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Texas Floods Were a Known Risk, but Little Has Been Done for Protection
Texas has identified more than $50 billion in flood control needs, but lawmakers have devoted just $1.4 billion to address them
Saturn makes its long-awaited return to the late night sky this week: Here's how to see it
Japan’s New Undersea Earthquake Detection System Will Improve Tsunami Prediction
Japan’s new earthquake-detection network lengthens warning times, and researchers in Wales have harnessed nuclear blast detectors to gauge tsunami risks. But the U.S. lags in monitoring the massive Cascadia megathrust fault
I Am Artemis: Joe Pavicic
Listen to this audio excerpt from Joe Pavicic, Artemis operations project engineer
0:00 / 0:00
Your browser does not support the audio element.Joe Pavicic will never forget when he told the Artemis launch director teams were NO-GO for launch.
Before Artemis I lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2022, the launch team made multiple launch attempts the months prior.
“During a previous Artemis I launch attempt, there was an issue with engine three,” said Pavicic, operations project engineer who worked on the engines console during Artemis I. “One sensor was showing that it wasn’t seeing liquid hydrogen through it. It was showing that it was at ambient temperature.”
And I had to tell the launch director, ‘We can't get there today with the current criteria that we have. My recommendation is a NO-GO.’Joe pavicic
Operations Project Engineer
Prior to engine ignition, launch team controllers must first chill the engines before the cryogenic liquid propellant fuels and lifts the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft into the heavens and onward to the Moon. Chilling the engines ensures the hardware doesn’t get damaged when exposed to the super-cooled liquid hydrogen at -423 degrees Fahrenheit.
NASA/Kim Shiflett
“We tried everything we could think of,” Pavicic recalls. “Any procedure we could try, we tried it, and we just never saw those rates that we should have.”
Thus, Pavicic, who is originally from West Palm Beach and studied aerospace engineering at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, went back to the drawing board with the rest of his team, working days and nights rewriting procedures and learning new lessons about the engines and sensors until they were finally able to get to a successful launch.
“I just remember after I said, 'NO-GO,' I felt like all these people came to watch the launch, all my family, and I'm like, ‘I'm the guy,' but I told myself, ‘I'm not going to be the one to say this for the next launch attempt. I'm going to do what I can to get us there.’joe pavicic
Operations Project Engineer
NASA successfully launched and flew the Artemis I mission and now, Pavicic is working as one of the operations project engineers, continuing to help the launch team develop new launch commit criteria and procedures within the launch countdown ahead of Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and back in 10 days next year.
About the AuthorAntonia Jaramillo Share Details Last Updated Jul 09, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 3 min read Aaisha Ali: From Marine Biology to the Artemis Control Room Article 3 days ago 2 min read NASA Announces Winners of 2025 Human Lander Challenge Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read I Am Artemis: Patrick Junen Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
I Am Artemis: Joe Pavicic
Listen to this audio excerpt from Joe Pavicic, Artemis operations project engineer
0:00 / 0:00
Your browser does not support the audio element.Joe Pavicic will never forget when he told the Artemis launch director teams were NO-GO for launch.
Before Artemis I lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2022, the launch team made multiple launch attempts the months prior.
“During a previous Artemis I launch attempt, there was an issue with engine three,” said Pavicic, operations project engineer who worked on the engines console during Artemis I. “One sensor was showing that it wasn’t seeing liquid hydrogen through it. It was showing that it was at ambient temperature.”
And I had to tell the launch director, ‘We can't get there today with the current criteria that we have. My recommendation is a NO-GO.’Joe pavicic
Operations Project Engineer
Prior to engine ignition, launch team controllers must first chill the engines before the cryogenic liquid propellant fuels and lifts the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft into the heavens and onward to the Moon. Chilling the engines ensures the hardware doesn’t get damaged when exposed to the super-cooled liquid hydrogen at -423 degrees Fahrenheit.
NASA/Kim Shiflett“We tried everything we could think of,” Pavicic recalls. “Any procedure we could try, we tried it, and we just never saw those rates that we should have.”
Thus, Pavicic, who is originally from West Palm Beach and studied aerospace engineering at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, went back to the drawing board with the rest of his team, working days and nights rewriting procedures and learning new lessons about the engines and sensors until they were finally able to get to a successful launch.
“I just remember after I said, 'NO-GO,' I felt like all these people came to watch the launch, all my family, and I'm like, ‘I'm the guy,' but I told myself, ‘I'm not going to be the one to say this for the next launch attempt. I'm going to do what I can to get us there.’joe pavicic
Operations Project Engineer
NASA successfully launched and flew the Artemis I mission and now, Pavicic is working as one of the operations project engineers, continuing to help the launch team develop new launch commit criteria and procedures within the launch countdown ahead of Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and back in 10 days next year.
About the AuthorAntonia Jaramillo Share Details Last Updated Jul 09, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 3 min read Aaisha Ali: From Marine Biology to the Artemis Control Room Article 2 days ago 2 min read NASA Announces Winners of 2025 Human Lander Challenge Article 2 weeks ago 4 min read I Am Artemis: Patrick Junen Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASAMissions
Humans in Space
Climate Change
Solar System
Get up to 37% off with the Best Amazon Prime Day 2025 Lego deals
Who is Mister Terrific, the super-smart hero aiding Lois Lane in James Gunn's 'Superman'
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ISS astronaut spies sunglint from Lake Titicaca | Space photo of the day for July 9, 2025
It's the cheapest we've ever seen! This Sony A1 camera deal saves over $1,400 — have we just found the best deal of Prime Day?
Polar Tourists Give Positive Reviews to NASA Citizen Science in Antarctica
2 min read
Polar Tourists Give Positive Reviews to NASA Citizen Science in AntarcticaCitizen science projects result in an overwhelmingly positive impact on the polar tourism experience. That’s according to a new paper analyzing participant experiences in the first two years of FjordPhyto, a NASA Citizen Science project..
The FjordPhyto citizen science project invites travelers onboard expedition cruise vessels to gather data and samples during the polar summer season, helping researchers understand changes in microalgae communities in response to melting glaciers. Travelers in Antarctica from November to March help collect phytoplankton and ocean data from polar regions facilitated by trained expedition guides.
The new research found that ninety-seven percent of respondents reported that participating in citizen science enriched their travel experience. The paper provides a first understanding of the impact of citizen science projects on the tourism experience.
“I was worried that I would feel guilty being a tourist in a place as remote and untouched as Antarctica,” said one anonymous FjordPhyto participant. “But being able to learn and be a part of citizen science, whilst constantly being reminded of our environmental responsibilities, made me feel less like just a visitor and more a part of keeping the science culture that Antarctica is known for alive and well.”
For more information and to sign up, visit the FjordPhyto website.
Travelers in Antarctica participate in collecting phytoplankton and ocean data from polar regions facilitated by trained expedition guides. Credit: Mathew Farrell courtesy of Robert Gilmore Share Details Last Updated Jul 09, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read NASA Citizen Scientists Find New Eclipsing Binary Stars
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2 min read Live or Fly a Plane in California? Help NASA Measure Ozone Pollution!
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5 min read NASA Launching Rockets Into Radio-Disrupting Clouds
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4 weeks ago
Polar Tourists Give Positive Reviews to NASA Citizen Science in Antarctica
2 min read
Polar Tourists Give Positive Reviews to NASA Citizen Science in AntarcticaCitizen science projects result in an overwhelmingly positive impact on the polar tourism experience. That’s according to a new paper analyzing participant experiences in the first two years of FjordPhyto, a NASA Citizen Science project..
The FjordPhyto citizen science project invites travelers onboard expedition cruise vessels to gather data and samples during the polar summer season, helping researchers understand changes in microalgae communities in response to melting glaciers. Travelers in Antarctica from November to March help collect phytoplankton and ocean data from polar regions facilitated by trained expedition guides.
The new research found that ninety-seven percent of respondents reported that participating in citizen science enriched their travel experience. The paper provides a first understanding of the impact of citizen science projects on the tourism experience.
“I was worried that I would feel guilty being a tourist in a place as remote and untouched as Antarctica,” said one anonymous FjordPhyto participant. “But being able to learn and be a part of citizen science, whilst constantly being reminded of our environmental responsibilities, made me feel less like just a visitor and more a part of keeping the science culture that Antarctica is known for alive and well.”
For more information and to sign up, visit the FjordPhyto website.
Travelers in Antarctica participate in collecting phytoplankton and ocean data from polar regions facilitated by trained expedition guides. Credit: Mathew Farrell courtesy of Robert Gilmore Share Details Last Updated Jul 09, 2025 Related Terms Explore More 2 min read NASA Citizen Scientists Find New Eclipsing Binary StarsArticle
2 weeks ago
2 min read Live or Fly a Plane in California? Help NASA Measure Ozone Pollution!
Article
2 weeks ago
5 min read NASA Launching Rockets Into Radio-Disrupting Clouds
Article
4 weeks ago
Why falling in love with an AI isn’t laughable, it’s inevitable
Why falling in love with an AI isn’t laughable, it’s inevitable
JWST finds cosmic monster ruling tiny early galaxy: Was it forged by black holes from the Big Bang?
ChatGPT and Gemini AIs Have Uniquely Different Writing Styles
ChatGPT and Gemini AI write in different idioms, linguists find