Explore - Blog Posts
Earth Day at Home with NASA
When you think about Earth Day, you might think about planting trees or picking up garbage. But right now, as a lot of us are staying inside to stay safe, we’ve got you covered for Earth Day at Home with ways to appreciate our beautiful home planet from your couch.
Want to help our researchers map coral in the ocean?
Our new NeMo-Net app lets you do that while playing a game!
What about virtually exploring our planet?
Worldview lets you choose any location on Earth and see it the way our satellites do – in natural color, lit by electric lights at night, or in infrared, highlighting fires around the globe.
On April 22 -- Earth Day -- we’ll have a host of activities you can participate in. Scientists will share their research from their own homes, including messages from astronauts living on the International Space Station! Hear stories from a trip to Earth’s most remote location: Antarctica, including what happens when the chocolate goes missing on a weeks-long excursion. We’ll even have a new episode of NASA Science Live sharing some of what we’re doing to make our work more sustainable.
We’ll be sharing Earth Day from our homes with #EarthDayAtHome on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and with a Tumblr Answer Time right here! Follow along, and participate, as we share our love for our home planet with you.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
NASA Spotlight: Astronaut Jonny Kim
Dr. Jonny Kim was selected by NASA to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. He reported for duty in August 2017 and having completed the initial astronaut candidate training is now eligible for mission assignments to the International Space Station, the Moon and eventually Mars. A U.S. Navy SEAL, Kim completed more than 100 combat operations. Kim was commissioned as a naval officer through an enlisted-to-officer program and earned his degree in mathematics at the University of San Diego and a doctorate of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Korean-American immigrants, he enjoys spending time with his family, outdoor activities, academic and professional mentoring, strength training and lifelong learning.
Dr. Kim took some time from his job as a NASA astronaut to answer questions about his life and career! Enjoy:
Why did you apply to be an astronaut?
For many reasons. I think that humans are natural explorers. There is a calling in all of us to explore the unknown, push the boundaries and redefine what is possible. I’m drawn to the physical and mental challenges of space exploration and the teamwork required to complete such an objective. And finally, the opportunity to do something good for our country, for humanity, and to inspire the next generation of thinkers, leaders, explorers and scientists.
What was your favorite memory from astronaut training?
I’m a big believer that people can grow stronger bonds with each other when they succeed through shared hardship. And I think that developing relationships with one another is one of the best ways to forge successful team skills to be successful in any endeavor. With that context, I can tell you that my favorite memory from astronaut training was traversing the deep canyon slots of the Utah Canyon Lands for almost 2 weeks with my classmates. We hiked trails, climbed canyons, swam through deep, dark, cold and murky waters and forged through uncertainty, all while being together. This shared hardship was not only fun, but it helped us grow closer to one another. It’s one of the fondest memories I have when I think about my amazing classmates, and through that shared hardship, I know I can count on any one of my fellow astronauts when the going gets tough.
If you could play any song during launch, what would it be?
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell myself to always follow your passion, never stature or money, because following a life of passion is long-term, sustainable and usually helps others. Be accountable for your mistakes and failures, and maintain the humility to learn from those mistakes and failures. And finally, I would caution myself that all worthwhile goals are difficult to obtain, but with the right attitude and hard work, you can accomplish anything.
How did your time as a Navy Seal impact your astronaut training?
Being a Naval Special Warfare Operator taught me that humans are capable of accomplishing ten times what their bodies and mind tell them. I learned there are no limits in life, and the biggest setback one can have is a poor attitude. I learned the value of strong leadership and accountability. I also learned the meaning of sacrifice, hardship, teamwork, love and compassion. All these traits helped me to develop the hard and soft skills required to be an astronaut.
How do we prepare medically for long duration missions? What tools, resources, medications do we anticipate needing, and how do we figure that out?
This is a great question and the answer is evolving. The way we answer this question is by being thoughtful and consulting the medical communities to weigh the pros and cons of every single decision we make regarding this. Mass plays an important factor, so we have to be mindful of everything we bring and how we train for it.
Who was the first person you called after being selected to be an astronaut?
It would have been my wife but she was with me when I heard the news. The first person I called was my mom.
What is one item from home that you would bring to space?
A picture of my wife and kids.
What does it mean to you to be part of the Artemis generation of astronauts?
It means that I have a duty and obligation to serve humanity’s best interests. To explore the unknown, push boundaries and redefine what’s possible. It means I have an immense opportunity to serve as an example and inspiration to our next generation of leaders and explorers. It also means there is a hard road ahead, and when the mission calls for us, we will be ready.
What are three personal items, besides photos of family and friends, that you would bring with you on your first spaceflight?
An automatic watch, because the engineering behind a timepiece is a beautiful thing. An American flag, because I proudly believe and uphold the principles and ideals our country stands for. And finally, a nice journal that I can put handwritten thoughts on.
Thank you for your time, and good luck on your first spaceflight assignment!
Follow Jonny Kim on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with his life as NASA astronaut.
It’s not too late to APPLY to #BeAnAstronaut! Applications close TOMORROW, March 31.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
The Path to High Adventure Begins With Girl Scouting!
Former NASA astronaut and Girl Scout alumna Jan Davis eating Girl Scout Cookies inside the shuttle Endeavour on Sept. 12, 1992. Image credit: NASA
Leadership, service, being prepared and doing your best – these qualities are exemplified by our astronauts, but are also shared by the Girl Scouts! Our astronaut corps has many scout alumnae, and over the years they’ve been breaking barriers and making names for themselves at NASA.
March 12, 2021 marks the 109th birthday of Girl Scouts in the United States, which has been inspiring generations of girls through leadership and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities to empower the explorers of today and tomorrow. To celebrate, we’re highlighting some of our Girl Scout alumnae over the years!
NASA astronaut and Girl Scout alumna Sunita Williams, who served as an International Space Station commander and spent 322 days in space during two spaceflight expeditions.
Former Scouts have served as crew members on numerous spaceflight missions.
From left: Susan Helms, the first female International Space Station crew member; Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle; and Dr. Kathy Sullivan, the first American woman to perform a spacewalk.
Former Girl Scouts flew on more than one-third of the space shuttle missions and were pioneering forces as women began making their mark on human spaceflight. The first female crew member to serve on the International Space Station, the first to pilot and command a space shuttle and the first American woman to spacewalk were all Scout alumnae.
They continue to break records, such as the first three all-woman spacewalks...
Girl Scout alumnae and NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir made history when they conducted the first ever all-woman spacewalk on Oct.18, 2019. They went on to complete two more spacewalks, successfully completing their task of upgrading the space station’s battery charge/discharge unit. Christina and Jessica’s historic spacewalk was a testament to the growing number of women (and Girl Scouts) joining our astronaut corps; it is a milestone worth celebrating as we look forward to putting the first woman on the Moon with our Artemis Program!
....and the longest spaceflight ever by a woman!
NASA astronaut Christina Koch smiles for a selfie while completing tasks during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
Koch went on to seal her name in the record books by surpassing Peggy Whitson’s record for the longest single spaceflight in history by a woman!
Understanding how the human body adjusts to things like weightlessness, radiation and bone-density loss is crucial as we look forward to embarking on long-duration spaceflights to the Moon and Mars. Thanks to former astronaut Scott Kelly’s Year in Space mission, we’ve been able to observe these changes on a biological male. Now, thanks to Christina’s mission, we are able to observe these changes on a biological female.
Girl Scout alumnae will also help lead human exploration farther than ever before as members of our Artemis generation!
From left: NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins, Loral O’Hara and Kayla Barron
On January 10, 2020 we welcomed 11 new astronauts to our ranks – including three Girl Scout alumnae! As part of the first-ever class of astronauts under our Artemis lunar exploration program, Kayla Barron, Jessica Watkins and Loral O’Hara are now qualified for assignments including long-duration missions to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars.
They took a moment after graduation to share inspiration and insight for current and future Scouts!
Q: A question from the Girl Scouts: What inspires you?
A: “Being a part of an awesome team has always been what inspires me. Whether it’s your Girl Scout troop, a sports team, your class – I think for me always the people around me who push me to succeed and support me when I make mistakes and help me become my best self is what inspires me to show up and do my best.” - NASA astronaut Kayla Barron
Q: How has being a Girl Scout helped you in becoming an astronaut?
A: “Being in the Girl Scouts when I was younger was really cool because, well, first it was just a group of my friends who got to do a lot of different things together. But it really gave us the opportunity to be exposed to a lot of different areas. Like we’d get to go camping. We’d get to ride horses and learn all of these different skills, and so that variety of skill set I think is very applicable to being an astronaut.” - NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara
Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of Girl Scout astronauts?
A: “My advice would be to find something that you’re passionate about. Ideally something in the STEM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics, and to pursue that thing that you’re interested in. Pursue that passion, whatever it is. And don’t give up on your dreams, and continue to follow them until you arrive where you want to be.” - NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins
To all the Girl Scouts out there, keep reaching for the stars because the sky is no longer the limit!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Sending Science to Space (and back) 🔬🚀
This season on our NASA Explorers video series, we’ve been following Elaine Horn-Ranney Ph.D and Parastoo Khoshaklagh Ph.D. as they send their research to the space station.
From preparing the experiment in the lab….
To training the astronauts to perform the science…
To watching it launch to space…
To conducting the science aboard the space station, we’ve been there every step of the way.
Now you can follow along with the whole journey!
Binge watch all of NASA Explorers season 4: Microgravity HERE
Want to keep up with space station research? Follow ISS Research on Twitter.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Science in space
This week on NASA Explorers, we’re aboard the International Space Station!
Now that our scientists’ experiment has made it to space, it’s time to see how their samples behave in microgravity.
See how astronauts conduct science in space, while a team back here on Earth conducts their own piece of the project. Watch the episode here:
Follow NASA Explorers on Facebook to catch new episodes of season 4 every Wednesday!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Stop. Drop. And Apply to #BeAnAstronaut!
Feel like your place is in the stars? Are you an adventure seeker, an explorer, a person passionate about science and space? We need you!!
Applications are OPEN for our newest class of #Artemis astronauts. Once chosen, you could be the next person to step foot on the Moon and eventually embark on missions to Mars!
Do you have a friend who should apply? Tag them. Do you know someone who's still in school? Encourage them to follow their dreams and aim high.
To give you a sneak peak of what life will be like if you decide to #BeAnAstronaut, we’re taking you behind-the-scenes of astronaut life over the course of March.
APPLY NOW AND GET MORE INFORMATION HERE!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Let’s launch some science to space!
The day has finally arrived. After years of work, a team of scientists is at Kennedy Space Center in the hopes of seeing their research liftoff to the International Space Station.
Join #NASAExplorers for the countdown, the emotion and, hopefully, the launch!
Watch episode 5 here:
Follow NASA Explorers on Facebook to catch new episodes of season 4 every Wednesday!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Signs You Might Be Ready to Apply to be a NASA Astronaut
Have you heard the news? Astronaut applications are opening soon (March 2), and there’s never been a better time to apply then now. Here are a few signs that might mean you’re ready to take to the stars:
1. You Don’t Mind Having Roommates
When you’re an astronaut, you have to work and live with your crew mates for extended periods of time. It’s important to the mission and your safety that everyone can collaborate and work together.
2. You LOVE Space
If the Milky Way, planets and space travel doesn’t excite you then this might not be the perfect job for you. But if you love galaxies, space station research and deep space exploration, then maybe you should take a look at our application.
3. Adventure Doesn’t Scare You
Being an astronaut means that you get to take part in adventures that most people will never experience. Imagine: sitting on the launch pad in the Orion spacecraft, atop a rocket that’s getting ready to launch. You’ll travel farther into space than any other humans have been and help push the boundaries of technology in the proving ground of deep space lunar orbits, leading the way for future missions to Mars.
4. You Want to be on the Cutting Edge of Science
Not only do astronauts get to travel to space, but they also get to conduct really cool research in microgravity. Did you know that right now they’re monitoring veggie growth on the International Space Station? This research could help with our future deep space exploration and could teach us a few things about growing plants on Earth. Learn more about all the awesome research on the space station HERE.
5. You’re Not Afraid of Heights
One of the coolest things about being an astronaut, is that you get to go to SPACE! At the very least, you’ll travel to the International Space Station, which is 250 miles above Earth. Or, you could be one of the first astronauts to travel to a distant asteroid or even Mars!
6. You Like Meeting New People
Space is a place where people from all around the world come together to push the boundaries of human exploration. Whether you’re living on the space station with an international crew, or embarking on Artemis missions to the Moon – you’re sure to make new friendships wherever you go.
7. Pizza is Life
Meal time is family time aboard the space station, and what better way to bond than pizza night! Getting to know your crew mates AND channelling your inner chef is always a win win.
8. World Traveling is on Your Bucket List
The International Space Station orbits Earth 16 times a day, so get ready to rack up those frequent flyer miles! A favorite past time of many astronauts is Earth watching from the station’s cupola observatory. Get lost in the Pacific Ocean’s blue hue, gaze at the Himalayas or photograph your favorite cities all from a bird’s eye view. Get assigned to an Artemis Moon mission? Even better! Have fun expanding your travels to the solar system.
9. You’ve Dreamed of Flying
Perk about the job? Your childhood dreams to fly finally come true. Whether you’re floating around the International Space Station or getting adjusted to our new spaceship, Gateway, your inner superhero will be beaming.
10. You Like Helping Others
Astronauts don’t just push the boundaries of human exploration, they also help pave the way for scientific breakthroughs back at home. Thanks to the microgravity environment of space, discoveries not possible on Earth are able to be unlocked. Investigations into Parkinson’s Disease, cancer and more have been conducted on the orbital lab.
Interested in applying to become an astronaut? You’re in luck, applications are open from March 2- 31! Learn about some common myths about becoming an astronaut HERE.
Get more info on applying to be one of our astronauts HERE.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Let It Snow for Science
When the weather outside is frightful…
Science in the field gets even more delightful. Two different missions are in the field right now, studying snow and how it affects communities around the country.
From our Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, the IMPACTS mission is flying up and down the East Coast, investigating how snow forms inside clouds. In Grand Mesa, Colorado, SnowEx’s teams on the ground and in the air are taking a close look at how much water is stored in snow.
Hate going out in the storm? The IMPACTS mission can help with that! IMPACTS uses two planes – a P-3 Orion and an ER-2 – flying through and high above the clouds to study where intense bands of snowfall form. Better understanding where intense snow will fall can improve forecast models down the road — helping prepare communities for snowstorms.
Cameras mounted on the wings of the P3 took microscopic images of snowflakes, like this one.
At the same time, the SnowEx team is in Colorado, studying the depth and density of snow. Researchers are making radar spirals with snowmobiles and working in giant snow pits to measure things like snow water equivalent, or how much water is stored in snow.
SnowEx is helping us better understand snow’s role in ecosystems and human systems, like irrigation for agriculture. If you want to bring some corn for popping, SnowEx’s science can help grow that crop.
Follow along with our teams as they brave the cold and snow: https://twitter.com/nasaexpeditions
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Exploring Hell... up for the challenge?
Venus is an EXTREME world, and we’re calling on YOU to help us explore it! NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory is running a public challenge to develop an obstacle avoidance sensor for a possible future Venus rover.
With a surface temperature in excess of 840 degrees Fahrenheit and a surface pressure 92 times that of Earth, Venus can turn lead into a puddle and crush a nuclear-powered submarine with ease. While many missions have visited our sister planet, only about a dozen have made contact with the surface of Venus before succumbing to the oppressive heat and pressure after just about more than an hour.
The “Exploring Hell: Avoiding Obstacles on a Clockwork Rover” challenge is seeking the public’s designs for a sensor that could be incorporated into the design concept. The winning sensor could be the primary mechanism by which the rover detects and navigates around obstructions.
Award: 1st Place - $15,000; 2nd Place - $10,000; 3rd Place - $5,000
Open Date: February 18, 2020 ––––––––– Close Date: May 29, 2020
All aboard for the International Space Station!
Before research can get on a rocket to head to space, it is carefully prepared at Kennedy Space Center.
Scientists sometimes spend days, or even weeks, doing all of the last-minute preparations to get their investigation ready for microgravity.
This week on NASA Explorers, we follow a team of researchers in the final days before their experiment gets loaded into a SpaceX Dragon capsule that will carry their research to the space station.
Watch episode 4 here!
Follow NASA Explorers on Facebook to catch new episodes of season 4 every Wednesday!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Need some space? We’ve got the job! 👨🚀👩🚀
We’re accepting applications March 2-31 for the next class of #Artemis Generation astronauts who will embark on missions to the Moon and Mars. Join our class of star sailors and find out if you have what it takes to #BeAnAstronaut!
The basic requirements to apply include United States citizenship and a master’s degree in a STEM field, including engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, from an accredited institution. The requirement for the master’s degree can also be met by:
Two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of work toward a Ph.D. program in a related science, technology, engineering or math field;
A completed doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree;
Completion (or current enrollment that will result in completion by June 2021) of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.
Candidates also must have at least two years of related, progressively responsible professional experience, or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. Astronaut candidates must pass the NASA long-duration spaceflight physical.
More information here.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Becoming a Space Scientist
Astronauts train all over the world, including at Johnson Space Center. Here, they learn not just how to live aboard the International Space Station, but also how to conduct science in microgravity.
Astronauts serve as the eyes and hands of researchers while their experiments are in space, so they must be trained in everything from using a microscope, to maintaining the equipment for combustion experiments.
Check out this week’s episode of NASA Explorers as we go to class with an astronaut.
Follow NASA Explorers on Facebook to catch new episodes of season 4 every Wednesday!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
You’ve seen things floating in space, but why does that happen and how does it affect science being conducted aboard the International Space Station?
Sure, floating looks like fun, but it could also unlock new scientific discoveries!
Microgravity makes the International Space Station the perfect place to perform research that is changing the lives of people on Earth, and preparing us to go deeper into space. This season on our series NASA Explorers, we are following science into low-Earth orbit and seeing what it takes to do research aboard the space station.
Follow NASA Explorers on Facebook to catch new episodes of season 4 every Wednesday. https://www.facebook.com/NASAExplorersSeries/
Hi, I'm a curious Malaysian 😁 can you explain to us about your career and how do one get to the point where you are now? Thanks! Oh, and could you comment on the recent climate crises like the Australian fires and Indonesia flooding? Thank you!
What's the most beautiful natural scene uou've ever seen personally, as in Aurora Borealis, volcanic eruption, or something that made you seem like the Earth should be treasured?
What are you most excited for in 2020?
I want to pursue a career in aeronautics and want to get into NASA. Any advice?
Chart-Topping Space Images From 2019 You Won’t Want to Miss
From the first-ever image of a black hole, to astronaut Christina Koch breaking the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman – 2019 was full of awe-inspiring events!
As we look forward to a new decade, we’ve taken ten of our top Instagram posts and put them here for your viewing pleasure. With eight out of ten being carousels, be sure to click on each title to navigate to the full post.
1. First-Ever Black Hole Image Makes History
In a historic feat by the Event horizon Telescope and National Science Foundation, an image of a black hole and its shadow was captured for the first time. At a whopping 3.4 million likes, this image takes home the gold as our most loved photo of 2019. Several of our missions were part of a large effort to observe this black hole using different wavelengths of light and collect data to understand its environment. Here’s a look at our Chandra X-Ray Observatory’s close-up of the core of the M87 galaxy with the imaged black hole at its center.
2. Hubble Celebrates 29 Years of Dazzling Discoveries
When you wish upon a star… Hubble captures it from afar ✨On April 18, 2019 our Hubble Space Telescope celebrated 29 years of dazzling discoveries, serving as a window to the wonders of worlds light-years away.
Hubble continues to observe the universe in near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. Over the past 29 years, it has captured the farthest views ever taken of the evolving universe, found planet-forming disks around nearby stars and identified the first supermassive black hole in the heart of a neighboring galaxy. Want more? Enjoy the full 10 photo Instagram carousel here.
3. Stars and Stripes in Space for Flag Day
Patriotism was in the air June 14 for Flag Day, and coming in at number three in our most liked Instagram line up is a carousel of our stars and stripes in space! One of the most iconic images from the Apollo 11 missions is of Buzz Aldrin saluting the American flag on the surface of the Moon. But did you know that over the years, five more flags joined the one left by Apollo 11 – and that many other flags have flown onboard our spacecraft? Scroll through the full carousel for flag day here.
4. Spitzer Celebrates its Super Sweet 16!
Since 2003, our Spitzer Space Telescope has been lifting the veil on the wonders of the cosmos, from our own solar system to faraway galaxies, using infrared light! Thanks to Spitzer, we've confirm the presence of seven rocky, Earth-size planets, received weather maps of hot, gaseous exoplanets and discovered a hidden ring around Saturn. In honor of Spitzer's Sweet 16 in space, enjoy 16 jaw-dropping images from its mission here.
5. Earth as Seen Through Our Astronauts’ Eyes Show Perspective Changing Views
“That's here. That's home. That's us.” – Carl Sagan
Seeing Earth from space can alter an astronauts’ cosmic perspective, a mental shift known as the “Overview Effect.” First coined by space writer Frank White in 1987, the Overview Effect is described as a feeling of awe for our home planet and a sense of responsibility for taking care of it. See Earth from the vantage point of our astronauts in a carousel of perspective-changing views here.
6. Astronaut Christina Koch Breaks Record for Longest Single Spaceflight by Woman
Astronaut Christina Koch (@Astro_Christina) set a record Dec. 28, 2019 for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, eclipsing the former record of 288 days set by Peggy Whitson. Her long-duration mission is helping us learn how to keep astronauts healthy for deep space exploration to the Moon and Mars. Congrats to Christina on reaching new heights! Join in the celebration and view few photos she captured from her vantage point aboard the Space Station here.
7. Our Beautiful Planet – The Only Place We Know to Harbor Life – From Space
Earth is special. It’s the only place in the universe that we know contains life.
On July 7, 2019, two million people joined us in celebrating its beauty with a jaw dropping carousel of our home planet, as captured by crew members aboard the International Space Station. Bright blue oceans, glowing city lights and ice-capped mountain peaks come to life in a collection of breathtaking images, found here.
8. A Moon Even Sinatra Couldn’t Help But Sing About
Every 29 days our Moon turns over a new leaf, and on May, 18 we saw a very special one of its faces. Appearing opposite the Sun at 5:11 p.m. EDT, the world looked up to find a Blue Moon! Though the Moon didn’t actually look blue, the site of one is kind of rare. They occur on average about every two-and-a-half years when a season ends up having four full moons instead of three. Click through a carousel of high-definition lunar phases here.
9. The Majesty of Hubble Imagery ... From Your Backyard
On December 23, a new gallery of Hubble Space Telescope images highlighting celestial objects visible to amateur and professional astronomers alike was released. All of the objects are from a collection known as the Caldwell catalog, which includes 109 interesting objects visible in amateur-sized telescopes in both the northern and southern skies. Flip through the jaw-dropping carousel here, and learn more about how you can study the night sky with Hubble here.
10. The Moon Gets Sassy
Nobody:
The Moon: “Y'all on the way yet?” 👀
We're working on it, Moon. Under the Artemis program, we're sending the first woman and the next man to walk on your surface by 2024. Find out how we’re doing it here.
For more pictures like these, follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nasa/
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s NASA’s Five Newest Airborne Campaigns!
We’re not just doing research in space! From the land, the sea and the sky, we study our planet up close. Right now, we’re gearing up for our newest round of Earth Expeditions, using planes, boats and instruments on the ground to study Earth and how it’s changing.
The newest round of campaigns takes place all across the United States – from Virginia to Louisiana to Kansas to California.
The five newest missions will combine measurements from the ground, the sea, air and space to investigate storms, sea level rise and processes in the atmosphere and ocean.
Let’s meet the newest Earth science missions:
1. IMPACTS
The Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms will start from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to understand how bands of snow form during winter storms in the East Coast. This research will help us better forecast intense snowfall during extreme winter weather.
2. ACTIVATE
Flying out of Langley Research Center, the Aerosol Cloud Meteorology Interactions over the Western Atlantic Experiment is studying how specific types of clouds over oceans affect Earth’s energy balance and water cycle. The energy balance is the exchange of heat and light from the Sun entering Earth’s atmosphere vs. what escapes back into space.
3. Delta-X
Farther south, Delta-X is flying three planes around the Mississippi River Delta to study how land is deposited and maintained by natural processes. Studying these processes can help us understand what will happen as sea levels continue to rise.
4. DCOTSS
Heading out to the Midwest this summer, the Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere mission will study how thunderstorms can carry pollutants from high in the atmosphere deep into the lower stratosphere, where they can affect ozone levels.
5. S-MODE
About 200 miles off the coast of San Francisco, the Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment is using ships, planes and gliders to study the impact that ocean eddies have on how heat moves between the ocean and the atmosphere.
These missions are kicking off in January, so stay tuned for our updates from the field! You can follow along with NASA Expeditions on Twitter and Facebook.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
Bringing The Space Station Perspective to Earth in VR!
Only a few humans ever get to experience the awe-inspiring vantage point provided by the space station, but a new virtual reality (VR) experience, Space Explorers: The ISS Experience (ISS Experience), attempts to bring this perspective back to Earth for the rest of us.
Partnering with the ISS National Lab and Time, a team from Felix and Paul Studios launched a high quality 360 degree camera to space to help tell the story of science and life aboard the orbiting laboratory.
The project, currently in the process of being filmed by the station astronauts themselves, serves as an outreach project as well a technology demonstration, testing the limits of filming in the harsh environment of space.
The camera flew to the station on 16th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission in December 2018 along with a number of other scientific experiments.
Since then, the team has recorded many moments, including the SPHERES robots flying around the station (see below) , the growing and harvesting of vegetables, jam session among the astronauts, crew meals and the arrival of new astronauts.
So far, the footage coming back seems to be achieving the goal of immersing audiences in science and life aboard the space station. NASA astronaut Sunita Williams got the chance to watch some of the initial footage and says it was like I was back on the station.
While most of the filming has been completed, the biggest technical challenge is yet to come: capturing a spacewalk in virtual reality. The team expects to launch a new camera for spacewalk filming and begin production of spacewalk filming in 2020.
Learn more about ISS Experience here.
For daily updates, follow @ISS_Research on Twitter, Space Station Research and Technology News or our Facebook. Follow the ISS National Lab for information on its sponsored investigations. For opportunities to see the space station pass over your town, check out Spot the Station.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
How could your research in diseases help missions to the Moon, Mars and other places in our solar system?
NASA Spotlight: Astronaut Candidate Frank Rubio
“Where else in the world would you hear a story like mine? I’m a kid from a single mom, a teenage mom from El Salvador who worked in all sorts of low-income jobs... My story is a great story about America. What are the chances that a kid like me would end up being where I am today?” - Frank Rubio
Dr. Frank Rubio is a Los Angeles-born Salvadorian-American who was selected as NASA astronaut candidate in 2017. The Florida native graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and earned a Doctorate of Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Prior to attending medical school, he served as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot and flew more than 1,100 hours, including more than 600 hours of combat and imminent danger time during deployments to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Rubio is a board certified family physician and flight surgeon. At the time of his selection, he was serving in the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Frank took time from training to become a certified NASA Astronaut to answer questions about his life and career:
You’ve served in the Special Forces, are certified as a family physician and now are a selected Astronaut candidate – What inspired you to apply to be an astronaut and how do you think your past jobs will play a role in your new career?
It was a friend in the astronaut corps that recommended I put in an application. After he recommended it, I thought it was an amazing opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself and to allow me to continue to serve. It gave me an opportunity to explore and make a difference. And it sounded like a lot of fun! My past careers have allowed me to be comfortable with uncertainty and the unknown and to function well despite often not having all the facts.
Do you have any secret skills, talents, or hobbies?
I was on the skydive team in college.
How would you describe your job to a five year old?
I have one of the best jobs in the world because I get to train and work towards a mission that helps humankind. My job is unique in that you and your team are working to make a difference from a much bigger perspective. And hopefully I get to ride on a rocket and go to space!
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Early in my career and throughout my career I was assigned to jobs that may not have been my first choice, but they turned out to be amazing opportunities. I was taught to have a good attitude and give it your best no matter where you are. Those opportunities ended up being some of the best and helped me get where I am today.
Any facts about/aspects of astronaut training that you think people would be surprised to find out?
A lot of people don’t realize how much studying is involved. It’s comparable to the studying I did in flight school or medical school.
What are five things that you will definitely take with you on your first space flight?
Pictures of my family and friends, a Bible and lots of books to read (probably on a tablet), patches from my Army units- they helped form me to be the person I am today, music, and if I could take my dog (and family), I definitely would! Also, Something for each of my kids to give to them.
You just finished up geology training. What fact or skill did you learn during geology training that you think rocks the most?
The overall idea that the rocks and the different units we studied have so much to tell. You learn to appreciate how much the layout of the land and the rocks and the way they interact together can tell you about the history of that place. It’s amazing.
Since you’re getting close to completing astronaut training, what about your first space flight are you most looking forward to?
Everything will be fantastic from the ride up there, to floating in space, to the amazing science we get to perform, to being part of the team. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking back at Earth and having the chance to get the perspective to recognize the grandeur and uniqueness of Earth.
What would be the first thing you would say if you happened to make contact with an alien lifeform able to communicate with you?
Hello! How are you? I would want to know about them and to share humankind with them.
Thank you for your time Frank, and good luck as you continue to complete astronaut training!
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
NASA Spotlight: Christina Hernandez, NASA Mars 2020 Rover Instrument Engineer
“I was in love with the beauty of space. It was my introduction to appreciating the beauty of complex, chaotic things—black holes, giant gas planets, or killer asteroids—that got my imagination riled up.“ -Christina Hernandez
Christina Hernandez, a space enthusiast and self-proclaimed nerd, is an aerospace engineer at our Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California where she works as an instrument engineer on our newest rover mission – Mars2020. The Mars2020 rover is a robotic scientist that is launching to the Red Planet next year. If you would like to launch to the Red Planet as well, you can Send Your Name to Mars along with millions of other people! Christina’s job is to make sure that the instruments we send to the Martian surface are designed, built, tested and operated correctly so we can retrieve allll the science. When she isn’t building space robots, she loves exploring new hiking trails, reading science fiction and experimenting in the kitchen. Christina took a break from building our next Martian scientist to answer some questions about her life and her career:
If you could go to Mars, would you? And what are three things you’d bring with you?
Only if I had a round trip ticket! I like the tacos and beach here on Earth too much. If I could go, I would bring a bag of Hot Cheetos, a Metallica album, and the book On the Shoulders of Giants.
If you could name the Mars2020 rover, what would you name it and why?
Pilas, a reference to a phrase my family says a lot, ponte las pilas. It literally means put your batteries on or in other words, get to work, look alive or put some energy into it. Our rover is going to need to have her batteries up and running for all the science she is going to be doing! Luckily, the rover has a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to help keep the batteries charged!
What’s been your most memorable day at NASA?
It’s been seeing three of the instruments I worked on getting bolted and connected to the flight rover. I’ll never forget seeing the first 1’s and 0’s being exchanged between the rover compute element (RCE), the rover’s on-board brain, and the instruments’ electronics boxes (their brains). I am sure it was a wonderful conversation between the two!
It’s a long journey to get from Earth to Mars. What would be on your ultimate road trip playlist?
Metallica, The Cure, Queen, Echo and the Bunnymen, Frank Sinatra, Ramon Ayala, AC/DC, Selena, Los Angeles Azules, ughhhh – I think I just need a Spotify subscription to Mars.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone would’ve told you?
Take your ego out of the solution space when problem solving.
Do you have any secret skills, talents, or hobbies?
I love reading. Each year I read a minimum of 20 books, with my goal this year being 30 books. It’s funny I increased my goal during what has definitely been my busiest year at work. I recently got into watercolor painting. After spending so much time connected at work, I started looking for more analog hobbies. I am a terrible painter right now, but I painted my first painting the other day. It was of two nebulas! It’s not too bad! I am hoping watercolor can help connect me more to the color complexities of nature...and it’s fun!
What’s a project or problem that you would love the ability to tackle/work on?
I would love to work on designs for planetary human explorers. So far, I have focused on robotic explore, but when you throw a “loveable, warm, squishy thing” into the loop, its creates a different dimension to design – both with respect to operability and risk.
Thanks so much Christina! The Mars2020 rover is planned to launch on July 17, 2020, and touch down in Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Five Reasons You Wouldn’t Want to Live Near a Black Hole
Black holes are mystifying yet terrifying cosmic phenomena. Unfortunately, people have a lot of ideas about them that are more science fiction than science. Black holes are not cosmic vacuum cleaners, sucking up anything and everything nearby. But there are a few ways Hollywood has vastly underestimated how absolutely horrid black holes really are.
Black holes are superdense objects with a gravitational pull so strong that not even light can escape them. Scientists have overwhelming evidence for two types of black holes, stellar and supermassive, and see hints of an in-between size that’s more elusive. A black hole’s type depends on its mass (a stellar black hole is five to 30 times the mass of the Sun, while a supermassive black hole is 100,000 to billions of times the mass of the Sun), and can determine where we’re most likely to find them and how they formed.
Let's focus on supermassive black holes for now, shall we? Supermassive black holes exist in the centers of most large galaxies. Some examples are Sagittarius A* (that’s pronounced “A-star”) at the center of our Milky Way and the black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 87, which became famous earlier this year when the Event Horizon Telescope released an image of it. As the name suggests, these black holes are — well — supermassive. Why are they so enormous? Scientists suspect it has something to do with their locations in the centers of galaxies. With so many stars and lots of gas there, they can grow large rapidly (astronomically speaking).
You may have seen a portrayal of planets around supermassive black holes in the movies. But what would the conditions on those worlds actually look like? What kinds of problems might you face?
1. 100% chance for cosmic winds
“Space weather” describes the changing conditions in space caused by stellar activity. Solar eruptions produce intense radiation and clouds of charged particles that sweep through our planetary system and can affect technology we rely on, damaging satellites and even causing electrical blackouts. Thankfully, Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protect us from most of the storms produced by the Sun.
Now, space weather near a black hole would be interesting if the black hole is consuming matter. It could be millions — perhaps even billions — of times stronger than the Sun’s, depending on how close the planet is. Even though black holes don’t emit light themselves, their surroundings can be very bright and hot. Accretion disks — swirling clouds of matter falling toward black holes — emit huge amounts of radiation and particles and form incredible magnetic fields. In them, you’d also have to worry about debris traveling at nearly the speed of light, slamming into your planet. It’d be hard to avoid getting hit by anything coming at you that fast!
2. Hello? Can you still hear us?
We launched the Parker Solar Probe to learn more about the Sun. If you lived on a world around a supermassive black hole, you'd probably want to study it too. But it would be a lot more challenging!
You’d have to launch satellites that could withstand the extreme space weather. And then there would be major communication issues — a time-delay in messages sent between the spacecraft and your planet.
On Earth we experience time gaps when talking to missions on Mars. It takes up to 22 minutes to hear back from them. Around a black hole, that effect would be much more extreme. Objects closer to the black hole would experience time differently, making things seem slower than they actually are. That means the delay in communications with a satellite launched toward a black hole would become longer and longer as it got closer and closer. By the time you hear back from your satellite, it might be gone!
3. Can someone turn off the lights?
Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies typically have a lot of nearby stars. In fact, if you were to live on a planet near the center of the Milky Way, there would be so many stars you could read at night without using electricity.
That sounds kind of cool, right? Maybe — unless your planet is actually orbiting the supermassive black hole. Being that close, the light from all those stars would be concentrated and amplified due to the extreme gravity around the black hole, making the light stronger and even causing scary beams of strong radiation. You would want to have a bucket of sunscreen ready to apply often — or simply never leave your home.
4. Did someone leave the oven on?
And not only would it be really bright, it would also be really toasty, thanks to radioactive heating! Those stars hanging around the black hole emit not just light but ghostly particles called neutrinos— speedy, tiny particles that weigh almost nothing and rarely interact with anything. While neutrinos coming from our Sun aren't enough to harm us, the volume that would be coming from the cluster of stars near a black hole would be enough to radioactively heat up whatever they slam into.
The planet would absorb neutrinos, which would, in turn, warm up the core of the planet eventually making it unbearably hot. It would be like living in a nuclear reactor. At least you’d be warm and could toss your winter coats?
5. You are what you eat?
If your planet got too close to a black hole, you’d likely face a gruesome fate. The forces from the black hole's gravity stretch matter, essentially turning it into a noodle. We call this spaghettification. (Beware the cosmic pasta-making machine?) Imagine yourself falling feet-first toward a black hole. Spaghettification happens because the gravity at your feet is sooooo much stronger than that at your head that you start to stretch out!
Maybe you wish you could simply drift around a black hole in a spacecraft and enjoy the view, or travel through one like science fiction depicts. Sadly, even if we had the means to get close to a black hole, it clearly wouldn’t be that simple or even very enjoyable.
Watch Dr. Jeremy Schnittman’s talk on the science behind the black hole from the movie Interstellar here.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
Top 5 Technologies Needed for a Spacecraft to Survive Deep Space
When a spacecraft built for humans ventures into deep space, it requires an array of features to keep it and a crew inside safe. Both distance and duration demand that spacecraft must have systems that can reliably operate far from home, be capable of keeping astronauts alive in case of emergencies and still be light enough that a rocket can launch it.
Missions near the Moon will start when the Orion spacecraft leaves Earth atop the world’s most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System. After launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Orion will travel beyond the Moon to a distance more than 1,000 times farther than where the International Space Station flies in low-Earth orbit, and farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever ventured. To accomplish this feat, Orion has built-in technologies that enable the crew and spacecraft to explore far into the solar system. Let’s check out the top five:
Systems to Live and Breathe
As humans travel farther from Earth for longer missions, the systems that keep them alive must be highly reliable while taking up minimal mass and volume. Orion will be equipped with advanced environmental control and life support systems designed for the demands of a deep space mission. A high-tech system already being tested aboard the space station will remove carbon dioxide (CO2) and humidity from inside Orion. The efficient system replaces many chemical canisters that would consume up to 10 percent of crew livable area. To save additional space, Orion will also have a new compact toilet, smaller than the one on the space station.
Highly reliable systems are critically important when distant crew will not have the benefit of frequent resupply shipments to bring spare parts from Earth. Even small systems have to function reliably to support life in space, from a working toilet to an automated fire suppression system or exercise equipment that helps astronauts stay in shape to counteract the zero-gravity environment. Distance from home also demands that Orion have spacesuits capable of keeping astronaut alive for six days in the event of cabin depressurization to support a long trip home.
Proper Propulsion
The farther into space a vehicle ventures, the more capable its propulsion systems need to be in order to maintain its course on the journey with precision and ensure its crew can get home.
Orion’s highly capable service module serves as the powerhouse for the spacecraft and provides propulsion capabilities that enable it to go around the Moon and back on exploration missions. The service module has 33 engines of various sizes. The main engine will provide major in-space maneuvering capabilities throughout the mission such as inserting Orion into lunar orbit and firing powerfully enough to exit orbit for a return trip to Earth. The other 32 engines are used to steer and control Orion on orbit.
In part due to its propulsion capabilities, including tanks that can hold nearly 2,000 gallons of propellant and a back up for the main engine in the event of a failure, Orion’s service module is equipped to handle the rigors of travel for missions that are both far and long. It has the ability to bring the crew home in a variety of emergency situations.
The Ability to Hold Off the Heat
Going to the Moon is no easy task, and it’s only half the journey. The farther a spacecraft travels in space, the more heat it will generate as it returns to Earth. Getting back safely requires technologies that can help a spacecraft endure speeds 30 times the speed of sound and heat twice as hot as molten lava or half as hot as the sun.
When Orion returns from the Moon it will be traveling nearly 25,000 mph, a speed that could cover the distance from Los Angeles to New York City in six minutes. Its advanced heat shield, made with a material called AVCOAT, is designed to wear away as it heats up. Orion’s heat shield is the largest of its kind ever built and will help the spacecraft withstand temperatures around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry though Earth’s atmosphere.
Before reentry, Orion also will endure a 700-degree temperature range from about minus 150 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Orion’s highly capable thermal protection system, paired with thermal controls, will protect it during periods of direct sunlight and pitch black darkness while its crews comfortably enjoy a safe and stable interior temperature of about 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Radiation Protection
As a spacecraft travels on missions beyond the protection of Earth’s magnetic field, it will be exposed to a harsher radiation environment than in low-Earth orbit with greater amounts of radiation from charged particles and solar storms. This kind of radiation can cause disruptions to critical computers, avionics and other equipment. Humans exposed to large amounts of radiation can experience both acute and chronic health problems ranging from near-term radiation sickness to the potential of developing cancer in the long-term.
Orion was designed from the start with built in system-level features to ensure reliability of essential elements of the spacecraft during potential radiation events. For example, Orion is equipped with four identical computers that each are self-checking, plus an entirely different backup computer, to ensure it can still send commands in the event of a disruption. Engineers have tested parts and systems to a high standard to ensure that all critical systems remain operable even under extreme circumstances.
Orion also has a makeshift storm shelter below the main deck of the crew module. In the event of a solar radiation event, we developed plans for crew on board to create a temporary shelter inside using materials on board. A variety of radiation sensors will also be on the spacecraft to help scientists better understand the radiation environment far away from Earth. One investigation, called AstroRad, will fly on Exploration Mission-1 and test an experimental vest that has the potential to help shield vital organs and decrease exposure from solar particle events.
Constant Communication and Navigation
Spacecraft venturing far from home go beyond the Global Positioning System (GPS) in space and above communication satellites in Earth orbit. To talk with mission control in Houston, Orion’s communication and navigation systems will switch from our Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) system used by the International Space Station, and communicate through the Deep Space Network.
Orion is equipped with backup communication and navigation systems to help the spacecraft stay in contact with the ground and orient itself if its primary systems fail. The backup navigation system, a relatively new technology called optical navigation, uses a camera to take pictures of the Earth, Moon and stars and autonomously triangulate Orion’s position from the photos. Its backup emergency communications system doesn’t use the primary system or antennae for high-rate data transfer.
Keep up with all the latest news on our newest, state-of-the art spacecraft by following NASA Orion on Facebook and Twitter.
More on our Moon to Mars plans, here.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
We’re Turning up the Heat on the Artemis I Spacecraft 🔥
The Orion spacecraft for Artemis I is headed to Ohio, where a team of engineers and technicians at our Plum Brook Station stand ready to test it under extreme simulated in-space conditions, like temperatures up to 300°F, at the world’s premier space environments test facility.
Why so much heat? What’s the point of the test? We’ve got answers to all your burning questions.
Here, in the midst of a quiet, rural landscape in Sandusky, Ohio, is our Space Environments Complex, home of the world’s most powerful space simulation facilities. The complex houses a massive thermal vacuum chamber (100-foot diameter and 122-foot tall), which allows us to “test like we fly” and accurately simulate space flight conditions while still on the ground.
Orion’s upcoming tests here are important because they will confirm the spacecraft’s systems perform as designed, while ensuring safe operation for the crew during future Artemis missions.
Tests will be completed in two phases, beginning with a thermal vacuum test, lasting approximately 60 days, inside the vacuum chamber to stress-test and check spacecraft systems while powered on.
During this phase, the spacecraft will be subjected to extreme temperatures, ranging from -250°F to 300 °F, to replicate flying in-and-out of sunlight and shadow in space.
To simulate the extreme temperatures of space, a specially-designed system, called the Heat Flux, will surround Orion like a cage and heat specific parts of the spacecraft during the test. This image shows the Heat Flux installed inside the vacuum chamber. The spacecraft will also be surrounded on all sides by a cryogenic-shroud, which provides the cold background temperatures of space.
We’ll also perform electromagnetic interference tests. Sounds complicated, but, think of it this way. Every electronic component gives off some type of electromagnetic field, which can affect the performance of other electronics nearby—this is why you’re asked to turn off your cellphone on an airplane. This testing will ensure the spacecraft’s electronics work properly when operated at the same time and won’t be affected by outside sources.
What’s next? After the testing, we’ll send Orion back to our Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be installed atop the powerful Space Launch System rocket in preparation for their first integrated test flight, called Artemis I, which is targeted for 2020.
To learn more about the Artemis program, why we’re going to the Moon and our progress to send the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface by 2024, visit: nasa.gov/moon2mars.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
5 New Competitions for the Artemis Generation!
A common question we get is, “How can I work with NASA?”
The good news is—just in time for the back-to-school season—we have a slew of newly announced opportunities for citizen scientists and researchers in the academic community to take a shot at winning our prize competitions.
As we plan to land humans on the Moon by 2024 with our upcoming Artemis missions, we are urging students and universities to get involved and offer solutions to the challenges facing our path to the Moon and Mars. Here are five NASA competitions and contests waiting for your ideas on everything from innovative ways to drill for water on other planets to naming our next rover:
1. The BIG Idea Challenge: Studying Dark Regions on the Moon
Before astronauts step on the Moon again, we will study its surface to prepare for landing, living and exploring there. Although it is Earth’s closest neighbor, there is still much to learn about the Moon, particularly in the permanently shadowed regions in and near the polar regions.
Through the annual Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge, we’re asking undergraduate and graduate student teams to submit proposals for sample lunar payloads that can demonstrate technology systems needed to explore areas of the Moon that never see the light of day. Teams of up to 20 students and their faculty advisors are invited to propose unique solutions in response to one of the following areas:
• Exploration of permanently shadowed regions in lunar polar regions • Technologies to support in-situ resource utilization in these regions • Capabilities to explore and operate in permanently shadowed regions
Interested teams are encouraged to submit a Notice of Intent by September 27 in order to ensure an adequate number of reviewers and to be invited to participate in a Q&A session with the judges prior to the proposal deadline. Proposal and video submission are due by January 16, 2020.
2. RASC-AL 2020: New Concepts for the Moon and Mars
Although boots on the lunar surface by 2024 is step one in expanding our presence beyond low-Earth orbit, we’re also readying our science, technology and human exploration missions for a future on Mars.
The 2020 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition is calling on undergraduate and graduate teams to develop new concepts that leverage innovations for both our Artemis program and future human missions to the Red Planet. This year’s competition branches beyond science and engineering with a theme dedicated to economic analysis of commercial opportunities in deep space.
Competition themes range from expanding on how we use current and future assets in cislunar space to designing systems and architectures for exploring the Moon and Mars. We’re seeking proposals that demonstrate originality and creativity in the areas of engineering and analysis and must address one of the five following themes: a south pole multi-purpose rover, the International Space Station as a Mars mission analog, short surface stay Mars mission, commercial cislunar space development and autonomous utilization and maintenance on the Gateway or Mars-class transportation.
The RASC-AL challenge is open to undergraduate and graduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics at an accredited U.S.-based university. Submissions are due by March 5, 2020 and must include a two-minute video and a detailed seven to nine-page proposal that presents novel and robust applications that address one of the themes and support expanding humanity’s ability to thrive beyond Earth.
3. The Space Robotics Challenge for Autonomous Rovers
Autonomous robots will help future astronauts during long-duration missions to other worlds by performing tedious, repetitive and even strenuous tasks. These robotic helpers will let crews focus on the more meticulous areas of exploring. To help achieve this, our Centennial Challenges initiative, along with Space Center Houston of Texas, opened the second phase of the Space Robotics Challenge. This virtual challenge aims to advance autonomous robotic operations for missions on the surface of distant planets or moons.
This new phase invites competitors 18 and older from the public, industry and academia to develop code for a team of virtual robots that will support a simulated in-situ resource utilization mission—meaning gathering and using materials found locally—on the Moon.
The deadline to submit registration forms is December 20.
4. Moon to Mars Ice & Prospecting Challenge to Design Hardware, Practice Drilling for Water on the Moon and Mars
A key ingredient for our human explorers staying anywhere other than Earth is water. One of the most crucial near-term plans for deep space exploration includes finding and using water to support a sustained presence on our nearest neighbor and on Mars.
To access and extract that water, NASA needs new technologies to mine through various layers of lunar and Martian dirt and into ice deposits we believe are buried beneath the surface. A special edition of the RASC-AL competition, the Moon to Mars Ice and Prospecting Challenge, seeks to advance critical capabilities needed on the surface of the Moon and Mars. The competition, now in its fourth iteration, asks eligible undergraduate and graduate student teams to design and build hardware that can identify, map and drill through a variety of subsurface layers, then extract water from an ice block in a simulated off-world test bed.
Interested teams are asked to submit a project plan detailing their proposed concept’s design and operations by November 14. Up to 10 teams will be selected and receive a development stipend. Over the course of six months teams will build and test their systems in preparation for a head-to-head competition at our Langley Research Center in June 2020.
5. Name the Mars 2020 Rover!
Red rover, red rover, send a name for Mars 2020 right over! We’re recruiting help from K-12 students nationwide to find a name for our next Mars rover mission.
The Mars 2020 rover is a 2,300-pound robotic scientist that will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.
K-12 students in U.S. public, private and home schools can enter the Mars 2020 Name the Rover essay contest. One grand prize winner will name the rover and be invited to see the spacecraft launch in July 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. To enter the contest, students must submit by November 1 their proposed rover name and a short essay, no more than 150 words, explaining why their proposed name should be chosen.
Just as the Apollo program inspired innovation in the 1960s and '70s, our push to the Moon and Mars is inspiring students—the Artemis generation—to solve the challenges for the next era of space exploration.
For more information on all of our open prizes and challenges, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/solve/explore_opportunities
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com
5 Out-of-this-world Facts About Our Iconic Vehicle Assembly Building!
The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at our Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is the only facility where assembly of a rocket occurred that carried humans beyond low-Earth orbit and on to the Moon. For 30 years, its facilities and assets were used during the Space Shuttle Program and are now available to commercial partners as part of our agency’s plan in support of a multi-user spaceport. To celebrate the VAB’s continued contribution to humanity’s space exploration endeavors, we’ve put together five out-of-this-world facts for you!
1. It’s one of the largest buildings in the world by area, the VAB covers eight acres, is 525 feet tall and 518 feet wide.
Aerial view of the Vehicle Assembly Building with a mobile launch tower atop a crawler transporter approaching the building.
2. The VAB was constructed for the assembly of the Apollo/Saturn V Moon rocket, the largest rocket made by humans at the time.
An Apollo/Saturn V facilities Test Vehicle and Launch Umbilical Tower (LUT) atop a crawler-transporter move from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on the way to Pad A on May 25, 1966.
3. The building is home to the largest American flag, a 209-foot-tall, 110-foot-wide star spangled banner painted on the side of the VAB.
Workers painting the Flag on the Vehicle Assembly Building on January 2, 2007.
4. The tallest portions of the VAB are its 4 high bays. Each has a 456-foot-high door. The doors are the largest in the world and take about 45 minutes to open or close completely.
A mobile launcher, atop crawler-transporter 2, begins the move into High Bay 3 at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on Sept. 8, 2018.
5. After spending more than 50 years supporting our human spaceflight programs, the VAB received its first commercial tenant – Northrop Grumman Corporation – on August 16, 2019!
A model of Northrop Grumman’s OmegA launch vehicle is flanked by the U.S. flag and a flag bearing the OmegA logo during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 16 in High Bay 2 of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Whether the rockets and spacecraft are going into Earth orbit or being sent into deep space, the VAB will have the infrastructure to prepare them for their missions.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.
How Do We Learn About a Planet’s Atmosphere?
The first confirmation of a planet orbiting a star outside our solar system happened in 1995. We now know that these worlds – also known as exoplanets – are abundant. So far, we’ve confirmed more than 4000. Even though these planets are far, far away, we can still study them using ground-based and space-based telescopes.
Our upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will study the atmospheres of the worlds in our solar system and those of exoplanets far beyond. Could any of these places support life? What Webb finds out about the chemical elements in these exoplanet atmospheres might help us learn the answer.
How do we know what’s in the atmosphere of an exoplanet?
Most known exoplanets have been discovered because they partially block the light of their suns. This celestial photo-bombing is called a transit.
During a transit, some of the star's light travels through the planet's atmosphere and gets absorbed.
The light that survives carries information about the planet across light-years of space, where it reaches our telescopes.
(However, the planet is VERY small relative to the star, and VERY far away, so it is still very difficult to detect, which is why we need a BIG telescope to be sure to capture this tiny bit of light.)
So how do we use a telescope to read light?
Stars emit light at many wavelengths. Like a prism making a rainbow, we can separate light into its separate wavelengths. This is called a spectrum. Learn more about how telescopes break down light here.
Visible light appears to our eyes as the colors of the rainbow, but beyond visible light there are many wavelengths we cannot see.
Now back to the transiting planet...
As light is traveling through the planet's atmosphere, some wavelengths get absorbed.
Which wavelengths get absorbed depends on which molecules are in the planet's atmosphere. For example, carbon monoxide molecules will capture different wavelengths than water vapor molecules.
So, when we look at that planet in front of the star, some of the wavelengths of the starlight will be missing, depending on which molecules are in the atmosphere of the planet.
Learning about the atmospheres of other worlds is how we identify those that could potentially support life...
...bringing us another step closer to answering one of humanity's oldest questions: Are we alone?
Watch the full video where this method of hunting for distant planets is explained:
To learn more about NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, visit the website, or follow the mission on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Text and graphics credit Space Telescope Science Institute
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.