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Children with cancer may benefit from having a cat or dog 'pen pal'
Children with cancer may benefit from having a cat or dog 'pen pal'
Celebrating 10 Years at Mars with NASA’s MAVEN Mission
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A decade ago, on Sept. 21, 2014, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft entered orbit around Mars, beginning its ongoing exploration of the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere. The mission has produced a wealth of data about how Mars’ atmosphere responds to the Sun and solar wind, and how these interactions can explain the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space.
During its first 10 years at Mars, MAVEN has helped to explain how the Red Planet evolved from warm and wet early on into the cold, dry world that we see today.Download this video in high-resolution from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14690/
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Dan Gallagher
Today, MAVEN continues to make exciting new discoveries about the Red Planet that increase our understanding of how atmospheric evolution affected Mars’ climate and the previous presence of liquid water on its surface, potentially determining its prior habitability.
“It is an incredibly exciting time for the MAVEN team as we celebrate 10 years of Martian science and see the tremendous impact this mission has had on the field,” said Shannon Curry, the principal investigator of MAVEN and a researcher at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder. “We also look forward to the future discoveries MAVEN will bring.”
In celebration of this mission milestone, we recap some of the most significant scientific results of this unique and long-lasting Mars aeronomy mission.
- Extreme atmospheric erosion
One of MAVEN’s first big results was discovering that the erosion of Mars’ atmosphere increases significantly during solar storms. The team studied how the solar wind — a stream of charged particles continually streaming from the Sun — and solar storms continually strip away Mars’ atmosphere, and how this process played a key role in altering the Martian climate from a potentially habitable planet to today’s cold, arid planet. - Sputtering to space
To better understand how Mars lost much of its atmosphere, MAVEN measured isotopes of argon gas in the upper Martian atmosphere. Argon is a noble gas, meaning it rarely reacts with other constituents in the Martian atmosphere. The only way it can be removed is by atmospheric sputtering — a process where ions crash into the Martian atmosphere at high enough speeds that they knock gas molecules out of the atmosphere. When the MAVEN team analyzed argon isotopes in the upper atmosphere, they were able to estimate that roughly 65% of the argon originally present had been lost through sputtering over the planet’s history. - A new type of aurora
MAVEN has discovered several types of auroras that flare up when energetic particles plunge into the atmosphere, bombarding gases and making them glow. The MAVEN team showed that protons, rather than electrons, create auroras at Mars. On Earth, proton auroras only occur in very small regions near the poles, whereas at Mars they can happen everywhere. - Martian dust storm
In 2018, a runaway series of dust storms created a dust cloud so large that it enveloped the planet. The MAVEN team studied how this “global” dust storm affected Mars’ upper atmosphere to understand how these events affect how the escape of water to space. It confirmed that heating from dust storms can loft water molecules far higher into the atmosphere than usual, leading to a sudden surge in water lost to space. - Map of Martian winds
MAVEN researchers created the first map of wind circulation in the upper atmosphere of Mars. The new map is helping scientists better understand the Martian climate, including how terrain on the planet’s surface is disturbing high-altitude wind currents. The results provide insight into how the dynamics of the upper Martian atmosphere have influenced the Red Planet’s climate evolution in the past and present. - Twisted tail
Mars has an invisible magnetic “tail” that is twisted by its interaction with the solar wind. Although models predicted that magnetic reconnection causes Mars’ magnetotail to twist, it wasn’t until MAVEN arrived that scientists could confirm that the predictions were correct. The process that creates the twisted tail could also allow some of Mars’ already thin atmosphere to escape to space. - Mapping electric currents
Researchers used MAVEN data to create a map of electric current systems in the Martian atmosphere. These form when solar wind ions and electrons smash into the planet’s induced magnetic field, causing the particles to flow apart. The resulting electric currents, which drape around the planet, play a fundamental role in the atmospheric loss that transformed Mars from a world that could have supported life to an inhospitable desert. - Disappearing solar wind
MAVEN recently observed the unexpected “disappearance” of the solar wind. This was caused by a type of solar event so powerful that it created a void in its wake as it traveled across the solar system. MAVEN’s measurements showed that when it reached Mars, the solar wind density dropped significantly. This disappearance of the solar wind allowed the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere to balloon out by thousands of kilometers. - Ultraviolet views of the Red Planet
MAVEN captured stunning views of Mars in two ultraviolet images taken at different points along the Red Planet’s orbit around the Sun. By viewing the planet in ultraviolet wavelengths, scientists gain insight into the Martian atmosphere and view surface features in remarkable ways. - Mars’ response to solar storms
In May 2024, a series of solar events triggered a torrent of energetic particles that quickly traveled to Mars. Many of NASA’s Mars missions, including MAVEN, observed this celestial event and captured images of glowing auroras over the planet.
MAVEN’s principal investigator is based at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder. LASP is also responsible for managing science operations and public outreach and communications. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission. Lockheed Martin Space built the spacecraft and is responsible for mission operations. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California provides navigation and Deep Space Network support.
By Willow Reed
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado Boulder
Media Contact: Nancy N. Jones
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
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3 weeks ago
5 min read NASA’s MAVEN Observes the Disappearing Solar Wind
In December 2022, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission observed the dramatic and…
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10 months ago
3 min read NASA’s MAVEN Spacecraft Stuns with Ultraviolet Views of Red Planet
NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission acquired stunning views of Mars in two…
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NASA Science Activation Program Wins Prestigious Award
The NASA Science Activation (SciAct) Program has been selected to receive the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2024 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award. This prestigious, annual award, established in 1995, honors a mid-career or senior scientist team, individual, or group that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to broad, positive impact on Earth and space science education at any education level from kindergarten through postgraduate studies.
SciAct engages learners of all ages in all 50 states and 4 US territories with Earth and space science. Through an extensive network of nearly 600 partners, SciAct develops, co-creates, validates, and disseminates effective learning resources and activities to support the needs of learners in their pursuit of knowledge, including specific underrepresented groups such as: Black, blind and low vision, community college, differently abled, Hispanic, immigrant, Indigenous, multilingual, neurodiverse, rural, and other underserved communities. Furthermore, SciAct project teams share lessons-learned and best practices across the SciAct community to facilitate ongoing learning and growth for the entire SciAct community, ensuring the implementation of ever-more effective approaches for reaching all learners.
Since SciAct began in January 2016, its network has grown in strength and capacity. When reach data were collected for the first time in 2019, SciAct reported 15 million learner interactions. Four years later, in 2023, SciAct reported nearly 76 million learner interactions, a 506% increase. With many SciAct resources freely available online, 10 million of those interactions occurred across 170 other countries. In April 2024 alone, as part of a larger NASA-led eclipse mobilization, SciAct reported more than 62 million learner interactions, intentionally bringing the excitement of that celestial event to people in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada, to include learners far beyond the path of totality.
The SciAct model is built on a foundation of NASA science. NASA Earth and space science research content areas, missions, scientists and other technical experts, and data are the building blocks of all SciAct learning resources and activities. Nearly 1,000 subject matter experts support the SciAct program to ensure science content is accurate, up-to-date, and – working with education/learning experts – accessible to diverse learner communities. Through these interactions, SciAct also influences scientists, showing them effective ways to contribute towards learning goals and reach new audiences. An increasing number of activities are specifically focused on giving scientists – especially early career scientists – the skills and knowledge to connect with learners outside the research community.
SciAct began as an experiment for conducting NASA Science education and outreach in a new, more coordinated way. Eight years later, that experiment has given rise to a powerful and effective approach for sharing the wonder of NASA science, content, and experts with the world. It is an honor for the NASA Science Activation program to be recognized by AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, for its role in advancing science, transforming our understanding of the world, impacting our everyday lives, improving our communities, and contributing to solutions for a sustainable future.
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NASA Ames Stars of the Month: September 2024
The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Don Sullivan, Serena Trieu, Emmett Quigley, and Zara Mirmalek. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the talent, camaraderie, and vision needed to explore this world and beyond.
Earth Science Star: Don Sullivan
Don Sullivan enables cutting-edge research in the Earth Science Division, serving as telemetry and communications lead for the Airborne Science Program. As Principal Investigator, Don led the highly successful and innovative STRATO long-duration balloon flight project in August 2024 with the United States Forest Service (USFS) that demonstrated last-mile connectivity and near real-time infrared imagery to a remote wildfire incident command station.
Space Biosciences Star: Serena Trieu
Serena Trieu conducts research in the Bioengineering Branch for projects that develop Earth-independent spaceflight instrumentation, especially for the International Space Station (ISS). She has excelled in coordinating the inventory for 21 spaceflight trash batches sent to Sierra Space, Inc., for ground-unit testing of the Trash Compaction Processing System (TCPS). Tapping into her innovative spirit and technical expertise, she developed a new method to prepare trash batches for the ISS without freezing.
Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Emmett Quigley
Emmett Quigley is a mechanical technician with the Astrophysics Branch who goes above and beyond to serve Ames. As a specialist in small precision manufacturing, Emmett has designed and built lab hardware, telescopes, and airborne instruments, as well as small satellites and instruments heading to the Moon and beyond. His collaborative disposition and dedication to problem solving have enabled delivery of numerous projects on behalf of the Space Science and Astrobiology Division and the Earth Science Division.
Space Science & Astrobiology Star: Zara Mirmalek
Zara Mirmalek is the Deputy Science Operations Lead for VIPER within the Space Science & Astrobiology Division and has been pivotal in the design and build efforts of the VIPER Mission Science Operations team and Mission Science Center. She has applied her expertise in science team social-technical interactions to recommend discussions, groupings, and timelines that enable the VIPER Science Team to advance pre-planning for VIPER surface operations.
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NASA Expands Small Business, Industry Engagement Resources
Two new resources are available for businesses that provide products and services to support NASA’s missions, from supersonic flight to lunar exploration, as well as companies that aim to engage the agency as a customer.
While NASA practices transparency in its procurement processes to ensure access and participation by all businesses, we recognize that barriers to participation remain for smaller, less experienced companies. In addition, new federal-wide policy and guidance has increased focus on NASA’s small and minority business goals.
“NASA’s dedication to fostering collaboration with small and disadvantaged businesses remains at the forefront of our mission,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “By implementing innovative practices and refining our procurement processes, we aim to not only drive forward our key mission objectives but also to stimulate industry-wide innovation and inclusivity. These efforts are vital as we seek to leverage the full spectrum of talent and creativity available, ensuring that all voices have a chance to contribute to our groundbreaking work in space exploration.”
To assess the agency’s best practices and biggest barriers, Deputy Administrator Melroy established a multi-disciplinary team that included the Offices of Procurement and Small Business Programs. One of the outcomes was the creation of a communication plan for the small and minority business enterprise alongside NASA’s annual vendor communication plan.
“Inherent in NASA’s commitment to innovation and ingenuity, is the recognition that a diverse and broad supply chain is essential for mission success,” said Karla Smith Jackson, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Procurement. “The updated Vendor Communication and the new Small and Minority Business Enterprise Communication plans are the next logical step in NASA’s continuous effort to foster an inclusive acquisition environment. By broadening our communication and outreach, we are strengthening our industrial base and empowering businesses of all sizes to contribute to the future of space exploration.”
In the NASA Small and Minority Business Enterprise Communication Plan, the agency outlines its goals for enhancing its outreach efforts and increasing spending with these businesses to reduce obstacles to participation in NASA’s missions and more intentionally engage companies throughout the procurement process.
Engagement activities outlined in these plans support more robust communication with potential vendors. As an example, the NASA Acquisition Innovation Launchpad (NAIL) encourages one-on-one conversations with small and minority-owned businesses to improve participation, drive innovation, identify and remove barriers as well as collaboration to share best practices and methods across the agency. Further, by publishing annual forecasts we give industry insight as early as possible to promote maximum competition.
“Our commitment to small and minority businesses is unwavering,” said Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs. “This communication plan is not just about outreach; it’s about building lasting partnerships that drive innovation and inclusion across NASA’s missions.”
The Vendor Communication Plan goes into more depth on how NASA engages with all businesses before, during, and after contract awards are given, providing various examples of events and methods of communication the agency uses to remain in contact with award recipients. This includes holding webinars with award applicants and recipients, providing email support throughout the award process, and reviewing final performance and financial reports. NASA also provides information about how the agency promotes diversity throughout the contracting process, including a dedicated equity action plan and increased subcontracting opportunities.
In the spirit of exploration, NASA is expanding its reach to new entrants and businesses that have not traditionally done business with the agency. NASA is committed to increasing its small business prime and subcontract awards, with an emphasis on innovative barrier reducing procurement practices and transparent contracting methods.
Learn more about how NASA is improving its acquisition process at:
https://www.nasa.gov/procurement
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Those Aren't Dyson Spheres, They're HotDOGs
If there really are advanced alien civilizations out there, you’d think they’d be easy to find. A truly powerful alien race would stride like gods among the cosmos, creating star-sized or galaxy-sized feats of engineering. So rather than analyzing exoplanet spectra or listening for faint radio messages, why not look for the remnants of celestial builds, something too large and unusual to occur naturally?
The most common idea is that aliens might build something akin to a Dyson sphere. In their need for more powerful energy sources, an advanced civilization might harness the entire output of a star. They wrap a star within a sphere to capture every last photon of stellar energy. Such an object would have a strange infrared or radio spectrum. An alien glow that is faint and unique. So astronomers have searched for Dyson spheres in the Milky Way, and have found some interesting candidates.
One major search was known as Project Hephaistos, which used data from Gaia, 2MASS, and WISE to look at five million candidate objects. From this they found seven unusual objects. They appear to be M-type red dwarfs at first glance, but have spectra that don’t resemble simple stars. This kind of star-like infrared object is exactly what you’d expect from a Dyson sphere. But of course extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and that’s where things get fuzzy.
Almost immediately after the paper was published, other astronomers noted that the seven objects could also be hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies, or hotDOGs. These are quasars, so they appear star-like, but are obscured by such a tremendous amount of dust that they mostly emit in the infrared. And their spectra can be quite different from a M-type star. So the challenge is to distinguish between a hotDOG and a Dyson sphere. Which is where a new paper on the arXiv comes in.
Rather than trying to specifically distinguish between the two, the authors instead look at the distribution of known hotDOGS. They found that statistically about 1 in 3,000 quasars are of the hotDOG type, so that a broad search for Dyson spheres would likely include some dusty quasars. The authors go on to note that any civilization powerful enough to build star-scale structures would also have the ability to obscure their infrared signal. We can’t simply assume that aliens would build a Dyson sphere in such an obvious way. Overall, the authors argue, the seven candidate superstructures can be accounted for by hotDOGs and other phenomena, thus there is currently no clear evidence for alien superstructures.
Reference: Suazo, Matías, et al. “Project Hephaistos–II. Dyson sphere candidates from Gaia DR3, 2MASS, and WISE.” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 531.1 (2024): 695-707.
Reference: Blain, Andrew W. “Did WISE detect Dyson Spheres/Structures around Gaia-2MASS-selected stars?.” arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.11447 (2024).
The post Those Aren't Dyson Spheres, They're HotDOGs appeared first on Universe Today.
Find Exoasteroids and Peek into the Future
What will remain of our solar system a few billion years from now? We’re launching the Exoasteroids project to gather some clues. Join this new citizen science project, and help search for variable white dwarfs – bizarre objects that we can catch in the act of disassembling planetary systems.
White dwarfs each pack the mass of a star into a ball the size of a planet. They are also the future of our solar system. A few billion years from now, the Sun will evolve into a red giant and then into a white dwarf, devouring the innermost planets and millions of asteroids in the process.
With the Exoasteroids project, you’ll search for white dwarfs that are growing brighter or dimmer. Such white dwarfs may be remnants of planetary systems still actively munching on asteroids, leading to outbursts detectable in images from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope.
Help us find planetary remains and disintegrating asteroids in other solar systems!
Anyone with a laptop or cell phone can participate. Participation does not require citizenship in any particular country.
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NASA Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Crewmates Return from Space Station
NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson completed a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station on Monday, returning to Earth with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub.
The trio departed the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft at 4:36 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23, making a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 7:59 a.m. (4:59 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Dyson conducted multiple scientific and technology activities including the operation of a 3D bioprinter to print cardiac tissue samples, which could advance technology for creating replacement organs and tissues for transplants on Earth. Dyson also participated in the crystallization of model proteins to evaluate the performance of hardware that could be used for pharmaceutical production and ran a program that used student-designed software to control the station’s free-flying robots, inspiring the next generation of innovators.
Dyson launched on March 23 and arrived at the station March 25 alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya were aboard the station for 12 days before returning home with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara on April 6.
Spanning 184 days in space, Dyson’s third spaceflight covered 2,944 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 78 million miles as an Expedition 70/71 flight engineer. Dyson also conducted one spacewalk of 31 minutes, bringing her career total to 23 hours, 20 minutes on four spacewalks.
Kononenko and Chub, who launched with O’Hara to the station on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft last September, spent 374 days in space on a trip of 158.6 million miles, spanning 5,984 orbits. Kononenko completed his fifth flight into space, accruing a record of 1,111 days in orbit, and Chub completed his first spaceflight.
Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Dyson will then board a NASA plane bound for the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Learn more about space station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook, ISS Instagram, and the space station blog.
-end-
Claire O’Shea / Julian Coltre
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov / julian.n.coltre@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov