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Q&A with NASA Psyche Spacecraft Solar Propulsion Engineer Julie Li | JPL
This is a replay of a live chat event with Julie Li, an engineer on NASA’s Psyche mission, which will be the first to explore a metal-rich asteroid. Li, of Maxar Technologies, shares how the Psyche team developed the solar electric propulsion hardware on the spacecraft and accepted questions from viewers.
The Psyche mission aims to help answer fundamental questions about Earth’s own metal core and the formation of our solar system. Scheduled to launch on Oct. 5, 2023, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft is expected to begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.
"For most of human history, darkness meant danger. Humans sought out light to stay safe and extend our active hours. Centuries later, we’ve succeeded so well in our illumination efforts, we have literally dimmed the stars."
"Join host Baratunde Thurston in exploring one small town’s mission to become a Dark Sky Community and reclaim the darkness of night. Follow researchers in Western Colorado to discover how the darkness of night is not just important to experience the wonders of the cosmos, it’s vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems—and saving the epic migrations of America’s birds."
The Fading Milky Way
Light pollution is a growing environmental problem that threatens to erase the night sky before its time. A recent study revealed that perhaps two-thirds of the world's population can no longer look upwards at night and see the Milky Way—a hazy swath of stars that on warm summer nights spans the sky from horizon to horizon.
The Milky Way is dimming, not because the end of the Universe is near, but rather as a result of light pollution: the inadvertent illumination of the atmosphere from street lights, outdoor advertising, homes, schools, airports and other sources. Every night billions of bulbs send their energy skyward where microscopic bits of matter—air molecules, airborne dust, and water vapor droplets—reflect much of the wasted light back to Earth.
Herbig-Haro 211 Bipolar Jet in Perseus | James Webb Space Telescope
In this image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope is Herbig-Haro 211 (HH 211), a bipolar jet travelling through interstellar space at supersonic speeds. At roughly 1,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Perseus, the object is one of the youngest and nearest protostellar outflows, making it an ideal target for Webb.
Herbig-Haro objects are luminous regions surrounding newborn stars, and are formed when stellar winds or jets of gas spewing from these newborn stars form shockwaves colliding with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. This spectacular image of HH 211 reveals an outflow from a Class 0 protostar, an infantile analog of our Sun when it was no more than a few tens of thousands of years old and with a mass only 8% of the present-day Sun (it will eventually grow into a star like the Sun).
Infrared imaging is powerful in studying newborn stars and their outflows, because such stars are invariably still embedded within the gas from the molecular cloud in which they formed. The infrared emission of the star’s outflows penetrates the obscuring gas and dust, making a Herbig-Haro object like HH 211 ideal for observation with Webb’s sensitive infrared instruments. Molecules excited by the turbulent conditions, including molecular hydrogen, carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide, emit infrared light that Webb can collect to map out the structure of the outflows.
The image showcases a series of bow shocks to the southeast (lower-left) and northwest (upper-right) as well as the narrow bipolar jet that powers them in unprecedented detail—roughly 5 to 10 times higher spatial resolution than any previous images of HH 211. The inner jet is seen to “wiggle” with mirror symmetry on either side of the central protostar. This is in agreement with observations on smaller scales and suggests that the protostar may in fact be an unresolved binary star.
Image Description: At the center is a thin horizontal multi-colored cloud tilted from bottom left to top right. At its center is a dark brown cloud from which both outflows are spewing from. These outflows transition from colors of yellow/orange, to a light blue region, with prominent light pink features in the outer regions.
Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, T. Ray (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies)
A Fab Five: New Images | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
A new collection of images features data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. These objects have been observed in invisible light—including X-rays, infrared, and radio—by some of the most powerful telescopes. Each layer represents data that has been assigned colors that the human eye can perceive, allowing us to explore these cosmic entities.
The objects in this quintet of images range both in distance and category. Vela and Kepler are the mesmerizing remains of exploded stars within our own Milky Way galaxy, the center of which can be seen in the top panorama. In NGC 1365, we see a double-barred spiral galaxy located about 60 million light-years from Earth. Farther away and on an even larger scale, ESO 137-001 shows what happens when a galaxy hurtles through space and leaves a wake behind it.
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
The Galactic Center is about 26,000 light-years years from Earth, but telescopes like NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory allow us to visit virtually. The center of the Milky Way contains a supermassive black hole, superheated clouds of gas, massive stars, neutron stars, and much more.
By combining data from NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (or “ix-pee” as it’s known for short), Chandra, and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers are probing Vela, the aftermath of a star that collapsed and exploded and now sends a remarkable storm of particles and energy into space. IXPE shows the average orientation of the X-rays with respect to the jet in this image.
The center of the spiral galaxy NGC 1365 contains a supermassive black hole being fed by a steady stream of material. Some of the hot gas revealed in the X-ray image from Chandra will eventually be pulled into the black hole. The Chandra image has been combined with infrared data from Webb.
The Kepler supernova remnant is the remains of a white dwarf that exploded after undergoing a thermonuclear explosion. Chandra shows a powerful blast wave that ripped through space after the detonation, while infrared data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and optical light from Hubble show the debris of the destroyed star.
As the galaxy moves through space at 1.5 million miles per hour, it leaves not one—but two—tails behind it. These tails trailing after ESO 137-001 are made of superheated gas that Chandra detects in X-rays. The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope shows light from hydrogen atoms, which have been added to the image along with optical and infrared data from Hubble.
Cosmic Careers: NBL Diver | NASA Needs Scuba Divers | Johnson Space Center
Human spaceflight is a team sport—and not everyone needs a Ph.D. to be a part of it. In Cosmic Careers, we explore the different, and sometimes unusual jobs needed to make NASA’s mission possible. We’re making a splash this episode with divers Emily Cox and Reilly Holmgreen. They work at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and explain that if you want to work underwater with astronauts in training, all you need is a dive certification.
The Neutral Buoyancy Lab is 40 foot deep pool where astronauts can train for spacewalks—the process of putting on a spacesuit and performing tasks out in the vacuum of space. Come along to the bottom of the pool with our host Dane Turner for a tour of the International Space Station’s mockups and the lunar terrain area that astronauts will use to practice working on the lunar surface through NASA’s Artemis program.
NASA Visits Virginia Baseball Game | Langley Research Center
NASA's Langley Research Center has nearly 200 facilities on 764 acres in Hampton, Virginia. It employs about 3,400 civil servants and contractors. Langley works to improve aviation, to expand our understanding of Earth’s atmosphere, and to develop new technologies for space exploration.
NASA Langley is having an open house on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, from 9am to 4pm!
This fall, visit Langley and see NASA facilities in person, hear from experts on the latest missions at NASA, and take part in STEM activities.
Mark your calendars and tell your friends!
The Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley) is the oldest of NASA's field centers. LaRC has focused primarily on aeronautical research but has also tested space hardware such as the Apollo Lunar Module. In addition, many of the earliest high-profile space missions were planned and designed on-site.
Established in 1917 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the Langley Research Center devotes two-thirds of its programs to aeronautics and the rest to space. LaRC researchers use more than 40 wind tunnels to study and improve aircraft and spacecraft safety, performance, and efficiency. Between 1958 and 1963, when NASA (the successor agency to NACA) started Project Mercury, LaRC served as the main office of the Space Task Group.
NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Amerizaje en el AtlƔntico: 8 de septiembre de 2023
Espacio a Tierra, la versiĆ³n en espaƱol de las cĆ”psulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que estĆ” sucediendo en la EstaciĆ³n Espacial Internacional.
Para obtener mĆ”s informaciĆ³n sobre la ciencia de la NASA, suscrĆbete al boletĆn semanal: https://www.nasa.gov/suscribete
Russian Soyuz Rocket Rolls to Launch Pad for Next International Space Station Crew
The Russian Soyuz rocket is seen after being rolled out by train to the launch pad at Site 31, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz 2.1a rocket that will launch the Soyuz MS-24 crew to the International Space Station rolled out from its integration building to the launch pad Sept. 12, 2023, for final preparations. While the roll out took place, members of the Expedition 69-70 crew, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos and NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’ Hara and their backups, Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and Tracy C. Dyson of NASA participated in final prelaunch training activities.
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/Bill Ingalls
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Talks with Media Post-Mission | International Space Station
NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi discussed their six-month science mission aboard the International Space Station during a news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Fellow crew member Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev was unable to participate in the news conference due to travel. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft splashing down at 12:17 a.m., Sept. 4, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, and flew back to Houston shortly afterward. The four crewmates traveled 78,875,292 statute miles during 2,976 orbits around the Earth and spent approximately 186 days in orbit. It was the first spaceflight for Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev, and the fourth for Bowen.
During the mission, Bowen and Hoburg completed two spacewalks, and Alneyadi became the first UAE astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. With ten spacewalks throughout his missions, Bowen ties the record for most spacewalks by a U.S. astronaut, also held by four others. He ranks third on the all-time list for cumulative hours of spacewalking. While aboard the station, Crew-6 contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including conducting a student robotic challenge, studying plant genetic adaptations to space, and monitoring human health in microgravity to prepare for exploration beyond low Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth. Crew-6 spent about a week with the newly arrived crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission that docked to the station Aug. 27, handing over ongoing tasks, and introducing two first-time explorers to the orbital outpost. Both missions are part of NASA’s Commercial Crew 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.
Russian Soyuz Rocket Rolls to Launch Pad for Next International Space Station Crew
At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz 2.1a rocket that will launch the Soyuz MS-24 crew to the International Space Station rolled out from its integration building to the launch pad Sept. 12, 2023, for final preparations. While the roll out took place, members of the Expedition 69-70 crew, Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineer Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos and NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’ Hara and their backups, Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos and Tracy C. Dyson of NASA participated in final prelaunch training activities.
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.
NASA Astronauts Vande Hei & Rubio: Record Breaking Space Station Missions
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA answered questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory and discussed his record-breaking mission during an in-flight conversation recorded on Sept. 5, 2023, with NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei who was in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. Rubio surpassed Vande Hei’s previous record for the longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut—355 days—on Sept. 11, 2023. Rubio will wrap up his long duration flight on the station on Sept. 27 with a total of 371 days in space. Research conducted during long-duration missions, such as this one, benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.
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.
NASA Psyche Mission Solar Electric Propulsion Engineer Julie Li | JPL
Behind the Spacecraft: Julie Li of Maxar Technologies talks about the solar electric propulsion hardware on the Psyche spacecraft. The Psyche mission aims to help answer fundamental questions about Earth’s own metal core and the formation of our solar system. Scheduled to launch on Oct. 5, 2023, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft will begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.
Expedition 69 Crew Photos: September 2023 | International Space Station
NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli services microbe samples for DNA sequencing aboard the International Space Station.
Expedition 69 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Frank Rubio, both from NASA, and Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) join each other for lunch aboard the International Space Station's Unity module.
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 Universe's Expansion Rate: The Hubble Tension | NASA Goddard
When the Hubble Space Telescope launched, one of its main goals was to measure the rate at which our universe is expanding. This rate is called the “Hubble Constant”—named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble, who contributed to the discovery of the universe’s expansion. However, the expected value of the expansion rate is different depending on what equipment is being used to determine it.
In this video, Nobel Laureate Dr. Adam Riess explains this phenomenon, known as “Hubble Tension,” and how important this mystery is to our understanding of the universe.
Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer & Director: James Leigh
Editor: Lucy Lund
Director of Photography: James Ball
Additional Editing & Photography: Matthew Duncan
Executive Producers: James Leigh & Matthew Duncan
Production & Post: Origin Films
Video Credit:
Hubble Space Telescope Animation
Credit: M. Kornmesser (ESA/Hubble)
Dark Energy Expansion Graph
Dark Energy Expansion Animation
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
Hubble Extreme Deep Field Fly Through
Credit: NASA, ESA, and F. Summers, L. Frattare, T. Davis, Z. Levay, and G. Bacon (Viz3D Team, STScI)
James Webb Space Telescope Animations
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
