NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Arrives at Kodiak Hill | JPL

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Arrives at Kodiak Hill | JPL  

Kodiak Hill - Perseverance, sol 409 Mosaic of 9 pictures taken by Mastcam-Z Left camera aboard Perseverance rover on sol 409 (April 15th, 2022) at 10:06 am Martian local time. 

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré 

The river delta in this area "is one of the best locations on Mars for the Perseverance rover to look for signs of past microscopic life. A delta forms when a sediment laden river runs into a body of standing water, and as it does so, slows and can no longer hold the sediment, so it drops the rocks, gravel and soil into the water body, which gently sinks to the bottom and forms a delta. Over time, the delta becomes a layered repository, like an book with pages, which one can turn over each day to learn more about the history of Mars."

"How does it achieve this? Well, the rocks and sediments had to come from somewhere. They were sourced in a region called the “watershed” of the delta. This is a much bigger area than Jezero crater (itself about 45km across), and the rocks we see in the delta will inform us about a wide range of Martian process, and some rocks may even be *older* than the Jezero crater itself (about 3.9 billion years old)."

"Another possibility is that we may find fossilized traces of ancient Martian life in these delta rocks. In one scenario, life might have got started in the early Noachian period (about 4 billion years old) when Mars was probably more friendly to life, and was preserved in the watershed until one fateful day when they were washed into the river system, and then the crater."

"So these interesting rocks will arrive somewhat randomly to us as we explore the delta, one can appreciate that everyday of the year-long “Delta campaign” will be exciting for every scientist on the team, because every day could be the day we hit it big. Real big."

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers.

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.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

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

For more about Perseverance: nasa.gov/perseverance

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

Story Credit: Adrian Brown, Deputy Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters

Image Release Date: April 15, 2022

Story Release Date: April 15, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #River #Delta #KodiakHill #Astrobiology #Geology #Jezero #Crater #Perseverance #Rover #Robotics #Technology #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #STEM #Education

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Arrives at River Delta | JPL

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Arrives at River Delta | JPL

Kodiak Hill - Perseverance, sol 409: Mosaic of 4 pictures taken by Navcam Left camera aboard Perseverance rover on sol 409 (April 15th, 2022) at 3:20 pm Martian local time.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Thomas Appéré

Kodiak Hill - Perseverance, sol 409

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

Roving along delta front - Perseverance, sol 406

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

Roving along delta front - Perseverance, sol 406

Cropped version of the Mastcam-Z panorama taken on sol 406.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

Roving along delta front - Perseverance, sol 406

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

Roving along delta front - Perseverance, sol 406

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

Roving along delta front - Perseverance, sol 406

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

Roving along delta front - Perseverance, sol 406

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

"This river delta is one of the best locations on Mars for the Perseverance rover to look for signs of past microscopic life. A delta forms when a sediment laden river runs into a body of standing water, and as it does so, slows and can no longer hold the sediment, so it drops the rocks, gravel and soil into the water body, which gently sinks to the bottom and forms a delta. Over time, the delta becomes a layered repository, like an book with pages, which one can turn over each day to learn more about the history of Mars."

"How does it achieve this? Well, the rocks and sediments had to come from somewhere. They were sourced in a region called the “watershed” of the delta. This is a much bigger area than Jezero crater (itself about 45km across), and the rocks we see in the delta will inform us about a wide range of Martian process, and some rocks may even be *older* than the Jezero crater itself (about 3.9 billion years old)."

"Another possibility is that we may find fossilized traces of ancient Martian life in these delta rocks. In one scenario, life might have got started in the early Noachian period (about 4 billion years old) when Mars was probably more friendly to life, and was preserved in the watershed until one fateful day when they were washed into the river system, and then the crater."

"So these interesting rocks will arrive somewhat randomly to us as we explore the delta, one can appreciate that everyday of the year-long “Delta campaign” will be exciting for every scientist on the team, because every day could be the day we hit it big. Real big."

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers.

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.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

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

For more about Perseverance: nasa.gov/perseverance

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

Story Credit: Adrian Brown, Deputy Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters

Image Release Dates: April 12-15, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #River #Delta #KodiakHill #Astrobiology #Geology #Jezero #Crater #Perseverance #Rover #Robotics #Technology #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #STEM #Education

NASA's Apollo 16 Lands in the Lunar Highlands: 50th Anniversary (1972-2022)

NASA's Apollo 16 Lands in the Lunar Highlands: 50th Anniversary (1972-2022)

Thanks to data provided by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, we are able to visualize the Apollo 16 landing site in the Descartes highlands on the nearside of the Moon, where the astronauts landed in April 1972. The mission was crewed by Commander John Young, Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke, and Command Module Pilot Thomas K. Mattingly. This visualization contains audio transmissions from portions of the mission between the astronauts and CapCom James Irwin, and a view of the 3 extravehicular activity (EVA) routes the astronauts took over the course of three days, including their visit to North Ray crater. The experiments conducted and lunar samples collected by the crew are still providing valuable data about our Moon to scientists today.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was launched in 2009. Its Exploration Mission was focused on supporting the extension of human presence in the solar system. LRO continues to help identify sites close to potential resources with high scientific value, favorable terrain and the environment necessary for safe future robotic and human lunar missions. The LRO mission has been extended to continue lunar science and exploration. 

The orbiter has made a 3-D map of the Moon's surface at 100-meter resolution and 98.2% coverage (excluding polar areas in deep shadow), including 0.5-meter resolution images of Apollo landing sites. In polar shadowed regions, LRO found the coldest spots measured (below 30 K) in the solar system. It discovered significant subsurface hydrogen deposits in regions cold enough for water ice to survive, as well as in additional hydrogen deposits in warmer areas where surface water ice is not thermally stable. 

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Data visualization by: Ernie Wright (USRA) 

Produced and Edited by: David Ladd (AIMM)

Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “The Orion Arm” - Christian Telford, David Travis Edwards, Matthew St. Laurent, & Robert Anthony Navarro.

Duration: 1 minute 16 seconds

Release Date: April 15, 2022 

#NASA #Space #Apollo #Moon #Lunar #Highlands #Landing #Astronauts #JohnYoung #CharlesDuke #ThomasMattingly #Apollo16 #EVA #Crater #NorthRay #History #50thAnniversary #Pioneers #LRO #Orbiter #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education  #Visualization #HD #Video

Night Skies & National Parks | NASA's Earth Observatory

Night Skies & National Parks | NASA's Earth Observatory

NASA and the National Park Service in the United States worked together to create a web-based tool: http://vms.seas.umich.edu that helps park managers better understand the impact of outdoor lighting and noise on animal species in national parks.

The website allows park managers to choose a time period, such as the spring or winter seasons, and then zoom into a particular park to see sound and nighttime lights data and determine which animal species might be at risk from those sensory stimuli.

Observations from space, such as nighttime light data from the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite used to produce this United States map, help to better gauge the impact of outdoor lighting on animal species in national parks.

April 16-24, 2022, is National Park Week. Parks across the country are hosting events virtually and in-person: 

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/national-park-week.htm

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Release Date: April 15, 2022

#NASA #Space #Satellite #SuomiNPP #Earth #LightPollution #DarkSkies #NASAMarshall #NOAA #NationalParks #NPS #NationalParkWeek #sParkConnections #Map #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA’s High Altitude ER-2 Aircraft Returns to Flight

NASA’s High Altitude ER-2 Aircraft Returns to Flight

NASA's ER-2 No. 806 returns to flying high-altitude on April 7, 2022 with NASA pilot Greg "Coach" Nelson, after three years of heavy maintenance. NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California operates two ER-2 aircraft to collect information about Earth resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes. NASA's ER-2 set a world-altitude record for the class of aircraft with a takeoff weight between 26,455 and 35,275 lb on Nov. 19, 1998, when the aircraft reached 68,700 feet.

The Lockheed Martin ER-2 was developed for NASA to serve as a high-altitude scientific research aircraft. The ER-2 operates at altitudes from 20,000 feet to 70,000 feet, which is above 99 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. Depending on aircraft weight, the ER-2 reaches an initial cruise altitude of 65,000 feet within 20 minutes. Typical cruise speed is 410 knots. The range for a normal eight-hour mission is 3,000 nautical miles yielding seven hours of data collection at altitude. The aircraft is capable of longer missions in excess of 10 hours and ranges in excess of 6,000 nautical miles. The ER-2 can carry a maximum payload of 2,600 lb (1,179 kilograms) distributed in the equipment bay, nose area, and wing pods.

The aircraft has four large pressurized experiment compartments and a high capacity AC/DC electrical system, permitting it to carry a variety of payloads on a single mission. The modular design of the aircraft permits rapid installation or removal of payloads to meet changing mission requirements.

Flying from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703, the ER-2 conducted its first low-level flight on March 21 since it was disassembled in October 2018.

During the maintenance period, pilot safety was enhanced through the Cockpit Altitude Reduction Effort, or CARE. The modification allows the pilot to safely operate the ER-2 by reducing effective cockpit altitude from 29,000 feet to 15,000 feet altitude when operating at 65,000 feet. Changing the altitude in the cockpit significantly reduces the possibility of decompression sickness.

Another important modification to the ER-2 utilizes the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) technology. The installation of the ADS-B system makes flying the ER-2 safer by allowing the pilot increased traffic situational awareness. The ADS-B system also brings the ER-2 in compliance with the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to operate in the national and international airspace.

Following a series of check flights on April 7, the ER-2 will resume flying missions for NASA’s Earth Science Division. The end of life estimate of 2030 for the ER-2 aircraft is coincident with the end of the Air Force U-2 program. 

For more information on the ER-2 aircraft, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-046-DFRC.html

For more information on NASA's Airborne Science Program: http://airbornescience.nasa.gov

The Lockheed Martin U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It provides day and night, high-altitude (70,000 feet, 21,300 meters), all-weather intelligence gathering.

Caption Credit: NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC)

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas

Image Capture Date: April 7, 2022

Release Date:  April 15, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Aerospace #Aviation #SubOrbital #HighAltitude #Aircraft #ER2 #Civilian #U2 #Military #USAF #LockheedMartin #Pilot #Earth #Science #Technology #Engineering #Atmosphere #Research #Armstrong #Flight #EdwardsAFB #AirForceBase #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 Talks Before Departing International Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 Talks Before Departing International Space Station

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 67 Flight Engineers Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron of NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer reflected back and discussed their six-month mission aboard the orbital outpost during a crew news conference April 15. The Crew-3 astronauts are nearing the end of a long duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. 

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 25 minutes

Release Date: April 15, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Artemis #Moon #Mars #Astronauts #SpaceXCrew3 #TomMarshburn #KaylaBarron #RajaChari #MatthiasMauer #ESA #Europe #DLR #Germany #Deutschland #FlightEngineers #Science #Technology #Engineering #Spacewalk #EVA #Human #Spaceflight #Research #Laboratory #UnitedStates #Expedition67 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Testing Our Mega Moon Rocket and Ground Systems | This Week @NASA

Testing Our Mega Moon Rocket and Ground Systems | This Week @NASA 

Week of April 15, 2022: Testing our mega Moon rocket and ground systems, preparing the James Webb Space telescope for science, and testing an instrument for future X-59 research . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA! 

Artemis I moon launch (uncrewed) is currently scheduled for no earlier than June 2022.

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.  It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about a three-week mission. Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

NASA's Artemis Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

NASA's Orion Spacecraft

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/about/index.html

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producer: Lacey Young 

Editor: Shane Apple 

Voiceover: Pat Ryan 

Music: Universal Production Music

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: April 15, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #X59 #Aerospace #Aviation #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #KSC #Kennedy #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Florida | Axiom 1 Mission | International Space Station

Florida | Axiom 1 Mission | International Space Station

Axiom 1 Mission Commander Michael López-Alegría: "It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen Earth from space, it never ceases to amaze! 📸"

Former NASA astronaut, Michael López-Alegría, is vice-president of business development for Axiom Space. López-Alegría has flown four times in space already on space shuttle missions STS-73, STS-92, and STS- 113. He was also the commander of International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 14, coming to and from the space station aboard a Russian Soyuz TMA-9.

Ax-1 crew members Commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mark Pathy of Canada are on a 10-day space mission. The crew is spending eight days on the International Space Station conducting scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities.

The Axiom Mission 1 (#Ax1) crew is currently scheduled to undock from the International Space Station in SpaceX Dragon Endeavour on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

Learn more about Ax-1 at Axiom Space: https://www.axiomspace.com

Credit: Michael López-Alegría/Axiom Space

Image Date: April 14, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #OverviewEffect #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax1 #PlvsVltra #FurtherBeyond #Private #Mission #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #LarryConnor #UnitedStates #EytanStibbe #Israel #MarkPathy #Canada #Science #Research  #International #STEM #Education

SpaceX Dragon for Axiom Space Mission I Crew | International Space Station

SpaceX Dragon for Axiom Space Mission I Crew | International Space Station

The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour crew ship is pictured docked to the Harmony module's space-facing international docking adapter. Endeavour carried four Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) astronauts, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Pilot Larry Connor, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy, to the International Space Station (ISS) for several days of research, education, and commercial activities.

Learn more about Ax-1 at Axiom Space: https://www.axiomspace.com

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: April 15, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax1 #SpaceX #CrewDragon #SpaceXCrew3 #CSA #DEXTRE #Candarm2 #Robotics #MDA #Spacecraft #Private #Mission #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #LarryConnor #UnitedStates #EytanStibbe #Israel #MarkPathy #Canada #Science #Research #Expedition67 #STEM #Education

Roscosmos Soyuz MS-21 Docked Crew Ship | International Space Station

Roscosmos Soyuz MS-21 Docked Crew Ship | International Space Station

The Soyuz MS-21 crew ship is pictured docked to the Prichal docking module, which is itself docked to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module attached to the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS). The orbiting lab was flying 259 miles above the Arafura Sea on the north coast of Australia at the time this photograph was taken.

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: April 11, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Roscosmos #Cosmonauts #Soyuz #Союз #SoyuzMS21 #Prichal #Docking #Роскосмос #Russia #Россия #JSC #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #ArafuraSea #Australia #PacificOcean #Expedition67 #International #Cooperation #UNOOSA #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: A New Chapter—Week of April 15, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground: A New Chapter—Week of April 15, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are preparing for a Commercial Crew swap taking place this month at the International Space Station. Meanwhile, the Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1) astronauts are staying busy as two cosmonauts gear up for a pair of spacewalks outside the orbiting lab’s Russian segment.

Two Commercial Crew missions are getting ready to trade places on the orbiting lab by the end of April. The four SpaceX-Crew-4 astronauts are in quarantine counting down to liftoff aboard the Dragon Freedom crew ship from Florida at 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022. Commander Kjell Lindgren will lead Pilot Robert Hines and Mission Specialists Jessica Watkins and Samantha Cristoforetti on a ride to the station’s Harmony module where they will dock just over 24 hours later.

The new quartet will replace the SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts who are due to leave the station at the end of April inside the Dragon Endeavor crew ship. Commander Raja Chari, Pilot Tom Marshburn and Mission Specialists Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer will splashdown off the coast of Florida after living and working nearly six months in space.

The four Ax-1 crew members continue to focus on their busy slate of space research ahead of their undocking planned for next week. 

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Release Date: April 15, 2022

Duration: 2 minutes, 38 seconds

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom #AxiomSpace #Ax1 #SpaceX #CrewDragon #SpaceXCrew3 #SpaceXCrew4 #Spacecraft #Private #Mission #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #LarryConnor #UnitedStates #EytanStibbe #Israel #MarkPathy #Canada #Science #Research #Expedition67 #HD #Video

Electron Rocket Launch in New Zealand | Rocket Lab

Electron Rocket Launch in New Zealand | Rocket Lab

Neutron Launches Coming Soon to America via Wallops Island, Virginia

Electron launch from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on April 2, 2022. The ‘Without Mission A Beat’ mission was Rocket Lab’s 25th Electron launch overall and first mission of 2022. The total number of satellites launched by Rocket Lab now totals 112. 

Electron deployed two BlackSky high-resolution Gen-2 Earth imaging satellites to a 430km circular low Earth orbit, where BlackSky is rapidly developing its satellite constellation to better meet global demand for real-time geospatial analytics. This expanded BlackSky’s constellation to 14 satellites. Rocket Lab has delivered the majority of BlackSky’s constellation to orbit on Electron missions since 2019. 

Electron Rocket Data

Length: 18m

Diameter (max): 1.2m

Stages: 2 + Kick Stage

Vehicle Mass (lift-off): 13,000kg

Material Structure: Carbon Fiber Composite/Monocoque

Propellant: LOX/Kerosene

Nominal Payload: 200kg / 440lbm to 500

Rocket Lab Update: “Neutron is a new generation of rocket that will advance the way space is accessed, and Virginia makes perfect sense as Neutron’s home base,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck. “Its position on the eastern seaboard is the ideal location to support both Neutron’s frequent launch cadence and the rocket’s return-to-Earth capability of landing back at its launch site after lift-off; and as one of only four states in the United States with an FAA spaceport license for missions to Earth orbit or on interplanetary trajectories."

Learn more about Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket here: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/launch/neutron

Image Credit: Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab Website: https://www.rocketlabusa.com

BlackSky Website: https://www.blacksky.com

Release Date: April 14, 2022

#NASA #Space #Aerospace #Earth #Satellites #RocketLab #Electron #Rocket #Launch #BlackSky #Gen2 #NewZealand #MahiaPeninsula #Commercial #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #PeterBeck #Timelapse #Photography #STEM #Education

Hubble Confirms Largest Comet Nucleus Ever Seen | NASA Goddard

Hubble Confirms Largest Comet Nucleus Ever Seen | NASA Goddard

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has determined the size of the largest icy comet nucleus ever found. And, it’s big! With a diameter of approximately 80 miles across, it’s about 50 times larger than typical comets. Its 500-trillion-ton mass is a hundred thousand times greater than the average comet.

Denizens of deep space, comets are among the oldest objects in the solar system. These icy "Lego blocks" are leftover from the early days of planet construction. They were unceremoniously tossed out of the solar system in a gravitational pinball game among the massive outer planets. The kicked-out comets took up residence in the Oort Cloud, a vast reservoir of far-flung comets encircling the solar system out to many billions of miles into deep space.

A typical comet's spectacular multimillion-mile-long tail, which makes it look like a skyrocket, belies the fact that the source at the heart of the fireworks is a solid nucleus of ice mixed with dust—a dirty snowball. Most comet nuclei measure a few miles across and so would fit inside a small town, but Hubble astronomers have uncovered a whopper. Comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) could be as big as 85 miles across, over twice the width of the state of Rhode Island.

Comet C/2014 UN271 was discovered by astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein in archival images from the Dark Energy Survey at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. It was first serendipitously observed in 2010. Hubble observations in 2022 were needed to discriminate the solid nucleus from the huge dusty shell enveloping it, with help from radio observations.

The comet is now less than 2 billion miles from the Sun, and in a few million years will loop back to its nesting ground in the Oort Cloud.

For more information, visit: https://nasa.gov/hubble

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Paul Morris: Lead Producer 

Music Credits: 

“Ash Cloud” by Samuel Sim [PRS] via Sound Pocket Music [PRS] and Universal Production Music

Additional Credits: Pop Sound Effects by erhnbcc via Motion Array

Illustration of comet by NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva (Spaceengine)

Duration: 59 seconds

Release Date: April 12, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Hubble #Comet #CometC2014UN271 #OortCloud #Science #SolarSystem #exploration #Cosmos #Universe #CerroTololo #Observatory #Telescope #ESA #Goddard #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis I Moon Rocket in Starshine | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis I Moon Rocket in Starshine | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft atop arrived at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for a final test before its Artemis I Moon mission. United Launch Alliance (ULA) under a collaborative partnership with Boeing, built the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) upper stage of the SLS rocket that will propel Orion to the Moon. 

Artemis I moon launch (uncrewed) is currently scheduled for no earlier than June 2022.

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond.  It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about a three-week mission. Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

NASA's Artemis Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

NASA's Orion Spacecraft

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/about/index.html

Image Credit: United Launch Alliance (ULA)

Image Date: April 8, 2022

#NASA #ESA #ULA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Boeing #Rocket #DeepSpace #LockheedMartin #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #KSC #Kennedy #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Why Quantum? Why Now? NASA Celebrates World Quantum Day

Why Quantum? Why Now? NASA Celebrates World Quantum Day

April 14 marks the annual World Quantum Day, and NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program is excited to celebrate! Whether you know it or not, quantum physics touches our lives each day. Everything physical around us is made of matter, from the air we breathe to the water we drink—even our own bodies are made of matter. In its smallest measurable form, matter is made up of atoms. Within atoms are even smaller particles called electrons, protons, and neutrons—and protons and neutrons are made of even smaller units of matter called quarks. 

Quantum physics is the study of these extremely small atomic particles and quarks. Quantum aims to understand the nature of energy and matter through these small particles in order to better understand the world around us and apply quantum theories to real-world technology solutions. 

NASA uses quantum technologies every day, from atomic clocks to future quantum communications networks. Hear from some of our NASA Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) quantum experts at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and NASA Headquarters as they discuss why quantum is critical to advancing space communications and exploration. 

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/worldquantumday

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 4 minutes, 24 seconds

Release Date: April 14, 2022

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Welcome Aboard: Axiom 1 & International Space Station Crews

Welcome Aboard: Axiom 1 & International Space Station Crews

The 11-person crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) comprises of (clockwise from bottom right) Expedition 67 Commander Tom Marshburn with Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, Sergey Korsakov, Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Matthias Maurer; and Axiom Mission 1 astronauts (center row from left) Mark Pathy, Eytan Stibbe, Larry Conner, and Michael Lopez-Alegria.

6 nations represented: Spain, Israel, Germany, Russia, United States, Canada

Ax-1 crew members Commander Michael López-Alegría of Spain and the United States, Pilot Larry Connor of the United States, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe of Israel, and Mark Pathy of Canada are on a 10-day space mission. The crew is spending eight days on the International Space Station conducting scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities.

Learn more about Ax-1 at Axiom Space: https://www.axiomspace.com

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on the International Space Station: https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center 

Image Date: April 9, 2022

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