NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann Press Interview | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann Press Interview | International Space Station

The first Indigenous woman from NASA has gone to space!

Selected as an astronaut candidate in June 2013, Nicole Aunapu Mann has since become the first Indigenous woman from NASA in space. In her first spaceflight, Nicole Mann launched to the International Space Station as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Oct. 5, 2022.

As mission commander, she was made responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. Nicole Mann will serve as an Expedition 68 flight engineer aboard the station.

A California native, Nicole Mann holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Mann is a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. She deployed twice aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Astronaut Nicole Mann Official NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/nicole-a-mann

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/nicole-a-mann/biography

Credit: NASA Video

Duration: 21 minutes, 39 seconds

Release Date: October 19, 2022

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #SpacexCrew5 #CrewDragon #Astronaut #NicoleMann #Commander #Leader #Pilot #Aviator #USMarines #Engineer #Aboriginal #NativeAmerican #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition68 #JSC #UnitedStates #Science #Technology #STEM #Education #AssociatedPress #HD #Video

NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover: New October 2022 Images | JPL

NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover: New October 2022 Images | JPL

MSL - Sol 3628 - Mastcam

MSL - Sol 3628 - Mastcam

MSL - Sol 3628 - MAHLI (White Balanced)

MSL - Curiosity - MAHLI - SOL 3624 - Image C

MSL - Curiosity - MAHLI - SOL 3624 - Image B

MSL - Curiosity - MAHLI - SOL 3624 - Image A

The Curiosity rover has arrived at a special region believed to have formed as Mars’ climate was drying. After journeying this summer through a narrow, sand-lined pass, the rover recently arrived in the “sulfate-bearing unit,” a long-sought region of Mount Sharp enriched with salty minerals.

Scientists hypothesize that billions of years ago, streams, and ponds left behind the minerals as the water dried up. Assuming the hypothesis is correct, these minerals offer tantalizing clues as to how— and why—the Red Planet’s climate changed from being more Earth-like to the frozen desert it is today.

The minerals were spotted by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter years before Curiosity landed in 2012, so scientists have been waiting a long time to see this terrain up close. Soon after arriving, the rover discovered a diverse array of rock types and signs of past water, among them popcorn-textured nodules and salty minerals such as magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt is one kind), calcium sulfate (including gypsum), and sodium chloride (ordinary table salt).

They selected a rock nicknamed “Canaima” for the mission’s 36th drill sample, and choosing was no easy task. Along with scientific considerations, the team had to factor in the rover hardware. Curiosity uses a percussive, or jackhammering, rotary drill at the end of its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to pulverize rock samples for analysis. Worn brakes on the arm recently led the team to conclude that some harder rocks may require too much hammering to drill safely.

“As we do before every drill, we brushed away the dust and then poked the top surface of Canaima with the drill. The lack of scratch marks or indentations was an indication that it may prove difficult to drill,” said Curiosity’s new project manager, Kathya Zamora-Garcia of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We paused to consider whether that posed any risk to our arm. With the new drilling algorithm, created to minimize the use of percussion, we felt comfortable collecting a sample of Canaima. As it turned out, no percussion was needed.”

The mission’s scientists look forward to analyzing portions of the sample with the Chemical and Minerology instrument (CheMin) and the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument (SAM).

Difficult Driving

The journey to the sulfate-rich region took Curiosity through treacherous terrain, including, this past August, the sandy “Paraitepuy Pass,” which snakes between high hills. It took the rover more than a month to safely navigate in order to finally reach its destination.

While sharp rocks can damage Curiosity’s wheels (which have plenty of life left in them), sand can be just as hazardous, potentially causing the rover to get stuck if the wheels lose traction. Rover drivers need to carefully navigate these areas.

The hills blocked Curiosity’s view of the sky, requiring the rover to be carefully oriented based on where it could point its antennas toward Earth and how long it could communicate with orbiters passing overhead.

After braving those risks, the team was rewarded with some of the most inspiring scenery of the mission, which the rover captured with an Aug. 14 panorama using its Mast Camera, or Mastcam.

“We would get new images every morning and just be in awe,” said Elena Amador-French of JPL, Curiosity’s science operations coordinator, who manages collaboration between the science and engineering teams. “The sand ridges were gorgeous. You see perfect little rover tracks on them. And the cliffs were beautiful—we got really close to the walls.”

However, this new region comes with its own challenges: While scientifically compelling, the rockier terrain makes it harder to find a place where all six of Curiosity’s wheels are on stable ground. If the rover is not stable, engineers will not risk unstowing the arm, in case it might bang into the jagged rocks.

The Curiosity mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.

Celebrating 10 Years on Mars!

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

For more about Curiosity:

https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/

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

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin Gill

Image Release Dates: October 16-22, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #ParaitepuyPass #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MountSharp #GaleCrater #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

Italian Astronaut Shares Views of China & Ancient Poem | International Space Station

Italian Astronaut Shares Views of China & Ancient Poem | International Space Station

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency (ESA) has become an online sensation in China after she tweeted a poem written by renowned 4th century Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi. The 45-year-old, who speaks six languages including Mandarin, also posted three photos taken from space along with both English and Italian translations of the poem, known as Lan Ting Xu in Chinese. She has been flying over China aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Read full SCMP story: https://sc.mp/wpoc

Learn about Samantha's Minerva Mission: https://bit.ly/MissionMinerva

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

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: South China Morning Post (SCMP)

Duration: 1 minute, 27 seconds

Release Date: October 19, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #China #中国 #History #Culture #Poetry #WangXizhi #王羲之 #Science #SpaceX #CrewDragon #SpaceXCrew4 #Astronaut #SamanthaCristoforetti #ESA #MinervaMission #Italy #Italia #HumanSpaceflight #Europe #SCMP #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 68 Mission Activities: New Crew Photos | International Space Station

Expedition 68 Mission Activities: New Crew Photos | International Space Station

Astronaut Nicole Mann poses in front of BEAM

Astronaut Frank Rubio poses in front of BEAM

Astronaut Josh Cassada poses in front of BEAM

Astronaut Koichi Wakata wears a virtual reality headset

Expedition 68 crew members participate in an evening conference

Astronaut Josh Cassada works on a laptop computer

Astronaut Koichi Wakata swaps electronics components

Astronaut Koichi Wakata switches an Argon gas supply line

Oct. 21, 2022 Crew Updates: Chores and science wrapped up the week for the Expedition 68 crew aboard the International Space Station. The orbital residents will also see a resupply ship leave the orbital lab on Sunday.

NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio spent Friday afternoon rearranging cargo inside the Zarya module to maximize stowage space in the 24-year-old module. Hardware and other station cargo are constantly being moved around the station modules to support science experiments and maintenance activities. With cargo missions going back and forth at the station, it is necessary for the astronauts to keep track of where everything is and keep the gear neatly arranged for easy access.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann spent her day on orbital plumbing tasks, analyzing water samples for microbes, and inspecting ammonia cartridges. Mann also spent some time on human research activities collecting her blood samples, participating in hearing and cognition tests, and configuring wrist-worn devices that monitor a crew member’s sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm.

NASA Flight Engineer Josh Cassada worked throughout Friday on life support maintenance inside the Harmony and Tranquility modules. Cassada checked thermal control system components in both modules and collected fluid samples from the life support devices for analysis back on Earth. The first-time space flyer also participated in a standard hearing test.

Working in the Columbus laboratory module, Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recirculated fluids and nourished vegetables growing for the XROOTS space botany study. The agricultural investigation explores hydroponic and aeroponic methods, soilless techniques, to grow crops in space to sustain crews farther away from Earth.

Two cosmonauts, Flight Engineers Anna Kikina and Dmitri Petelin, kicked off Friday morning with heart research. The duo attached electrodes to themselves to monitor their cardiac bioelectric activity and understand how microgravity affects their heart function. Kikina then spent the rest of the day on lab maintenance work. Petelin joined Commander Sergey Prokopyev and closed the hatch to the ISS Progress 80 cargo craft before its departure on Sunday ending an eight-month mission docked to the Poisk module.

Astronaut Nicole Mann Official NASA Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/nicole-a-mann

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Official NASA Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/frank-rubio

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/frank-rubio/biography

Astronaut Josh Cassada Official NASA Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/josh-a-cassada

Astronaut Koichi Wakata Official JAXA Biography

https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/astronaut/wakata-koichi/

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 ISS: https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: October 13-19, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Astronauts #NicoleMann #FrankRubio #JoshCassada  #SamanthaCristoforetti #ESA #Italy #Italia #Minerva #KoichiWakata #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Science #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition68 #UnitedStates #Europe #Research #Laboratory #STEM #Education

Starship: Fully Stacked in Boca Chica, Texas | SpaceX

Starship: Fully Stacked in Boca Chica, Texas | SpaceX

"SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket (collectively referred to as Starship) represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, with the ability to carry in excess of 100 metric tonnes to Earth orbit."

Key Parameters:

Height: 120m/394ft

Diameter: 9m/30ft

Payload to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO): 100+t/220+klb

Capabilities:

Satellites: "Starship is designed to deliver satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb."

Landing on Mars: "Starship will enter Mars’ atmosphere at 7.5 kilometers per second and decelerate aerodynamically. The vehicle’s heat shield is designed to withstand multiple entries, but given that the vehicle is coming into Mars' atmosphere so hot, we still expect to see some ablation of the heat shield (similar to wear and tear on a brake pad)."

Starship's Engines: Raptors

"The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown."

Raptor Engine Parameters:

Diameter: 1.3m/4ft

Height: 3.1m/10.2ft

Thrust: 230tf/500 klbf

First Lunar Private Mission

"Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and the crew of dearMoon will become the first civilian passengers on a lunar Starship mission, featuring a fly-by of the Moon during their week-long journey. This flight is an important step toward enabling access for people who dream of traveling to space."

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF): 

https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)

Image Dates: October 11-12, 2022

#NASA #Space #SpaceX #ElonMusk #GwynneShotwell #Moon #Mars #Starship #SuperHeavy #Rocket #Spacecraft #Earth #Satellite #Science #Technology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #Crew #Cargo #CommercialSpace #BocaChica #Texas #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #SolarSystem #Exploration #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Swan and The Butterfly: NGC 7026 | Hubble

The Swan and The Butterfly: NGC 7026 | Hubble

This image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope shows NGC 7026, a planetary nebula. Located just beyond the tip of the tail of the constellation of Cygnus (The Swan), this butterfly-shaped cloud of glowing gas and dust is the wreckage of a star similar to the Sun.

Distance: 6,000 light years

Planetary nebulae, despite their name, have nothing to do with planets. They are in fact a relatively short-lived phenomenon that occurs at the end of the life of mid-sized stars. As a star’s source of nuclear fuel runs out, its outer layers are puffed out, leaving only the hot core of the star behind. As the gaseous envelope heats up, the atoms in it are excited, and it lights up like a fluorescent sign.

Fluorescent lights on Earth get their bright colors from the gases they are filled with. Neon signs, famously, produce a bright red color, while ultraviolet lights (black lights) typically contain mercury. The same goes for nebulae: their vivid colors are produced by the mix of gases present in them.

This image of NGC 7026 shows starlight in green, light from glowing nitrogen gas in red, and light from oxygen in blue (in reality, this appears green, but the color in this image has been shifted to increase the contrast).

As well as visible light, NGC 7026 emits X-ray radiation, and has been studied by ESA’s XMM-Newton space telescope. X-rays are a result of the extremely high temperatures of the gas in NGC 7026.

This image was produced by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. The image is 35 by 35 arcseconds.

A version of this image was entered into the Hubble’s Hidden Treasures Competition by contestant Linda Morgan-O'Connor. Hidden Treasures is an initiative to invite astronomy enthusiasts to search the Hubble archive for stunning images that have never been seen by the general public.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA

Acknowledgement: Linda Morgan-O'Connor

Release Date: May 28, 2012

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebula #NGC7026 #PlanetaryNebula #Cygnus #Constellation #MilkyWay #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

New Planet Jupiter Images | NASA's Juno Mission | JPL

New Planet Jupiter Images | Juno Mission | NASA/JPL

Jupiter - Juno PJ6-121

Jupiter - Juno PJ9-81

Jupiter - Juno PJ15-22

Jupiter - Juno PJ31-10

Jupiter - Juno PJ4-106

Jupiter - Juno PJ45-57

Jupiter has a long history of surprising scientists—all the way back to 1610 when Galileo Galilei found the first moons beyond Earth. That discovery changed the way we see the universe. Fifth in line from the Sun, Jupiter is, by far, the largest planet in the solar system—more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.

Jupiter's familiar stripes and swirls are actually cold, windy clouds of ammonia and water, floating in an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium. Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot is a giant storm bigger than Earth that has raged for hundreds of years.

Juno Mission Profile

Launched: Aug. 5, 2011

Arrival at Jupiter: July 4, 2016

Goal: Understand origin and evolution of Jupiter, look for solid planetary core, map magnetic field, measure water and ammonia in deep atmosphere, observe auroras.

Learn more about the Juno mission at: www.nasa.gov/juno

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages the Juno mission for NASA. The mission's principal investigator is Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. The mission is part of NASA's New Frontiers Program, managed at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Release Dates: September 30-October 19, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Jupiter #Planet #Atmosphere #Weather #Meteorology #Storms #Lightning #Juno #Spacecraft #Exploration #SolarSystem #Technology #Engineering #JPL #UnitedStates #MSFC #SwRI #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

The Webb Space Telescope’s New Look at a “Star Factory” | This Week @NASA

The Webb Space Telescope’s New Look at a “Star Factory” | This Week @NASA 

A new look at a “star factory,” practicing Moonwalks here on Earth, and an Earthly assist for a NASA spacecraft . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: October 21, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Moon #Spacecraft #Nebula #EagleNebula #PillarsOfCreation #Infrared #SerpensCauda #Constellation #SpaceTelescope #JWST #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China's FAST Radio Telescope Detects Biggest Atomic Cloud Ever Discovered

China's FAST Radio Telescope Detects Biggest Atomic Cloud Ever Discovered

An international team, led by Chinese scientists, has discovered the biggest atomic cloud in the universe—a surprising finding that could help researchers better understand the origins of galaxies. The cloud, made up of hydrogen atoms, measures about two million light-years across and is 20 times larger than our Milky Way galaxy, according to a paper published in the scientific journal Nature.

Astronomers from China, Europe, and the United States found the cloud after they pointed the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST)—the world's largest single-dish radio telescope—in the direction of a group of galaxies known as Stephan's Quintet. The FAST radio telescope is the size of 30 football fields.

The cloud’s location is also unusual as it is relatively far from the heart of Stephan’s Quintet. Most hydrogen atoms are found inside or near a galaxy as they are the building blocks of those galaxies and are constantly being combined under gravity to form molecules and eventually stars.

The finding might mean that other massive gaseous structures lurk elsewhere in the universe and can only be observed by powerful radio telescopes like FAST.

Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 47 seconds

Release Date: October 20, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #AtomicCloud #Gas #Hydrogen #GalaxyCluster #StephansQuintet #Pegasus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Physics #Astrophysics #RadioTelescope #FAST #China #中国 #STEM #Education #CGTN #HD #Video

Extremely Red Quasar SDSS J165202 | James Webb Space Telescope

Extremely Red Quasar SDSS J165202 | James Webb Space Telescope

Webb's View Around the Extremely Red Quasar SDSS J165202

Motions of Gas Around an Extremely Red Quasar (NIRSpec IFU)

Webb’s View of the Extremely Red Quasar SDSS J165202

Wide Field Hubble View of Extremely Red Quasar SDSS J165202

Astronomers looking into the early universe have made a surprising discovery using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope: a cluster of massive galaxies in the process of forming around an extremely red quasar. The result will expand our understanding of how galaxy clusters in the early universe came together and formed the cosmic web we see today.

The quasar is an “extremely red” quasar that exists in the very early Universe, 11.5 billion years ago. A quasar, a special type of active galactic nucleus (AGN), is a compact region with a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. Gas falling into a supermassive black hole makes the quasar bright enough to outshine all the galaxy’s stars.

The quasar SDSS J165202.64+172852.3 is highlighted in an image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope in visible and near-infrared on the left. The images in the center and on the right present new observations from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope in multiple wavelengths to demonstrate the distribution of gas around the object.

Image 1: The image in the center is composed of four narrow-band images made from the Webb NIRSpec instrument’s integral-field spectroscopy mode. All the four narrow-band images show extremely red-shifted emissions from doubly ionized oxygen which has an emission line around 500nm in visible light; before it was shifted to infrared light.

Image 1: The panels on the right present the four narrow-band images separately. Each color illustrates the relative speed of ionized oxygen gas across the cluster. The redder the color the faster gas is moving away from our line of sight with the quasar, while the bluer the color the faster it is moving away from the quasar toward us. The color green indicates that the gas is steady in our line of sight in comparison to the quasar.

Image 1: The blue and yellow panels reveal the bi-conical outflow from the quasar, with the orange panel showing the gas moving faster from us, which is extended towards the lower right, as well as highlighting a companion galaxy on the upper left of the frame.

[Image 1 Description: This visual shows three images. On the left is a wide field view of multiple galaxies in the field. In the center is an image that is composed of four narrow-band images together, which appears as a burred rainbow blotch of colors. On the right are the four individual narrow-band images of the quasar in red, orange, teal, and blue.]

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Webb, NASA & Canadian Space Agency (CSA), D. Wylezalek, A. Vayner & the Q3D Team, N. Zakamska

Release Date: October 20, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Quasar #SDSSJ165202 #Infrared #Constellation #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescopes #JWST #NIRSpec #Hubble #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Expedition 68: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 Talks with Media After Space Station Mission

Expedition 68: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 Talks with Media After Space Station Mission 

Astronauts of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission, including crew members from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), answered questions about their recent mission aboard the International Space Station during a news conference Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins, as well as ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti participated in their first media event following their Oct. 14 splashdown and the conclusion of a 170 day mission.

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

Learn more about her Mission Minerva: https://bit.ly/MissionMinerva

Jessica Watkins' Biography (NASA)

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jessica-watkins/biography

Kjell Lindgren's Biography (NASA)

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/kjell-n-lindgren/biography

Robert Hines' Biography (NASA)

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/bob-hines

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: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 52 minutes

Release Date: October 20, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #SpaceX #CrewDragon #CrewDragonFreedom #SpaceXCrew4 #Spacecraft #Astronauts #KjellLindgren #JessicaWatkins #RobertHines #SamanthaCristoforetti #MinervaMission #Italy #Italia #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Flawless Splashdown | Week of Oct. 21, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground: Flawless Splashdown | Week of Oct. 21, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station (ISS). 

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down Friday, October 14, 2022, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, completing the agency’s fourth commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The international crew of four spent 170 days in orbit.

NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and Jessica Watkins and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 4:55 p.m. EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and astronauts. 

The ISS Progress 80 resupply ship is due to end its cargo mission this weekend when it undocks from the Poisk module on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 6:46 p.m. EDT. Prokopyev packed trash and obsolete gear inside the Progress 80 for disposal on Thursday afternoon. The cargo craft will reenter Earth’s atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean for a fiery, but safe destruction about three-and-a-half hours later.

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: 2 minutes, 53 seconds

Release Date: October 21, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #SpaceX #CrewDragon #CrewDragonFreedom #SpaceXCrew4 #Spacecraft #Astronauts #KjellLindgren #JessicaWatkins #RobertHines #SamanthaCristoforetti #MinervaMission #Italy #Italia #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Curiosity Rover Explores New Salty Region | JPL

NASA's Curiosity Rover Explores New Salty Region | JPL

MSL - sol 3626 - Mastcam

MSL - sol 3625 - Mastcam

MSL - sol 3609 - Mastcam

MSL - sol 3563- Mastcam

MSL - sol 3572 - Mastcam

MSL - 36 drilled holes - MAHLI

MSL - sol 3626 - MastCam

MSL - sol 3626 - MastCam

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Reaches Long-Awaited Salty Region

The Curiosity rover has arrived at a special region believed to have formed as Mars’ climate was drying. After journeying this summer through a narrow, sand-lined pass, the rover recently arrived in the “sulfate-bearing unit,” a long-sought region of Mount Sharp enriched with salty minerals.

Scientists hypothesize that billions of years ago, streams, and ponds left behind the minerals as the water dried up. Assuming the hypothesis is correct, these minerals offer tantalizing clues as to how— and why—the Red Planet’s climate changed from being more Earth-like to the frozen desert it is today.

The minerals were spotted by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter years before Curiosity landed in 2012, so scientists have been waiting a long time to see this terrain up close. Soon after arriving, the rover discovered a diverse array of rock types and signs of past water, among them popcorn-textured nodules and salty minerals such as magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt is one kind), calcium sulfate (including gypsum), and sodium chloride (ordinary table salt).

They selected a rock nicknamed “Canaima” for the mission’s 36th drill sample, and choosing was no easy task. Along with scientific considerations, the team had to factor in the rover hardware. Curiosity uses a percussive, or jackhammering, rotary drill at the end of its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to pulverize rock samples for analysis. Worn brakes on the arm recently led the team to conclude that some harder rocks may require too much hammering to drill safely.

“As we do before every drill, we brushed away the dust and then poked the top surface of Canaima with the drill. The lack of scratch marks or indentations was an indication that it may prove difficult to drill,” said Curiosity’s new project manager, Kathya Zamora-Garcia of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “We paused to consider whether that posed any risk to our arm. With the new drilling algorithm, created to minimize the use of percussion, we felt comfortable collecting a sample of Canaima. As it turned out, no percussion was needed.”

The mission’s scientists look forward to analyzing portions of the sample with the Chemical and Minerology instrument (CheMin) and the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument (SAM).

Difficult Driving

The journey to the sulfate-rich region took Curiosity through treacherous terrain, including, this past August, the sandy “Paraitepuy Pass,” which snakes between high hills. It took the rover more than a month to safely navigate in order to finally reach its destination.

While sharp rocks can damage Curiosity’s wheels (which have plenty of life left in them), sand can be just as hazardous, potentially causing the rover to get stuck if the wheels lose traction. Rover drivers need to carefully navigate these areas.

The hills blocked Curiosity’s view of the sky, requiring the rover to be carefully oriented based on where it could point its antennas toward Earth and how long it could communicate with orbiters passing overhead.

After braving those risks, the team was rewarded with some of the most inspiring scenery of the mission, which the rover captured with an Aug. 14 panorama using its Mast Camera, or Mastcam.

“We would get new images every morning and just be in awe,” said Elena Amador-French of JPL, Curiosity’s science operations coordinator, who manages collaboration between the science and engineering teams. “The sand ridges were gorgeous. You see perfect little rover tracks on them. And the cliffs were beautiful—we got really close to the walls.”

However, this new region comes with its own challenges: While scientifically compelling, the rockier terrain makes it harder to find a place where all six of Curiosity’s wheels are on stable ground. If the rover is not stable, engineers will not risk unstowing the arm, in case it might bang into the jagged rocks.

The Curiosity mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.

Celebrating 10 Years on Mars!

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

For more about Curiosity:

https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/

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

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin Gill

Image Release Dates: October 19-20, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #ParaitepuyPass #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MountSharp #GaleCrater #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

Audio from Close Flyby of Jupiter's Moon Europa | NASA’s Juno Mission

Audio from Close Flyby of Jupiter's Moon Europa | NASA’s Juno Mission

In this video, measurements collected by the Waves instrument aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during its close flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa on Sept. 29, 2022, have been converted to an audible frequency. As the white line moves across the spectrogram, which is a visual way of representing signal strength over time, the variation of frequency of the plasma waves observed near Europa can be heard as the plasma density varies. The video shows data collected over approximately 1.5 hours during the Europa flyby.

For more information on NASA’s Juno mission, visit: http://nasa.gov/juno and https://missionjuno.com 

Details about the Europa flyby can be found at: https://go.nasa.gov/3yZZXLQ

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/Univ of Iowa

Duration: 20 seconds

Release Date: October 20, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Jupiter #Planet #Europa #Moon #Flyby #Ocean #Astrobiology #Biosignatures #Habitability #Radiation #JunoMission #Juno #Spacecraft #SolarSystem #Exploration #JPL #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Audio #HD #Video

NASA Tests Ways to Crash Land on Mars | JPL

NASA Tests Ways to Crash Land on Mars | JPL

We are testing a new way of landing on Mars . . . by crashing into its surface.

The Simplified High Impact Energy Landing Device (SHIELD) is a lander concept being tested at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It could one day provide a new way for low-cost missions to land on Mars.

Rather than rely on parachutes or retrorockets, SHIELD would include a collapsible, accordion-like base to absorb the energy of a landing. A full-size prototype of the base was tested on Aug. 12, 2022. The prototype was hurled at the ground from the top of a nearly 90-foot-tall (27-meter-tall) drop tower at JPL. A steel plate ensured the impact was even harder than what would be experienced on Mars.

The design worked: After crushing against the steel plate at 110 mph (177 kph), several electronic components inside the SHIELD prototype, including a smartphone, survived the impact.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/California Academy of Sciences

Duration: 1 minute, 35 seconds

Release Date: October 20, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Atmosphere #Spacecraft #Lander #Landing #SHIELD #Engineering #Technology #SolarSystem #Exploration #California #JPL #Caltech #STEM #Education #HD #Video

‘Marshmallow’ World Found Orbiting a Cool Red Dwarf Star | NOIRLab

‘Marshmallow’ World Found Orbiting a Cool Red Dwarf Star | NOIRLab

Cosmoview Episode 55: A gas giant exoplanet with the density of a marshmallow has been detected in orbit around a cool red dwarf star by a suite of instruments, including the NASA-funded NEID radial-velocity instrument on the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, a Program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab. The planet, named TOI-3757 b, is the fluffiest gas giant planet ever discovered around this type of star.

Distance: 465 light-years

Learn more about exoplanet TOI-3757 b:

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/7765/toi-837-b/

Credits:

Images and Videos: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Spaceengine/M. Zamani, KPNO/P. Marenfeld, ESA/Hubble/M. Kornmesser

Duration: 1 minute, 24 seconds

Release Date: October 20, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Star #Exoplanet #TOI3757b #Auriga #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Observatory #Telescope #Optical #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #KittPeakNationalObservatory #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video