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New Earth & Moon Views | NASA's Artemis I Orion Spacecraft
Flight Day 13: Earth, Array, and Moon
Flight Day 17: Orion Points to Earth
Flight Day 17: Orion's Array Over the Moon
Flight Day 17: A Sliver of Home
Flight Day 16: Orion's Optical Navigation Camera Captures Moon
Flight Day 16: Orion and Our Lunar Neighbor
Flight Day 12: Orion in Orange
Flight Day 12: Orion in Yellow
NASA's Artemis I Orion spacecraft reentered the lunar sphere of influence on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, making the Moon the main gravitational force acting on the spacecraft. It will exit the lunar sphere of influence for a final time on Tuesday, Dec. 6, one day after its return powered flyby about 79 miles above the lunar surface and ahead of Orion’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, 2022.
The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration. It will demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. Orion is completing a 25-day test of all key systems. It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon. 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.
On the Artemis III Mission, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
In 1922, Pearl Young became the first woman physicist hired by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which later became NASA. Since that time, women have been paving the way for future generations working as human computers, engineers, scientists and astronauts. Today, there are many women in leadership throughout NASA, including Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.
Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the Moon and the hunt, is a fitting symbol for NASA’s new missions through space. Through the Artemis program, we will see the first woman and first person of color walk on the surface of the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.
Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
It's the most wonderful time of the year—time to read our Fan Mail! 💌
Episode 3: Happy Holiday season from NASA's Astronaut Corps! Enjoy the 2022 edition of astronauts reading fan mail featuring Jeanette Epps, Kayla Barron, Kjell Lindgren, Megan McArthur, Zena Cardman, Reid Wiseman, and Anil Menon.
Orion Spacecraft Coming Home | NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission Update
Orion has left its distant lunar orbit and is on its return journey home. The spacecraft successfully completed the distant retrograde departure burn at 3:53 p.m. CST, firing its main engine for 1 minute 45 seconds on Dec. 1, 2022, to set the spacecraft on course for a close lunar flyby before its return home.
The burn changed Orion’s velocity by about 454 feet per second and was performed using the Orion main engine on the European Service Module. The engine is an orbital maneuvering system engine modified for use on Orion and built by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The engine has the ability to provide 6,000 pounds of thrust. The proven engine flying on Artemis I flew on 19 space shuttle flights, beginning with STS-41G in October 1984 and ending with STS-112 in October 2002.
The burn is one of two maneuvers required ahead of Orion’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, 2022. The second will occur on Monday, Dec. 5, when the spacecraft will fly 79.2 miles above the lunar surface and perform the return powered flyby burn, which will commit Orion on its course toward Earth.
Artemis All Access – Episode 4: Artemis All Access is your look at the latest in Artemis I, the people and technology behind the mission, and what is coming up next. This uncrewed flight test around the Moon will pave the way for a crewed flight test and future human lunar exploration as part of Artemis.
Learn more about the mission and track the Orion spacecraft’s current position at:
Tracking Clouds on Saturn’s Moon Titan | James Webb Space Telescope
These are images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument on November 4, 2022. The image on the left uses a filter sensitive to Titan’s lower atmosphere. The bright spots are prominent clouds in the northern hemisphere. The image on the right is a color composite image.
Image Description: Side-by-side images of Saturn’s moon Titan, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera on 4 November 2022, with clouds and other features labeled. Left image labeled “lower atmosphere and clouds” is various shades of red. Right image labeled “atmosphere and surface,” is shades of white, blue, and brown.
Titan is the only moon in the Solar System with a dense atmosphere, and it is also the only planetary body other than Earth that currently has rivers, lakes, and seas. Unlike Earth, however, the liquid on Titan’s surface is composed of hydrocarbons including methane and ethane, not water. Its atmosphere is filled with thick haze that obscures visible light reflecting off the surface.
Scientists have waited for years to use Webb’s infrared vision to study Titan’s atmosphere, including its fascinating weather patterns and gaseous composition, and also see through the haze to study albedo features (bright and dark patches) on the surface. Further Titan data are expected from NIRCam and NIRSpec as well as the first data from Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) in May or June of 2023. The MIRI data will reveal an even greater part of Titan’s spectrum, including some wavelengths that have never before been seen. This will give scientists information about the complex gases in Titan’s atmosphere, as well as crucial clues to deciphering why Titan is the only moon in the Solar System with a dense atmosphere.
Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process.
Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), A. Pagan of Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), JWST Titan GTO Team
Exploring The Moon with NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative allows NASA to send science investigations and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface. Under Artemis, NASA will study more of the Moon than ever before, and CLPS will demonstrate how NASA is working with commercial companies to achieve robotic lunar exploration.
NASA's Space to Ground: Power Preparations | Week of December 2, 2022
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. On Dec. 1, 2022, The roll-out-solar array, also known as an International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, or iROSA, was extracted from inside the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship’s unpressurized trunk by ground controllers remotely commanding the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The iROSA was then placed on a starboard truss structure attachment point. From there, the spacewalkers will retrieve the roll-out solar array on Saturday and install it on the starboard truss segment. The new iROSA is augmenting the space station’s power generation system.
Astronauts Mann and Wakata later joined NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio and continued preparing for a spacewalk planned to start at 7:25 a.m. EST on Saturday. The quartet reviewed the steps Cassada and Rubio will use to install the roll-out solar array on the station’s Starboard- 4 truss segment during the seven-hour excursion. Mann and Wakata will be inside the station supporting the duo before, during, and after the spacewalk.
Expedition 68 Crew
Station Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Anna Kikina & Dmitri Petelin
NASA: Flight Engineers Nicole Mann, Frank Rubio & Josh Cassada
JAXA (Japan): Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata
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 Station:
Mars: Elorza Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA first imaged this central depression in Elorza Crater in 2007, where we found plenty of recurring slope lineae (RSL). This observation was taken during the Martian summer of 2011, and we wanted to monitor any changes and understand the possible activity of those RSL. This clip cover the central portion of our observation in enhanced color, and is less than 1 km across.
Elorza Crater is about 40 kilometers in diameter and is located approximately 300 kilometers to the north of Valles Marineris. Its floor contains several deposits of material with heavily cratered surfaces, overlying a less-cratered substrate.
This is a non-narrated clip with ambient sound. The enhanced color image is less than 5 km (3 mi) across and the spacecraft altitude was 260 km (162 mi).
The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, 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.
Orbital Dancing: Earth & Moon Views | NASA's Artemis I Orion Spacecraft
Flight Day 14: Orion and Our Home
Flight Day 14: Orion and Our Home
Flight Day 14: Orion's Solar Array Divides Earth and Moon
Flight Day 14: Orion's Solar Array Divides Earth and Moon
Flight Day 14: Orion's Solar Array Divides Earth and Moon
Flight Day 15: Orion and Earth
Flight Day 15: Orion and the Moon
Flight Day 15: Orion and the Moon
Orion’s European-built service module has provided the propulsive capabilities to adjust the spacecraft’s course in space via its 33 engines of various types, and serves as Orion’s powerhouse, supplying it with electricity, thermal control, and air and water for future crews, in addition to propulsion. Artemis I is the first time NASA is using a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft. Provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partner Airbus Defence and Space, the service module extends NASA’s international cooperation from the International Space Station into deep space exploration.
The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration. It will demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. Orion is completing a 25-day test of all key systems. It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon. 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.
On the Artemis III Mission, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
What's Up for December 2022 | Skywatching Tips from NASA
What are some skywatching highlights in December 2022?
(Northern Hemisphere) The Moon sweeps past Jupiter twice this month, and actually covers Mars completely, in an event called an occultation, on Dec. 7. The event is visible across the U.S., except for the Southeast and East Coast, where the Moon will graze closely past Mars. And throughout the month, you can find Pegasus, the winged stallion, high overhead in the south.
Tonight's Sky: December 2022 (Northern Hemisphere)
Step outside on a cold December night when the stars shine bright to find the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. They will help you locate a binary star system, a fan-shaped open star cluster, and a variable star. Stay tuned for space-based views of a ragged spiral galaxy, an open star cluster, and an edge-on galaxy.
“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning.
Globular Clusters: Stellar Pockets | Hubble Space Telescope
When the Hubble Space Telescope launched, one of its main goals was to learn more about our incredible universe. Using Hubble, astronomers have learned more about globular clusters. Globular clusters are stable, tightly gravitationally bound clusters of tens of thousands to millions of stars found in a wide variety of galaxies. The intense gravitational attraction between the closely packed stars gives globular clusters a regular, spherical shape.
In this video, Dr. Ken Carpenter explains just how amazing these objects are.
Data Sonification of Star Cluster Pismis 24 | Hubble Space Telescope
Pismis 24 is a stunning star cluster that lies within the nebula NGC 6357, which resides about 8,000 light-years away. In this sonification of the Hubble image, a top-down scan maps brightness to volume and pitch for both the stars and nebula.
The stars are assigned to musical pitches played on a classical guitar (brighter stars are louder and higher pitched), and the nebula uses a continuous range of frequencies (brighter regions are louder and higher pitched). Red, green, and blue channels are mapped to low, medium, and high frequency ranges respectively.
The star cluster Pismis 24 lies in the core of the large emission nebula NGC 6357 that extends one degree on the sky in the direction of the Scorpius constellation. Part of the nebula is ionized by the youngest (bluest) heavy stars in Pismis 24. The intense ultraviolet radiation from the blazing stars heats the gas surrounding the cluster and creates a bubble in NGC 6357. The presence of these surrounding gas clouds makes probing into the region even harder.
Recent NASA/European Space Agency Hubble measurements of the star have resolved Pismis 24-1 into two separate stars, and, in doing so, have "halved" its mass to around 100 solar masses.
Credits:
Image: NASA, European Space Agency and Jesús MaÃz Apellániz (Instituto de AstrofÃsica de AndalucÃa, Spain); Acknowledgment: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
Sonification: SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)
Merging Galaxy Pair II ZW 96 | James Webb Space Telescope
This video features the chaotic merging galaxies II ZW 96, which have been examined in two distinct wavelengths by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope.
The image shown first was taken by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys and gives a view over the visible-light spectrum of this merger, clearly showing the starburst systems that have formed between the two galactic cores with their older stars.
This view transitions to the new Webb image from the Near-InfraRed Camera instrument, which shines particularly brightly in infrared light. The star-forming regions which have been activated by the galactic tumult are particularly luminous in the infrared, which placed ZW II 96 as one of Webb’s first targets.
Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, L. Armus, A. Evans, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Zoom into Merging Galaxy Pair II ZW 96 | James Webb Space Telescope
This video takes the viewer to space to finish at Webb’s view of the galaxy merger II ZW 96. This pair of galaxies is roughly 500 million light-years from Earth and lies in the constellation Delphinus, close to the celestial equator. As well as the wild swirl of the merging galaxies, a menagerie of background galaxies are dotted throughout the image.
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Webb, NASA, Canadian Space Agency (CSA), L. Armus, A. Evans, SDSS, E. Slawik, N. Risinger, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)