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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

NASA Flight Director Pooja Jesrani | Johnson Space Center

NASA Flight Director Pooja Jesrani | Johnson Space Center


“There had been less than 100 flight directors in NASA’s history, and we just selected our newest class which brought us up to 101. I am the 15th female."

“On your first shift, when you’re in charge of the International Space Station by yourself, it’s your naming shift. It’s a really cool tradition where we’re able to invite all of our family and friends. It’s a big, momentous occasion for the Flight Director’s Office because all of us have a team name."

“Mine is Unity."

“I wanted something to resemble teamwork for the fact that Mission Control is a really big team. Though I’m a Flight Director and the leader of that team, especially in Houston, I’m not significant unless there is a team behind me. Unity was the symbol I wanted because no matter how many different pieces there are to the puzzle, we all have to act as one. One in terms of being there for the safety of the crew, the safety of the vehicle, and mission success."

"I went to Mexico City a few years back, and I saw a quote on a wall that said, 'I am, because we are.' I really resonated with that because I am who I am—I am a Flight Director—because we are. We as a team, we all sit here together. We all do this mission together."

– Pooja Jesrani, Flight Director, Johnson Space Center


Image Credit: NASA/Norah Moran 

Caption Credit: NASA/Tahira Allen 

Release Date: May 20, 2021


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #PoojaJesrani #FlightDirector #Leader #MissionControl #AsianAmerican #WomenInSTEM #JohnsonSpaceCenter #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Artemis II Moon Mission Service Module: Final Assembly & Testing

NASA's Artemis II Moon Mission Service Module: Final Assembly & Testing









The service module for the Artemis II Orion spacecraft was moved into the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) Cell inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be integrated with the crew module before being handed over to NASA's Exploration Ground Systems for fueling.

Artemis II will be NASA’s first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft around the Moon to verify today’s capabilities for humans to explore deep space and pave the way for long-term exploration and science on the lunar surface.


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Release Date: May 22, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #EuropeanServiceModule #ESM #ServiceModule #OrionSpacecraft #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #Science #Technology  #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #ESA #STEM #Education

NASA’s Modern History Makers: Phuong Marangoni | Artemis Program

NASA’s Modern History Makers: Phuong Marangoni | Artemis Program

Phuong Marangoni stands in front of a portrait wall in the Research Support Building.

“If someone told me years ago that this was where I would be, I would have never been able to even fathom it. Especially working for a project as cool as Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element.”

Phuong Marangoni is the deputy project planning and control lead for NASA’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) project supporting Gateway, a cornerstone of Artemis. Managed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the PPE provides the orbiting lunar space station with power; high-rate communications; and propulsion for deep space transit, orbital transfer, and station-keeping.

Marangoni began her career as a software engineer for the Department of Defense. From there, she transitioned into a position as an acquisition manager for legacy engines and aircraft programs where she also learned about production and development of new aircraft.

“That opportunity was pivotal in my career,” said Marangoni. “I gained so much insight and knowledge into managing an aircraft program. It’s very complex.”

Since childhood, Marangoni has been acquainted with complexity in both her personal and professional life. She was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with her family at a very young age. She grew up in a household that was different from other students her age, with strict parents who prioritized studying and preparing for the future.

“My family and I had humble beginnings,” said Marangoni. “We had all sorts of challenges like language, culture, and financial stability. My parents were always looking to find ways to help us continue to learn and grow. A lot of those space camps and learning opportunities outside school came with a cost that we couldn’t always afford.”

Marangoni’s parents continuously sought out opportunities to better their children’s lives. They signed their daughter up to attend a free summer program hosted by a local community college that introduced Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) to underrepresented communities.

“I loved every minute of it,” said Marangoni. “We got to simulate space missions and launch rockets. It was one of the very few, if not the only, opportunity I had that cemented my career goal to some degree.”

When choosing a career path, Marangoni was torn between her love of art and new love for STEM. She proceeded with her passion for STEM and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Wright State University and a master’s degree in engineering management from Penn State University. After graduation, Marangoni faced the challenge of not knowing where her path could potentially take her.

“It felt like being in a thick fog with a flashlight and all you can see is a few feet in front of you and nothing beyond that,” said Marangoni. “I grew up in an environment where my surroundings were simply different, so I lacked role models I could relate to. It was hard to envision who I saw myself to be or what I wanted to do.”

She persisted, and her path ultimately led her to NASA Glenn, where she hopes to serve as a role model and inspiration for the younger generation. She encourages anyone interested in a STEM career to pursue their dream, despite any challenges they may have to overcome.

“Know that a STEM career will help you develop foundational problem-solving skills that will enable you to solve so many different types of problems,” said Marangoni. “Not just science or engineering problems, but everything else out there. The skillset will truly open so many career opportunities for you and may provide you with the flexibility to grow and pursue a career that gives you purpose.”

NASA is in a Golden Era of aeronautics and space exploration. In partnership with commercial and private businesses, NASA is currently making history with significant missions such as Artemis, X-57 Maxwell, and X-59 Quesst. The NASA’s Modern History Makers series highlights members of NASA Glenn’s workforce who make these remarkable missions possible.


Image Credit: NASA/Bridget Caswell

Caption Credit: Jacqueline Minerd, NASA’s Glenn Research Center

Release Date: May 11, 2023


#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #ArtemisProgram #Gateway #PhuongMarangoni #ComputerEngineer #Manager #Leader #WomenInSTEM #AsianAmerican #VietnameseAmerican #NASAGlenn #GlennResearchCenter #Cleveland #Ohio #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Recientemente: La segunda misión de astronautas privados viaja a la estación espacial

Recientemente: La segunda misión de astronautas privados viaja a la estación espacial

Recientemente en la NASA, la versión en español de las cápsulas This Week at NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la NASA. 


Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 2 minutes

Broadcast Date: May 26, 2023

Release Date: May 31, 2023


#NASA #Space #nasaenespañol #español #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #JohnShoffner #AliAlqarni #RayyanahBarnawi #SpaceX #CrewDragon #CommercialSpace #Science #SpaceLaboratory #SaudiArabia #SaudiSpaceCommission #ArtemisProgram #Robotics #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Nebula NGC 3199 in Carina | European Southern Observatory

Nebula NGC 3199 in Carina | European Southern Observatory

This image shows a crescent-shaped cocoon of gas and dust—a nebula known as NGC 3199, which is located 12,000 light-years away from Earth. It appears to plough through the star-studded sky like a ship through stormy seas. This imagery is very appropriate due to NGC 3199’s location in Carina —a southern constellation which is named after the keel of a ship!

NGC 3199 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel in 1834 as he compiled his famous catalog of interesting night sky objects. The nebula’s bright crescent feature is now known to be part of a much larger but fainter bubble of gas and dust.

The nebula contains a notable star named HD 89358, which is an unusual type of extremely hot and massive star known as a Wolf-Rayet star. HD 89358 generates incredibly intense stellar winds and outflows that smash into and sweep up the surrounding material, contributing to NGC 3199’s twisted and lopsided morphology.


Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Release Date: July 30, 2018


#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC3199 #Star #HD89358 #WolfRayetStar #Carina #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Observatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Supercomputer Simulation: How a Disk Galaxy Forms

Supercomputer Simulation: How a Disk Galaxy Forms

How did we get here? We know that we live on a planet orbiting a star orbiting a galaxy, but how did all of this form? Since our universe moves too slowly to watch, faster-moving computer simulations are created to help find out. Specifically, this featured video from the IllustrisTNG collaboration tracks gas from the early universe (redshift 12) until today (redshift 0). As the simulation begins, ambient gas falls into and accumulates in a region of relatively high gravity. After a few billion years, a well-defined center materializes from a strange and fascinating cosmic dance. Gas blobs—some representing small satellite galaxies—continue to fall into and become absorbed by the rotating galaxy as the present epoch is reached and the video ends. For the Milky Way Galaxy, however, big mergers may not be over—recent evidence indicates that our large spiral disk Galaxy will collide and coalesce with the slightly larger Andromeda spiral disk galaxy in the next few billion years.


Video Credit: TNG Collaboration, MPCDF, FAS Harvard University

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Galaxies #MilkyWayGalaxy #Astrophysics #Physics #Cosmology #Cosmos #Universe #ComputerSimulation #Supercomputers #IllustrisTNGProject #MaxPlanckGesellschaft #FASHarvardUniversity #STEM #Education #APoD #HD #Video

Axiom Space Ax-2 Crew Dragon Spacecraft Return & Recovery | SpaceX

Axiom Space Ax-2 Crew Dragon Spacecraft Return & Recovery | SpaceX

The crew of Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station, Commander Peggy Whitson (USA), Pilot John Shoffner (USA) and Mission Specialists Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia) and Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia), was successfully recovered from SpaceX’s “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft, on May 31, 2023.


Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)/Axiom Space

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 3 minutes, 28 seconds

Release Date: May 31, 2023


#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #JohnShoffner #AliAlqarni #RayyanahBarnawi #SpaceX #CrewDragon #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #SaudiArabia #SaudiSpaceCommission #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Expedition 69 Crew Answers Student Questions | International Space Station

Expedition 69 Crew Answers Student Questions | International Space Station

Aboard the International Space Station, NASA Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Stephen Bowen and Frank Rubio answered pre-recorded questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event May 30, 2023, with students at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Bowen and Rubio are in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars. 

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 69 Crew (May 2023)

Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev

Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 17 minutes

Release Date: May 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #Science #ISS #Astronauts #StephenBowen #FrankRubio #WoodyHoburg #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Students #NewMexico #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-15 & Shenzhou-16 Crews Meet in Earth Orbit | China Space Station

Shenzhou-15 & Shenzhou-16 Crews Meet in Earth Orbit | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft embarked on its journey to the China Space Station on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. It is the first crewed mission since the China Space Station entered its application and development stage.

Carried by a Long March-2F rocket, the Shenzhou-16 crew spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at 9:31 a.m, Beijing Time, May 30. The spacecraft conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docked with the radial port of the China Space Station module Tianhe at 16:29 Beijing Time, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

Let's experience the meeting of the Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-16 crews in space in 80 seconds.


Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds

Release Date: May 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #China #中国 #LongMarch2FRocket #长征二号F遥十六 #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 ##Shenzhou15 #Shenzhou16 #神舟十六 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #JingHaipeng #ZhuYangzhu #GuiHaichao #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Saturn's Ocean Moon Enceladus: Large Water Vapor Plume Found | Webb Telescope

Saturn's Ocean Moon Enceladus: Large Water Vapor Plume Found | Webb Telescope


Researchers using the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space telescope recently discovered a plume jetting out from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus and extending more than 40 times the size of the moon itself. This animation illustrates how the moon’s water plumes feed the moon’s torus. By analyzing the Webb data, astronomers have determined roughly 30 percent of the water stays within this torus, and the other 70 percent escapes to supply the rest of the Saturnian system of water.


Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, G. Villanueva (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center), A. Pagan (STScI), L. Hustak (STScI)

Duration: 21 seconds

Release Date: May 25, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Saturn #Planet #Enceladus #Moon #OceanMoon #SouthPole #WaterVapour #Plume #Jet #Astrobiology #SolarSystem #JWST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #ESA #Canada #CSA #Infographics #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Saturn's Ocean Moon Enceladus: Large Water Vapor Plume Found | Webb Telescope

Saturn's Ocean Moon Enceladus: Large Water Vapor Plume Found | Webb Telescope

A water vapor plume jetting from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus

Saturn’s moon Enceladus feeds the water supply for the entire system of the ringed planet

Images from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) show a water vapor plume jetting from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, extending out 40 times the size of the moon itself. The inset, an image from NASA's Cassini orbiter, emphasises how small Enceladus appears in the Webb image compared to the water plume. Enceladus, a prime candidate in the search for life elsewhere in our Solar System, is a small moon about four percent the size of Earth.

Image 1 Description: The two-part graphic shows a clearer image of a bright white circular moon at top left in a box. It is labelled Enceladus (Cassini). The majority of the graphic shows Webb’s image, which appears pixelated. At the bottom is the label, plume (Webb).

Webb is allowing researchers, for the first time, to see directly how this plume feeds the water supply for the entire system of Saturn and its rings. By analyzing the Webb data, astronomers have determined roughly 30 percent of the water stays within a torus, a fuzzy doughnut of water that is co-located with Saturn’s E-ring, and the other 70 percent escapes to supply the rest of the Saturnian system with water.

Enceladus, at just 505 kilometers across, is one of the most exciting scientific targets in our Solar System in the search for life beyond Earth. A global reservoir of salty water sits below the moon’s icy outer crust, and geyser-like volcanoes spew jets of ice particles, water vapor, and organic chemicals out of crevices in the moon’s surface informally called ‘tiger stripes’.

Webb’s NIRCam was built by a team at the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center.


Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, G. Villanueva (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center), A. Pagan (STScI)

Release Date: May 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Saturn #Planet #Enceladus #Moon #OceanMoon #SouthPole #WaterVapour #Plume #Jet #Astrobiology #SolarSystem #JWST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #ESA #Canada #CSA #Infographics #STEM #Education

Ax-2 Astronauts Farewell Ceremony | International Space Station

Ax-2 Astronauts: Farewell Ceremony | International Space Station


Record-breaking American astronaut Peggy Whitson and her Axiom Space Ax-2 crewmates John Shoffner (USA), Ali Alqarni (Saudi Arabia), and Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Arabia) say goodbye to the International Space Station in a farewell ceremony on May 29, 2023. The crew is returning to Earth on May 30, 2023, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft.

Rayyanah Barnawi is making history as the first Arab woman aboard the International Space Station. She has become the 600th astronaut.

Expedition 69 Crew (May 2023)

Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev

Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.


Credit:  NASA TV

Acknowledgement: VideoFromSpace

Duration: 10 minutes

Broadcast Date: May 29, 2023

Release Date: May 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax2Mission #Ax2 #AX2Crew #Astronauts #PeggyWhitson #JohnShoffner #AliAlqarni #RayyanahBarnawi #SpaceX #CrewDragon #CommercialSpace #Science #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #SaudiArabia #SaudiSpaceCommission #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

"Spring Sprouts" of The Martian North | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

"Spring Sprouts" of The Martian North | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

The sun is rising in Mars’ Northern Hemisphere, and spring activity is starting as the seasonal polar cap begins to sublimate (going from ice directly to gas). A layer of dry ice covers the sand dunes in this image.

Gas jets sprout through the ice layer carrying dust and sand from the surface, showing up as dark fans. At this time in early Martian spring, the fans are visible between the sand dunes. The ground between the dunes is on the scale of tens of centimeters, and ice in places where the sun hits more directly will thin fastest, releasing the jets. Later, the ice over and around the dunes will rupture and more fans will appear on the dunes.

This image was acquired on December 24, 2020, by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 271 km from the planet's surface. The image is less than 1 km across. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Narration: Tre Gibbs

Duration: 47 seconds

Caption Credit: Candy Hansen 

Capture Date: Jan. 22, 2021


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Science #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #NorthernHemisphere #SandDunes #GasJets #DarkFans #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UniversityOfArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

"Spring Sprouts" of The Martian North | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

"Spring Sprouts" of The Martian North | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

The sun is rising in Mars’ Northern Hemisphere, and spring activity is starting as the seasonal polar cap begins to sublimate (going from ice directly to gas). A layer of dry ice covers the sand dunes in this image.

Gas jets sprout through the ice layer carrying dust and sand from the surface, showing up as dark fans. At this time in early Martian spring, the fans are visible between the sand dunes. The ground between the dunes is on the scale of tens of centimeters, and ice in places where the sun hits more directly will thin fastest, releasing the jets. Later, the ice over and around the dunes will rupture and more fans will appear on the dunes.

This image was acquired on December 24, 2020, by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 271 km from the planet's surface. The image is less than 1 km across. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Caption Credit: Candy Hansen 

Image Date: Dec. 24, 2020


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Science #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #NorthernHemisphere #SandDunes #GasJets #DarkFans #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UniversityOfArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education

Monday, May 29, 2023

Shenzhou-16 Mission: Long March Rocket Launch | China Space Station

Shenzhou-16 Mission: Long March Rocket Launch | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-16 crew spacecraft was successfully launched by a Long March-2F Y16 launch vehicle from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu Province, China, on May 30, 2023, at 01:31 UTC (09:31 China Standard Time). Shenzhou-16 is the fifth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station: Jing Haipeng (景海鹏, commander), Zhu Yangzhu (朱杨柱) and Gui Haichao (桂海潮).


Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)/China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 6 minutes

Release Date: May 29, 2023

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #LongMarch2FRocket #长征二号F遥十六 #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #Shenzhou16 #神舟十六 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #JingHaipeng #ZhuYangzhu #GuiHaichao #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China's Shenzhou-16 Mission & Crew | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-16 Mission & Crew | China Space Station


A Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft with three astronauts on board, successfully blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Tuesday morning, May 30, 2023.

The Shenzhou-16 manned mission, the first since the China Space Station entered its application and development stage, will conduct a fast automated rendezvous in orbit and dock at the radial port of the Tianhe core module, forming a combination of three modules and three spaceships. China unveiled its crew members for the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission on Monday, May 29, 2023 with the astronauts meeting the press a day before their scheduled launch. 

Taikonauts Jing Haipeng (Commander), Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao will carry out the mission to the China Space Station (CSS), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at the press conference. Gui Haichao makes history as China's first civilian astronaut and payload specialist.

Gui Haichao, born in November 1986, was also selected as a member of China's third batch of astronauts in 2020, serving as a payload specialist.

"The word 'astronaut' was sacred and far from me in the past, and I've been dreaming of moving my research work into space one day," he said. "I didn't hesitate to sign up when I learned in 2018 that the country was about to select payload specialists."

With Gui's arrival, the China Space Station will welcome its first payload specialist.

The Shenzhou-15 crew will return to north China's Dongfeng landing site after completing an in-orbit rotation mission with the Shenzhou-16 crew.


Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #Shenzhou16 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #JingHaipeng #ZhuYangzhu #GuiHaichao #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #Infographics #STEM #Education

China's Shenzhou-16 Crew Training | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-16 Crew Training | China Space Station

China unveiled its crew members for the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission on Monday, May 29, 2023, with the astronauts meeting the press a day before their scheduled launch. 

Taikonauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao will carry out the mission to the China Space Station (CSS), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference. Gui Haichao makes history as China's first civilian astronaut.

What did they do in their training? 

The Shenzhou-16 manned mission, the first since the China Space Station entered its application and development stage, will conduct a fast automated rendezvous in orbit and dock at the radial port of the Tianhe core module, forming a combination of three modules and three spaceships.

The Shenzhou-15 crew will return to north China's Dongfeng landing site after completing an in-orbit rotation mission with the Shenzhou-16 crew.


Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 3 minutes, 34 seconds

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #Shenzhou16 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Training #Commander #JingHaipeng #ZhuYangzhu #GuiHaichao #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star Forming Region N90: Wide-field View (ground-based image)

Star Forming Region N90: Wide-field View (ground-based image)

This image shows the area around nebula N90. N90 is a rich star-forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way.

Distance: 200,000 light years

This is a color composite made from Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2) exposure. The field of view is 3.1x2.8 degrees.


Credit: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble), the ESA/ESO/NASA/Digitized Sky Survey 2

Release Date: Jan. 8, 2007


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Nebulae #N90 #Nebula #OpenStarCluster #NGC602 #MagellanicCloud #SMC #Hydrus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Open Star Cluster NGC 602 in The Small Magellanic Cloud | NASA Chandra

Open Star Cluster NGC 602 in The Small Magellanic Cloud | NASA Chandra

NGC 602 is a young, bright open cluster of stars located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)—a satellite galaxy close to the Milky Way. It is embedded in a nebula known as N90.

Distance: 200,000 light years


Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: April 8, 2013


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #MagellanicCloud #SMC #Hydrus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Spitzer #SpaceTelescopes #Infrared #Hubble #HST #ChandraObservatory #Xray #JPL #Caltech #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zoom into Star Forming Region N90 & Star Cluster NGC 602 | Hubble

Zoom into Star Forming Region N90 & Star Cluster NGC 602 | Hubble

Bright blue newly formed stars are blowing a cavity in the center of a fascinating star-forming region known as N90. NGC 602 is a young, bright open cluster of stars located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way. It is embedded in the nebula N90.

Distance: 200,000 light years

The high energy radiation blazing out from the hot young stars in N90 is eroding the outer portions of the nebula from the inside, as the diffuse outer reaches of the nebula prevent the energetic outflows from streaming away from the cluster directly. Because N90 is located far from the central body of the Small Magellanic Cloud, numerous background galaxies in this picture can be seen, delivering a grand backdrop for the stellar newcomers. The dust in the region gives these distant galaxies a reddish-brown tint.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and G. Bacon and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Duration: 27 seconds

Release Date: Dec. 31, 2014


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarCluster #NGC602 #N90 #Nebula #MagellanicCloud #SMC #Hydrus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Hubble #SpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Star Forming Region N90 & Star Cluster NGC 602 | Hubble

Star Forming Region N90 & Star Cluster NGC 602 | Hubble

This image depicts bright blue newly formed stars that are blowing a cavity in the center of a fascinating star-forming region known as N90.
Distance: 200,000 light years

The high energy radiation blazing out from the hot young stars in N90 is eroding the outer portions of the nebula from the inside, as the diffuse outer reaches of the nebula prevent the energetic outflows from streaming away from the cluster directly. Because N90 is located far from the central body of the Small Magellanic Cloud, numerous background galaxies in this picture can be seen, delivering a grand backdrop for the stellar newcomers. The dust in the region gives these distant galaxies a reddish-brown tint.


Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration

Release Date: Jan. 8, 2007


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StarCluster #NGC602 #N90 #Nebula #MagellanicCloud #SMC #Hydrus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Hubble #SpaceTelescope #HST #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #ESA #Europe #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-15 Crew Makes History with Six-Month Mission | China Space Station

Shenzhou-15 Crew Makes History with Six-Month Mission | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-15 crew is finishing their six-month long duration stay at the China Space Station. The trio, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, started their mission with fanfare. Their time at the China Space Station has earned them even more respect.

Shenzhou-15 Crew Members: 

Fei Junlong (commander), Zhang Lu (taikonaut), and Deng Qingming (taikonaut)


Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds

Release Date: May 28, 2023

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #Shenzhou15 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Commander #FeiJunlong #ZhangLu #DengQingming #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Milky Way & Bioluminescent Plankton in Earth's Indian Ocean

The Milky Way & Bioluminescent Plankton in Earth's Indian Ocean

A shoreline glowing with blue bioluminescent plankton is shown, with a stand of trees in the distance. Above all is a starry sky which includes red nebulae and the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy.

What glows there? The answer depends: sea or sky? In the sea, the unusual blue glow is bioluminescence. Specifically, the glimmer arises from Noctiluca scintillans, single-celled plankton stimulated by the lapping waves. The plankton use their glow to startle and illuminate predators. This mid-February display on an island in the Maldives was so intense that the astrophotographer described it as a turquoise wonderland. In the sky, by contrast, are the more familiar glows of stars and nebulas. The white band rising from the artificially-illuminated green plants is created by billions of stars in the central disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. Also visible in the sky is the star cluster Omega Centauri, toward the left, and the famous Southern Cross asterism in the center. Red-glowing nebulas include the bright Carina Nebula, just right of center, and the expansive Gum Nebula on the upper right.


Image Credit & Copyright: Petr Horálek/Institute of Physics in Opava, Sovena Jani

Petr Horálek's website: www.petrhoralek.com

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Maldives #IndianOcean #Plankton #NoctilucaScintillans #Bioluminescence #Biology #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Nebulae #CarinaNebula #GumNebula #StarCluster #OmegaCentauri #Astrophotography #PetrHoralek #STEM #Education #APoD

India's GSLV-F12 Rocket Launches Navigation Satellite NVS-01 | ISRO

India's GSLV-F12 Rocket Launches Navigation Satellite NVS-01 | ISRO

A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk II (GSLV-F12) launched the NVS-01 navigation satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota, on May 29, 2023, at 05:12 UTC (10:42 IST). NVS-01 (~2232 kg) is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services.


Credit: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #ISRO #Space #Science #Rocket #GSLVMkII #GSLVF12 #Satellite #NavigationSatellite #NVS01Mission #SatishDhawanSpaceCentre #SDSC #Sriharikota #India #BhāratGaṇarājya #Technology #Engineering #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 298: Type II Supernova Host | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy NGC 298: Type II Supernova Host | Hubble

The spiral galaxy NGC 298 basks in this image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 298 lies around 89 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus, and appears isolated in this image—only a handful of distant galaxies and foreground stars accompany the lonely galaxy. While NGC 298 seems peaceful, in 1986 it was host to one of astronomy's most extreme events: a catastrophic stellar explosion known as a Type II supernova. 

Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys captured NGC 298 as part of an investigation into the origins of Type II supernovae. All Type II supernovae are produced by the collapse and subsequent explosion of young, massive stars, but they can produce a spectacular diversity of brightnesses and spectral features.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy. It is tilted diagonally, and slightly towards the viewer, making its core and disc separately visible. Its disc is speckled by small stars, has threads of dark reddish dust and bubbles of bright, glowing gas. The core shines brightly in a warmer colour. Several tiny stars and small galaxies are included in the black background.

Astronomers suspect that the diversity of this cosmic firework show might be due to gas and dust being stripped from the stars that will eventually produce Type II supernovae. Observing the region surrounding supernova explosions can reveal traces of the progenitor star’s history preserved in this lost mass, as well as revealing any companion stars that survived the supernova. Hubble used the brief periods between scheduled observations to explore the aftermath of a number of Type II supernovae, hoping to piece together the relationship between Type II supernovae and the stellar systems which give rise to them.


Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #NGC298 #Galaxy #TypeIISupernova #Spiral #Cetus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Vela Supernova Remnant: Giant Cosmic Networks of Filaments | ESO

The Vela Supernova Remnant: Giant Cosmic Networks of Filaments | ESO


Sometimes dramatic events are needed to create something stunning. This beautiful structure of filaments and clouds in the southern constellation of Vela are all that remains of a massive star that died in a powerful explosion known as supernova. 

Even though bright stars populate this image, it is hard to not be captivated by the pink gaseous clouds filling up the frame. Some tiny, others thicker, the filaments stretch outwards like tentacles. As they intertwine and cling together, an intricate network is formed which mixes with blurred clouds. However, how did they come to be like this?

Around 11,000 years ago, a massive star exploded as a supernova, ejecting its outer layers. The explosion also generated shock waves which traveled outwards, compressing the gas around the star and creating the intricate network visible in the image. The result of such explosions are called supernova remnants. At 800 light years away from Earth, the Vela supernova remnant is one of the closest known to us.

At the center of the image, there is a pink network of filaments, which extends towards the right. Around it, filamentary orange clouds fill the space. Spread all over the picture, bright yellow, blue and reddish stars populate the image. The dark background is almost completely hidden by all these features.

This is a small section of a larger image taken using the wide-field camera OmegaCAM at the VLT Survey Telescope (VST). Hosted at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in the Chilean desert, the VST is one of the best telescopes in the world to take large images of the sky in visible light.


Credit: European Southern Observatory/VPHAS+ team

Acknowledgement: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit

Release Date: May 29, 2023


#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #SupernovaRemnant #Vela #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #VST #OmegaCAM #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education

Sunday, May 28, 2023

Mars: Dune & Ripple Migration in Nili Patera | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars: Dune & Ripple Migration in Nili Patera | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Nili Patera is a region on Mars in which sand dunes and ripples are moving rapidly. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues to monitor this area every couple of months to see changes over seasonal and annual time scales.

Here we see obvious activity over a span of less than two Earth years. Three prominent changes are obvious: 1) the dunes are migrating, with position differences of a few meters in some areas; 2) the ripples on the surfaces of the dunes have undergone so much change that they cannot be reliably tracked over this time interval; and 3) the lee faces of the dunes exhibit new avalanches.

These results show that Nili Patera, and other regions on Mars, are areas of active sand migration and landscape erosion.

These images were acquired on August 31, 2012, by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 271 km from the planet's surface. The image is less than 1 km across. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.


Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Narration: Tre Gibbs

Duration: 51 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 1, 2014


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Science #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #NiliPatera #SandDunes #DuneMigration #RippleMigration #WindErosion #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UniversityOfArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mars: Dune & Ripple Migration in Nili Patera | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars: Dune & Ripple Migration in Nili Patera | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Nili Patera is a region on Mars in which sand dunes and ripples are moving rapidly. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter continues to monitor this area every couple of months to see changes over seasonal and annual time scales.

Here we see obvious activity over a span of less than two Earth years. Three prominent changes are obvious: 1) the dunes are migrating, with position differences of a few meters in some areas; 2) the ripples on the surfaces of the dunes have undergone so much change that they cannot be reliably tracked over this time interval; and 3) the lee faces of the dunes exhibit new avalanches.

These results show that Nili Patera, and other regions on Mars, are areas of active sand migration and landscape erosion.

This image was acquired on August 31, 2012, by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 271 km from the planet's surface. The image is less than 1 km across. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates  the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.


Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Image Date: August 31, 2012

Release Date: May 28, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Science #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #NiliPatera #SandDunes #DuneMigration #RippleMigration #WindErosion #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #Camera #JPL #Caltech #UniversityOfArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education

May 2023: Wildflowers & Wildlife | NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

May 2023: Wildflowers & Wildlife | NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida






Two black-bellied whistling ducks walk through a field of wildflowers
Framed by wildflowers, a tricolored heron wades in a waterway

A great egret wades through a marsh filled with wildflowers

Wildflowers and palm trees are in view near the Central Campus Headquarters Building at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 19, 2023. The center shares a border with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. More than 330 native and migratory bird species, along with 65 amphibian and reptile species, call Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/merritt-island


Image Credit: NASA/Franki Michaux

Capture Date: May 19, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #KennedySpaceCenter #KSC #Florida #Spaceport #UnitedStates #Spring2023 #May2023 #Flowers #Wildflowers #Wildlife #Birdlife #Birds #Ducks #Herons #Egrets #STEM #Education

Russian Soyuz Rocket Launches Kondor Earth Observation Satellite | Roscosmos

Russian Soyuz Rocket Launches Kondor Earth Observation Satellite | Roscosmos

A Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle launched the Kondor-FKA No.1 satellite from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia, on May 26, 2023, at 21:14 UTC (27 May, at 06:14 local time). According to Roscosmos, Kondor-FKA No.1 (Кондор-ФКА №1) is a civilian Earth observation satellite. 

The Vostochny Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport above the 51st parallel north in the Amur Oblast, in the Russian Far East.


Credit: Roscosmos

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 3 minutes, 43 seconds

Release Date: May 26, 2023


#NASA #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Space #Soyuz #Союз #Rocket #Satellite #KondorFKANo1 #Science #Earth #Planet #Russia #Россия #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #CivilianSpace #VostochnyCosmodrome #KosmodromVostochny #Космодром Восточный #AmurOblast #RussianFarEast #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Aeronautics Hypersonic Project | Glenn Research Center

NASA Aeronautics Hypersonic Project | Glenn Research Center




The NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Hypersonic Project is focused on technologies for combined cycle, air-breathing propulsions systems to enable reusable launch systems for access to space. Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC) propulsion systems offer specific impulse improvements over rocket-based propulsion systems in the subsonic takeoff and return mission segments and offer improved safety. The potential to realize more aircraft-like operations with expanded launch site capability and reduced system maintenance are additional benefits.

Read more: 

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20090037583/downloads/20090037583.pdf

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19990053005/downloads/19990053005.pdf


Image Credit: Quentin Schwinn

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Image Date: Jan. 29, 2011


#NASA #Space #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Aeronautics #Hypersonics #TBCCPropulsion #AirBreathingEngines #ReusableLaunchCapability #Aircraft #AdvancedResearch #FundamentalAeronauticsHypersonicProject  #Technology #Engineering #GlennResearchCenter #Cleveland #Ohio #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Martian Vistas: May 2023 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

Martian Vistas: May 2023 | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

MSL - Sol 3793 - NavRight

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Doug Ellison/Kevin M. Gill

Mars2020 - Sol 805 - MastCam-Z - Decorrelated Color
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill

Mars2020 - Sol 805 - MastCam-Z
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 10 Years+ on Mars! (2012-2023)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars


Celebrating 2+ Years on Mars (2021-2023)

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.

Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity)

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov


Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Arizona State University/Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS)

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: May 26-27, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #IngenuityHelicopter #JezeroCrater #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MSSS #UnitedStates #MoonToMars #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education