Notícies d'astronomia

London, UK (SPX) Jul 21, 2024
Several cities in the United States, including the nation's capital, have power grids particularly vulnerable to space weather, according to new research. However, the reasons for this susceptibility remain unclear. The British Geological Survey (BGS) conducted a study revealing that some US regions are more prone to the impacts of geomagnetic storms. These storms are caused by solar flare

London, UK (SPX) Jul 21, 2024
Space storms could soon be forecasted with greater accuracy thanks to significant advancements in predicting when a violent solar eruption may impact Earth. Scientists have developed a method to determine the exact speed of a coronal mass ejection (CME) and predict its impact on Earth before it fully erupts from the Sun. CMEs, which are bursts of gas and magnetic fields from the solar atmo

Paris, France (SPX) Jul 21, 2024
Our planet is surrounded by spacecraft conducting crucial activities, from climate research to providing global communication and navigation services, and facilitating significant scientific inquiries. However, these orbits are becoming increasingly congested with defunct satellites and rocket remnants, posing a severe threat to future space operations. In 2002, the Inter-Agency Space Debr

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 21, 2024
China launched a remote-sensing satellite on Friday morning to fulfill several tasks, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor. The State-owned conglomerate said in a news release that the Gaofen 11E was carried by a Long March 4B rocket that lifted off at 11:03 am at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi province

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 21, 2024
Throughout the past week, the International Space Station (ISS) crew engaged in a range of scientific research, maintenance activities, and personal time, illustrating the diverse operations required to maintain and utilize the orbital laboratory. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, part of Boeing's Crew Flight Test, dedicated significant time to advancing space agriculture. T

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 21, 2024
During its 61st close flyby of Jupiter on May 12, 2024, NASA's Juno spacecraft captured a stunning color-enhanced view of the giant planet's northern hemisphere. This detailed image showcases the chaotic clouds and cyclonic storms in an area scientists refer to as a folded filamentary region. In these zones, the zonal jets responsible for Jupiter's banded cloud patterns break down, resulting in

Washington DC (UPI) Jul 20, 2024
Amid a full moon from San Diego to Houston to Florida to Washington, D.C., activities on Saturday will mark the 55th anniversary of the first lunar landing and men to walk on the moon. NASA's two main visitor centers, the Johnson Space Center near Houston and the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, have activities scheduled. A gala also will take place Saturday nig

Paris, France (SPX) Jul 19, 2024
Next month, ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will undertake a groundbreaking maneuver: the first combined lunar-Earth flyby. This precise operation, now being prepared at ESA mission control, will utilize the gravitational forces of the Moon and Earth in quick succession, setting Juice on course for its journey to Jupiter. Juice represents Europe's inaugural mission to the Jupiter

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 19, 2024
NASA and Boeing engineers are currently evaluating the results from last week's engine tests conducted at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. These efforts are part of the preparations for the return of the Boeing Crew Flight Test from the International Space Station in the coming weeks. Teams have completed ground hot fire testing at White Sands and are in the process of analy

Washington (AFP) July 17, 2024
NASA announced Wednesday that cost overruns and delays have forced it to cancel a planned Moon rover it already spent $450 million to develop, marking a significant setback for the agency's lunar exploration program. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) was intended to explore the lunar south pole in search of ice and other resources, paving the way for planned crewed

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 19, 2024
An international team of scientists has uncovered new evidence of caves beneath the Moon's surface using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The re-analysis of radar data from LRO's Mini-RF (Miniature Radio-Frequency) instrument, collected in 2010, revealed a cave extending over 200 feet from the base of a pit. This pit is situated 230 miles northeast of the historic Apoll

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 19, 2024
Lunar swirls, characterized by their contrasting light and dark patches, exhibit more than just variations in brightness. The differences also encompass the structure of lunar soils and the grains within them. Lunar swirls are distinct high- and low-albedo patterns found on the Moon's surface, both in the dark basalt plains known as mare and the bright highland regions. The origins of thes

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 19, 2024
Among several recent findings, the rover has found rocks made of pure sulfur - a first on the Red Planet. Scientists were stunned on May 30 when a rock that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drove over cracked open to reveal something never seen before on the Red Planet: yellow sulfur crystals. Since October 2023, the rover has been exploring a region of Mars rich with sulfates, a kind of

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 18, 2024
Astronomers using the WIYN 3.5-meter telescope at the U.S. National Science Foundation Kitt Peak National Observatory, a program of NSF NOIRLab, have found an exoplanet with a highly unusual orbit. This planet is on a trajectory to become a hot Jupiter and has one of the most elongated orbits of all known transiting exoplanets, as well as a reverse orbit around its star. This discovery sheds lig

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 19, 2024
An international team of researchers, led by PD Dr. Florian Peissker, has identified signs of an intermediate-mass black hole while studying a star cluster near the supermassive black hole SgrA* (Sagittarius A*) at the center of our galaxy. Despite extensive research, only about ten intermediate-mass black holes have been discovered throughout the universe. These black holes, believed to h

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s pavilion as it will look at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 is seen in this illustration, Flying into the graphic, clockwise from upper left: the X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator, X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator, Saab 340B, a small drone, an air taxi concept, and a DeHavillland “Dash 7.” Both the Saaab and Dash 7 are part of the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project.NASA / Maria Werries

Each summer, aviation enthusiasts and experts from around the planet – including NASA’s aeronautical innovators – descend into a regional airport near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to attend the Experimental Aviation Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh.

The weeklong airshow and fly-in, where droves of pilots arrive in their own aircraft, draws hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts to enjoy aerial demonstrations, static aircraft displays, aviation-related forums, and hands-on activities for people of all ages and all education levels.

NASA will appear at Oshkosh with a full slate of interactive exhibits, informative activities, and fascinating people to meet. This year’s event, held July 22-28, is chock-full of things to do and see.

If you’re attending Oshkosh this year, here’s a brief summary of what you can expect inside the NASA Pavilion and on the forum stages:

• Meet and greet opportunities with NASA’s researchers, leaders, pilots, and maybe even an astronaut
• Hands-on educational STEM activities and handouts for kids and adults of all ages
• Talks and panels on NASA activities from our leadership, engineers, pilots, and other subject matter experts
• Models of NASA aircraft and spacecraft

And if you’re looking for certain activities, NASA guides will be available onsite to help you find the ones best suited to you and your group.

NASA Panel Events

In addition to the NASA Pavilion and forum talks, there are also several NASA-focused panels that are a can’t miss.

For example, the “NASA Artemis Campaign: For All Humankind” panel will be held at 7 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 26 at AirVenture’s Theater in the Woods. The event will feature astronaut Randy Bresnik and subject matter experts discussing the upcoming Artemis II mission.

“Women of NASA,” another great panel, will take place at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, July 24, the WomenVenture Center. It will feature several inspiring NASA Women, from senior leaders to project managers and engineers.

A list of all NASA activities is available on AirVenture’s website, and our aeronautical innovators will be inside the NASA Pavilion to assist you.

STEM Engagement Activities

The NASA Pavilion’s STEM Zone will have interactive activities and demonstrations. NASA will also have materials available for educators. The STEM Zone will be open Monday to Sunday, July 22-28, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT.

The KidVenture buildings, hosted by the EAA Museum, will include hands-on NASA STEM activities also, and NASA will participate at the AeroEducate Center in Aviation Gateway Park with activities intended for middle- and high-school aged youth – including lectures and a drone flight cage.

More NASA’s activities are available on the event schedule or on EAA’s app.

Online Oshkosh Coverage

Online, NASA will post live updates from Oshkosh with news about NASA’s events and festivities through the week, as well as more information about our flight research goals. The live posts will be a great way to keep up with what’s going on for those who are unable to attend the event in person.

Additionally, NASA will post on social media using the hashtag #OSH24.

In this 66 second video, get a sense of what NASA’s presence is like at Oshkosh through scenes captured from previous years. About the AuthorJohn GouldAeronautics Research Mission Directorate

John Gould is a member of NASA Aeronautics' Strategic Communications team at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. He is dedicated to public service and NASA’s leading role in scientific exploration. Prior to working for NASA Aeronautics, he was a spaceflight historian and writer, having a lifelong passion for space and aviation.

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2 Min Read Exploring the Moon: Episode Previews Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program

Discover. Learn. Explore.

NASA’s video series, Exploring the Moon, takes a “behind-the-scenes” look at humanity’s next steps on the Moon. Here is your first look at some of the key moments from the upcoming series! Scroll down or navigate through CONTENTS, to the side, to explore!

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Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How…

How many small steps equal a giant leap? Find out what it takes to plan our next great voyage to the Moon, what exactly we plan to do there, and what may come next.

We went to the Moon fifty years ago, but we only explored a very small part of the Moon.

Nujoud Merancy

Exploration Systems Strategy & Architecture Lead

Going to the Moon Won’t Be Easy…

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Episode 01: Why Explore the Moon? Exploring the Moon Series Next-Generation Spacesuits

Explore the special technologies and improvements NASA has made to its spacesuits since the International Space Station (ISS), and how they will be used to make Artemis mission possible​.

Basically you should think of a spacesuit as a human-shaped spacecraft.

Liana Rodriggs

Spacesuit Expert

Advancements in Mobility

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Episode 02: Artemis SpacesuitsExploring the Moon Series

Spacesuits. How do they work?

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Episode 02: Artemis SpacesuitsExploring the Moon Series

Spacewalks: Microgravity vs Planetary

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Episode 02: Artemis SpacesuitsExploring the Moon Series Lunar Rovers

Buckle up and roll out! Learn all about the different capabilities crewed and uncrewed rovers have. Plus, find out how these technologies will be used to explore the lunar surface.

We are taking the ability to transport crew and tools. And these rovers that can operate independent of the crew.

Nathan Howard

Lunar Rovers Expert

Reinventing the Wheel: Apollo to Artemis

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Episode 03: Lunar RoversExploring the Moon Series

Simulating the Mission

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Episode 03: Lunar RoversExploring the Moon Series Lunar Geology Tools

How does NASA collect surface samples from the Moon? The answer may surprise you! Explore the challenges of designing the geology sampling equipment for the Artemis missions and how geology sampling technology has changed since Apollo missions.​

In order to take these samples on the Moon you need something to pick these samples up with. You can't just walk around and pick them up by hand, that is why we make geology tools.

Holly Newton

Lunar Geology Tools Expert

Lessons Learned from Apollo

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Episode 04: Lunar Geology ToolsExploring the Moon Series

Breakthrough! The Ingenuity of Artemis Tools

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Episode 04: Lunar Geology ToolsExploring the Moon Series

It’s All In The Finer Details…

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Episode 04: Lunar Geology ToolsExploring the Moon Series Special Lunar Challenges

Learn how NASA engineers are working to prepare for the unique challenges astronauts will face when exploring the Lunar South Pole for the first time ever.

There are parts of the Moon and craters that have not seen the Sun in over a billion years.

Ben Greene

EVA Development Manager

The Challenges Ahead

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Episode 05: Special Lunar ChallengesExploring the Moon Series

Dust. Gets. Everywhere.

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Episode 05: Special Lunar ChallengesExploring the Moon Series

Exploring the South Pole of the Moon

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Episode 05: Special Lunar ChallengesExploring the Moon Series Back to the "Exploring the Moon" Main Page Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

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John Campbell, a logistics engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, stands on NASA’s Pegasus barge July 15. NASA

How do you move NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s massive 212-foot-long core stage across the country? You do it with a 300-foot-long barge. However, NASA’s Pegasus barge isn’t just any barge. It’s a vessel with a history, and John Campbell, a logistics engineer for the agency based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is one of the few people who get to be a part of its legacy.

For Campbell, this journey is more than just a job – it’s a lifelong passion realized. “Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been fascinated by engineering,” he said. “But to be entrusted with managing NASA’s Pegasus barge, transporting history-making hardware for human spaceflight across state lines and waterways – is something I never imagined.”

NASA has used barges to ferry the large,and heavy hardware elements of its rockets since the Apollo Program. Replacing the agency’s Poseidon and Orion barges, Pegasus was originally crafted for the Space Shuttle Program and updated in recent years to help usher in the Artemis Generation and accommodate the mammoth dimensions of the SLS core stage. The barge plays a big role in NASA’s logistical operations, navigating rivers and coastal waters across the Southeast, and has transported key structural test hardware for SLS in recent years.

Campbell grew up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in mechanical engineering, he ventured south to Panama City, Florida, where he spent a few years with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning consulting team. Looking for an opportunity to move home, he applied for and landed a contractor position with NASA and soon moved to his current civil service role.

With 17 years under his belt, Campbell has many fond memories during his time with the agency. One standout moment was witnessing the space shuttle stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But it’s not all about rockets and launch pads for Campbell. When he isn’t in his office making sure  Pegasus has everything it needs for its next trip out, he is on the water accompanying important pieces of hardware to their next destinations. With eight trips on Pegasus under his belt, the journey never gets old.

“There is something peaceful when you look out and it’s just you, the water, one or two other boats, and wildlife,” Campbell said. “On one trip we had a pod of at least 20 dolphins surrounding us. You get to see all kinds of cool wildlife and scenery.” From cherishing special moments like this to ensuring the success of each journey, Campbell recognizes the vital role he plays in the agency’s goals to travel back to the Moon and beyond and does not take his responsibility lightly.

“To be a part of the Artemis campaign and the future of space is just cool. I was there when the barge underwent its transformation to accommodate the colossal core stage, and in that moment, I realized I was witnessing history unfold. Though I couldn’t be present at the launch of Artemis I, watching it on TV was an emotional experience. To see something you’ve been a part of, something you’ve watched evolve from mere components to a giant spacecraft hurtling into space – it’s a feeling beyond words.”

NASA is working to land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with the Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, advanced spacesuits and rovers, the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single launch.

Read other I am Artemis features.

Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS
Image processing by Gary Eason © CC BY

During its 61st close flyby of Jupiter on May 12, 2024, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this color-enhanced view of the giant planet’s northern hemisphere. It provides a detailed view of chaotic clouds and cyclonic storms in an area known to scientists as a folded filamentary region. In these regions, the zonal jets that create the familiar banded patterns in Jupiter’s clouds break down, leading to turbulent patterns and cloud structures that rapidly evolve over the course of only a few days.

Citizen scientist Gary Eason made this image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument, applying digital processing techniques to enhance color and clarity.

At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 18,000 miles (29,000 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 68 degrees north of the equator.

JunoCam’s raw images are available for the public to peruse and process into image products at https://missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/processing. More information about NASA citizen science can be found at https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience and https://www.nasa.gov/solve/opportunities/citizenscience.

More information about Juno is at https://www.nasa.gov/juno and https://missionjuno.swri.edu. For more about this finding and other science results, see https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/science-findings.

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On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in the lunar module “Eagle.” Afterward, Aldrin posed for this photo, taken by Armstrong, beside the United States flag.

The Apollo 11 mission’s main goal was to perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. The crew also conducted scientific exploration of the Moon’s surface and deployed a television camera to transmit signals to Earth. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours and 36 minutes on the Moon. They explored the surface, took extensive photographs of the lunar terrain and each other, and collected lunar surface samples.

The two moonwalkers left behind commemorative medallions bearing the names of the three Apollo 1 astronauts who lost their lives in a launch pad fire, and two cosmonauts who also died in accidents, on the lunar surface. Also left on the Moon were several tokens of world peace.

See more photos from this historic mission.

Image credit: NASA