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NASA's CAPSTONE Mission to the Moon: Preparing for Rocket Lab Launch
CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a new small satellite that will explore a unique orbit around the Moon, and blaze a trail for future lunar exploration. CAPSTONE will test a near-rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon and lead the way for our future Artemis lunar space station, called Gateway.
CAPSTONE is scheduled to launch on June 28 at 5:55 a.m. EDT (9:55 UTC) on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Watch live June 28 at 5 a.m. EDT (9 UTC) on NASA TV: NASA.gov/NASATV and on NASA social media.
Like Gateway, CAPSTONE continues the tradition of commercial partnerships, including American small businesses. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California, operated by Advanced Space, and will be launched by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.
Globular Cluster NGC 6569: An Astronomical Treasure Trove | Hubble
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the sparkling globular cluster NGC 6569 in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble explored the heart of this cluster with both its Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing a glittering hoard of stars in this astronomical treasure trove.
Globular clusters are stable, tightly bound clusters containing tens of thousands to millions of stars, and are associated with all types of galaxies. The intense gravitational attraction of these closely packed clusters of stars means that globular clusters have a regular spherical shape with a densely populated center—as can be seen in the heart of this star-studded image.
This observation comes from an investigation of globular clusters which lie close to the center of the Milky Way. These objects have been avoided in previous surveys, as the dust spread throughout the center of our galaxy blocks light from these globular clusters and alters the colors of the stars residing in them. The last factor is particularly important for astronomers studying stellar evolution, as the colors of stars can give astronomers insights into their ages, compositions, and temperatures.
The astronomers who proposed these observations combined data from Hubble with data from astronomical archives, allowing them to measure the ages of globular clusters including NGC 6569. Their research also provided insights into the structure and density of globular clusters towards the center of the Milky Way.
Globular Cluster NGC 6569: An Astronomical Treasure Trove | Hubble
This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the sparkling globular cluster NGC 6569 in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble explored the heart of this cluster with both its Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, revealing a glittering hoard of stars in this astronomical treasure trove.
Globular clusters are stable, tightly bound clusters containing tens of thousands to millions of stars, and are associated with all types of galaxies. The intense gravitational attraction of these closely packed clusters of stars means that globular clusters have a regular spherical shape with a densely populated center—as can be seen in the heart of this star-studded image.
This observation comes from an investigation of globular clusters which lie close to the center of the Milky Way. These objects have been avoided in previous surveys, as the dust spread throughout the center of our galaxy blocks light from these globular clusters and alters the colors of the stars residing in them. The last factor is particularly important for astronomers studying stellar evolution, as the colors of stars can give astronomers insights into their ages, compositions, and temperatures.
The astronomers who proposed these observations combined data from Hubble with data from astronomical archives, allowing them to measure the ages of globular clusters including NGC 6569. Their research also provided insights into the structure and density of globular clusters towards the center of the Milky Way.
Our Earth: June 21, 2022: Summer Solstice | NOAA/NASA DSCOVR
These are "EPIC" Earth images from the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States.
These color views of Earth were taken on June 21, 2022, on the summer solstice by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), a four megapixel CCD camera and telescope from one million miles away—beyond the Moon's orbit.
Earth orbits at an angle, so half the year, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun—this is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. The other half of the year, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, creating winter in the north and summer in the south.
Solstices happen twice per year, at the points in Earth’s orbit where this tilt is most pronounced. These days are the longest (in the summer hemisphere) and shortest (in the winter hemisphere) of the year, and mark the change of seasons to summer and winter, respectively.
The Deep Space Climate Observatory is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) space weather, space climate, and Earth observation satellite at the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrange point. It was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 11, 2015, from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This is NOAA's first operational deep space satellite and became its primary system of warning Earth in the event of solar magnetic storms. [Wikipedia]
Video Credit: NASA/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NASA's Quesst to Build X-59 Research Aircraft: Speed Never Sounded So Quiet
NASA's aeronautical innovators are leading a government-industry team to collect data that could make supersonic flight over land possible, dramatically reducing travel time in the United States or anywhere in the world.
The Quesst mission has two goals: 1) design and build NASA’s X-59 research aircraft with technology that reduces the loudness of a sonic boom to a gentle thump to people on the ground; and 2) fly the X-59 over select U.S. communities to gather data on human responses to the sound generated during supersonic flight and deliver that data set to U.S. and international regulators.
Using this data, new sound-based rules regarding supersonic flight over land can be written and adopted, which would open the doors to new commercial cargo and passenger markets to provide faster-than-sound air travel.
Elements of NASA's Quesst mission are organized within two of the agency's aeronautics programs—the Advanced Air Vehicles Program and the Integrated Aviation Systems Program—and managed by a systems project office whose members span both programs and all four of NASA's aeronautical research field centers: Langley Research Center in Virginia; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; and Ames Research Center and Armstrong Flight Research Center, which are both located in California.
How China will Complete the Tiangong Space Station in 2022
"Welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour! In this video, we describe step-by-step how the Chinese Space Station will be fully assembled in 2022 and adopt its final T-shape configuration."
"At the end, we also speculate on what the Space Station could look like in the future if extended 😉"
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Outters 4 is a bipolar nebula (seen in blue) that is embedded in the giant HII emission nebula Sh2-129 (seen in red). It was discovered by amateur astronomer Nicolas Outters. It is not yet clear if Outters 4 is associated with HR 8119, the bright star at the center of the image. The image was generated with observations in Hydrogen alpha (red) and Sulphur [S II] (blue) filters. In this image, North is up, East is to the left.
Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/National Science Foundation (NSF)/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
June 21 marked the official start of astronomical summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The summer solstice—the longest day and shortest night of the year—occurred at 5:14 a.m. EDT.
The seasons change at various times of the year due to the planet’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees as it orbits the sun. This tilt means the two hemispheres are exposed to different sun angles and variable lengths of daylight throughout the year. The solstices mark when the sun reaches its most northerly or southerly position relative to the Earth’s equator.
Thus, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the exact moment each year when this region of Earth reaches its greatest possible tilt toward the sun. The sun's direct rays reach their northernmost position with respect to Earth's equator, along the Tropic of Cancer, at 23.5 degrees north latitude. As the Earth rotates on its axis, the North Pole experiences 24 hours of daylight, while the South Pole is obscured in darkness. The opposite occurs at each pole in December, when the Northern Hemisphere sees its shortest day and longest night of the year.
Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Ian Inverarity: "Road sign by moonlight, north of Hawker in southern Australia. Calm when I left Hawker, it was windy on Moralana Scenic Drive, so I turned back. When I got to this sign, the wind had mostly gone."
Technical details:
Special effect lens. This is a 35mm Laowa lens at f/0.95.
It lets in a lot of light, but is not very sharp at all at f/0.95!
European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy: "Who says you can’t do yoga in space! At least you can try."
On the occasion of International Yoga Day 2022, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti gave an insight into a yoga practice aboard the International Space Station.
ESA Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti Official Biography
Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)
NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)
European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)
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.
Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/ESA/Samantha Cristoforetti
NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy Discusses Historic SpaceX Crew Dragon Test Flight
In this week's episode of "Down to Earth," NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Warren "Woody" Hoburg discuss the NASA and SpaceX Demo-2 mission, human spaceflight history, and the challenges of spacewalking.
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission on May 30, 2020, was the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Chris Cassidy's Spaceflight Experience:
STS‐127 (July 15 through July 31, 2009)
ISS Expedition 35 (March 28 through September 10, 2013)
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.
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, will be the first spacecraft to fly a unique orbit around the Moon intended for NASA’s future Artemis lunar outpost Gateway. Its six-month mission will help launch a new era of deep space exploration.
Multiple partner businesses contributed to CAPSTONE with support from NASA's small business programs. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation, operated and managed by Advanced Space, and will be launched by Rocket Lab USA, Inc.
NASA's Ames Research Center is located in California's Silicon Valley. Follow us on social media to hear about the latest developments in space, science, technology, and aeronautics.
Video Credit: NASA’s Ames Research Center
Music Provided by Universal Production Music: Pillow Talk by Andrew Joseph Carpenter
Looking to Power Surface Exploration on the Moon | This Week @NASA
Week of June 24, 2022: Looking to power surface exploration on the Moon, new imagery from the surface of Mars, and our newest flight directors . . . a few of the stories to tell you about –This Week at NASA!
Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. LBN 777 is a portion of the large cloud of dust and gas known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud. The brownish color is caused by large dust grains embedded in the gas. The dust reflects the light of the stars inside and near the nebula. The image was generated with observations in B (blue), V (green) and I (red) filters. In this image, North is down, East is to the right.
Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)
NASA's Space to Ground: Wearable Wireless | Week of June 24, 2022
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA and Northrop Grumman are continuing to work on a plan for the Cygnus space freighter to try another reboost attempt as early as Saturday, June 25, that would lead to Cygnus potentially departing the station next Tuesday, June 28. The plan is being discussed with the International Space Station partners this week and a forward plan is expected as early as Thursday. The reboost is designed to provide Cygnus with an enhanced capability for station operations as a standard service for NASA. Cygnus arrived at the orbital outpost in February 2022 and is slated to depart from the International Space Station (ISS) later this month when it will be deorbited to burn up harmlessly in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Learn more about the important research being operated on ISS:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
For more information about STEM on ISS:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education
Expedition 67 Crew
Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)
Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)
NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)
European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)
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.
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