Feed aggregator

The earliest evidence of livestock with modified horns has been discovered in ancient Egypt – sheep skulls with horns that point in unnatural directions suggest humans forced them to grow that way

The earliest evidence of livestock with modified horns has been discovered in ancient Egypt – sheep skulls with horns that point in unnatural directions suggest humans forced them to grow that way

A X2.3 solar flare Wednesday morning (Nov. 6), leading to shortwave radio blackouts for parts of the southern hemisphere.

The hungriest known black hole in the early universe has been found, thanks to teamwork between NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Understanding the psychology of ambiguous loss can help people struggling with grief and depression in the wake of the 2024 election results

Learn

1. Home
2. Integrating Relevant Science…

Earth Science

• Overview
• Learning Resources
• Science Activation Teams
• SME Map
• Opportunities
• More

 

3 min read

Integrating Relevant Science Investigations into Migrant Children Education

For three weeks in August, over 100 migrant children (ages 3-15) got to engage in hands-on activities involving blueberries, pollinators, and eDNA as part of their time with The Blueberry Harvest School (BHS). BHS is a summer school program for migrant children whose families work in Washington County, Maine during the wild blueberry harvest season. The program is hosted by Mano en Mano in Milbridge, Maine. This summer, University of Maine 4-H (part of the NASA Science Activation Program’s Learning Ecosystems Northeast team) was invited to deliver enrichment programs during the school day alongside a seasoned BHS employee – an educator from the Mi’kmaq community in what is now known as Nova Scotia.

The goal of BHS is to meet the needs of youth by providing “culturally responsive, project-based learning while preventing summer learning loss and compensating for school disruptions among students” (Mano en Mano). Migrant families come to Downeast from Mi’kmaq First Nation communities in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, southern states, and from within Maine, including Passamoquoddy communities in eastern Washington County and a Latino community in the western part of the county. Families stay to harvest blueberries anywhere from two to five weeks. With support from 4-H educators, youth surveyed the schoolyard for pollinators, investigated the parts of pollinators and flowers, and learned why blueberries are an important part of Wabanaki culture.

“BHS really becomes a home for the children while they are here. I think one of the reasons is because they are encouraged to be proud of their identity and who they are – they get to be their authentic selves. It’s a neat space where teachers and youth are speaking Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, Spanish and English while supporting each other, and learning and experiencing new things.” — Gabrielle Brodek, 4-H Professional

“After completing my second year helping at Blueberry Harvest School, I loved seeing the returning faces of the kids who have been coming year after year – the kids remember you and hug you and are sad when the season is over and BHS ends.” — Jason Palomo, 4-H Professional

Resources and inspiration for these activities came from NASA Climate Kids, Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Bees, Blueberries, and Climate Change learning module, National 4-H and ME Ag in the Classroom. On the last day youth experienced how to make a natural dye out of blueberries, a long-standing tradition in Native American culture. Our organizations continue to work together year-round, building stronger relationships and planning for Summer 2025!

The Learning Ecosystems Northeast project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB94A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

Educator assisting two youth with paper folding instructions. Share

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Details

Last Updated

Nov 06, 2024

Editor NASA Science Editorial Team

Related Terms

• Earth Science
• Science Activation

Explore More

3 min read Bundling the Best of Heliophysics Education: DigiKits for Physics and Astronomy Teachers

Article


1 day ago

3 min read Professional Learning: Using Children’s Books to Build STEM Habits of Mind

Article


2 days ago

2 min read Sadie Coffin Named Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences/NASA Citizen Science Leaders Series Fellow

Article


2 days ago

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…

Perseverance Rover

This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…

Parker Solar Probe

On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…

Juno

NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…

By starlight, this eerie visage shines in the dark

President-elect Donald Trump had high words of praise for Elon Musk and SpaceX during his election night victory speech, mentioning twice that he did not know what Starlink satellites were.

Shapes created by vortices in water often fall apart, but an odd quantum fluid made from ultracold atoms could support vortex knots that never lose their knottiness

Shapes created by vortices in water often fall apart, but an odd quantum fluid made from ultracold atoms could support vortex knots that never lose their knottiness

Mars: Perseverance (Mars 2020)

• Perseverance Home
• Science
• News and Features
• Multimedia
• Mars Missions
• The Solar System

2 min read

Mars 2020 Perseverance Joins NASA’s Here to Observe Program Katie Stack Morgan and Nicole Spanovich with the NASA Here to Observe Program students and faculty from Kutztown University. Kutztown University

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission has recently joined the NASA Here to Observe (H2O) program, where NASA planetary missions are partnered with universities to encourage undergraduate students from historically marginalized groups to pursue a career in STEM. As part of this program, the Perseverance mission has been paired with Kutztown University, located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Selected undergraduate students at the university will be able to observe and interact with Perseverance mission team members throughout this academic year to learn about the individuals who are part of the team and what it means to work on the rover mission.

To help kick off the program and our new partnership, I traveled to Kutztown along with the Perseverance Deputy Project Scientist, Katie Stack Morgan. We met several members of the Kutztown faculty and staff, toured their beautiful campus, and spent time getting to know the students participating in the H2O program this year. Katie and I were impressed by the enthusiasm and engagement exhibited by the students during our visit. We presented an introduction to the Perseverance mission including the recent discoveries, upcoming plans, and who comprises the mission team. There was also ample time to answer the many thoughtful questions about both the mission and the career paths of both me and Katie.

As part of this program, the students will observe select Perseverance mission meetings and activities. We kicked this off in October when the students observed a Geologic Context Working Group meeting to learn how scientists work together to understand the data gathered by the rover and make decisions about what the rover should do next. The students will also be paired with mentors from the Perseverance mission team throughout this academic year where they’ll have the chance to learn about the various career paths our team members have taken, read scientific papers, and prepare for a trip to the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference.

Overall, we have a great plan for our H2O partnership and are looking forward to welcoming Kutztown University to the Perseverance mission!

Written by Nicole Spanovich, Mars 2020 Perseverance Science Office Manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Downloads

Mars 2020 Team Members with the ‘NASA Here to Observe Program’ Students at Kutztown University

Nov 6, 2024

JPEG ()

Share

• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  
  

Details

Last Updated

Nov 06, 2024

Related Terms

• Blogs

Explore More

3 min read Sols 4355-4356: Weekend Success Brings Monday Best

Article


11 hours ago

3 min read Sols 4352-4354: Halloween Fright Night on Mars

Article


2 days ago

2 min read Sols 4350-4351: A Whole Team Effort

Article


6 days ago

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…

All Mars Resources

Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…

Rover Basics

Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…

Mars Exploration: Science Goals

The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…

SpaceX's Starship megarocket will fly for the sixth time ever on Nov. 18, on a test flight that will include another dramatic booster catch.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits in its run stall at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, firing up its engine for the first time. These engine-run tests start at low power and allow the X-59 team to verify the aircraft’s systems are working together while powered by its own engine. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.

NASA/Carla Thomas

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft sits in its run stall at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, in this image from Oct. 30, 2024.

The engine-run tests, which began Oct. 30, allow the X-59 team to verify the aircraft’s systems are working together while powered by its own engine. In previous tests, the X-59 used external sources for power. The engine-run tests set the stage for the next phase of the experimental aircraft’s progress toward flight.

After the engine runs, the X-59 team will move to aluminum bird testing, where data will be fed to the aircraft under both normal and failure conditions. The team will then proceed with a series of taxi tests, where the aircraft will be put in motion on the ground. These tests will be followed by final preparations for first flight.

Image credit: NASA/Carla Thomas

The United States military test-launched an unarmed nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 5, 2024.

SpaceX plans to launch another batch of its Starlink internet satellites on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 7) from Florida's Space Coast.

The Hubble Space Telescope was carried to space inside the space shuttle Discovery and then released into low-Earth orbit. The James Webb Space Telescope was squeezed inside the nose cone of an Ariane 5 rocket and then launched. It deployed its mirror and shade on its way to its home at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point.

However, the ISS was assembled in space with components launched at different times. Could it be a model for building future space telescopes and other space facilities?

The Universe has a lot of dark corners that need to be peered into. That’s why we’re driven to build more powerful telescopes, which means larger mirrors. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to launch them into space inside rocket nose cones. Since we don’t have space shuttles anymore, this leads us to a natural conclusion: assemble our space telescopes in space using powerful robots.

New research in the journal Acta Astronautica examines the viability of using walking robots to build space telescopes.

The research is “The new era of walking manipulators in space: Feasibility and operational assessment of assembling a 25 m Large Aperture Space Telescope in orbit.” The lead author is Manu Nair from the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems in the UK.

“This research is timely given the constant clamour for high-resolution astronomy and Earth observation within the space community and serves as a baseline for future missions with telescopes of much larger aperture, missions requiring assembly of space stations, and solar-power generation satellites, to list a few,” the authors write.

While the Canadarm and the European Robotic Arm on the ISS have proven capable and effective, they have limitations. They’re remotely operated by astronauts and have only limited walking abilities.

Recognizing the need for more capable space telescopes, space stations, and other infrastructure, Nair and his co-authors are developing a concept for an improved walking robot. “To address the limitations of conventional walking manipulators, this paper presents a novel seven-degrees-of-freedom dexterous End-Over-End Walking Robot (E-Walker) for future In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) missions,” they write.

An illustration of the E-walker. The robot has seven degrees of freedom, meaning it has seven independent motions. Image Credit: Mini Rai, University of Lincoln.

Robotics, Automation, and Autonomous Systems (RAAS) will play a big role in the future of space telescopes and other infrastructure. These systems require dexterity, a high degree of autonomy, redundancy, and modularity. A lot of work remains to create RAAS that can operate in the harsh environment of space. The E-Walker is a concept that aims to fulfill some of these requirements.

The authors point out how robots are being used in unique industrial settings here on Earth. The Joint European Torus is being decommissioned, and a Boston Dynamics Spot quadruped robot is being used to test its effectiveness. It moved around the JET autonomously during a 35-day trial, mapping the facility and taking sensor readings, all while avoiding obstacles and personnel.

The Boston Dynamics Spot robot spent 35 days working autonomously on the Joint European Torus. Here, Spot is inspecting wires and pipes at the facility at Culham, near Oxford (Image Credit: UKAEA)

Using Spot during an industrial shutdown shows the potential of autonomous robots. However, robots still have a long way to go before they can build a space telescope. The authors’ case study could be an important initial step.

Their case study is the hypothetical LAST, a Large Aperture Space Telescope with a wide-field, 25-meter primary mirror that operates in visible light. LAST is the backdrop for the researchers’ feasibility study.

LAST’s primary mirror would be modular, and its piece would have connector ports and interfaces for construction and for data, power, and thermal transfer. This type of modularity would make it easier for autonomous systems to assemble the telescope.

LAST would build its mirror using Primary Mirror Units (PMUs). Nineteen PMUs make up a Primary Mirror Segment (PMS), and 18 PMSs would constitute LAST’s 25-meter primary mirror. A total of 342 PMUs would be needed to complete the telescope.

This figure shows how LAST would be constructed. 342 Primary Mirror Units make up the 18 Primary Mirror Segments, adding up to a 25-meter primary mirror. (b) shows how the center of each PMU is found, and (c) shows a PMU and its connectors. Image Credit: Nair et al. 2024.

The E-Walker concept would also have two spacecraft: a Base Spacecraft (BSC) and a Storage Spacecraft (SSC). The BSC would act as a kind of mothership, sending required commands to the E-Walker, monitoring its operational state, and ensuring that things go smoothly. The SSC would hold all of the PMUs in a stacked arrangement, and the E-Walker would retrieve one at a time.

The researchers developed eleven different Concept of Operations (ConOps) for the LAST mission. Some of the ConOps included multiple E-walkers working cooperatively. The goals are to optimize task-sharing, prioritize ground-lifting mass, and simplify control and motion planning. “The above-mentioned eleven mission scenarios are studied further to choose the most feasible ConOps for the assembly of the 25m LAST,” they explain.

This figure summarizes the 11 mission ConOps developed for LAST. (a) shows assembly with a single E-walker, (b) shows partially shared responsibilities among the E-walkers, (c) shows equally shared responsibilities between E-walkers, and (d) shows assembly carried out in two separate units, which is the safer assembly option. Image Credit: Nair et al. 2024.

Advanced tools like robotics and AI will be mainstays in the future of space exploration. It’s almost impossible to imagine a future where they aren’t critical, especially as our goals become more complex. “The capability to assemble complex systems in orbit using one or more robots will be an absolute requirement for supporting a resilient future orbital ecosystem,” the authors write. “In the forthcoming decades, newer infrastructures in the Earth’s orbits, which are much more advanced than the International Space Station, are needed for in-orbit servicing, manufacturing, recycling, orbital warehouse, Space-based Solar Power (SBSP), and astronomical and Earth-observational stations.”

The authors point out that their work is based on some assumptions and theoretical models. The E-walker concept still needs a lot of work, but a prototype is being developed.

It’s likely that the E-walker or some similar system will eventually be used to build telescopes, space stations, and other infrastructure.

The post A Space Walking Robot Could Build a Giant Telescope in Space appeared first on Universe Today.

4 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) El silencioso avión supersónico experimental X-59 de la NASA se encuentra en un puesto de rodaje en las instalaciones Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin en Palmdale, California, arrancando su motor por primera vez. Estas pruebas de funcionamiento del motor comienzan a baja potencia y permiten al equipo del X-59 verificar que los sistemas de la aeronave funcionan juntos mientras está propulsada por su propio motor. El X-59 es la pieza central de la misión Quesst de la NASA, que pretende resolver uno de los principales obstáculos a los vuelos supersónicos sobre tierra haciendo que los estampidos sónicos sean más silenciosos.NASA/Carla Thomas

Read this story in English here.

La misión Quesst de la NASA ha alcanzado un hito importante con el inicio de las pruebas de motor que propulsará el silencioso avión supersónico experimental X-59.

Estas pruebas de arranque del motor, que comenzaron el 30 de octubre, permiten al equipo del X-59 verificar el funcionamiento conjunto de los sistemas de la aeronave propulsados con su propio motor. En pruebas anteriores, el X-59 utilizó fuentes de energía externas. Las pruebas de arranque del motor preparan el terreno para la siguiente fase de progreso hacia el vuelo de la aeronave experimental.

El equipo del X-59 está realizando las pruebas de arranque del motor por fases. En esta primera fase, el motor giró a una velocidad relativamente baja sin ignición para comprobar si hay fugas y asegurar que todos los sistemas se comunican correctamente. Seguidamente, el equipo llenó el avión de combustible y empezó a probar el motor a baja potencia, con el objetivo de verificar que este y otros sistemas de la aeronave funcionan sin anomalías ni fugas mientras el motor está encendido.

El piloto de pruebas de Lockheed Martin Dan Canin se sienta en la cabina del silencioso avión supersónico experimental X-59 de la NASA en un puesto de rodaje en las instalaciones Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin en Palmdale, California, antes de su primera prueba de motor. En estas pruebas, el X-59 funcionaba con su propio motor, mientras que en pruebas anteriores dependía de fuentes externas. El X-59 es la pieza central de la misión Quesst de la NASA, que intenta resolver uno de los principales obstáculos a los vuelos supersónicos sobre tierra haciendo que los estampidos sónicos sean más silenciosos.NASA/Carla Thomas

“La primera fase de las pruebas del motor fue en realidad un calentamiento para asegurarnos de que todo funcionaba bien antes de ponerlo en marcha”, dijo Jay Brandon, ingeniero jefe del X-59 de la NASA. “Luego pasamos al primer arranque real del motor. Eso sacó al motor del modo de conservación en el que había estado desde su instalación en la aeronave. Fue la primera revisión para ver que funcionaba correctamente y todos los sistemas que afectaban (hidráulicos, sistema eléctrico, sistemas de control ambiental, etc.) parecían funcionar”.

El X-59 generará un estampido más silencioso en vez de un estampido fuerte mientras vuela a una velocidad más rápida que la del sonido. El avión es la pieza central de la misión Quesst de la NASA, que recopilará datos sobre cómo percibe la gente estos estampidos, proporcionando información a los reguladores que podría ayudar a eliminar las prohibiciones existentes sobre vuelos supersónicos comerciales sobre tierra.

El motor, un F-18 Super Hornet F414-GE-100 modificado, contiene casi 10.000 kilogramos (22.000 libras) de energía propulsora, que permitirá que el X-59 alcance la velocidad de crucero deseada de Mach 1,4 (casi 1.500 kilómetros por hora, o 925 millas por hora) a una altitud de aproximadamente casi 17.000 metros (55.000 pies). Se sitúa en un lugar poco tradicional, encima de la aeronave, para contribuir a que el X-59 sea más silencioso.

Las pruebas del motor forman parte de una serie de ensayos necesarios para garantizar la seguridad del vuelo y para lograr el éxito de los objetivos de la misión. Debido a los retos que supone alcanzar esta fase crítica de las pruebas, el primer vuelo del X-59 se ha programado ahora para 2025. El equipo técnico seguirá avanzando en las pruebas críticas en tierra y abordará cualquier problema técnico que descubra con esta aeronave experimental única en su género. El equipo del X-59 tendrá una fecha más concreta del primer vuelo una vez que se completen estas pruebas con éxito.

Las pruebas se están llevando a cabo en las instalaciones Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin en Palmdale, California. Durante fases posteriores, el equipo probará la aeronave a alta potencia con cambios de aceleración rápidos, seguidos por una simulación de las condiciones de vuelo actual.

El silencioso avión supersónico experimental X-59 de la NASA se sitúa en un puesto de rodaje en las instalaciones Skunk Works de Lockheed Martin en Palmdale, California, antes de su primer arranque de motor. Las pruebas de motor forman parte de una serie de ensayos integrados en tierra necesarios para garantizar la seguridad del vuelo y la consecución de los objetivos de la misión. El X-59 es la pieza central de la misión Quesst de la NASA, que trata de resolver uno de los principales obstáculos a los vuelos supersónicos sobre tierra haciendo que los estampidos sónicos sean más silenciosos.NASA/Carla Thomas

“El éxito de estas carreras será el comienzo de la culminación de los últimos ocho años de mi carrera”, dijo Paul Dees, jefe adjunto de propulsión de la NASA del X-59. “Esto no es el final de la emoción, sino un pequeño peldaño hacia el principio. Es como la primera nota de una sinfonía, donde años de trabajo en equipo detrás del escenario se ponen ahora a prueba para comprobar que nuestros esfuerzos han sido eficaces, y las notas seguirán tocando una canción armoniosa hasta el vuelo”.

Después de poner en marcha el motor, el equipo del X-59 pasará a las pruebas de pájaro de hierro virtual (una estructura que se utiliza para probar los sistemas de una aeronave en un laboratorio, simulando un vuelo real), en las que se introducirán datos en al avión bajo condiciones normales y de fallo. A continuación, el equipo procederá a una serie de pruebas de rodaje, donde el avión se pondrá en movimiento en tierra. Estas pruebas se seguirán por las últimas preparaciones para el primer vuelo.

Articulo traducido por: Nicolas Cholula

Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 3 min read La NASA lleva un dron y un rover espacial a un espectáculo aéreo Article 1 week ago 4 min read Destacado de la NASA: Felipe Valdez, un ingeniero inspirador Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read Sacrificio y Éxito: Ingeniero de la NASA honra sus orígenes familiares Article 3 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

Humans In Space

Quesst: The Vehicle

Explore NASA’s History

Share

Details Last Updated Nov 06, 2024 EditorLillian GipsonContactMatt Kamletmatthew.r.kamlet@nasa.gov Related Terms

• NASA en español
• Aeronáutica

A Centaur III propellant tank and its rocket engine stand on display at Los Angeles Air Force Base as a testament to its service to both the United States' military and civilian space missions.

From just listening to reframing the situation, there are a few ways you can help someone with a negative outlook, says advice columnist David Robson