and awards, Meyer received a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2023, a NASA Silver Achievement Medal in 2019; the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal in 2012 for leading development of strategies for pursuing new program/project opportunities; a NASA Certificate of Appreciation in 2001 for leading formulation efforts to augment in-space propulsion technology budgets across NASA; and Marshall Director’s Commendations in 2004 and 2009, honoring her work on advanced technology development efforts supporting future science missions and major product development for the Ares Project Preliminary Design Review, respectively.
A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Meyer earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1989.
Julie Bilbrey Named Director of OSAC at Marshall; Jeramie Broadway Named Deputy DirectorJulie Bilbrey has been named director of the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications (OSAC), and Jeramie Broadway as OSAC’s deputy director, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, effective May 20.
Julie Bilbrey has been named as director of the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications (OSAC) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.NASAIn Bilbrey’s new role, she will lead the organization in providing strategic planning, objective analysis, and comprehensive communication to support the policy, program, and budget decisions for Marshall. She has been deputy director of the Safety & Mission Assurance Directorate (SMA) at Marshall since May 2021. In that capacity, Bilbrey was jointly responsible for planning and directing the safety, reliability, and quality engineering and assurance operations for the center.
Prior to that, she held several leadership positions within SMA, including the Vehicle Systems Department manager from 2018-2021, Mission Systems Assurance and Technical Support Department manager (2016-2018) and the Program Analysis and Systems Integration branch chief (2009-2016).
Before joining SMA, Bilbrey’s previous roles have included associate manager of the Science and Mission Systems Office from 2006-2009, where she also held the position of chief operating officer of the National Space Science and Technology Center; associate manager of Space Systems Program Project Office (2005-2006); and team lead of the Flight Training Integration Team (1998-2004). From 1987 to 2004, Bilbrey was in payload operations where she supported various Spacelab missions and International Space Station increments as a flight controller and crew training manager.
Bilbrey has received numerous awards, including a Silver Snoopy, Space Flight Awareness Honoree award, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and Center Director’s Commendations.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Jeramie Broadway has been named as OSAC’s deputy director.NASAAs OSAC deputy director, Broadway will assist in providing strategic planning, objective analysis, and comprehensive communication to support the policy, program, and budget decisions for Marshall.
He moves into his new role after being named as the center strategy lead for the Office of the Center Director in 2022. In that capacity, Broadway led and implemented the director’s strategic vision, leveraging and integrating Marshall’s strategic business units, in coordination and collaboration with all center organizations, to ensure alignment with the agency’s strategic priorities.
Before assuming that role, he was senior technical assistant to the Marshall associate director, technical, from September 2021 to October 2022. Prior to that detail, he was the assistant manager of Marshall’s Partnerships and Formulation Office, providing strategic planning and business development support and creating new partnering and new mission opportunities for the center.
Broadway, who joined NASA full-time in 2008, began his career in Marshall’s Materials and Processes Laboratory, supporting and leading production operations for the Ares I and Space Launch System program. Over the years, he served as project engineer or deputy project manager for a variety of work, including the Nuclear Cryogenic Propulsion Stage Project, for which he led development of advanced, high-temperature nuclear fuel materials. He was assistant chief engineer for launch vehicles for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and assistant chief engineer for NASA’s Technology Demonstration Mission Program, managed for the agency at Marshall.
A native of Dallas and a U.S. Air Force veteran, Broadway earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2008 from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering in 2011 from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Marshall, Michoud Leadership Join Industry at State Capitol for Louisiana Space Day 2024By Heather Keller
NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, leading aerospace companies, and GNO Inc. hosted Louisiana Space Day 2024 at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge on May 8.
NASA astronaut Josh Cassada and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey lead students from area schools across the Louisiana State Capitol grounds to attend a series of panel discussions as part of Louisiana Space Day 2024. NASA/Michael DeMockerThe event marked a return to the Capitol following a year-long hiatus, and a rebranding from its former incarnation as NASA Day in Baton Rouge. While NASA maintained a major role in the day’s activities, Louisiana Space Day included participation from commercial and educational partners with emphasis on Louisiana’s contribution to space exploration, the critical impact the industry has on the state’s economy, as well as the importance of STEM education to maintain a skilled workforce.
From left, NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Director Hansel Gill, Pelfrey, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, and Cassada pose with an Artemis I-flown flag presented to the governor during Louisiana Space Day. NASA/Michael DeMockerDispersed among the various activities of the day, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, Michoud Director Hansel Gill, and NASA astronaut Josh Cassada met with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, presenting them with certificates of appreciation to the state, which included flags flown on Artemis I. The NASA delegation also joined Louisiana Legislators for the reading of the Louisiana Space Day 2024 proclamation, and later joined the House and Senate Floors for readings of the resolutions.
Other activities included a chat with Cassada at the State Library for area middle-school, high-school, and college students, followed by a workforce development panel, which featured speakers from Boeing, GNO Inc., and directors Pelfrey and Gill.
Lockheed Martin Multi-Functional Manufacturing Associate Manager Corey Riddle hands out Artemis II crew posters and talks Orion production with students and visitors at the Louisiana State Capitol. NASA/Michael DeMockerExhibitors from Michoud, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance (ULA), Blue Origin, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, University of Louisiana Lafayette, LA STEM, Partners for Stennis and Michoud, and select robotics teams from throughout the state were stationed within the Capitol building rotunda where they educated Louisiana lawmakers and visitors on the NASA mission, industry contributions, workforce development, and STEM opportunities for local youth. Passersby in the rotunda were able to watch videos, view robotics demonstrations, engage with exhibitors, collect giveaways, and take selfies with Cassada.
Keller, a Manufacturing Technical Solutions Inc. employee, supports Michoud Assembly Facility.
NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, several aerospace companies, and GNO Inc. hosted Louisiana Space Day 2024 at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge on May 8. Area middle-school, high-school, and college students participated in STEM activities, a chat with NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, and heard from NASA leadership during an Artemis Generation panel discussion. The event also included a reading of a Space Day resolution by Louisiana legislators with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Michoud Director Hansel Gill, and other NASA personnel, highlighting Louisiana’s contributions to space exploration. (NASA/Eric Bordelon) NASA Earns Best Place to Work in Government for 12 Straight YearsNASA was named May 16 as the 2023 Best Place to Work in the Federal Government – large agency – for the 12th year in a row by the Partnership for Public Service. The title serves as a reflection of employee satisfaction with the workplace and functioning of the overall agency as NASA explores the unknown and discovers new knowledge for the benefit of humanity.
A 2023 image capturing the Sun’s glint in between a cloudy stretch of the south Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina.NASA“Once again, NASA has shown that with the world’s finest workforce, we can reach the stars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Through space exploration, advances in aviation, groundbreaking science, new technologies, and more, the team of wizards at NASA do what is hard to achieve what is great. That’s the pioneer spirit that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government. With this ingenuity and passion, we will continue to innovate for the benefit of all and inspire the world.”
The agency’s workforce explored new frontiers in 2023, including shattering an American record for longest astronaut spaceflight, announcing the Artemis II crew, launching the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment, partnering on a sustainable flight demonstration later designated as X-66, and celebrating a year of science gathered from the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope. Feats beyond our atmosphere persisted with NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Regolith Explorer) mission – the first U.S. mission to collect an asteroid sample. Insights from the asteroid data will further NASA’s studies on celestial objects, while the agency also continues its pursuit to return astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign.
Along with being the 65th anniversary of the agency, 2023 brought new climate data with the launching of the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center and Earth Information Center, new perspectives on Earth’s surface water through NASA’s SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) mission, and accrued air quality data from NASA’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) mission.
“NASA has proven yet again that we have the most dedicated workforce in the federal government,” said Joseph Pelfrey, director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “At Marshall and Michoud Assembly Facility, I am confident that our contributions to the agency’s missions have secured our place in this new era of space exploration.”
The Partnership for Public Service began to compile the Best Places to Work rankings in 2003 to analyze federal employee’s viewpoints of leadership, work-life balance, and other factors of their job. A formula is used to evaluate employee responses to a federal survey, dividing submissions into four groups: large, midsize, and small agencies, in addition to their subcomponents.
Read about the Best Places to Work for 2023 online.
Mission Success is in Our Hands: Brandon ReevesBy Wayne Smith
Mission Success is in Our Hands is a safety initiative collaboration between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Jacobs. As part of the initiative, eight Marshall team members are featured in testimonial banners placed around the center. This is the seventh in a Marshall Star series profiling team members featured in the testimonial banners. The Mission Success team also awards the Golden Eagle Award on a quarterly basis to Marshall and contractor personnel who are nominated by their peers or management. Candidates for this award have made significant, identifiable contributions that exceed normal job expectations to advance flight safety and mission assurance. Nominations for 2024 are open now online on Inside Marshall.
Brandon Reeves is the deputy manager of the Integrated Avionics Test Facility (IATF) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.Brandon Reeves is the deputy manager of the Integrated Avionics Test Facility (IATF) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. His key responsibilities include providing leadership and decisiveness to design and build avionics hardware in the loop test facilities that support SLS (Space Launch System) flight software and mission verification.
Reeves has worked at Marshall for eight years. His previous roles include drafter, hardware in the loop tester, emulator test lead, IATF analysis lead, and IATF system engineering lead.
A native of Pike Road, Alabama, Reeves earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Birmingham Southern College and an aerospace engineering degree from Auburn University.
Question: How does your work support the safety and success of NASA and Marshall missions?
Reeves: The Integrated Avionics Test Facility provides NASA with the highest fidelity hardware in the loop simulation of the Space Launch System vehicle. The ability to integrate and test flight like hardware within an integrated simulation allows NASA to know how the vehicle will react in every situation.
Question: What does the initiative campaign “Mission Success is in Our Hands” mean to you?
Reeves: Each individual plays a significant role in helping NASA achieve the impossible.
Question: Do you have a story or personal experience you can share that might help others understand the significance of mission assurance or flight safety? What did you learn from it?
Reeves: The testing performed in the Integrated Avionics Test Facilities demonstrates the numerous nominal and off nominal flight scenarios. This capability helps NASA improve vehicle algorithms and provides assurance that all vehicle systems will communicate as expected during each vehicle flight.
Question: How can we work together better to achieve mission success?
Reeves: NASA’s work is unlike any other in the entire world, our teamwork is leading humanity toward a better future that includes interplanetary travel. Communication with each other is always helpful and go see someone in person, when possible.
Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.
NASA’s Compact Infrared Cameras Enable New Science
A new, higher-resolution infrared camera outfitted with a variety of lightweight filters could probe sunlight reflected off Earth’s upper atmosphere and surface, improve forest fire warnings, and reveal the molecular composition of other planets.
The cameras use sensitive, high-resolution strained-layer superlattice sensors, initially developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, using IRAD, Internal Research and Development funding.
Their compact construction, low mass, and adaptability enable engineers like Tilak Hewagama to adapt them to the needs of a variety of sciences.
Goddard engineer Murzy Jhabvala holds the heart of his Compact Thermal Imager camera technology – a high-resolution, high-spectral range infrared sensor suitable for small satellites and missions to other solar-system objects.“Attaching filters directly to the detector eliminates the substantial mass of traditional lens and filter systems,” Hewagama said. “This allows a low-mass instrument with a compact focal plane which can now be chilled for infrared detection using smaller, more efficient coolers. Smaller satellites and missions can benefit from their resolution and accuracy.”
Engineer Murzy Jhabvala led the initial sensor development at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as well as leading today’s filter integration efforts.
Jhabvala also led the Compact Thermal Imager experiment on the International Space Station that demonstrated how the new sensor technology could survive in space while proving a major success for Earth science. More than 15 million images captured in two infrared bands earned inventors, Jhabvala, and NASA Goddard colleagues Don Jennings and Compton Tucker an agency Invention of the Year award for 2021.
The Compact Thermal Imager captured unusually severe fires in Australia from its perch on the International Space Station in 2019 and 2020. With its high resolution, detected the shape and location of fire fronts and how far they were from settled areas — information critically important to first responders. Credit: NASAData from the test provided detailed information about wildfires, better understanding of the vertical structure of Earth’s clouds and atmosphere, and captured an updraft caused by wind lifting off Earth’s land features called a gravity wave.
The groundbreaking infrared sensors use layers of repeating molecular structures to interact with individual photons, or units of light. The sensors resolve more wavelengths of infrared at a higher resolution: 260 feet (80 meters) per pixel from orbit compared to 1,000 to 3,000 feet (375 to 1,000 meters) possible with current thermal cameras.
The success of these heat-measuring cameras has drawn investments from NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO), Small Business Innovation and Research, and other programs to further customize their reach and applications.
Jhabvala and NASA’s Advanced Land Imaging Thermal IR Sensor (ALTIRS) team are developing a six-band version for this year’s LiDAR, Hyperspectral, & Thermal Imager (G-LiHT) airborne project. This first-of-its-kind camera will measure surface heat and enable pollution monitoring and fire observations at high frame rates, he said.
NASA Goddard Earth scientist Doug Morton leads an ESTO project developing a Compact Fire Imager for wildfire detection and prediction.
“We’re not going to see fewer fires, so we’re trying to understand how fires release energy over their life cycle,” Morton said. “This will help us better understand the new nature of fires in an increasingly flammable world.”
CFI will monitor both the hottest fires which release more greenhouse gases and cooler, smoldering coals and ashes which produce more carbon monoxide and airborne particles like smoke and ash.
“Those are key ingredients when it comes to safety and understanding the greenhouse gases released by burning,” Morton said.
After they test the fire imager on airborne campaigns, Morton’s team envisions outfitting a fleet of 10 small satellites to provide global information about fires with more images per day.
Combined with next generation computer models, he said, “this information can help the forest service and other firefighting agencies prevent fires, improve safety for firefighters on the front lines, and protect the life and property of those living in the path of fires.”
Probing Clouds on Earth and Beyond
Outfitted with polarization filters, the sensor could measure how ice particles in Earth’s upper atmosphere clouds scatter and polarize light, NASA Goddard Earth scientist Dong Wu said.
This applications would complement NASA’s PACE — Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem — mission, Wu said, which revealed its first light images earlier this month. Both measure the polarization of light wave’s orientation in relation to the direction of travel from different parts of the infrared spectrum.
“The PACE polarimeters monitor visible and shortwave-infrared light,” he explained. “The mission will focus on aerosol and ocean color sciences from daytime observations. At mid- and long-infrared wavelengths, the new Infrared polarimeter would capture cloud and surface properties from both day and night observations.”
In another effort, Hewagama is working Jhabvala and Jennings to incorporate linear variable filters which provide even greater detail within the infrared spectrum. The filters reveal atmospheric molecules’ rotation and vibration as well as Earth’s surface composition.
That technology could also benefit missions to rocky planets, comets, and asteroids, planetary scientist Carrie Anderson said. She said they could identify ice and volatile compounds emitted in enormous plumes from Saturn’s moon Enceladus.
“They are essentially geysers of ice,” she said, “which of course are cold, but emit light within the new infrared sensor’s detection limits. Looking at the plumes against the backdrop of the Sun would allow us to identify their composition and vertical distribution very clearly.”
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Share Details Last Updated May 22, 2024 EditorKarl B. HilleContactKarl B. Hillekarl.b.hille@nasa.gov Related Terms Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Goddard Technology InnovationsGoddard's Office of the Chief Technologist oversees the center's technology research and development efforts and provides updates on the latest…
Goddard’s Internal Research & Development Program (IRAD)Information and links for Goddard's IRAD and CIF technology research and development programs and other NASA tech development sources.
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Goddard Office of the Chief TechnologistStaff page for the Goddard Office of the Chief Technologist with portraits and short bios
NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate
4 min read
NASA, IBM Research to Release New AI Model for Weather, Climate With the Privthi-weather-climate foundational model, researchers will be able to support many climate applications that can be used throughout the science community. These applications include detecting and improving models for severe weather patterns or natural disasters such as hurricanes. NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this image of Idalia in August 2023. NASA Earth ObservatoryBy Jessica Barnett
Working together, NASA and IBM Research have developed a new artificial intelligence model to support a variety of weather and climate applications. The new model – known as the Privthi-weather-climate foundational model – uses artificial intelligence (AI) in ways that could vastly improve the resolution we’ll be able to get, opening the door to better regional and local weather and climate models.
Foundational models are large-scale, base models which are trained on large, unlabeled datasets and can be fine-tuned for a variety of applications. The Privthi-weather-climate model is trained on a broad set of data – in this case NASA data from NASA’s Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2)– and then makes use of AI learning abilities to apply patterns gleaned from the initial data across a broad range of additional scenarios.
“Advancing NASA’s Earth science for the benefit of humanity means delivering actionable science in ways that are useful to people, organizations, and communities. The rapid changes we’re witnessing on our home planet demand this strategy to meet the urgency of the moment,” said Karen St. Germain, director of the Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “The NASA foundation model will help us produce a tool that people can use: weather, seasonal and climate projections to help inform decisions on how to prepare, respond and mitigate.”
With the Privthi-weather-climate model, researchers will be able to support many different climate applications that can be used throughout the science community. These applications include detecting and predicting severe weather patterns or natural disasters, creating targeted forecasts based on localized observations, improving spatial resolution on global climate simulations down to regional levels, and improving the representation of how physical processes are included in weather and climate models.
“These transformative AI models are reshaping data accessibility by significantly lowering the barrier of entry to using NASA’s scientific data,” said Kevin Murphy, NASA’s chief science data officer, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. “Our open approach to sharing these models invites the global community to explore and harness the capabilities we’ve cultivated, ensuring that NASA’s investment enriches and benefits all.”
Privthi-weather-climate was developed through an open collaboration with IBM Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and NASA, including the agency’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Privthi-weather-climate can capture the complex dynamics of atmospheric physics even when there is missing information thanks to the flexibility of the model’s architecture. This foundational model for weather and climate can scale to both global and regional areas without compromising resolution.
“This model is part of our overall strategy to develop a family of AI foundation models to support NASA’s science mission goals,” said Rahul Ramachandran, who leads IMPACT at Marshall. “These models will augment our capabilities to draw insights from our vast archives of Earth observations.”
Privthi-weather-climate is part of a larger model family– the Privthi family– which includes models trained on NASA’s Harmonized LandSat and Sentinel-2 data. The latest model serves as an open collaboration in line with NASA’s open science principles to make all data accessible and usable by communities everywhere. It will be released later this year on Hugging Face, a machine learning and data science platform that helps users build, deploy, and train machine learning models.
“The development of the NASA foundation model for weather and climate is an important step towards the democratization of NASA’s science and observation mission,” said Tsendgar Lee, program manager for NASA’s Research and Analysis Weather Focus Area, High-End Computing Program, and Data for Operation and Assessment. “We will continue developing new technology for climate scenario analysis and decision making.”
Along with IMPACT and IBM Research, development of Privthi-weather-climate featured significant contributions from NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer, NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at Goddard Space Flight Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Colorado State University, and Stanford University.
Learn more about Earth data and previous Privthi models:
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/impact-ibm-hls-foundation-model
Jonathan Deal
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov
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Spotted: ‘Death Star’ Black Holes in Action
A team of astronomers have studied 16 supermassive black holes that are firing powerful beams into space, to track where these beams, or jets, are pointing now and where they were aimed in the past, as reported in our latest press release. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astronomical Observatory’s (NRAO) Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA), they found that some of the beams have changed directions by large amounts.
These two Chandra images show hot gas in the middle of the galaxy cluster Abell 478 (left) and the galaxy group NGC 5044 (right). The center of each image contains one of the sixteen black holes firing beams outwards. Each black hole is in the center of a galaxy embedded in the hot gas.
In the images below, labels and the radio images appear. Ellipses show a pair of cavities in the hot gas for Abell 478 (left) and ellipses show two pairs of cavities for NGC 5044 (right). These cavities were carved out by the beams millions of years ago, giving the directions of the beams in the past. An X shows the location of each supermassive black hole.
Abell 478 and NGC 5044 (Labeled)X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Bologna/F. Ubertosi; Insets Radio: NSF/NRAO/VLBA; Wide field Image: Optical/IR: Univ. of Hawaii/Pan-STARRS; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. WolkThe VLBA images are shown as insets, which reveal where the beams are currently pointing, as seen from Earth. The radio images are both much smaller than the X-ray images. For Abell 478 the radio image is about 3% of the width of the Chandra image and for NGC 5044 the radio image is about 4% of the Chandra image’s width.
A comparison between the Chandra and VLBA images shows that the beams for Abell 478 changed direction by about 35 degrees and the beams for NGC 5044 changed direction by about 70 degrees.
Across the entire sample the researchers found that about a third of the 16 galaxies have beams that are pointing in completely different directions than they were before. Some have changed directions by nearly 90 degrees in some cases, and over timescales between one million years and a few tens of millions of years. Given that the black holes are of the order of 10 billion years old, this represents a relatively rapid change for these galaxies.
Wide Field Views of Abell 478 [Left] and NGC 5044 [Right]. X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Bologna/F. Ubertosi et al.; Optical/IR: Univ. of Hawaii/Pan-STARRS; IR: NASA/ESA/JPL/CalTech/Herschel Space TelescopeBlack holes generate beams when material falls onto them via a spinning disk of matter and some of it then gets redirected outward. The direction of the beams from each of these giant black holes, which are likely spinning, is thought to align with the rotation axis of the black hole, meaning that the beams point along a line connecting the poles.
These beams are thought to be perpendicular to the disk. If material falls towards the black holes at a different angle that is not parallel to the disk, it could affect the direction of the black hole’s rotation axes, changing the direction of the beams.
Scientists think that beams from black holes and the cavities they carve out play an important role in how many stars form in their galaxies. The beams pump energy into the hot gas in and around the galaxy, preventing it from cooling down enough to form huge numbers of new stars. If the beams change directions by large amounts, they can tamp down star formation across much larger areas of the galaxy.
The paper describing these results was published in the January 20th, 2024 issue of The Astrophysical Journal, and is available here. The authors are Francesco Ubertosi (University of Bologna in Italy), Gerritt Schellenberger (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Ewan O’Sullivan (CfA), Jan Vrtilek (CfA), Simona Giacintucci (Naval Research Laboratory), Laurence David (CfA), William Forman (CfA), Myriam Gitti (University of Bologna), Tiziana Venturi (National Institute of Astrophysics—Institute of Radio Astronomy in Italy), Christine Jones (CfA), and Fabrizio Brighenti (University of Bologna).
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.
For more Chandra images, multimedia and related materials, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/
Visual Description:This image contains two X-ray images presented side by side, separated by a thin, gray line. On the left is an image of galaxy cluster Abell 478, and on the right is an image of galaxy group NGC 5044.
The X-ray image of Abell 478 resembles a gooey, blue substance that has been spilled on a black canvas. Most of the image is covered in this blue goo texture, which is hot gas in X-ray light, however there are cavities where no blue texture is present. At the center of the image is a bright, white region. Within the white region, too small to identify, exists Abell 478’s supermassive black hole.
The X-ray image of NGC 5044, on our right, is more pixelated than the image of Abell 478. It resembles blue television static or noise, that is present on a television when no transmission signal is detected. Most of the image is covered in this blue static, however there are cavities where no blue static is present. At the center of the image is a bright, white region. Within the white region, too small to identify, exists NGC 5044’s supermassive black hole.
News Media ContactMegan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
Jonathan Deal
Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
NASA’s Psyche Fires Up Its Sci-Fi-Worthy Thrusters
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Psyche spacecraft headed to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft launched in October 2023 and will arrive at its destination in 2029.NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUThe spacecraft already is beyond the distance of Mars and is using ion propulsion to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid, where it will orbit and collect science data.
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft passed its six-month checkup with a clean bill of health, and there’s no holding back now. Navigators are firing its futuristic-looking electric thrusters, which emit a blue glow, nearly nonstop as the orbiter zips farther into deep space.
The spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on Oct. 13, 2023. After leaving our atmosphere, Psyche made the most of its rocket boost and coasted beyond the orbit of Mars.
For the next year, the spacecraft will be in what mission planners call “full cruise” mode, when its electric thrusters take over and propel the orbiter toward the asteroid belt. The thrusters work by expelling charged atoms, or ions, of xenon, emitting a brilliant blue glow that trails behind the spacecraft.
They are part of Psyche’s incredibly efficient solar electric propulsion system, which is powered by sunlight. The thrust created by the ionized xenon is gentle, but it does the job. Even in full cruise mode, the pressure exerted by the thrusters is about what you’d feel holding three quarters in your hand.
This photo captures an operating electric thruster identical to those being used to propel NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. The blue glow comes from the charged atoms, or ions, of xenon.NASA/JPL-CaltechThe orbiter is now more than 190 million miles (300 million kilometers) away and moving at a clip of 23 miles per second (37 kilometers per second), relative to Earth. That’s about 84,000 mph (135,000 kph). Over time, with no atmospheric drag to slow it down, Psyche will accelerate to speeds of up to 124,000 mph (200,000 kph).
The spacecraft will arrive at the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in 2029 and will make observations from orbit for about two years. The data it collects will help scientists better understand the formation of rocky planets with metallic cores, including Earth. Scientists have evidence that the asteroid, which is about 173 miles (280 kilometers) across at its widest point, may be the partial core of a planetesimal, the building block of an early planet.
Clean Bill of HealthThe flight team used Psyche’s first 100 days in space to conduct a full checkout of all spacecraft systems. All of the engineering systems are working just as expected, and the three science instruments have been operating without a hitch. The magnetometer is working so well that it was able to detect an eruption of charged particles from the Sun, as did the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer. And this past December, the twin cameras on the imaging instrument captured their first images.
“Until this point, we have been powering on and checking out the various pieces of equipment needed to complete the mission, and we can report they are working beautifully,” said Henry Stone, Psyche project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission. “Now we are on our way and looking forward to an upcoming close flyby of Mars.”
This graphic depicts the path NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is following as it travels to the asteroid Psyche. The key milestones of the prime mission are labeled, including the Mars gravity assist in May 2026.NASA/JPL-CaltechThat’s because the spacecraft’s trajectory will bring it back toward the Red Planet in the spring of 2026. The spacecraft will power down the thrusters as it coasts toward Mars, using the planet’s gravity to slingshot itself out. From there, the thrusters return to full cruise mode. Next stop: the asteroid Psyche.
In the meantime, the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration aboard the spacecraft will keep on testing its mettle. The experiment already surpassed expectations when, in April, it transmitted test data from over 140 million miles (226 million kilometers) away at a rate of 267 megabits per second to a downlink station on Earth — a bit rate comparable to broadband internet download speeds.
More About the MissionArizona State University leads the Psyche mission. A division of Caltech in Pasadena, JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.
JPL manages DSOC for the Technology Demonstration Missions program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Space Communications and Navigation program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate.
Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program, which is managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service.
Get the Psyche press kitFor more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to:
News Media ContactsGretchen McCartney
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-287-4115
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Charles Blue
NASA Headquarters, Washington
301-286-6284 / 202-802-5345
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / charles.e.blue@nasa.gov
2024-069
Share Details Last Updated May 22, 2024 Related Terms Explore More 7 min read NASA Tool Gets Ready to Image Faraway Planets Article 2 days ago 5 min read 5 Things to Know About NASA’s Tiny Twin Polar Satellites Article 1 week ago 5 min read NASA’s Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa’s Icy Shell Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover Related TopicsMissions
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Sols 1151-1152: Rocky Roads in the Margin Unit
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Sols 1151-1152: Rocky Roads in the Margin Unit Mars Perseverance Sol 1150 – Left Navigation Camera: Perseverance’s afternoon view looking towards the northwest. The rocky terrain in the foreground is part of the margin unit that is currently being investigated by the team. Beyond lies Nereteva Vallis, an ancient river channel that the team hopes to explore in the coming weeks. NASA/JPL-CaltechEarth planning date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Recently, our intrepid rover has been channeling its namesake while navigating through difficult terrain as we march on through the margin unit. Despite the shorter drives, the team continues to make good progress investigating the rocks around us while scouting our traverse ahead.
On Wednesday, we took advantage of being parked during a routine flight software update to take a closer look at the local rocks with our proximity science instruments. While there was limited outcrop in the vicinity of the rover, the team surveyed some options within reach and selected to abrade a target named “Old Faithful Geyser.” Such abrasion will allow us to look at a fresh and clean rock surface unobscured by dust or rock coatings. Since our last abrasion at the Bunsen Peak workspace almost 1 km to the east, the team has been working hard to understand the potential textural and compositional variability across the margin unit that may give important insight into the geologic history of these rocks. Following abrasion, the team will plan detailed chemical measurements with the PlXL instrument over the weekend.
In addition to our abrasion activities, we planned some remote science observations on nearby rocks with the SuperCam and Mastcam-Z instruments. Mastcam-Z was also used to acquire longer distance imaging looking east down into Neretva Vallis, an ancient river valley carved by water over 3 billion years ago. After wrapping up our investigations of the abrasion patch, Perseverance will head a short distance northwest to a high point named Overlook Mountain. There the team will assess a potential traverse path down into Neretva Vallis to take advantage of more benign terrain and investigate outcrops and boulders within the valley. Such investigations will hopefully reveal important clues about the timing of geologic events in Jezero and the relationship of the margin unit rocks with the surrounding units.
Written by Bradley Garczynski, Postdoctoral Scientist at Western Washington University
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Sols 4191-4192: Communication
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Sols 4191-4192: Communication This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4190 (2024-05-20 07:37:47 UTC). NASA/JPL-CaltechEarth planning date: Monday, May 20, 2024
A number of national holidays are taking place around the world this week and next, unofficially marking the start of summer for residents of the northern hemisphere. Holidays and extended weekends are seen as a time to catch up with family and friends, often centered around food and meaningful conversation. As a Canadian, my family, friends, and several of my Curiosity colleagues back in Canada may be doing exactly that for Victoria Day right now as I write today’s blog from St. Louis Missouri, where I am currently engulfed by the steady and deafening drone of a double brood of both 13-year and 17-year periodical cicadas communicating with each other, something that hasn’t happened since 1803.
While Curiosity may not know a holiday, it too is transitioning to summer, with perihelion only just recently passed and (southern) summer solstice a mere couple weeks ahead. Curiosity’s operations are not only supported by a number of team members located all over the world, but also by multiple spacecraft orbiting Mars (as well as their respective teams). These orbital assets provide vital communication relays, primarily from Mars to Earth.
It was a pretty standard Monday plan for our intrepid rover, with the science team electing to utilize the rover’s contact science instruments before a drive in the first sol of a two-sol plan. Activities focused primarily on the “Pine Creek” target, located roughly in the center of the prominent bedrock block just above the aptly designed QR code on Curiosity’s arm. Post-brush compositional analyses by APXS and ChemCam were complemented by images acquired by MAHLI and Mastcam. Prior to a ~30 m dogleg drive, Mastcam also acquired images of “Fairview Dome,” “Pika Lake,” “Whitebark Pass,” and “Wilkerson Butte.” A lengthy DAN passive activity also featured prominently on the first sol. The second sol of the plan included ChemCam AEGIS, a Navcam suprahorizon movie, and SAM cleaning activity following up its atmospheric analysis over the weekend.
Written by Scott VanBommel, Planetary Scientist at Washington University
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2024 Dream with Us Design Challenge Winners
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Congratulations! Our 2024 Dream with Us challenge has concluded, and we are pleased to share the winning projects: Middle School 1st Place: The Unstoppable Changemakers Team (Anika J. and Aidan R.)Fire Drones is a system of drones that battle wildfires. They use solar power for sustainability, machine learning technology for early detection of potential wildfires, and use biodegradable spheres called Fire Bombs to help extinguish wildfires. This system of firefighting drones actively communicates with emergency personnel to work until issues are marked “Resolved”.
2nd Place: Aerial Disaster Response Association Team (Adhavan B., Sanat N., Ganesh P., Carl S.)The Seismic Series is a drone system to assist with earthquake disasters. The Seismic Sentry, Lifeline, Atlas, and The Phoenix help to mitigate earthquake risks, save lives, and expedite recovery efforts. They detect problem areas, communicate with emergency personnel, civilians and other drones, deliver supplies, and one of them is large enough to carry up to 10 humans during an evacuation. Each drone has a different job, and they can also help in other disaster responses.
3rd Place: J.A.N.S. Team (Jason P., Aditya B., Nathan V., Sai Niranjan S.)A drone system that uses several drones with different jobs to help during storm-type disasters. They are housed in a crewed mothership that helps to power and deploy the drones. The system includes airlift drones, flying battery drones, vine-dropper drones, assistance drones, sensor drones, inflatable raft drones, and warning drones. Each one is key in helping to monitor, warn, help, and save humans from storm catastrophe.
High School 1st Place: PUSHPAK Team (Devin W. and Isabel R.)PushPak is a wildfire fighting drone. Thermal cameras detect hotspots and missing persons while the LiDAR camera maps the area, assesses the health of vegetation providing data for preventative and rebuilding efforts. It’s equipped with a holding tank that can be filled with extinguishing substances and fire retardant for prevention, planting seeds and a distributor for rebuilding after the wildfire. Solar-power recharges the drone when flying and the Dynamos (power-generating propellers) generate energy while flying. PushPak also has input/output capabilities to assist emergency personnel with powering needed devices. Variable wings allow this drone to be interchangeable, a comprehensive communication system lets it talk to humans and warn animals in the affected areas, plus a data collection system for early detection.
2nd Place: AirRescue Team (Sarthak K. and Advaith S.)The SkyWarden is a drone that helps to preserve innocent lives during earthquake disasters. It uses LiDAR to create a digital map used to find safe routes and find people. Equipped with a thermal sensor, it can locate life under the rubble and send information to emergency personnel. Its computer vision could recognize faces, bones, and blood to find human-life.
3rd Place: Flight Fusion Team (Emily A. and Zahraa A.)ResQGuard is an enhanced UAV that helps during severe weather such as thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes and hydrological disasters such as floods, tsunamis, and drought. It has a swept wing design for 20% faster travel, weather radar system, sensors for hydro hazards, single-board computers, an essential medical kit, a camera with a 360 view, and fast processing software.
Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 3 min read System-Wide Safety Collaborations Article 2 days ago 4 min read NASA, Industry to Start Designing More Sustainable Jet Engine Core Article 5 days ago 4 min read Aviary: A New NASA Software Platform for Aircraft Modelling Article 6 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
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Share Details Last Updated May 22, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsModeling the Hawaiian Shoreline
The island of Hawai’i and surrounding waters glow in unusual shades in this 2022 model made through NASA DEVELOP. The model was created to help the County of Hawai’i in their shoreline setback plan. The image shows areas of high flood risk (blue), as well as sea surface temperatures. Orange in the west indicates high temperatures, while red in the east represents low temperatures.
NASA DEVELOP projects bridge the gap between NASA’s Earth science data and society, addressing environmental concerns and enhancing decision-making to improve life here on Earth. Learn more about NASA’s Capacity Building Programs and applied Earth science at NASA.
Image Credit: NASA/Lisa Tanh, Matilda Anokye, Ian Lee, Connor Racette
NASA’s Heliophysics Experiment to Study Sun on European Mission
NASA announced Tuesday it selected a new instrument to study the Sun and how it creates massive solar eruptions. The agency’s Joint EUV coronal Diagnostic Investigation, or JEDI, will capture images of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light, a type of light invisible to our eyes but reveals many of the underlying mechanisms of the Sun’s activity.
Once integrated aboard the ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Vigil space weather mission, JEDI’s two telescopes will focus on the middle layer of the solar corona, a region of the Sun’s atmosphere that plays a key role in creating the solar wind and the solar eruptions that cause space weather.
The Vigil space mission, planned to launch in 2031, is expected to provide around-the-clock space weather data from a unique position at Sun-Earth Lagrange point 5 – a gravitationally stable point about 60 degrees behind Earth in its orbit. This vantage point will give space weather researchers and forecasters a new angle to study the Sun and its eruptions. NASA’s JEDI will be the first instrument to provide a constant view of the Sun from this perspective in extreme ultraviolet light – giving scientists a trove of new data for research, while simultaneously supporting Vigil’s ability to monitor space weather.
“JEDI’s observations will help us link the features we see on the Sun’s surface with what we measure in the solar atmosphere, the corona,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Combined with Vigil’s first-of-its-kind, eagle eye view of the Sun, this will change the way we understand the Sun’s drivers of space weather – which in turn can lead to improved warnings to mitigate space weather effects on satellites and humans in space as well as on Earth.”
The project is led by Don Hassler at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. The instrument is funded by the NASA Heliophysics Space Weather Program with a total cost not to exceed $45 million. Management oversight will be provided by the Living With a Star Program of the Explorers & Heliophysics Projects Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
For more information on NASA heliophysics missions, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/heliophysics
-end-
Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.fox@nasa.gov
Sarah Frazier
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
202-853-7191
sarah.frazier@nasa.gov
Go Back to the Future with NASA at Comicpalooza 2024
Celebrate your pop-culture fandom and uncover the latest science, technology, and discoveries of human spaceflight and exploration with NASA’s Johnson Space Center at Comicpalooza 2024 from May 24 to 26 at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Engage with a fully immersive NASA exhibit, touch the only mobile Moon rock in the world, join exclusive panels, meet a NASA astronaut, scientists, and experts, and hear about NASA’s plans for human exploration to the Moon and Mars.
NASA Showcase and StageNASA’s Johnson Space Center booth and exclusive panel stage is in Hall A of George R. Brown Convention Center! Stop by to talk with NASA experts and scientists from the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility (EHP) Program, Exploration Architecture, Integration, and Science Directorate, Human Health and Performance Directorate, and STEM engagement programs.
Fans can take photos with numerous photo ops and artifacts including a full-size space suit, take the controls of a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) in a state-of-the-art simulator, and discover how astronauts are training and preparing to return to the Moon.
All times shown below are Central.
NASA astronaut Stan Love speaks to Comicpalooza 2023 attendees about his experiences as an astronaut. NASA Panel ScheduleDevelopment of Lunar Base Camp
Friday, May 24, 3:30 p.m.
Join NASA scientists as we break down the development of a Lunar Base Camp with future Artemis Missions.
Panelists:
- Ian Galloway, Systems Engineer, Avionics Sub-System Manager for Pressurized Rover
- Ben Sim, Systems Engineer, Avionics Sub-System Manager for Pressurized Rover
Driving On the Moon One Day
Friday, May 24, 5 p.m.
Preview the latest technology and partnerships that will develop the next mobility systems on the Moon!
Panelists:
- Tim Hall, EHP Strategic Communications Manager
- Michael Interbartolo, Engineering Integration Lead for Pressurized Rover Team
Another One Bites the Dust: Lunar Dust, Hardware Damage, and Why It Matters on the Moon
Saturday, May 25, 11 a.m.
Learn from lunar dust mitigation engineers and scientists as they talk about the risks of working on the Moon, what happened during the Apollo missions, and what they plan to do about hardware damage, which threatens their efforts to keep astronauts safe and ensure mission success.
Panelists:
- Brian Troutman, Human Landing System Crew Compartment Lunar Dust Mitigation Discipline Lead
- Amy Fritz, Gateway Intravehicular Activity (IVA) Dust System Manager
- Josh Litofsky, Crew Co IVA Dust System Manager
- Jackie Black, Crew Co IVA Dust System Manager
Meet NASA Astronaut Marcos Berríos
Saturday, May 25, 12:30 p.m.
Hear NASA astronaut Marcos Berríos’ journey to becoming an astronaut and the excitement of the future of human spaceflight! Following his presentation, Marcos will meet and pose for photos with fans!
Marcos Gabriel Berríos was selected by NASA to join the 2021 astronaut candidate class. He reported for duty in January 2022. The Air Force test pilot holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University. Born in Fort Campbell, Tennessee, Berríos considers Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, to be his hometown. An experienced pilot, Berríos has accumulated more than 110 combat missions and 1,400 hours of flight time in more than 21 different aircraft.
Technically Correct, The Best Kind of Correct: What Hollywood Gets Right (and Wrong) About Space Exploration
Saturday, May 25, 1:30 p.m.
Tune in for a fun discussion about what Hollywood gets right (and wrong) about NASA and space exploration. We’ll share some of our favorite examples and what we do at NASA along the way!
Panelists:
- Brian Troutman, Human Landing System Crew Compartment Lunar Dust Mitigation Discipline Lead
- Scott Stokes, Integration Services Manager
- Amy Fritz, Aerospace Flight Systems
- Todd Fox, Active Thermal Control Sub-System Manager
- Robert Howard, Human/Machine Systems
- Michael Interbartolo, Engineering Integration Lead for Pressurized Rover Team
Why Is It So Hard to Get to Mars?
Saturday, May 25, 3:30 p.m.
Mars seems so close, yet so far away. Join our discussion on why it is so difficult to get to the “Red Planet” and what technologies and strategies NASA is developing to accomplish this goal.
Panelist:
- Mike Rodriggs, Automation and Robotics Systems
Landing on the Moon
Saturday, May 25, 5 p.m.
A flurry of lunar landings took place in the 60s and 70s, but following Luna 24 in 1976, there were no successful soft landings until Chang’e 3 in 2013. Recently we have seen a significant increase in lunar landings with many more planned. Why does landing on the Moon remain a challenge? What are the future plans for additional lunar landings and how will that enable future lunar activities?
Panelists:
- Ron Sostaric, Aerospace Vehicle Design and Mission Analyst
- Jenny Gruber, Operations Integration Branch Chief
International Space Station MIMIC – See the Mini Station Work Real-Time
Saturday, May 25, 6 p.m.
Learn from space engineers and educators about this exciting 1:100 scale 3D printed, robotic model of the International Space Station that syncs to live telemetry streaming from the real space station in real-time. It is open source and uses familiar STEM components like Arduino and Raspberry Pi and was designed to be built by students and space geeks everywhere!
Panelists:
- Bryan Murphy, Associate Chief Engineer, International Space Station and Deep Space Exploration
My NASA Story
Sunday, May 26, 11:30 a.m.
What does it take to launch a career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center? Learn from our panelists and gain perspective on how they got to where they are today and what their jobs look like day-to-day!
Panelists:
- Krishna Kapadia, Gateway Software and Data Integration
- Margaret Kennedy, Human Health and Performance Systems Engineer
- Ashley Craig, Gateway Human Factors Engineer
- Dillyn Mumme, Operations Planner in International Space Station Mission Planning & Flight Activities Officer in Gateway Mission Planning
Artemis Overview
Sunday, May 26, 1 p.m.
Artemis is NASA’s new lunar exploration program, which includes landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. Through the Artemis missions, NASA will use new technology to study the Moon in new and better ways and prepare for human missions to Mars.
Panelists:
- Roland Martinez, Technical Management
- Kathryn Hilton, Pressurized Rover SE&I Lead
- James Geffre Orion Vehicle Integration Manager
- Elisa Riveria, flight design and integration team
Tesla Coil Demonstration
Sunday, May 26, 2 p.m.
Experience the electrifying spectacle of a Tesla coil demonstration where science meets superhero magic in a dazzling display of lightning and sound.
Panelist:
- Ryan Ogilvie, Development Engineer, Space Suite Personal Life Support System Team
Draw Artemis: LIVE!
Sunday, May 26, 3 p.m.
Did you know NASA needs artists? Join a NASA panel of experts and “draw along” as we talk about humanity’s voyage back to the Moon, the key role art plays in exploration, and learn about the otherworldly environment of the Moon’s South Pole. Our featured artist will be Mark Kistler, the prolific art educator behind the beloved 80s and 90s TV shows, “The Secret City,” “Draw Squad,” and “Imagination Station.” Learn to draw a fleet of sophisticated space hardware that will take us on Artemis missions – similar to the way NASA engineers and technicians sketched out early concepts for spacesuits, rockets, spaceships, ground systems, and orbiting platforms that have allowed us to explore other worlds. Pencil, paper, and handouts will be provided!
Panelist:
- Jack Moore, NASA Community Engagement
- Patricia Moore, Communications Strategist, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
- Daniel O’Neal, Graphic Designer, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
- Mark Kistler, Artist
Worn to Perfection: The Art of Aging and Weathering Props for Narrative Depth
Sunday, May 26, 4 p.m.
Do your cosplay and props look too pristine? Level up your creations with expert techniques that add that perfect touch of authenticity, using budget-friendly and easily accessible materials and techniques. Dive into the art of distressing and fine detailing to achieve a weathered, lifelike appearance that imbues your props with character and history. Join us for an interactive panel and personalized guidance from seasoned propmaster, Adam Burnett, to add realistic flair to your favorite props.
Kan Yang: Translating Science Ideas into Engineering Concepts
As team lead of the Instrument Design Laboratory, Kan Yang turns science concepts into engineering reality.
Name: Kan Yang
Title: Team Lead of the Instrument Design Laboratory
Formal Job Classification: Technical Manager
Organization: Instrument Systems and Technology Division, Engineering and Technology Directorate (Code 550)
What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?
I work with a team of scientists and engineers to design space flight instrument concepts. I love seeing the newest ideas from scientists and having a say in a technical design that matches their scientific vision.
What is your educational background?
In 2008, I got a bachelor’s in science and engineering from the University of Michigan. In 2010, I got a master’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.
Why did you come to Goddard?
I came to Goddard in 2010 because I always wanted to work for NASA. When I was a kid, I watched documentaries about the Hubble Space Telescope being assembled. I saw the people working in the clean room and wanted to be one of the technicians in clean room suits assembling the telescope. Also, I’ve always been fascinated by astronomy, ever since my parents took me to an observatory at a young age to see Comet Hale-Bopp hanging in the sky.
What are the highlights of your initial thermal work at Goddard?
I started at Goddard as a thermal engineer doing thermal analysis of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite. I moved on to the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission where I analyzed the temperatures of the satellite sitting within the rocket at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. We launched at the end of summer, which can get hot, so we were concerned about whether the HVAC system could keep the satellite cool enough on the launch pad. After LADEE launched, we noticed a specific instrument heating up more than expected so we had to analyze how to change our operational methods at the Moon to prevent overheating, all while the satellite was already on the way from the Earth to the Moon. This also occurred during the 2013 government shut down: a no-pressure-at-all type of situation!
What was one of your most exciting moments working on the James Webb Space Telescope?
I have spent the bulk of my career working on thermal analyses for the James Webb Space Telescope. For six years, I had one task: to take the “cold” half of the telescope, which contained the large mirrors and sensitive instruments, and figure out how to cool it down to the temperatures it would see in space, about minus 240 degrees Celsius (or about minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit), so that we could test it here on Earth in the conditions it would see in space.
We tested James Webb at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the world. It is eight stories tall and 55 feet wide. It took about 100 days to execute this test, including cooling it to negative 240 degrees Celsius, doing our optical and thermal check-outs at this temperature, then heating it back to room temperature. During our testing, we were hit by Hurricane Harvey. We rode out the storm for five days, including all 51 inches of rain: the most rain Houston had ever had. We worried about losing power. Our tests are under vacuum, like in space, and if we had lost power, the vacuum pumps would no longer work and the rapid increase in pressure would have damaged the telescope. We very luckily we did not lose power! We were also worried because we use liquid nitrogen to cool the thermal vacuum chamber and we constantly needed trucks to deliver and replenish the liquid nitrogen, since there was only a limited amount that could be stored next to the test chamber. Truck drivers heroically drove through the flooded streets to deliver us the necessary liquid nitrogen before we ran out.
How do you handle such on the job pressure?
I always work with a great team. You can make much better decisions when you can talk with your team and listen to their perspectives. Once we have good technical judgement and can develop a plan for a way forward, it gives everyone a sense of calm. I was also fortunate to have been mentored by some incredible individuals at Goddard, and to have worked on projects with great leadership and project management, like on James Webb. Receiving valuable advice from these mentors and observing great leadership in action has allowed me to grow as an individual and more easily handle on-the-job pressures.
You became deputy team lead of the Instrument Design Laboratory (IDL) in 2019. How did you maintain the IDL’s collaborative dynamic through the pandemic?
In 2019, I became the deputy team lead because I wanted to expand my horizons into a more systems engineering-type role, and the IDL offered a great opportunity to do so. In 2022, I became the team lead. The IDL began in 1999 at Goddard and gives engineering realism to scientists’ ideas. We can accomplish this through instrument design studies, where the scientists and engineers dedicate time to closely collaborate with each other and design an instrument which can make the scientist’s intended measurement from space.
Until 2020, the IDL did everything in-person, performing conceptual design studies sort of like a “Skunk Works.” We had a team of up to 30 people working in a room on the same design and engineering solution to realize the scientists’ vision. When the pandemic hit, the then-team lead and I had to figure out how to do the same work virtually. Virtual collaborative engineering is hard. We spent a lot of time on video chats discussing what processes would work best to effectively communicate the information among all the engineers.
We had two challenges. First, how do you replace hallway conversations and in-person interactions with something as regimented as a virtual meeting, where only one person can talk effectively at a time? Second, how do you make sure that each engineering discipline engineer’s concerns are heard by everyone?
We set up a lot of channels and virtual chat rooms for engineers to communicate directly with each other. We had to carefully plan times where we would speak about a particular topic, and make sure the discussions didn’t overlap or that the same engineer had to be in two different conversations at the same time. I felt like a wedding planner. Our IDL leadership team had to listen to everyone’s concerns and capture their design decisions, and then relay those effectively to the entire team so that we were all on the same page. We found new ways of working with each other that we had never thought about in the 21-year history of the laboratory before the pandemic. Since we are now working in a hybrid environment, our new tools still apply.
What are some of your proudest moments as team lead of the IDL?
I am very proud of the sheer variety of instruments we have been able to design for Goddard, ranging from astronaut-deployed instruments for the Artemis Moon missions, to the next generation of large space-based telescopes, instruments that monitor Earth’s changing climate, and an astronaut-operated instrument within the International Space Station.
One of the coolest instruments we developed was a chemical sensor for a probe that will drop into Saturn’s atmosphere. Another fascinating instrument will measure the ice particles shooting out of geysers from one of Saturn’s ice-covered moons, Enceladus, which is a candidate destination for the search for life elsewhere in the solar system.
What are your goals as the vice-chair of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Employee Resource Group?
Our major goals for AANHPI Employee Resource Group (ERG) are threefold: we aim to increase diversity in leadership, tackle specific issues and challenges affecting AANHPI employees, and showcase our pride in our heritage with events and celebrations. Regarding leadership, we encourage our AANHPI workforce to join leadership programs and have invited leaders within the AANHPI community to speak to their career journey, one of whom was a former state senator from Hawaii. Regarding challenges, we work to eradicate barriers which prevent diverse candidates from advancing in their careers, and recommend focus areas to senior leadership to address AANHPI-specific concerns. Regarding events, we host a few celebrations and educational offerings at Goddard and across NASA each year. This may take the form of inviting chefs to give cooking demonstrations, planning dance performances, or welcoming speakers to share their stories and traditions. We feel this is a wonderful way to connect with our colleagues and honor the cultural richness of our NASA workforce. I feel very fortunate to be working with an amazing ERG chair to achieve these goals, as well as with outstanding individuals in our leadership team and ERG membership.
“What’s truly important is that you are passionate about what you do. You do not have to be an engineer or scientist to work at NASA.”Courtest of Kan YangWhen you do outreach, what is your message?
I do outreach at elementary schools, high schools, middle schools, and colleges. I tell them that even though the emphasis is on STEM, NASA needs all sorts of people from diverse backgrounds. What’s truly important is that you are passionate about what you do. You do not have to be an engineer or scientist to work at NASA. Also, not everyone at NASA looks or thinks the same. We need different opinions to make NASA effective.
Is there anyone you want to thank?
I’d like to thank my parents. When I was 3, my parents and I immigrated to this country from China. We came with hardly anything. It is through their extreme hard work that I was able to pursue my dreams and have the life that I have right now.
I’d also like to thank my wife. She is always diligent and supportive of our family, and encourages us to become our best, authentic selves. Our family continues to thrive because of the sacrifices that she makes.
What do you do for fun?
I have a 5-year-old and really enjoy being a dad. I love seeing things from his perspective.
I also enjoy traveling and cooking many different foods. I make some pretty good pasta sauce, and after years of tweaking my fried rice recipe, I think I’ve found the key to a delicious one. My wife, who is of Colombian heritage, is also teaching me how to cook Colombian food.
What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.
Be kind and do great things.
By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.
Share Details Last Updated May 21, 2024 EditorMadison OlsonContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 10 min read Ken Carpenter: Ensuring Top-Tier Science from Moon to Stars Article 2 weeks ago 6 min read Kiyun Kim: From Intern to Accessibility Advocate Article 4 weeks ago 6 min read Kate A. McGinnis: Ready to “Go” with PACE Testing Article 1 month agoNASA Glenn Joins COSI’s Big Science Celebration
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA Glenn’s Dennis Stocker explains microgravity research aboard the International Space Station. He was one of several experts who shared information on NASA science during COSI’s Big Science Celebration. Credit: NASA/John OldhamNASA’s Glenn Research Center joined Center for Science and Industry, or COSI’s, Big Science Celebration event on the museum’s front lawn in Columbus, Ohio, on May 4. This event was centered around STEM careers and building a diverse STEM workforce by exposing individuals to science and technology where they live, learn, and lounge. Glenn experts shared information on the Power and Propulsion Element for NASA’s Gateway lunar outpost, interactives from Glenn’s Graphics and Visualization Lab, details about internships and careers, and spinoff technologies that benefit the public.
NASA Glenn Research Center’s astronaut mascot during COSI’s Big Science Celebration in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: NASA/John Oldham Return to Newsletter Explore More 7 min read Go Back to the Future with NASA at Comicpalooza 2024 Article 17 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Research Highlighted in Tape Exhibit Article 18 hours ago 2 min read Glenn Digital Specialists Earn NASA Awards Article 18 hours agoNASA Glenn Research Highlighted in Tape Exhibit
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Encompassing an impressive 10,000 square feet, the exhibit’s focal point is a play-scape structure crafted from packing tape, mirroring the iconic design of the space station. Credit: Great Lakes Science CenterBeginning May 24, Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, will welcome guests aboard TapeScape: International Tape Station.
The unique exhibit focuses on the dynamic intersection of materials science and the groundbreaking research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The exhibit showcases the Cleveland-driven innovations aboard the International Space Station. Encompassing 10,000 square feet, the exhibit’s focal point is a play-scape structure crafted from packing tape, mirroring the iconic design of the space station. Equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and projection mapping technologies, this structure fully immerses guests in their experience.
Credit: Great Lakes Science Center Return to Newsletter Explore More 7 min read Go Back to the Future with NASA at Comicpalooza 2024 Article 17 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Joins COSI’s Big Science Celebration Article 18 hours ago 2 min read Glenn Digital Specialists Earn NASA Awards Article 18 hours agoGlenn Digital Specialists Earn NASA Awards
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)Four of NASA Glenn Research Center’s digital specialists were selected as 2023 NASA Photographers and Videographers of the Year. The winning photos and videos showcased NASA’s people, places, and projects, as captured by NASA’s talented photographers and videographers. There were numerous submissions from all NASA centers for several categories. The following four winners from NASA Glenn stood out for their outstanding work:
Jim Zunt and Dennis Brown: First Place Videographer Award in the Production Category
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads… but we still need tires! In this episode, we rolled on over to NASA’s Glenn Research Center where engineer Heather Oravec is reinventing the wheel – literally! Heather explains her work in creating wheels intended for use on other celestial bodies, such as the Moon, and how she got traction in this unique career.Credit: NASA/Jim Zunt and Dennis Brown
Jordan Salkin: Third Place Photographer Award in the Portrait Category
Curtis Flack, left, and Paul Von Hardenberg inspect the ice formation on the spinner of an Advanced Air Mobility proprotor model. The data from the test will be used by icing researchers to better understand the risks of icing on electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, which will assist with the design and certification of new aircraft. Credit: NASA/Jordan SalkinJordan Salkin: Third Place Videographer Award in the Time Warp Category
NASA has demonstrated a breakthrough in 3-D printable high-temperature materials that could lead to stronger, more durable parts for airplanes and spacecraft. NASA Alloy GRX-810, an oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloy, can endure temperatures over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, is more malleable, and can survive more than 1,000 times longer than existing state-of-the-art alloys. Credit: NASA/Jordan SalkinJef Janis: Second Place Photographer Award in the Places Category
NASA Glenn’s Flight Research Building. The hangar has been home to many unique and innovative aircraft over the years. Credit: NASA/Jef JanisJef Janis: Third Place Photographer Award in the People Category
“Astro,” a robotic dog, helps prevent hearing loss by assisting NASA employees with inspections in noisy Glenn test facilities. Able to be operated remotely, Astro serves as their eyes and ears, keeping employees out of harm’s way while machines and compressors are running. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis Return to Newsletter Explore More 7 min read Go Back to the Future with NASA at Comicpalooza 2024 Article 17 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Joins COSI’s Big Science Celebration Article 18 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Research Highlighted in Tape Exhibit Article 18 hours agoTeam NEO Views NASA Glenn Properties for Lease
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) While on tour, Team NEO representatives stop to take a photo by the dedication plaque for NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Left to right: Nico Samaniego, Christine Nelson, Peter Zahirsky, Kathleen Meehan, Bryce Sylvester, David Ebersole, and Camille Billups.Credit: NASA/Erin BukachRepresentatives from Team NEO toured several facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center on April 24. Team NEO is the designated Northeast Ohio JobsOhio Network Partner that works to expand business, establish partnerships, and create jobs. The visitors toured facilities at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky and Lewis Field in Cleveland, including the Space Environments Complex, Cryogenics Component Lab, Altitude Combustion Stand, Administration Building, and Flight Research Building (hangar) with the intent to learn more about Enhanced Use Lease opportunities at NASA Glenn. Team NEO can assist NASA Glenn in finding potential occupants for underutilized facilities that would benefit the center and boost economic growth in Northeast Ohio.
Return to Newsletter Explore More 1 min read NASA Glenn Joins COSI’s Big Science Celebration Article 18 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Research Highlighted in Tape Exhibit Article 18 hours ago 2 min read Glenn Digital Specialists Earn NASA Awards Article 18 hours agoNASA Glenn Kicks Off Ohio Space Forum
1 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Glenn Research Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon speaks to a record crowd of public, private, and academic partners at the Ohio Space Forum in downtown Cleveland. Credit: NASA/Susan ValerianNASA’s Glenn Research Center kicked off the Ohio Space Forum with a tour of several research facilities at its Cleveland location on April 29. The annual two-day forum brings together federal, military, industry, and academic leaders in space research, operations, intelligence, exploration, and defense. It enables attendees to gather among nationally recognized leaders and benefit from their expertise.
After the NASA tour, the forum transitioned to the Westin Cleveland Downtown, where NASA Glenn Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon welcomed participants and discussed the leading role NASA Glenn will have in space research, innovation, and exploration, including the Artemis missions to the Moon. NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free provided the NASA keynote address, and other Glenn leaders shared their expertise during breakout sessions and panel discussions.
The event concluded with a reception at the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, located in Great Lakes Science Center.
Return to Newsletter Explore More 7 min read Go Back to the Future with NASA at Comicpalooza 2024 Article 17 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Joins COSI’s Big Science Celebration Article 18 hours ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Research Highlighted in Tape Exhibit Article 18 hours ago
