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Sols 4348-4349: Smoke on the Water NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity created this composite image from its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. An onboard process, focus merging, makes a composite of images of the same target — acquired at different focus positions — to bring all (or, as many as possible) features into focus in a single image. Curiosity performed this merge on Oct. 27, 2024, sol 4346 (Martian day 4,346) of the Mars Science Laboratory Mission, at 15:45:47 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Earth planning date: Monday, Oct. 28, 2024

Before the science team starts planning, we first look at the latest Navcam image downlinked from Curiosity to see where the rover is located. It can be all too easy to get lost in the scenery of the Navcam and find new places in the distance we want to drive towards, but there’s so much beauty in the smaller things. Today I’ve chosen to show a photo from Curiosity’s hand lens camera, MAHLI, that takes photos so close that we can see the individual grains of the rock.

The planning day usually starts by thinking about these smaller features: What rocks are the closest to the rover? What can we shoot with our laser? What instruments can we use to document these features? Today we planned two sols, and the focus of the close-up contact science became a coating of material that in some image stretches looks like a deep-purple color.

We planned lots of activities to characterize this coating including use of the dust removal tool (DRT) and the APXS instrument on a target called “Reds Meadow.” This target will also be photographed by the MAHLI instrument. The team planned a ChemCam LIBS target on “Midge Lake” as well as a passive ChemCam target on “Primrose Lake” to document this coating with a full suite of instruments. Mastcam will then document the ChemCam LIBS target Midge Lake, and take a mosaic of the vertical faces of a few rocks near to the rover called “Peep Sight Peak” to observe the sedimentary structures here. Mastcam will also take a mosaic of “Pinnacle Ridge,” an area seen previously by the rover, from a different angle. ChemCam is rounding off the first sol with two long-distance RMI mosaics to document the stratigraphy of two structures we are currently driving between: Texoli butte and the Gediz Vallis channel.

In the second sol of the plan, after driving about 20 meters (about 66 feet), Curiosity will be undertaking some environmental monitoring activities before an AEGIS activity that automatically selects a LIBS target in our new workspace prior to our planning on Wednesday morning.

Written by Emma Harris, Graduate Student at Natural History Museum, London

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Oct 30, 2024

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NASA astronaut Nick Hague with the International Space Station’s amateur or ham radio equipment during his current mission (right) and a previous flight five years ago (left)NASA

How it started versus how it’s going for astronaut Nick Hague with ISS Ham Radio on the space station.

Since November 2000, crew members like Hague have used ham radio to communicate with people on Earth through this educational program, also known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station or ARISS. So far, there have been more than 1,700 events, directly engaging students and listeners from 49 U.S. states, 63 countries, and all seven continents. Students study the space station, radio waves, amateur radio technology, and related topics before their call from space, which encourages interest in STEM.

Now through Nov 17, 2024, ARISS is accepting applications from formal and informal educational institutions and organizations that want to host events in summer or fall of 2025. There is no charge for these calls from space, although host locations may incur some equipment-related costs. Local amateur radio clubs help hosts prepare for their contacts.

Read about how ISS Ham Radio and other station programs inspire students.

Melissa Gaskill
International Space Station Research Communications Team
Johnson Space Center

23 Min Read The Marshall Star for October 30, 2024

Editor’s Note: Starting Nov. 4, the Office of Communications at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will no longer publish the Marshall Star on nasa.gov. The last public issue will be Oct. 30. To continue reading Marshall news, visit nasa.gov/marshall.

Marshall Team Members View Progress Toward Future Artemis Flights

Blake Stewart, lead of the Thrust Vector Control Test Laboratory inside Building 4205 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, explains how his team tests the mechanisms that steer engine and booster nozzles of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to a group of Marshall team members Oct. 24. The employees were some of the more than 500 team members who viewed progress toward future Artemis flights on bus tours offered by the SLS Program. Building 4205 is also home to the Propulsion Research and Development Laboratory that includes 26 world-class labs and support areas that help the agency’s ambitious goals for space exploration. The Software Integration Lab and the Software Integration Test Facility are among the labs inside supporting SLS that employees visited on the tour. (NASA/Sam Lott)

A group of Marshall team members gather below the development test article for the universal stage adapter that will be used on the second variant of SLS, called Block 1B. The universal stage adapter is located inside one of the high bays in building 4619. The universal stage adapter will connect the Orion spacecraft to the SLS exploration upper stage. With the exploration upper stage, which will be powered by four RL10-C3 engines, SLS will be capable of lifting more than 105 metric tons (231,000 pounds) from Earth’s surface. This extra mass capability enables SLS to send multiple large payloads to the Moon on the same launch. (NASA/Sam Lott)

Marshall team members view the Orion Stage Adapters for the Artemis II and Artemis III test flights inside Building 4708. The Orion Stage Adapter, built at Marshall, connects the rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage to the Orion spacecraft. The Orion Stage Adapter for Artemis II is complete and ready to be shipped to Kennedy Space Center. The Oct. 24 tours featured four stops that also included opportunities to see the Artemis III launch vehicle stage adapter, and the development test article for the SLS Block 1B universal stage adapter that will begin flying on Artemis IV. Additionally, programs and offices such as the Human Landing Systems Development Office and the Science and Technology Office hosted exhibits in the lobby of Building 4220, where employees gathered for the tours. (NASA/Jonathan Deal)

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Center Commemorates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

By Serena Whitfield

In conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center held anagencywide virtual event hosted by the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity on Oct. 24.

Marshall team members watched the Webex event in Building 4221.

From left, Tora Henry, director of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at Marshall, Chip Dobbs, supply management specialist at Marshall, and Marshall Associate Director Roger Baird pause for a photo following the Oct. 24 virtual event the center hosted as part of National Disability Awareness Month. NASA/Serena Whitfield

In alignment with the month’s national theme, “Access to Good Jobs for All,” the program highlighted the perspectives of people with disabilities in the workplace as they navigate the work lifecycle – from applying, to onboarding, career growth and advancement, and day-to-day engagements.

The event began with Marshall Associate Director Roger Baird welcoming NASA team members.

“NASA is dedicated to inclusive hiring practices and providing pathways for good jobs and career success for all employees, including workers with disabilities,” Baird said. “Some ways we do this is through targeted recruitment of qualified individuals with disabilities through accessible vacancy announcements, outreach to students with disabilities, and community partnerships.”

NASA also utilizes Schedule A Authority, a non-competitive Direct Hiring Authority to hire people with disabilities without competition.

Baird introduced event moderator Joyce Meier, logistics manager at Marshall, who welcomed panelists Casey Denham, Kathy Clark, Paul Spann, and Paul Sullivan, all NASA team members. The panelists from the disability community discussed their work lifecycles, lessons learned in the workplace, and shared a demonstration on colorblindness and its impact.

Denham discussed some of the best practices for onboarding employees with neurodiversity, a term used to describe people whose brains develop or work differently than the typical brain.

Marshall team members watch the agencywide virtual event commemorating National Disability Employment Awareness Month. NASA/Serena Whitfield

Clark talked about what can be done to continue raising awareness and advocating for disability rights. She said NASA empowers its workforce with knowledge so they can be informed allies to team members with disabilities and foster a safe and inclusive working environment. 

Spann gave insight into practical steps employers can take to accommodate candidates with deafness, and Sullivan spoke about some key considerations NASA managers should keep in mind to make the job application process more accessible to candidates with low vision.

Guest speaker Chip Dobbs, supply management specialist at Marshall, talked about his personal experiences with being deaf. Dobbs has worked at NASA for 29 years and said he has never let his disability hold him back, but instead uses it as a gateway to inspire and connect with others.

The event ended with closing remarks from Tora Henry, director of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at Marshall. The virtual event placed importance on planning for NASA’s future by promoting equality and addressing the barriers people with disabilities face in the workplace. 

“As we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, keep in mind that NASA’s mission of exploring the unknown and pushing the boundaries of human potential requires the contributions of every mind, skill set, and perspective,” Baird said. “Our commitment to inclusivity ensures that no talent goes untapped, and no idea goes unheard because together, we’re not just reaching for the stars, we’re showing the world what’s possible when everyone has a seat at the table.”

A recording of the event is available here. Learn more about NASA’s agencywide resources for individuals with disabilities as well as the agency’s Disability Employment Program.

Whitfield is an intern supporting the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Farley Davis Receives NASA’s Blue Marble Award

By Wayne Smith

Farley Davis, manager of the Environmental Engineering and Occupational Health Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, has received a 2024 Blue Marble Award from the agency.

NASA’s Office of Strategic Infrastructure, Environmental Management Division presented the 2024 Blue Marble Awards on Oct. 8 at the agency’s Johnson Space Center. The Blue Marble Awards Program recognizes teams and individuals demonstrating exceptional environmental leadership in support of NASA’s missions and goals. In 2024, the awards included five categories: the Director’s Award, Environmental Quality, Excellence in Energy and Water Management, Excellence in Resilience or Climate Change Adaptation, and new this year: Excellence in Site Remediation. 

Farley Davis, center, manager of the Environmental Engineering and Occupational Health Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, with his NASA Blue Marble Award. Joining him, from left, are Joel Carney, assistant administrator, Strategic Infrastructure; Denise Thaller, deputy assistant administrator, Strategic Infrastructure; Charlotte Betrand, director, Environmental Management; and June Malone, director, Office of Center Operations at Marshall. NASA

Davis was recognized for “exceptional leadership and outstanding commitment above and beyond individual job responsibilities, to assist Marshall and the agency in enabling environmentally sound mission success.”

“The award was unexpected, and I am very thankful to receive the Environmental Management Director’s Blue Marble Award,” said Davis, who has been at Marshall for 33 years. “Collectively, Marshall’s environmental engineering team has made this award possible with their diligent support for many years keeping the center’s environmental compliance at the forefront. I will cherish the award for the rest of my life.”

June Malone, director of the Office of Center Operations at Marshall, credited Davis for his environmental leadership and mentoring team members.

“Farley’s attitude of professionalism and personal responsibility for the development and implementation of well-grounded environmental programs has increased Marshall’s sustainability and prevented pollution,” Malone said. “His tireless leadership has resulted in compliance with federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations, and his creative solution-oriented approaches to environmental stewardship have restored contaminated areas.”

Charlotte Bertrand, director of the Environmental Management Division at NASA Headquarters, said it was an honor to select Davis for the 2024 Blue Marble Director’s Award.

“Farley’s incredibly distinguished career with NASA reflects the award’s intention to recognize exceptional leadership by an individual in assisting the agency in enabling environmentally sound mission success,” Bertrand said.

Please see the awards program for additional information.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Take 5 with Brooke Rhodes

By Wayne Smith

When human exploration of Mars becomes a reality and more than just the stuff of science fiction, Brooke Rhodes will be eager to investigate what astronauts discover on the Red Planet.

From listening to her talk about her work as an engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, it’s easy to grasp her excitement about the future of human space exploration and NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture.

Brooke Rhodes is currently on detail as the branch chief of the Avionics and Software Ground Systems Test Branch at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Working in the Instrument Development, Integration and Test Branch for the past seven years, she’s been responsible for the integration and testing of International Space Station payloads. NASA

“I can’t wait for the Mars rovers to have some human company,” said Rhodes, who recently began a detail as the chief of Marshall’s Avionics and Software Ground Systems Test Branch. “I need to know if we can grow Mark Watney (of The Martian movie fame) quantities of potatoes up there. Everything we do to prepare to return humans to the Moon and establish a presence in deep space is building toward putting boots on Mars. It’s an honor and a privilege to be even a small part of it.”

Rhodes also appreciates the responsibility she takes on in any form in NASA’s exploration missions to benefit humanity. After all, she has worked on hardware for the International Space Station and has had supporting roles for the Mars Ascent Vehicle and Artemis missions.

“We at Marshall hold an incredible amount of responsibility: responsibility for the welfare of the crew on the space station, responsibility for the welfare of the crew on the Artemis missions, and even the welfare of humanity through the responsibility we have for science on the station and elsewhere,” said Rhodes, who is from Petal, Mississippi, and has worked at Marshall for seven years. “When your missions are as critical as ours, it’s nearly impossible to not be motivated.”

Now, on to Mars.

Question: What is your position and what are your primary responsibilities?

Rhodes: I recently began the detail as the branch chief of the Avionics and Software Ground Systems Test Branch, ES53. Our branch is primarily responsible for the development of hardware-in-the-loop and software development facilities for the Artemis and MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle) missions. My home organization is ES61, the Instrument Development, Integration and Test Branch, where I’ve been responsible for the integration and testing of International Space Station payloads for the past several years.

Rhodes with a box of sample cartridge assemblies (SCAs) headed for the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of Brooke Rhodes

Question: What has been the proudest moment of your career and why?

Rhodes: One really cool moment that sticks out was the first time I saw hardware I had been responsible for being used in space. I spent several years as the integration and test lead of the Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) Sample Cartridge Assemblies (SCAs) and we shipped our first batch of SCAs to the space station in 2018. That shipment was the culmination of years of intense effort and teamwork, so to see them onboard and about to enable materials science was an incredible feeling. There was a moment in particular that felt a bit surreal: prior to our SCA shipment the crew discovered they were missing a couple of fasteners from the onboard furnace, so we had those shipped to us from Europe and I packed them into the SCA flight foam before they shipped to the launch site. The next time I saw those fasteners they were being held up to a camera by one of the crew members, asking if those were the ones they needed for the furnace. Putting fasteners into foam didn’t take much effort, but what it represented was much bigger: being a small part of an international effort to enable science off the Earth, for the Earth, was an incredible moment I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career.

Question: Who or what inspired you to pursue an education/career that led you to NASA and Marshall?

Rhodes: I had a couple of lightbulb moments my junior year of high school that eventually set me on my current career path. I very specifically recall sitting in my physics I class and learning how to calculate the planetary motion of Jupiter and thinking I had never learned about anything cooler. Even then, though, NASA didn’t really enter my thoughts. Growing up, working for NASA didn’t even occur to me as something people could actually do – being a “rocket scientist” was just an abstract concept people threw around to indicate something was difficult.

That changed later when the same teacher who had been teaching us planetary motion took us on a field trip to Kennedy Space Center. The tour guide showing us around the Vehicle Assembly Building was a young employee who said he had majored in aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee. That was the second lightbulb moment: here was a young person from the Southeast, just like me, who had done something tangible in order to work for NASA. That seemed easy enough, so I decided to major in aerospace engineering at Mississippi State and one day work for NASA. That turned out to not be easy, but definitely doable.

While at Mississippi State, I was able to complete three NASA internships, one at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and two at Marshall. Eventually, I was hired on full-time at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, but wound up making my way back to Marshall, where I’ve been ever since. There’s no place on the planet better for enthusiasts of both aerospace engineering and football.

NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold, a space station crew member for Expedition 56, holds up a fastener for the Materials Science Laboratory, which Rhodes packed for shipment to the orbiting laboratory in 2018. “Putting fasteners into foam didn’t take much effort, but what it represented was much bigger: being a small part of an international effort to enable science off the Earth, for the Earth, was an incredible moment I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career.” Photo courtesy of Brooke Rhodes

Interestingly, my physics I teacher’s name was Mrs. Rhodes, and I used to joke with my classmates that I wanted to be Mrs. Rhodes when I grew up. I didn’t actually mean that literally, but then I married Matthew Rhodes and did, indeed, become Mrs. Rhodes.

Question: What advice do you have for employees early in their NASA career or those in new leadership roles?

Rhodes: Scary is good. If you aren’t stepping out of your comfort zone you probably aren’t growing, and if you’re experiencing imposter syndrome, you’re probably the right person for the job.

Question: What do you enjoy doing with your time while away from work?

Rhodes: While away from work I tend to invest too much of my mental wellbeing into football. To recover from the stresses of work and my football teams being terrible, I like to explore National Parks. The U.S. has some of the most diverse scenery anywhere in the world, and I love getting outside and exploring it.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Planets Beware: NASA Unburies Danger Zones of Star Cluster

Most stars form in collections, called clusters or associations, that include very massive stars. These giant stars send out large amounts of high-energy radiation, which can disrupt relatively fragile disks of dust and gas that are in the process of coalescing to form new planets.

A team of astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, in combination with ultraviolet, optical, and infrared data, to show where some of the most treacherous places in a star cluster may be, where planets’ chances to form are diminished.

In this new composite image, Chandra data (purple) shows the diffuse X-ray emission and young stars in Cygnus OB2, and infrared data from NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope (red, green, blue, and cyan) reveals young stars and the cooler dust and gas throughout the region.X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Drake et al, IR: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Spitzer; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

The target of the observations was Cygnus OB2, which is the nearest large cluster of stars to our Sun – at a distance of about 4,600 light-years. The cluster contains hundreds of massive stars as well as thousands of lower-mass stars. The team used long Chandra observations pointing at different regions of Cygnus OB2, and the resulting set of images were then stitched together into one large image.

The deep Chandra observations mapped out the diffuse X-ray glow in between the stars, and they also provided an inventory of the young stars in the cluster. This inventory was combined with others using optical and infrared data to create the best census of young stars in the cluster.

In a new composite image, the Chandra data (purple) shows the diffuse X-ray emission and young stars in Cygnus OB2, and infrared data from NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope (red, green, blue, and cyan) reveals young stars and the cooler dust and gas throughout the region.

In these crowded stellar environments, copious amounts of high-energy radiation produced by stars and planets are present. Together, X-rays and intense ultraviolet light can have a devastating impact on planetary disks and systems in the process of forming.

Planet-forming disks around stars naturally fade away over time. Some of the disk falls onto the star and some is heated up by X-ray and ultraviolet radiation from the star and evaporates in a wind. The latter process, known as “photoevaporation,” usually takes between five and 10 million years with average-sized stars before the disk disappears. If massive stars, which produce the most X-ray and ultraviolet radiation, are nearby, this process can be accelerated.

The researchers using this data found clear evidence that planet-forming disks around stars indeed disappear much faster when they are close to massive stars producing a lot of high-energy radiation. The disks also disappear more quickly in regions where the stars are more closely packed together.

For regions of Cygnus OB2 with less high-energy radiation and lower numbers of stars, the fraction of young stars with disks is about 40%. For regions with more high-energy radiation and higher numbers of stars, the fraction is about 18%. The strongest effect – meaning the worst place to be for a would-be planetary system – is within about 1.6 light-years of the most massive stars in the cluster.

A separate study by the same team examined the properties of the diffuse X-ray emission in the cluster. They found that the higher-energy diffuse emission comes from areas where winds of gas blowing away from massive stars have collided with each other. This causes the gas to become hotter and produce X-rays. The less energetic emission probably comes from gas in the cluster colliding with gas surrounding the cluster.

Two separate papers describing the Chandra data of Cygnus OB2 are available. The paper about the planetary danger zones, led by Mario Giuseppe Guarcello (National Institute for Astrophysics in Palermo, Italy), appeared in the November 2023 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, and is available here. The paper about the diffuse emission, led by Juan Facundo Albacete-Colombo (University of Rio Negro in Argentina) was published in the same issue of Astrophysical Journal Supplement, and is available here.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) managed the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate until the mission was retired in January 2020. Science operations were conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech. Spacecraft operations were based at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive operated by IPAC at Caltech. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

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NASA Begins New Deployable Solar Array Tech Demo on Pathfinder Spacecraft

NASA recently evaluated initial flight data and imagery from Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4 (PTD-4), confirming proper checkout of the spacecraft’s systems including its on-board electronics as well as the payload’s support systems such as the small onboard camera. Shown is a test image of Earth taken by the payload camera, shortly after PTD-4 reached orbit. This camera will continue photographing the technology demonstration during the mission. 

A test image of Earth taken by NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-4’s onboard camera. The camera will capture images of the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna upon deployment.NASA

Payload operations are now underway for the primary objective of the PTD-4 mission – the demonstration of a new power and communications technology for future spacecraft. The payload, a deployable solar array with an integrated antenna called the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna, or LISA-T, has initiated deployment of its central boom structure. The boom supports four solar power and communication arrays, also called petals. Releasing the central boom pushes the still-stowed petals nearly three feet away from the spacecraft bus. The mission team currently is working through an initial challenge to get LISA-T’s central boom to fully extend before unfolding the petals and beginning its power generation and communication operations.

Small spacecraft on deep space missions require more electrical power than what is currently offered by existing technology. The four-petal solar array of LISA-T is a thin-film solar array that offers lower mass, lower stowed volume, and three times more power per mass and volume allocation than current solar arrays. The in-orbit technology demonstration includes deployment, operation, and environmental survivability of the thin-film solar array.  

“The LISA-T experiment is an opportunity for NASA and the small spacecraft community to advance the packaging, deployment, and operation of thin-film, fully flexible solar and antenna arrays in space. The thin-film arrays will vastly improve power generation and communication capabilities throughout many different mission applications,” said John Carr, deputy center chief technologist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “These capabilities are critical for achieving higher value science alongside the exploration of deep space with small spacecraft.”

NASA teams are testing a key technology demonstration known as LISA-T, short for the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and anTenna. It’s a super compact, stowable, thin-film solar array that when fully deployed in space, offers both a power generation and communication capability for small spacecraft. LISA-T’s orbital flight test is part of the Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator series of missions. (NASA)

The Pathfinder Technology Demonstration series of missions leverages a commercial platform which serves to test innovative technologies to increase the capability of small spacecraft. Deploying LISA-T’s thin solar array in the harsh environment of space presents inherent challenges such as deploying large highly flexible non-metallic structures with high area to mass ratios. Performing experiments such as LISA-T on a smaller, lower-cost spacecraft allows NASA the opportunity to take manageable risk with high probability of great return. The LISA-T experiment aims to enable future deep space missions with the ability to acquire and communicate data through improved power generation and communication capabilities on the same integrated array.

The PTD-4 small spacecraft is hosting the in-orbit technology demonstration called LISA-T. The PTD-4 spacecraft deployed into low Earth orbit from SpaceX’s Transporter-11 rocket, which launched from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Aug. 16. Marshall designed and built the LISA-T technology as well as LISA-T’s supporting avionics system. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program, based at NASA’s Ames Research Center and led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, funds and manages the PTD-4 mission as well as the overall Pathfinder Technology Demonstration mission series. Terran Orbital Corporation of Irvine, California, developed and built the PTD-4 spacecraft bus, named Triumph.

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NASA SPoRT’s Streamflow-AI Helps with Flood Preparedness in Texas

By Paola Pinto

For more than two decades, the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) within the NASA Earth Science Office at Marshall Space Flight Center has been at the forefront of developing and maintaining decision-making tools for meteorological predictions.

This image represents the first instance of predictions getting into moderate flooding in Pine Island Bayou. At 14 feet (start of the moderate flooding category), Cooks Lake Road becomes unsafe for most vehicles. NASA

Jonathan Brazzell, a service hydrologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, highlighted a recent example of SPoRT’s impact while he was doing forecasting for Texas streams.

Brazzell, who manages the South Texas and South Louisiana regions, emphasized the practical applications and significant impacts of the Machine Learning model developed by NASA SPoRT to predict future stream heights, known as the SPoRT Streamflow A.I. During a heavy rainfall event this past spring, he noted the challenge of forecasting flooding beyond 48 hours. SPoRT has worked closely with the NWS offices to develop a machine learning tool capable of predicting river flooding beyond two days and powered by the SPoRT Land Information System.

“Previously, we relied on actual gauge information and risk assessments based on predicted precipitation,” Brazzell said. “Now, with this machine learning, we have a modeling tool that provides a much-needed predictive capability.”

During forecasted periods of heavy precipitation from early to mid-May, Brazzell monitored potential flooding events and their magnitude using NASA SPoRT’s Streamflow-AI, which provided essential support to the Pine Island Bayou and Big Cow Creek communities in south Texas.

Streamflow A.I. enabled local authorities to provide advance notice, allowing residents to prepare adequately for the event. Due to the benefit of three to seven-day flood stage predictions, the accurate forecasts helped county officials decide on road closures and evacuation advisories; community officials advised residents to gather a seven-day supply of necessities and relocate their vehicles, minimizing disruption and potential damage.

Brazzell highlighted specific instances where the machine learning outputs were critical. For example, during the event that peaked around May 6, Streamflow A.I. accurately predicted the rise in stream height, allowing for timely road closures and advisories. These predictions were shared with county officials and were pivotal in their decision-making process.

This image shows the water levels after rainfall and predicts a moderate stream height in Pine Island Bayou. NASA

Brazzell shared that integrating SPoRT’s machine learning capabilities with their existing tools, such as flood risk mapping, proved invaluable. Although the machine learning outputs had been operational for almost two years after Hurricane Harvey, this season has provided their first significant applications in real-time scenarios due to persistent conditions of below-normal precipitation and ongoing drought.

He also mentioned the broader applications of Streamflow A.I., including its potential use in other sites beyond those currently being monitored. He expressed interest in expanding the use of machine learning stream height outputs to additional locations, citing the successful application in current sites as a compelling reason for broader implementation.

NASA SPoRT users’ experiences emphasize how crucial advanced prediction technologies are in hydrometeorology and emergency management operations. Based on Brazzell’s example, it is reasonable to say that the product’s ability to provide accurate, timely data greatly improves decision-making processes and ensures public safety. The partnership between NASA SPoRT and operational agencies like NOAA/NWS and county response teams demonstrates how research and operations can be seamlessly integrated into everyday practices, making a tangible difference in communities vulnerable to high-impact events.

As the Streamflow A.I. product continues to evolve and expand its applications, it holds significant promise for improving disaster preparedness and response efforts across various regions that experience different types of flooding events.

The Streamflow-AI product provides a 7-day river height or stage forecasts at select gauges across the south/eastern U.S. You can find the SPoRT training item on Streamflow-AI here.

Pinto is a research associate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, specializing in communications and user engagement for NASA SPoRT.

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Agency Awards Custodial, Refuse Collection Contract

NASA has selected All Native Synergies Company of Winnebego, Nebraska, to provide custodial and refuse collection services at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

The Custodial and Refuse Collection Services III contract is a firm-fixed-price contract with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity provision. Its maximum potential value is approximately $33.5 million. The performance period began Oct. 23 and will extend four and a half years, with a one-year base period, four one-year options, and a six-month extension.

This critical service contract provides custodial and refuse collection services for all Marshall facilities. Work under the contract includes floor maintenance, including elevators; trash removal; cleaning drinking fountains and restrooms; sweeping, mopping, and cleaning building entrances and stairways.

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3 min read

Buckle Up: NASA-Funded Study Explores Turbulence in Molecular Clouds This image shows the distribution of density in a simulation of a turbulent molecular cloud. NASA/E. Scannapieco et al (2024)

On an airplane, motions of the air on both small and large scales contribute to turbulence, which may result in a bumpy flight. Turbulence on a much larger scale is important to how stars form in giant molecular clouds that permeate the Milky Way.

In a new NASA-funded study in the journal Science Advances, scientists created simulations to explore how turbulence interacts with the density of the cloud. Lumps, or pockets of density, are the places where new stars will be born. Our Sun, for example, formed 4.6 billion years ago in a lumpy portion of a cloud that collapsed.

“We know that the main process that determines when and how quickly stars are made is turbulence, because it gives rise to the structures that create stars,” said Evan Scannapieco, professor of astrophysics at Arizona State University and lead author of the study. “Our study uncovers how those structures are formed.”

Giant molecular clouds are full of random, turbulent motions, which are caused by gravity, stirring by the galactic arms and winds, jets, and explosions from young stars. This turbulence is so strong that it creates shocks that drive the density changes in the cloud.

The simulations used dots called tracer particles to traverse a molecular cloud and travel along with the material. As the particles travel, they record the density of the part of the cloud they encounter, building up a history of how pockets of density change over time. The researchers, who also included Liubin Pan from Sun Yat Sen University in China, Marcus Brüggen from the University of Hamburg in Germany, and Ed Buie II from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, simulated eight scenarios, each with a different set of realistic cloud properties.  

This animation shows the distribution of density in a simulation of a turbulent molecular cloud. The colors represent density, with dark blue indicating the least dense regions and red indicating the densest regions. Credit: NASA/E. Scannapieco et al (2024)

The team found that the speeding up and slowing down of shocks plays an essential role in the path of the particles.  Shocks slow down as they go into high-density gas and speed up as they go into low-density gas. This is akin to how an ocean wave strengthens when it hits shallow water by the shore.   

When a particle hits a shock, the area around it becomes more dense. But because shocks slow down in dense regions, once lumps become dense enough, the turbulent motions can’t make them any denser.  These lumpiest high-density regions are where stars are most likely to form.

While other studies have explored molecular cloud density structures, this simulation allows scientists to see how those structures form over time. This informs scientists’ understanding of how and where stars are likely to be born.

“Now we can understand better why those structures look the way they do because we’re able to track their histories,” said Scannapieco.

This image shows part of a simulation of a molecular cloud. The colors represent density, with dark blue indicating the least dense regions and red indicating the densest regions. Tracer particles, represented by black dots, traverse the simulated cloud. By examining how they interact with shocks and pockets of density, scientists can better understand the structures in molecular clouds that lead to star formation. NASA/E. Scannapieco et al (2024)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is exploring the structure of molecular clouds. It is also exploring the chemistry of molecular clouds, which depends on the history of the gas modeled in the simulations. New measurements like these will inform our understanding of star formation.

In the ever-evolving aerospace industry, collaboration and mentorship are vital for fostering innovation and growth. Recent achievements highlight the positive impact of Mentor-Protégé Agreements (MPA) facilitated by Jacobs Engineering Group, now known as Amentum Space Exploration Group. Two standout partnerships have demonstrated remarkable success and expansion, underscoring the value of such initiatives.

CODEplus and Amentum Space Exploration Group

The 24-Month MPA between CODEplus and Amentum Space Exploration Group has proven to be a game-changer. Recognized as the FY24 Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Mentor-Protégé Agreement of the Year, this collaboration has significantly boosted CODEplus’s operations. Since the agreement’s inception on March 1, 2023, CODEplus has expanded its workforce to ten full-time employees and currently has two active job requisitions. This growth exemplifies the transformative potential of mentorship in nurturing small businesses within the aerospace sector.

KS Ware and Amentum Space Exploration Group / CH2M Hill

Another exemplary partnership involves KS Ware, which has benefitted from a 36-Month MPA with Amentum Space Exploration Group and CH2M Hill. This agreement has garnered accolades as both the FY23 NASA Agency Mentor-Protégé Agreement of the Year and the FY23 MSFC Mentor-Protégé Agreement of the Year. Through targeted business and technical counseling, KS Ware successfully launched a new drilling division in 2022 and expanded its offerings to include surveying services in 2023. The impact of this mentorship is evident, with a remarkable 30% growth rate reported for KS Ware.

These success stories highlight the critical role of Mentor-Protégé Agreements in empowering small businesses in the aerospace industry. By fostering collaboration and providing essential support, Amentum Space Exploration Group has not only strengthened its partnerships but also contributed to the broader growth and innovation landscape. As the aerospace sector continues to evolve, such initiatives will be essential in driving future success.

Published by: Tracy L. Hudspeth

NASA

NASA pilot Joe Walker sits in the pilot’s platform of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) number 1 on Oct. 30, 1964. The LLRV and its successor the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV) provided the training tool to simulate the final 200 feet of the descent to the Moon’s surface.

The LLRVs, humorously referred to as flying bedsteads, were used by NASA’s Flight Research Center, now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, to study and analyze piloting techniques needed to fly and land the Apollo lunar module in the moon’s airless environment.

Learn more about the LLRV’s first flight.

Image credit: NASA

4 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s Perseverance rover captured the silhouette of the Martian moon Phobos as it passed in front of the Sun on Sept. 30, 2024. The video shows the transit speeded up by four times, followed by the eclipse in real time. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

The tiny, potato-shaped moon Phobos, one of two Martian moons, cast a silhouette as it passed in front of the Sun, creating an eye in Mars’ sky.

From its perch on the western wall of Mars’ Jezero Crater, NASA’s Perseverance rover recently spied a “googly eye” peering down from space. The pupil in this celestial gaze is the Martian moon Phobos, and the iris is our Sun.

Captured by the rover’s Mastcam-Z on Sept. 30, the 1,285th Martian day of Perseverance’s mission, the event took place when the potato-shaped moon passed directly between the Sun and a point on the surface of Mars, obscuring a large part of the Sun’s disc. At the same time that Phobos appeared as a large black disc rapidly moving across the face of the Sun, its shadow, or antumbra, moved across the planet’s surface.

Astronomer Asaph Hall named the potato-shaped moon in 1877, after the god of fear and panic in Greek mythology; the word “phobia” comes from Phobos. (And the word for fear of potatoes, and perhaps potato-shaped moons, is potnonomicaphobia.) He named Mars’ other moon Deimos, after Phobos’ mythological twin brother.

Roughly 157 times smaller in diameter than Earth’s Moon, Phobos is only about 17 miles (27 kilometers) at its widest point. Deimos is even smaller.

Rapid Transit

Because Phobos’ orbit is almost perfectly in line with the Martian equator and relatively close to the planet’s surface, transits of the moon occur on most days of the Martian year. Due to its quick orbit (about 7.6 hours to do a full loop around Mars), a transit of Phobos usually lasts only 30 seconds or so.

This is not the first time that a NASA rover has witnessed Phobos blocking the Sun’s rays. Perseverance has captured several Phobos transits since landing at Mars’ Jezero Crater in February 2021. Curiosity captured a video in 2019. And Opportunity captured an image in 2004.

By comparing the various images, scientists can refine their understanding of the moon’s orbit to learn how it’s changing. Phobos is getting closer to Mars and is predicted to collide with it in about 50 million years.

More About Perseverance

Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.

A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.

For more about Perseverance:

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020

News Media Contacts

Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

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Details Last Updated Oct 30, 2024 Related Terms

• Perseverance (Rover)
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• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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• Mars 2020

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NASA to Launch Innovative Solar Coronagraph to Space Station

NASA’s Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) is ready to launch to the International Space Station to reveal new details about the solar wind including its origin and its evolution.

Launching in November 2024 aboard SpaceX’s 31st commercial resupply services mission, CODEX will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space station. As a solar coronagraph, CODEX will block out the bright light from the Sun’s surface to better see details in the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona.

In this animation, the CODEX instrument can be seen mounted on the exterior of the International Space Station. For more CODEX imagery, visit https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14647. CODEX Team/NASA

“The CODEX instrument is a new generation solar coronagraph,” said Jeffrey Newmark, principal investigator for the instrument and scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It has a dual use — it’s both a technology demonstration and will conduct science.”

This coronagraph is different from prior coronagraphs that NASA has used because it has special filters that can provide details of the temperature and speed of the solar wind. Typically, a solar coronagraph captures images of the density of the plasma flowing away from the Sun. By combining the temperature and speed of the solar wind with the traditional density measurement, CODEX can give scientists a fuller picture of the wind itself.

“This isn’t just a snapshot,” said Nicholeen Viall, co-investigator of CODEX and heliophysicist at NASA Goddard. “You’re going to get to see the evolution of structures in the solar wind, from when they form from the Sun’s corona until they flow outwards and become the solar wind.”

The CODEX instrument will give scientists more information to understand what heats the solar wind to around 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit — around 175 times hotter than the Sun’s surface — and sends it streaming out from the Sun at almost a million miles per hour.

Team members for CODEX pose with the instrument in a clean facility during initial integration of the coronagraph with the pointing system. CODEX Team/NASA

This launch is just the latest step in a long history for the instrument. In the early 2000s and in August 2017, NASA scientists ran ground-based experiments similar to CODEX during total solar eclipses. A coronagraph mimics what happens during a total solar eclipse, so this naturally occurring phenomena provided a good opportunity to test instruments that measure the temperature and speed of the solar wind.

In 2019, NASA scientists launched the Balloon-borne Investigation of Temperature and Speed of Electrons in the corona (BITSE) experiment. A balloon the size of a football field carried the CODEX prototype 22 miles above Earth’s surface, where the atmosphere is much thinner and the sky is dimmer than it is from the ground, enabling better observations. However, this region of Earth’s atmosphere is still brighter than outer space itself.

“We saw enough from BITSE to see that the technique worked, but not enough to achieve the long-term science objectives,” said Newmark.

Now, by installing CODEX on the space station, scientists will be able to view the Sun’s corona without fighting the brightness of Earth’s atmosphere. This is also a beneficial time for the instrument to launch because the Sun has reached its solar maximum phase, a period of high activity during its 11-year cycle.

“The types of solar wind that we get during solar maximum are different than some of the types of wind we get during solar minimum,” said Viall. “There are different coronal structures during this time that lead to different types of solar wind.”

The CODEX coronagraph is shown during optical alignment and assembly. CODEX Team/NASA

This coronagraph will be looking at two types of solar wind. In one, the solar wind travels directly outward from our star, pulling the magnetic field from the Sun into the heliosphere, the bubble that surrounds our solar system. The other type of solar wind forms from magnetic field lines that are initially closed, like a loop, but then open up.

These closed field lines contain hot, dense plasma. When the loops open, this hot plasma gets propelled into the solar wind. While these “blobs” of plasma are present throughout all of the solar cycle, scientists expect their location to change because of the magnetic complexity of the corona during solar maximum. The CODEX instrument is designed to see how hot these blobs are for the first time.

The coronagraph will also build upon research from ongoing space missions, such as the joint ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA mission Solar Orbiter, which also carries a coronagraph, and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. For example, CODEX will look at the solar wind much closer to the solar surface, while Parker Solar Probe samples it a little farther out. Launching in 2025, NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission will make 3D observations of the Sun’s corona to learn how the mass and energy there become solar wind.

By comparing these findings, scientists can better understand how the solar wind is formed and how the solar wind changes as it travels farther from the Sun. This research advances our understanding of space weather, the conditions in space that may interact with Earth and spacecraft.

“Just like understanding hurricanes, you want to understand the atmosphere the storm is flowing through,” said Newmark. “CODEX’s observations will contribute to our understanding of the region that space weather travels through, helping improve predictions.”

The CODEX instrument is a collaboration between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute with additional contribution from Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics.

By Abbey Interrante
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

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• Heliophysics
• Heliophysics Division
• International Space Station (ISS)
• Science Mission Directorate
• Solar Wind
• Space Weather
• The Sun
• The Sun & Solar Physics

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) About 20,000 guests visited NASA’s tent at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California, Sept. 27-29, 2024. NASA

Lee esta historia en Español aquí.

In September, the three NASA centers in California came together to share aerospace innovations with thousands of guests at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California. Agency experts talked about the exciting work NASA does while exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.

Under a large tent near the airfield, guests perused exhibits from different centers and projects, like a model of the Innovator rover or the Alta-X drone, from Sept. 27 through 29. Agency employees from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California; and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California guided guests through tours and presentations and shared messages about NASA missions.

“The airshow is about the people just as much as it is about the aircraft and technology,” said Derek Abramson, chief engineer for the Subscale Flight Research Laboratory at NASA Armstrong. “I met many new people, worked with an amazing team, and developed a comradery with other NASA centers, talking about what we do here as a cohesive organization.”

Experts like flight controls engineer Felipe Valdez shared the NASA mission with air show guests, and explained the novelty of airborne instruments like the Alta-X drone at the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California, Sept. 27-29, 2024.NASA

On Sept. 29, pilots from Armstrong joined the event to take photos with guests and answer questions from curious or enthusiastic patrons. One air show guest had a special moment with NASA pilot Jim Less.

“One of my favorite moments was connecting with a young man in his late teens who stopped by the exhibit tent numerous times, all in hopes of being able to meet Jim Less, our X-59 pilot,” said Kevin Rohrer, chief of Communications at NASA Armstrong. “It culminated with a great conversation with the two and Jim [Less] autographing a model of the X-59 aircraft the young man had been carrying around.”

“I look forward to this tradition continuing, if not at this venue, at some other event in California,” Rohrer continued. “We have a lot of minds hungry and passionate to learn more about all of NASA missions.”

The Miramar Air Show is an annual event that happens at the Miramar Air Base in San Diego, California.

Professionals like Leticha Hawkinson, center right, and Haig Arakelian, center left, shared learning and career opportunities for NASA enthusiasts visiting the Miramar Air Show in San Diego, California, Sept. 27-29, 2024.NASA Share

Details Last Updated Oct 30, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactErica HeimLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms

• Armstrong Flight Research Center
• Ames Research Center
• Careers
• Events
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Armstrong Flight Research Center

Aircraft Flown at Armstrong

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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Aproximadamente 20,000 visitantes pasaron por la carpa de la NASA en el Espectáculo Aéreo de Miramar, celebrado en San Diego, California, entre el 27 y el 29 de septiembre de 2024.NASA

Read this story in English here.

En septiembre, los tres centros de la NASA en California se reunieron para compartir innovaciones aeroespaciales con miles de asistentes en el Espectáculo Aéreo de Miramar, en San Diego, California. Expertos de la agencia hablaron del apasionante trabajo que realiza la NASA mientras explora los secretos del universo en beneficio de todos.

Bajo una gran carpa cerca del aeródromo, los invitados exploraron exposiciones de diferentes centros y proyectos, como una maqueta del rover Innovator o el avión no tripulado Alta-X, desde el 27 al 29 de septiembre. Empleados de la agencia provenientes del Centro de Investigación de Vuelo Armstrong de la NASA en Edwards, California, del Centro de Investigación Ames en Moffett Field, California y del Laboratorio de Propulsión a Chorro (JPL por sus siglas en inglés) en el sur de California guiaron a los visitantes a través de visitas y presentaciones y compartieron mensajes sobre las misiones de la NASA.

“El espectáculo aéreo es tanto sobre la gente como sobre las aeronaves y la tecnología”, dijo Derek Abramson, ingeniero jefe del Laboratorio de Investigación de Vuelo a Subescala de NASA Armstrong. “Conocí a mucha gente nueva, trabajé con un equipo increíble y formé un gran vínculo con otros centros de la NASA, hablando de lo que hacemos aquí como una organización cohesiva”.

Expertos como el ingeniero de controles de vuelo Felipe Valdez compartieron la misión de la NASA con los visitantes del espectáculo aéreo y explicaron la novedad de los instrumentos aéreos como el dron Alta-X en el Espectáculo Aéreo de Miramar en San Diego, California, del 27 al 29 de septiembre de 2024.NASA

El 29 de septiembre, los pilotos de Armstrong se unieron al evento para tomarse fotos con los invitados y responder a las preguntas de los curiosos o entusiastas asistentes. Un visitante del espectáculo aéreo tuvo un momento especial con el piloto de la NASA Jim Less.

“Uno de mis momentos favoritos fue conectar con un joven en sus útimos años de adolescencia que se detuvo numerosas veces en la carpa de exhibición, con la esperanza de poder conocer a Jim Less, nuestro piloto del X-59”, dijo Kevin Rohrer, jefe de comunicaciones de NASA Armstrong. “Culminó con una gran conversación entre los dos y con Jim [Less] autografiando un modelo del avión X-59 que el joven traía consigo”.

“Espero que esta tradición continúe, si no en este mismo lugar, en algún otro evento en California”, continuó Rohrer. “Tenemos muchas mentes hambrientas y apasionadas por aprender más sobre todas las misiones de la NASA”.

El Espectáculo Aéreo de Miramar es un evento anual que tiene lugar en la Base Aérea de Miramar, en San Diego, California.

Profesionales como Leticha Hawkinson, en el centro a la derecha, y Haig Arakelian, en el centro a la izquierda, compartieron oportunidades de aprendizaje y carrera para los entusiastas de la NASA que visitaron el Espectáculo Aéreo de Miramar en San Diego, California, del 27 al 29 de septiembre de 2024.NASA

Articulo traducido por: Elena Aguirre

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Details Last Updated Oct 30, 2024 EditorDede DiniusContactElena Aguirreelena.aguirre@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms

• Armstrong Flight Research Center
• Ames Research Center
• Careers
• Events
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• NASA en español
• What We Do

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4 Min Read Unique NASA Partnerships Spark STEM Learning on Global Scale NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn reading “Goodnight Moon” aboard station for Crayola’s “Read Along, Draw Along” Credits: NASA

NASA offers a world of experiences and opportunities to engage young explorers around the globe in the excitement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement collaborates with experts throughout the agency, the U.S. government, and a variety of global partners to spark inspiration in Artemis Generation students everywhere.

Partnerships with the agency reach new audiences. Here are some of the ways NASA and its partners are making exciting STEM learning resources and opportunities available globally.

• NASA and Minecraft collaborated to bring NASA missions to life.
• NASA and Crayola partnered on a series of virtual engagements to encourage students and families to participate in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics content – for example, the annual Crayola Creativity Week.
• NASA partnered with LEGO Education on educational resources to introduce STEM concepts and careers with students, teachers, and families.
• NASA joined forces with Discovery Education to provide curriculum support resources, videos, and events through their online platform.
• NASA recently signed an agreement with Arizona State University’s Milo Space Science Institute to create new opportunities for students to engage in STEM workforce development through 12-week academies using NASA data sets, information from NASA subject matter experts as well as information on the agency’s missions and careers. 
• NASA partnered with Code.org on the development of computer science and coding resources for teachers and students.
• NASA collaborated with LabXchange to develop free online resources for teachers and students on topics such as solar eclipses, Mars, astrobiology, and Artemis missions, with more than 700 resources available to date.

Representative LEGO minifigures in front of European Service Module that will power the Orion spacecraft on Artemis II. Four LEGO minifigures will fly on Artemis I as part of the official flight kit, which carries mementos for educational outreach and posterity.
Credit: NASA/Radislav Sinyak There’s More to Explore With NASA

International educators and students can find even more ways to engage with NASA’s missions and content through these resources, available online to all.

• For the youngest explorers, NASA Kids Club offers STEM-based games for students ages 3-9.
• The agency’s Artemis Camp Experience features hands-on activities designed to introduce K-12 students to the systems that will enable NASA astronauts to return to the Moon with Artemis.
• NASA’s “First Woman” graphic novel series tells the fictional story of Callie Rodriguez, the first woman to explore the Moon. Created for students in grades 5-12, “First Woman” includes graphic novels in English and Spanish along with accompanying videos, activities, and more.
• Through the agency’s internship opportunities, students gain authentic experience while being part of the agency’s work.
• Student challenges available internationally include the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, in which student teams create and test human-powered rovers, and the Space Apps Challenge, a hackathon that aims to solve real-world challenges on Earth and in space.
• NASA’s ASTRO CAMP Community Partners Program shares NASA STEM content and experiences through youth organizations and informal learning institutions such as museums and libraries, including nearly 30 international partner sites.
• Citizen scientists anywhere can contribute their local observations through the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Observer app, part of the GLOBE program sponsored by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, and Youth Learning as Citizen Environmental Scientists.
• Look up! Use the Spot the Station mobile app and website to know when the International Space Station will pass overhead.
• NASA is much more than astronauts and rocket scientists. The Surprisingly STEM video series highlights unexpected careers with linked hands-on activities.
• STEM resources for educators and students can be found anytime on NASA’s Learning Resources website.
• The agency offers video on demand through NASA+ with unique STEM programming, live coverage of NASA missions, and more.

Students put their human-powered rover to the test in NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge.
Credit: NASA Get NASA STEM Updates via Email

NASA STEM’s e-newsletters deliver the latest updates to email inboxes around the world. The NASA EXPRESS weekly e-newsletter offers the latest NASA STEM content and opportunities, while the monthly Earthrise e-newsletter offers themed resources to elevate Earth and climate science in the classroom.

Learn more about how NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement is inspiring Artemis Generation explorers at: https://www.nasa.gov/stem

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Details Last Updated Oct 02, 2024 Related Terms

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Showcase your creative side and your research!   

They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This year’s ASGSR conference will include an art competition, inviting researchers to bring their science to life through art.  

Consider submitting an entry for yourself or encourage your students to enter, too!  Entries will be displayed at the 2024 ASGSR conference. Awards will be announced at the 2024 ASGSR Banquet on December 7, 2024. 

Suggested subjects or themes: Your investigations or an interpretation of “Thriving in Space,” the National Academies’ Decadal Survey title. 

Award categories: 

• Cover of the ASGSR’s 2025 Open-Access journal Gravitational and Space Research, selected by the GSR Editorial Board 

• Artistic Merit award, as voted by ASGSR conference attendees  

• Technical Merit, as voted by ASGSR conference attendees 

Criteria: 

• To participate, at least one of the artists is required to be a registered attendee at the meeting and the art must be physically displayed during the meeting.  

• We recommend you mount your art with a rigid backing or frame, so it stands up on the provided easel, with a maximum size no greater than 25 x 16 inches.  If traveling by air, please make sure to consider luggage size. 

• The display should include a title of the piece, artists/affiliations and a brief explanation (a few sentences). Voting will be by Title, so please try to use a concise and catchy title that is easy to write on the ballot.   

• Similar to what one would see in an art gallery, the quality of printing, use of border, frames, 3D effects, etc., can significantly enhance the visual and professional appeal of your artwork. 

• Eligible entries for the GSR Journal Cover and Technical Merit must be original scientific imagery. 

• Eligible entries for Artistic Merit can include images (photographs or computer-generated), paintings, drawings, or sketches of gravitational and space research phenomena.  

• Rearrangement, assembly, or other creative mixing of images into an art-form is appropriate and encouraged only for the Artistic Merit category, whereas the GSR Journal Cover entries must be original imagery.  

Additional information: 

• You are expected to set up your display at the meeting site at the start of the conference and remove it by the end of the meeting. ASGSR will provide easels for your art displays. 

• ASGSR cannot guarantee the security of your artwork while on display at the hotel.   

• Submission indicates your permission for your artwork to be displayed on the ASGSR website.  

• “Thriving in Space” entries may be featured in NASA communications products. Submission indicates permission for use of your art without compensation. 

• Each registered attendee will receive an art ballot as part of the registration package.   

The peer voting will occur throughout the conference until noon Saturday, December 7, 2024.  We plan to announce the winners at the banquet. 

How to submit your entry: Electronically submit a high-resolution image with a title, list of contributing artists and their affiliations, and brief explanation of your submission to Kelly Bailey at Art.ASGSR@gmail.com  by November 8, 2024.  

 We encourage you to submit an entry and look forward to a very successful event! 

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA astronaut Kate Rubins takes Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison “Jack” Schmitt on a ride on NASA’s rover prototype at Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/James Blair

When astronauts return to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, they will benefit from having a human-rated unpressurized LTV (Lunar Terrain Vehicle) that will allow them to explore more of the lunar surface, enabling diverse scientific discoveries.

As crewed Artemis missions near, engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston are designing an unpressurized rover prototype, known as the Ground Test Unit. The test unit will employ a flexible architecture to simulate and evaluate different rover concepts for use beginning with Artemis V.

In April 2024, as part of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract, NASA selected three vendors — Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab — to supply rover capabilities for use by astronauts on the lunar surface. While the test unit will never go to the Moon, it will support the development of additional rover prototypes that will enable NASA and the three companies to continue making progress until one of the providers comes online. Additionally, data provided from GTU testing helps inform both NASA and the commercial companies as they continue evolving their rover designs as it serves as an engineering testbed for the LTV providers to test their technologies on crew compartment design, rover maintenance, and payload science integration, to name a few.

“The Ground Test Unit will help NASA teams on the ground, test and understand all aspects of rover operations on the lunar surface ahead of Artemis missions,” said Jeff Somers, engineering lead for the Ground Test Unit. “The GTU allows NASA to be a smart buyer, so we are able to test and evaluate rover operations while we work with the LTVS contractors and their hardware.” 

Suited NASA engineers sit on the rover prototype during testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford A suited NASA engineer sits on the agency’s rover prototype during testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford Suited NASA engineers sit on the rover prototype during testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Bill Stafford

The LTVS contractors have requirements that align with the existing GTU capabilities. As with the test unit, the vendor-developed, LTV should support up to two crewmembers, have the ability to be operated remotely, and can implement multiple control concepts such as drive modes, self-leveling, and supervised autonomy. Having a NASA prototype of the vehicle we will drive on the Moon, here on Earth, allows many teams to test capabilities while also getting hands-on engineering experience developing rover hardware.

NASA has built some next generation rover concept vehicles following the successes of the agency’s Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle in the 1970s, including this iteration of the GTU. Crewed test vehicles here on Earth like the GTU help NASA learn new ways that astronauts can live and work safely and productively on the Moon, and one day on the surface of Mars. As vendor designs evolve, the contracted LTV as well as the GTU allow for testing before missions head to the Moon. The vehicles on the ground also allow NASA to reduce some risks when it comes to adapting new technologies or specific rover design features.

Human surface mobility helps increase the exploration footprint on the lunar surface allowing each mission to conduct more research and increase the value to the scientific community. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts – including the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut – to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, technology evolution, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for future crewed missions to Mars. 

Learn about the rovers, suits, and tools that will help Artemis astronauts to explore more of the Moon: 

https://go.nasa.gov/3MnEfrB

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Sols 4321-4322: Sailing Out of Gediz Vallis This image was taken by Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) aboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4319 — Martian day 4,319 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission — on Sept. 29, 2024 at 21:31:07 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Earth planning date: Monday, Sept. 30, 2024

For the past few plans, Curiosity has been wrapping up its science campaign within Gediz Vallis. Over the weekend, the rover completed analyses on white stones encountered while departing the channel, before continuing along the western margin of Gediz Vallis. As we exit the channel, a metaphorical red buoy to our left, uncharted terrain lay ahead.

Today’s two-sol plan commenced with APXS and MAHLI completing a thorough sounding of the target “Flat Note Lake,” the seemingly brighter rock in the left-middle of the image just below a darker cobble and on the margin of swell-like sand ripples. Curiosity also focused ChemCam’s telescope on several key beacons in the landscape. The first target, “Cactus Point,” received a number of laser shots from ChemCam, akin to signaling with a lighthouse to assess its elemental message back to the ship. ChemCam’s RMI captured high-definition mosaics of key formations including rugged yardangs, formations that would not take too kindly to contact with a vessel’s hull. Mastcam complemented these observations with its own survey of the local area, capturing targets that included “Tombstone Ridge,” “Balloon Dome,” “Pinnacle Ridge,” “Clyde Spires,” “Confusion Lake” and “Pilot Peak” in addition to Cactus Point. A lengthy DAN passive measurement was completed in parallel, akin to a depth sounder probing the terrain beneath our hull.  With the scientific reconnaissance of the first sol complete, Curiosity tested its metaphorical rigging in the form of trying out some Feed-Extended Sample Transfer arm activities in parallel with a telecommunications window before setting course out of the channel. This is similar to the test we did sols 4311-4313, and will hopefully help us become more efficient in the future.

The second sol of the plan was primarily focused on gathering environmental data and performing post-departure imaging in preparation for Wednesday’s plan, analogous to a ship trimming its sails and adjusting the helm as it exits a sheltered cove. ChemCam completed a calibration activity, fine-tuning its sextant in preparation for its next round of observations. Environmental monitoring and a SAM activity rounded out the second sol of the plan. 

Written by Scott VanBommel, Planetary Scientist at Washington University

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Via NASA Plane, Scientists Find New Gamma-ray Emission in Storm Clouds Tropical thunderstorm with lightning, near the airport of Santa Marta, Colombia. Credit: Oscar van der Velde

There’s more to thunderclouds than rain and lightning. Along with visible light emissions, thunderclouds can produce intense bursts of gamma rays, the most energetic form of light, that last for millionths of a second. The clouds can also glow steadily with gamma rays for seconds to minutes at a time.

Researchers using NASA airborne platforms have now found a new kind of gamma-ray emission that’s shorter in duration than the steady glows and longer than the microsecond bursts. They’re calling it a flickering gamma-ray flash. The discovery fills in a missing link in scientists’ understanding of thundercloud radiation and provides new insights into the mechanisms that produce lightning. The insights, in turn, could lead to more accurate lightning risk estimates for people, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway led the study in collaboration with scientists from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and multiple universities in the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, and Europe. The findings were described in a pair of papers in Nature, published Oct. 2.

The international research team made their discovery while flying a battery of detectors aboard a NASA ER-2 research aircraft. In July 2023, the ER-2 set out on a series of 10 flights from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. The plane flew figure-eight flight patterns a few miles above tropical thunderclouds in the Caribbean and Central America, providing unprecedented views of cloud activity.

The scientific payload was developed for the Airborne Lightning Observatory for Fly’s Eye Geostationary Lightning Mapper Simulator and Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (ALOFT) campaign. Instrumentation in the payload included weather radars along with multiple sensors for measuring gamma rays, lightning flashes, and microwave emissions from clouds. 

NASA’s high-flying ER-2 airplane carries instrumentation in this artist’s impression of the ALOFT mission to record gamma rays (colored purple for illustration) from thunderclouds.Credit: NASA/ALOFT team

The researchers had hoped ALOFT instruments would observe fast radiation bursts known as terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). The flashes, first discovered in 1992 by NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray Observatory spacecraft, accompany some lightning strikes and last only millionths of a second. Despite their high intensity and their association with visible lightning, few TGFs have been spotted during previous aircraft-based studies.  

“I went to a meeting just before the ALOFT campaign,” said principal investigator Nikolai Østgaard, a space physicist with the University of Bergen. “And they asked me: ‘How many TGFs are you going to see?’ I said: ‘Either we’ll see zero, or we’ll see a lot.’ And then we happened to see 130.” 

However, the flickering gamma-ray flashes were a complete surprise.

“They’re almost impossible to detect from space,” said co-principal investigator Martino Marisaldi, who is also a University of Bergen space physicist. “But when you are flying at 20 kilometers [12.5 miles] high, you’re so close that you will see them.” The research team found more than 25 of these new flashes, each lasting between 50 to 200 milliseconds. 

The abundance of fast bursts and the discovery of intermediate-duration flashes could be among the most important thundercloud discoveries in a decade or more, said University of New Hampshire physicist Joseph Dwyer, who was not involved in the research. “They’re telling us something about how thunderstorms work, which is really important because thunderstorms produce lightning that hurts and kills a lot of people.” 

More broadly, Dwyer said he is excited about the prospects of advancing the field of meteorology. “I think everyone assumes that we figured out lightning a long time ago, but it’s an overlooked area … we don’t understand what’s going on inside those clouds right over our heads.” The discovery of flickering gamma-ray flashes may provide crucial clues scientists need to understand thundercloud dynamics, he said.

Turning to aircraft-based instrumentation rather than satellites ensured a lot of bang for research bucks, said the study’s project scientist, Timothy Lang of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. 

“If we had gotten one flash, we would have been ecstatic — and we got well over 100,” he said. This research could lead to a significant advance in our understanding of thunderstorms and radiation from thunderstorms. “It shows that if you have the right problem and you’re willing to take a little bit of risk, you can have a huge payoff.”

By James Riordon
NASA’s Earth Science News Team

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  Comets: Unpredictable, But Irresistible

A new comet is passing through the inner solar system! Time will tell if it’s the brightest of the year, once it appears in twilight after about October 14.

Skywatching Highlights

• All month – Planet visibility report: Look for Venus low in the west just after sunset; Saturn can be seen toward the southeast as soon as it gets dark; Mars rises around midnight; and Jupiter rises in the first half of the night (rising earlier as the month goes on).
• October 2 – New moon
• October 11 – Europa is easily observable to one side of Jupiter by itself this morning using binoculars.
• October 14-31 – Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) becomes visible low in the west following sunset. If the comet’s tail is well-illuminated by sunlight, it could be visible to the unaided eye. The first week and a half (Oct. 14-24) is the best time to observe, using binoculars or a small telescope.
• October 13-14 – After dark both nights, look for the nearly full Moon with Saturn toward the southeast.
• October 17 – Full moon
• October 20 – The Moon rises near Jupiter, with the giant planet looking extremely bright. You should be able to find them low in the east after around 10 pm.
• October 23-24 – Early risers will be able to spot Mars together with the Moon, high overhead in the south both mornings.
• October 25 – Europa is easily observable to one side of Jupiter by itself this morning using binoculars.

Transcript

What’s Up for October?

This month’s viewing tips for Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. When’s the best time to observe the destination of NASA’s next deep space mission? And how you can see a (potentially bright) comet this month?

And watch our video ’till the end for photos of highlights from last month’s skies.

Sky chart showing Mars near the Moon on October 23. The pair appear quite high overhead, along with Jupiter.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Up first, we look at the visibility of the planets in October. Look for Venus low in the west just after sunset. It’s setting by the time the sky is fully dark. Saturn is visible toward the southeast as soon as it gets dark out, and sets by dawn. Mars rises around midnight all month. By dawn it has climbed quite high into the south-southeastern sky, appearing together with Jupiter. Now, Jupiter is rising in the first half of the night. In early October you’ll find it high in the south as dawn approaches, and later in the month it’s progressed farther over to the west before sunrise.

And, speaking of Jupiter, NASA plans to launch its latest solar system exploration mission to one of the giant planet’s moons this month. Europa Clipper is slated to blast off as early as October 10th. It’s thought that Europa holds an enormous ocean of salty liquid water beneath its icy surface. That makes this the first mission dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth. Europa Clipper is designed to help us understand whether this icy moon could support some form of life, and along the way it’ll teach us more about the conditions that make a world habitable.

Now, if you’ve ever pointed binoculars or a telescope at Jupiter, you know the thrill of seeing the little star-like points of light next to it that are its four large moons, which were first observed by Galileo in 1610.

There are two mornings in October, the 11th and the 25th, when you can most easily observe Europa. These are times when the moon is at its greatest separation from the planet as seen from here on Earth, and it’s all by itself to one side of Jupiter. So be sure to have your own peek at Jupiter’s moon Europa this month, as a new NASA mission begins its journey to explore an ocean in the sky.

Now a look at Moon and planet pair-ups for October. On the 13th and 14th after dark, look for the nearly full Moon with Saturn toward the southeast. Then on the evening of October 20th, the Moon rises near Jupiter, with the giant planet looking extremely bright.
You should be able to find them low in the east after around 10 pm that night. Then, in the morning of Oct. 23rd and 24th, early risers will be able to spot Mars together with the Moon, high overhead in the south.

Sky chart showing the location of Comet C/2023 A3 between Oct. 14 and Oct 24 following sunset. The comet climbs higher each evening, but also grows fainter. NASA/JPL-Caltech

October offers a chance to observe what could be the brightest comet of the year. Earlier this year we got a look at Comet 12P, which was visible with binoculars but not super bright. Now another of these ancient and icy dust balls is streaking through our neighborhood on an 80,000-year orbit from the distant reaches of the Oort Cloud. The comet, known as C/2023 A3, aka Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is currently speeding through the inner solar system. It passed its closest to the Sun in late September, and will be at its closest to Earth on October 13th. And after that time, through the end of the month, will be the best time to look for it. This is when the comet will become visible low in the western sky beginning during twilight.

It will quickly rise higher each subsequent evening, making it easier to observe, but it’ll also be getting a little fainter each night. As with all comets, predictions for how bright it could get are uncertain. If the comet’s tail is brilliantly illuminated by the Sun, predictions show that it could become bright enough to see with the unaided eye. But comets have a way of surprising us, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Your best shot at seeing it will be from around October 14th through the 24th, with binoculars or a small telescope, and a reasonably clear view toward the west. So good luck, and clear skies, comet hunters!

Watch our video for views of what some of the highlights we told you about in last month’s video actually looked like.

The phases of the Moon for October 2024.NASA/JPL-Caltech

And here are the phases of the Moon for October. Stay up to date on all of NASA’s missions exploring the solar system and beyond at science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and that’s What’s Up for this month.

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Watch how the three stars in the system called TIC 290061484 eclipse each other over about 75 days. The line at the bottom is the plot of the system’s brightness over time, as seen by TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). The inset shows the system from above.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Professional and amateur astronomers teamed up with artificial intelligence to find an unmatched stellar trio called TIC 290061484, thanks to cosmic “strobe lights” captured by NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). 

The system contains a set of twin stars orbiting each other every 1.8 days, and a third star that circles the pair in just 25 days. The discovery smashes the record for shortest outer orbital period for this type of system, set in 1956, which had a third star orbiting an inner pair in 33 days.

“Thanks to the compact, edge-on configuration of the system, we can measure the orbits, masses, sizes, and temperatures of its stars,” said Veselin Kostov, a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. “And we can study how the system formed and predict how it may evolve.”

A paper, led by Kostov, describing the results was published in The Astrophysical Journal Oct. 2.

This artist’s concept illustrates how tightly the three stars in the system called TIC 290061484 orbit each other. If they were placed at the center of our solar system, all the stars’ orbits would be contained a space smaller than Mercury’s orbit around the Sun. The sizes of the triplet stars and the Sun are also to scale.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Flickers in starlight helped reveal the tight trio, which is located in the constellation Cygnus. The system happens to be almost flat from our perspective. This means the stars each cross right in front of, or eclipse, each other as they orbit. When that happens, the nearer star blocks some of the farther star’s light.

Using machine learning, scientists filtered through enormous sets of starlight data from TESS to identify patterns of dimming that reveal eclipses. Then, a small team of citizen scientists filtered further, relying on years of experience and informal training to find particularly interesting cases.

These amateur astronomers, who are co-authors on the new study, met as participants in an online citizen science project called Planet Hunters, which was active from 2010 to 2013. The volunteers later teamed up with professional astronomers to create a new collaboration called the Visual Survey Group, which has been active for over a decade.

“We’re mainly looking for signatures of compact multi-star systems, unusual pulsating stars in binary systems, and weird objects,” said Saul Rappaport, an emeritus professor of physics at MIT in Cambridge. Rappaport co-authored the paper and has helped lead the Visual Survey Group for more than a decade. “It’s exciting to identify a system like this because they’re rarely found, but they may be more common than current tallies suggest.” Many more likely speckle our galaxy, waiting to be discovered.

Partly because the stars in the newfound system orbit in nearly the same plane, scientists say it’s likely very stable despite their tight configuration (the trio’s orbits fit within a smaller area than Mercury’s orbit around the Sun). Each star’s gravity doesn’t perturb the others too much, like they could if their orbits were tilted in different directions.

But while their orbits will likely remain stable for millions of years, “no one lives here,” Rappaport said. “We think the stars formed together from the same growth process, which would have disrupted planets from forming very closely around any of the stars.” The exception could be a distant planet orbiting the three stars as if they were one.

As the inner stars age, they will expand and ultimately merge, triggering a supernova explosion in around 20 to 40 million years.

In the meantime, astronomers are hunting for triple stars with even shorter orbits. That’s hard to do with current technology, but a new tool is on the way.

This graphic highlights the search areas of three transit-spotting missions: NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), and the retired Kepler Space Telescope. Kepler found 13 triply eclipsing triple star systems, TESS has found more than 100 so far, and astronomers expect Roman to find more than 1,000.NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Images from NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be much more detailed than TESS’s. The same area of the sky covered by a single TESS pixel will fit more than 36,000 Roman pixels. And while TESS took a wide, shallow look at the entire sky, Roman will pierce deep into the heart of our galaxy where stars crowd together, providing a core sample rather than skimming the whole surface.

“We don’t know much about a lot of the stars in the center of the galaxy except for the brightest ones,” said Brian Powell, a co-author and data scientist at Goddard. “Roman’s high-resolution view will help us measure light from stars that usually blur together, providing the best look yet at the nature of star systems in our galaxy.”

And since Roman will monitor light from hundreds of millions of stars as part of one of its main surveys, it will help astronomers find more triple star systems in which all the stars eclipse each other.

“We’re curious why we haven’t found star systems like these with even shorter outer orbital periods,” said Powell. “Roman should help us find them and bring us closer to figuring out what their limits might be.”

Roman could also find eclipsing stars bound together in even larger groups — half a dozen, or perhaps even more all orbiting each other like bees buzzing around a hive.

“Before scientists discovered triply eclipsing triple star systems, we didn’t expect them to be out there,” said co-author Tamás Borkovits, a senior research fellow at the Baja Observatory of The University of Szeged in Hungary. “But once we found them, we thought, well why not? Roman, too, may reveal never-before-seen categories of systems and objects that will surprise astronomers.”

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.

NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public and do not require U.S. citizenship. Through these collaborations, volunteers (known as citizen scientists) have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries. To get involved with a project, visit NASA’s Citizen Science page.

Download additional images and video from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.

By Ashley Balzer
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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7 Min Read NASA’s Webb Reveals Unusual Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P An artist’s concept of Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1’s outgassing activity as seen from the side. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI)

Inspired by the half-human, half-horse creatures that are part of Ancient Greek mythology, the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs: distant objects orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has mapped the gases spewing from one of these objects, suggesting a varied composition and providing new insights into the formation and evolution of the solar system.

Centaurs are former trans-Neptunian objects that have been moved inside Neptune’s orbit by subtle gravitational influences of the planets in the last few million years, and may eventually become short-period comets. They are “hybrid” in the sense that they are in a transitional stage of their orbital evolution: Many share characteristics with both trans-Neptunian objects (from the cold Kuiper Belt reservoir), and short-period comets, which are objects highly altered by repeated close passages around the Sun.

Image A: Illustration An artist’s concept of Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1’s outgassing activity as seen from the side. While prior radio-wavelength observations showed a jet of gas pointed toward Earth, astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to gather additional insight on the front jet’s composition and noted three more jets of gas spewing from Centaur 29P’s surface.NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI)

Since these small icy bodies are in an orbital transitional phase, they have been the subject of various studies as scientists seek to understand their composition, the reasons behind their outgassing activity — the loss of their ices that lie underneath the surface — and how they serve as a link between primordial icy bodies in the outer solar system and evolved comets.

A team of scientists recently used Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument to obtain data on Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 (29P for short), an object that is known for its highly active and quasi-periodic outbursts. It varies in intensity every six to eight weeks, making it one of the most active objects in the outer solar system. They discovered a new jet of carbon monoxide (CO) and previously unseen jets of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, which give new clues to the nature of the centaur’s nucleus.

“Centaurs can be considered as some of the leftovers of our planetary system’s formation. Because they are stored at very cold temperatures, they preserve information about volatiles in the early stages of the solar system,” said Sara Faggi of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and American University in Washington, DC, lead author of the study. “Webb really opened the door to a resolution and sensitivity that was impressive to us — when we saw the data for the first time, we were excited. We had never seen anything like this.”

Webb and the Jets

Centaurs’ distant orbits and consequent faintness have inhibited detailed observations in the past. Data from prior radio wavelength observations of Centaur 29P showed a jet pointed generally toward the Sun (and Earth) composed of CO. Webb detected this face-on jet and, thanks to its large mirror and infrared capabilities, also sensitively searched for many other chemicals, including water (H2O) and CO2. The latter is one of the main forms in which carbon is stored across the solar system. No indication of water vapor was detected in the atmosphere of 29P, which could be related to the extremely cold temperatures present in this body.

The telescope’s unique imaging and spectral data revealed never-before-seen features: two jets of CO2 emanating in the north and south directions, and another jet of CO pointing toward the north. This was the first definitive detection of CO2 in Centaur 29P.

Image B: IFU Graphic A team of scientists used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s spectrographic capabilities to gather data on Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, one of the most active objects in the outer solar system. The Webb data revealed never-before-seen features: two jets of carbon dioxide spewing in the north and south directions, and a jet of carbon monoxide pointing toward north.NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI), S. Faggi (NASA-GSFC, American University)

Based on the data gathered by Webb, the team created a 3D model of the jets to understand their orientation and origin. They found through their modeling efforts that the jets were emitted from different regions on the centaur’s nucleus, even though the nucleus itself cannot be resolved by Webb. The jets’ angles suggest the possibility that the nucleus may be an aggregate of distinct objects with different compositions; however, other scenarios can’t yet be excluded.

Video A: Zoom and Spin An artist’s concept of Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1’s outgassing activity as seen from the side. While prior radio-wavelength observations showed a jet of gas pointed toward Earth, astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to gather additional insight on the front jet’s composition and noted three more jets of gas spewing from Centaur 29P’s surface.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI)

“The fact that Centaur 29P has such dramatic differences in the abundance of CO and CO2 across its surface suggests that 29P may be made of several pieces,” said Geronimo Villanueva, co-author of the study at NASA Goddard. “Maybe two pieces coalesced together and made this centaur, which is a mixture between very different bodies that underwent separate formation pathways. It challenges our ideas about how primordial objects are created and stored in the Kuiper Belt.”

Persisting Unanswered Questions (For Now)

The reasons for Centaur 29P’s bursts in brightness, and the mechanisms behind its outgassing activity through the CO and CO2 jets, continue to be two major areas of interest that require further investigation.

In the case of comets, scientists know that their jets are often driven by the outgassing of water. However, because of the centaurs’ location, they are too cold for water ice to sublimate, meaning that the nature of their outgassing activity differs from comets.

“We only had time to look at this object once, like a snapshot in time,” said Adam McKay, a co-author of the study at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. “I’d like to go back and look at Centaur 29P over a much longer period of time. Do the jets always have that orientation? Is there perhaps another carbon monoxide jet that turns on at a different point in the rotation period? Looking at these jets over time would give us much better insights into what is driving these outbursts.”

The team is hopeful that as they increase their understanding of Centaur 29P, they can apply the same techniques to other centaurs. By improving the astronomical community’s collective knowledge of centaurs, we can simultaneously better our understanding on the formation and evolution of our solar system.

These findings have been published in Nature.

The observations were taken as part of General Observer program 2416.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

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Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Abigail Major – amajor@stsci.edu, Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

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Details Last Updated Oct 02, 2024 EditorMarty McCoyContactLaura Betzlaura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms

• Asteroids
• Astrophysics
• Comets
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
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• The Solar System

NASA has selected Intuitive Machines of Houston and Aalyria Technologies Inc. of Livermore, California, to perform capability studies with the goal of advancing space communications and exploration technologies. These studies will allow NASA to gain insights into industry capabilities and innovations to facilitate NASA partnerships with commercial communications and navigation providers.

The awards, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (Next STEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Appendix Q, are firm fixed-price milestone-based contracts.

Intuitive Machines is awarded $647,600 — Study Area No. 1, Lunar User Terminals and Network Orchestration — to conduct state-of-the-art studies and demonstrations for a dual-purpose navigation and communication lunar surface user terminal. The terminal will support lunar surface exploration planning and ensure interoperability with future LunaNet compatible service providers working in partnership with NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and other space agencies.

Aalyria Technologies is awarded $393,004 — Study Area No. 2, Network Orchestration and Management System (NOMS) — to provide NASA with insights on advanced Network Orchestration and Management Systems that effectively address NASA’s need to integrate into multiple commercial and government communication service providers supporting the Near Space Network.

NASA’s Near Space Network is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, under the direction of the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program office within the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Near Space Network provides NASA missions with robust communications services through an interoperable architecture composed of a mixture of existing NASA and commercial services.

“These awards are part of NASA’s continuing effort to build commercial partnerships to help support increasingly sophisticated and high-demand space missions,” said Greg Heckler, new capability lead for the SCaN Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Seamless interoperability across networks, from here on Earth to cislunar space, is an essential element of SCaN’s emerging ‘one network’ approach. These awards will move us one step closer to realizing that future.”

The innovative studies delivered by industry through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration (NextSTEP) – 2 Omnibus Broad Agency Announcement vehicle bolster the agency’s goal to create a reliable, robust, and cost-effective set of commercial services in which NASA is one of many customers.

Learn more about the NextSTEP public-private partnership model at:

https://www.nasa.gov/nextstep

-end-

Jeremy Eggers
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
757-824-2958
jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov

To shape NASA’s path of exploration forward, Dr. Gioia Rau unravels stars and worlds beyond our solar system.

Name: Dr. Gioia Rau
Title: Astrophysicist
Organization: Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate (Code 667)

Dr. Gioia Rau is an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.Photo courtesy of Gioia Rau

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?

I’m an astrophysicist who studies both evolved stars, stars that about to die, and exoplanets, planets outside our solar system. I study the stars that once held the elements that are in our body, such as calcium. I also lead the science part of several mission concept studies. And I am really passionate about strategic thinking.

How does it feel to achieve your childhood dream of becoming an astrophysicist at NASA?

I am from Italy. Growing up, I was always fascinated by NASA. As a child, I watched the shuttle launches. I loved everything about stars, planets, and galaxies. I devoured astronomy books. I always knew that I wanted to study astrophysics.

Around 10 years old, I wrote a letter to NASA saying that I wanted to become an astrophysicist to study the universe. NASA sent me information and encouraged me to study and work hard. So I did.

I still remember my first day working at NASA. I looked around with so much joy at my dream coming true. Every day that I work at Goddard, I find more passion to continue pursue my dreams.

What is your educational background?

In 2009, I earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Rome, La Sapienza. In 2011, I obtained a master’s in physics and astrophysics there. Also in 2011, I was awarded a very competitive fellowship to do a master’s thesis at the California Institute of Technology and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab thanks to my high GPA. In 2016, I earned a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Vienna. I came to Goddard in 2017 when I obtained a NASA post-doctoral fellowship.

Why do you study evolved stars? 

Evolved stars are the future of our own Sun, which in about 5 billion years will die. Evolved stars also produce elements found in our own bodies, as, for example, the calcium in our bones, the iron in our blood, and the gold in our rings. The stardust that I study is spread by the stellar winds into the interstellar medium to form new generation of stars and planets, and contribute to the cosmic recycle of matter in the universe.

As Carl Sagan said, “We are all made of stardust.”

What is most interesting about studying exoplanets?

If we discover an exoplanet within the habitable zone of its star, we increase the likelihood of finding a planet with Earth-like conditions. This can enhance our understanding of planetary formation processes, and help determine if these exoplanets may harbor life through studying their atmospheres.

My team of students and scientists used Artificial Intelligence techniques to discover new exoplanet candidates. They are called candidates because they need to be confirmed through follow-up observations. It was a very exciting, pioneering project using cutting-edge techniques.

Why is working on mission concepts important to you?

Mission concepts represent the future of space exploration, and I lead the science team of multiple mission concepts. By working on these pioneering projects, we as teams are actively shaping the future of NASA, and advancing the field of astrophysics. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with so many brilliant scientists and engineers. I am passionate about strategic thinking and the visionary process behind it to shape the future of science and of organizations alike. I thrive on seeing the big picture and contributing to initiative that shape the future of organizations and people alike.

Why do you love mentoring?

I love working with students. It is gratifying to teach them and fuel their passions and also, again, working with the next generation helps shape NASA’s future. I tell the students what I firmly believe: that resilience, grit, passion, and hard work are some of the most important qualities in a scientist. That integrity, humility, and flexibility are great values to honor as a scientist. And I tell them not to be afraid of trying something new. After all, failure is part of being a scientist. Doing science is about learning from failures, to be successful. As scientists, we follow the scientific method to test our hypotheses through experiments. Ninety-nine percent of the time that experiment does not work the first time. So we need to keep refining the experiment until it does work. I also tell my students to keep in focus their goal, and work very hard toward it: make a plan and stick to it.

What is your message when you do outreach?

I started doing outreach when I was in college. I have since done hundreds of outreach events; I am passionate about sharing the joy of astrophysics, and my passion for it, with the general public! When I do outreach, my goal is to make the Universe accessible to the public: the Cosmos belongs to all of us, and we can all enjoy the beauty and wanders of the Universe, together.  I aim to build connections that bridge the gap between science and the public, working together to deepen our understanding of the Universe and inspire the next generation of scientists. I also remind the audience that behind every success there are a multitude of failures that led to that success. I tell them why I am passionate about science and how I became an astrophysicist at NASA. Engaging with people makes science more accessible and relatable. Outreach inspires the next generation to become scientists.

Who is your science hero?

Hypatia. She was an astronomer and a philosopher who lived in ancient Greece. At that time, scientists were also philosophers, and I love philosophy. She was martyred because her views were considered to be against the established way of thinking. She was a martyr for freedom of thought.

Do you have a phrase that you live by?

Keep on dreaming, and work hard toward your goals; ad astra per aspera!

Who do you wish to thank?

My father and my mother, and my current family: my husband who is my biggest supporter and fan, and my kids for the joy they bring. I also would like to thank all my mentors along the way. They always believed in me and guided me on my path.

What do you do for fun?

I love playing volleyball, skiing, reading, taking photos, playing the piano and the guitar, hiking, sailing, baking, and of course being with my family.

What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.

Unraveling mysteries, shaping futures, inspiring paths.

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.

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Details Last Updated Oct 01, 2024 EditorMadison OlsonContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms

• People of Goddard
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• People of NASA

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