Friday, October 13, 2023

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida at 10:19 a.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.






A side booster from SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket successfully lands at the company’s landing zone at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, just minutes after NASA’s Psyche launch from Kennedy Space Center.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket successfully launched NASA’s Psyche Asteroid Mission spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 10:19am EDT.

Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters (B1064 and B1065) landed at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, having previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67 and JUPITER 3. Due to mission requirements, the core booster (B1079) was not planned to be recovered. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will study a metal-rich asteroid with the same name, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 

Destination: Only the 16th asteroid to be discovered, Psyche was found in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, who named it for the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology. It has a mean diameter of approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi) and contains about one percent of the mass of the asteroid belt.

What gives asteroid Psyche great scientific interest is that it is likely rich in metal. It may consist largely of metal from the core of a planetesimal, one of the building blocks of the Sun’s planetary system. At Psyche scientists will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but rich in metal.

The spacecraft is expected to begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.

Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar is providing the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. 

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to: 

www.nasa.gov/psyche and www.psyche.asu.edu


Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani/Cory Huston/SpaceX

Capture Date: Oct. 13, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #PsycheAsteroid #16Psyche #Asteroids #Science #PsycheMission #PsycheSpacecraft #SpaceX #FalconHeavyRocket #Planets #Mars #Jupiter #AsteroidBelt #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #ASU #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket successfully launched NASA’s Psyche Asteroid Mission spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 10:19am EDT.

Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters (B1064 and B1065) landed at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, having previously supported USSF-44, USSF-67 and JUPITER 3. Due to mission requirements, the core booster (B1079) was not planned to be recovered. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will study a metal-rich asteroid with the same name, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 

Destination: Only the 16th asteroid to be discovered, Psyche was found in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, who named it for the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology. It has a mean diameter of approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi) and contains about one percent of the mass of the asteroid belt.

What gives asteroid Psyche great scientific interest is that it is likely rich in metal. It may consist largely of metal from the core of a planetesimal, one of the building blocks of the Sun’s planetary system. At Psyche scientists will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but rich in metal.

The spacecraft is expected to begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.

Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar is providing the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. 

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to: www.nasa.gov/psyche and psyche.asu.edu


Video Credit: NASA/SpaceX

Acknowledgement: ScieNews

Duration: 8 minutes

Capture Date: Oct. 13, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #PsycheAsteroid #16Psyche #Asteroids #Science #PsycheMission #PsycheSpacecraft #SpaceX #FalconHeavyRocket #Planets #Mars #Jupiter #AsteroidBelt #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MaxarTechnologies #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch Prep

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch Prep


NASA’s Psyche spacecraft stands tall atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. Liftoff of Psyche is targeted for 10:19 a.m. EDT Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.

Destination: Only the 16th asteroid to be discovered, Psyche was found in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, who named it for the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology. It has a mean diameter of approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi) and contains about one percent of the mass of the asteroid belt.

What gives asteroid Psyche great scientific interest is that it is likely rich in metal. It may consist largely of metal from the core of a planetesimal, one of the building blocks of the Sun’s planetary system. At Psyche scientists will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but rich in metal.

The spacecraft is expected to begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.

Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar is providing the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. 

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to: www.nasa.gov/psyche and psyche.asu.edu


Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Image Date: Oct. 12, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #PsycheAsteroid #16Psyche #Asteroids #Science #PsycheMission #PsycheSpacecraft #SpaceX #FalconHeavyRocket #Planets #Mars #Jupiter #AsteroidBelt #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MaxarTechnologies #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Resetting the Schedule: Week of Oct. 13, 2023

NASA's Space to Ground: Resetting the Schedule: Week of Oct. 13, 2023

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

Two United States operating segment spacewalks outside the International Space Station have been rescheduled for no earlier than Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, and Monday, Oct. 30, as a result of ongoing review by NASA managers and engineers after a coolant leak from a backup radiator on the station’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module.

The spacewalks were deferred from their original target dates to allow engineers additional time to complete their analysis of the coolant leak, which occurred on Oct. 9 and has now stopped.

During the first spacewalk NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen will exit the station’s Quest airlock to collect samples for analysis to see whether microorganisms may exist on the exterior of the orbital complex. They also will replace a high-definition camera on the port truss of the station and conduct other maintenance work to prepare for future spacewalks.

O’Hara will serve as extravehicular activity (EVA) crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Mogensen will serve as extravehicular crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. U.S. Spacewalk 89 will be the first spacewalk for both crew members.

During the second spacewalk, O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli will complete the removal of a faulty electronics box, called a Radio Frequency Group, from a communications antenna bracket and replace one of twelve Trundle Bearing Assemblies on the port truss Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. The bearings enable the station’s solar arrays to rotate properly to track the sun as the station orbits the Earth. During this spacewalk, Moghbeli will serve as EVA crew member 1 and O’Hara will serve as EVA crew member 2. U.S. Spacewalk 90 will be the first spacewalk for Moghbeli and second for O’Hara.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)

Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov

JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)

NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

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: 3 minutes, 46 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 12, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Earth #HumanSpaceflight #EVA #Spacewalks #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbelli #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Full Moon & Earth's Blue Glow | International Space Station

Full Moon & Earth's Blue Glow | International Space Station

A full Moon is pictured from the International Space Station. The Moon lingers to the left of the image, with a horizon of Earth's blue glow splitting the image nearly in half, blending into the black of space.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

Expedition 70 Crew
Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)
Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov
JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)
NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

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)

Image Date: Sept. 30, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Earth #Moon #FullMoon #ArtemisProgram #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbelli #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #MoonToMars #STEM #Education

Red Supergiant Star Mu Cephei ("Erakis") in Cepheus

Red Supergiant Star Mu Cephei ("Erakis") in Cepheus

Mu Cephei is a very large star. An M-class supergiant about 1,500 times the size of the Sun, it is one of the largest stars visible to the unaided eye. It is even one of the largest in the entire Milky Way Galaxy. If it replaced the Sun in our Solar System, Mu Cephei would easily engulf Mars and Jupiter. Mu Cephei is visually nearly 100,000 times brighter than the Sun. Historically known as Herschel's Garnet Star, Mu Cephei is extremely red. Approximately 2,800 light-years distant, the supergiant is seen near the edge of reddish emission nebula IC 1396 toward the royal northern constellation Cepheus in this telescopic view. 

Much cooler and hence redder than the Sun, this supergiant's light is further reddened by absorption and scattering due to intervening dust within the Milky Way. A well-studied variable star understood to be in a late phase of stellar evolution, Mu Cephei is a massive star too, destined to ultimately explode as a core-collapse supernova.

Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as a spectral standard for classifying other stars.


Image Credit & Copyright: David Cruz

David's Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/astro.midnight/

Release Date: Oct. 12, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Star #MuCephei #Erakis #HD206936 #IC1396 #Nebula #Cepheus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #Telescope #Optical #Astrophotographer #DavidCruz #Astrophotography #UnitedStates #WilliamHerschel #Astronomer #History #STEM #Education #APoD

Celebrating NASA's 65th Anniversary (1958-2023): A Journey Beyond the Stars

Celebrating NASA's 65th Anniversary (1958-2023): A Journey Beyond the Stars

Support FriendsofNASA.org: Celebrating 65 years, NASA is a symbol of human creativity and exploration. NASA has consistently pushed boundaries, from the historic Apollo missions that landed the first humans on the Moon to the Space Shuttle program that built the International Space Station. Missions like Landsat and Cassini have deepened our understanding of Earth and our solar system. With NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the future holds even more exciting discoveries. Throughout all these adventures, NASA's commitment to exploration and science continues to lead the way.  

Today, the Artemis missions herald a new chapter, aiming to return humanity to the Moon and laying robust foundations for expeditions to Mars and beyond. As we honor NASA's storied past, we anticipate a future filled with discoveries, technologies, and deep-space exploration encouraged by a new generation of dedicated explorers.  Here's to NASA, commemorating 65 years of cosmic exploration, innovation, and the undying quest to expand our universal frontier.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the Federal government of the United States responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

Friends of NASA (2008-2023) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education. We rely on public donations for support. Friends of NASA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding in 2023.

Learn more about Friends of NASA: http://www.FriendsofNASA.org

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producer/Editor: Jori Kates

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Oct. 12, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Artemis #ArtemisProgram #Moon #Mars #SolarSystem #History #NASA65 #NASAAnniversary #PresidentEisenhower #Government #UnitedStates #CivilianSpace #SpaceAgency #SpaceResearch #SpaceExploration #Aerospace #Aeronautics #Aviation #Astronauts #MoonToMars #FriendsOfNASA #FoN25 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 70 Crew: New October 2023 Photos | International Space Station

Expedition 70 Crew: New October 2023 Photos | International Space Station

Expedition 70 astronauts pose for a portrait inside their crew quarters. Four Expedition 70 crew members pose for a fun portrait inside their crew quarters aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module. Clockwise from bottom are, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli; European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa; and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli (center) assists astronauts Andreas Mogensen (left) from ESA (European Space Agency) and Loral O'Hara (right) from NASA as they try on their spacesuits and test the suits' components aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli (center) assists astronauts Andreas Mogensen (left) from ESA (European Space Agency) and Loral O'Hara (right) from NASA as they try on their spacesuits and test the suits' components aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk.

Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA) stabilizes himself in the microgravity environment and practices chest compressions, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

The Expedition 70 crew is preparing for a pair of spacewalks for science and maintenance outside the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark are getting ready for their first spacewalk. The duo will use specialized tools to collect microbe samples from specific areas outside of the station.
Another spacewalk is scheduled with O’Hara and fellow NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli. They will remove and replace communications and solar array hardware.

NASA engineering and flight control teams are continuing to review data and video associated with a coolant leak from a backup radiator on the station’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module (MLM). Two United States segment spacewalks originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct.12, and Friday, Oct. 20, have been postponed until the review is complete. New dates will be announced later.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

Expedition 70 Crew
Station Commander: Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (Denmark)
Roscosmos (Russia): Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Konstantin Borisov
JAXA: Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)
NASA: Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O'Hara (USA)

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)

Image Dates: Oct. 4-5, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Earth #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #EVA #Spacewalks #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbelli #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #ESA #Europe #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission: Bennu Asteroid Sample Contains Carbon, Water

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission: Bennu Asteroid Sample Contains Carbon, Water

A view of the outside of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector. Sample material from asteroid Bennu can be seen on the middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is located inside.

A view inside a glass and stainless steel glovebox containing the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return canister.
Asteroid particles coat the base of the OSIRIS-REx science canister.
Astromaterials processor Mari Montoya and OSIRIS-REx curation team members set the TAGSAM (Touch and Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) down in the canister glovebox after removing it from the canister base and flipping it over.
Astromaterials processors Mari Montoya, left, and Curtis Calva, right, use tools to collect asteroid particles from the base of the OSIRIS-REx science canister.  
Sample material from asteroid Bennu

Initial studies of the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu sample collected in space and brought to Earth by NASA show evidence of high-carbon content and water, which together could indicate the building blocks of life on Earth may be found in the rock. NASA made the news Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, from its Johnson Space Center in Houston where leadership and scientists showed off the asteroid material for the first time since it landed in September.

This finding was part of a preliminary assessment of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) science team.

Although more work is needed to understand the nature of the carbon compounds found, the initial discovery bodes well for future analyses of the asteroid sample. The secrets held within the rocks and dust from the asteroid will be studied for decades to come, offering insights into how our solar system was formed, how the precursor materials to life may have been seeded on Earth, and what precautions need to be taken to avoid asteroid collisions with our home planet.

Bonus sample material

The goal of the OSIRIS-REx sample collection was 60 grams of asteroid material. Curation experts at NASA Johnson, working in new clean rooms built especially for the mission, have spent 10 days so far carefully disassembling the sample return hardware to obtain a glimpse at the bulk sample within. When the science canister lid was first opened, scientists discovered bonus asteroid material covering the outside of the collector head, canister lid, and base. There was so much extra material it slowed down the careful process of collecting and containing the primary sample.

Within the first two weeks, scientists performed “quick-look” analyses of that initial material, collecting images from a scanning electron microscope, infrared measurements, X-ray diffraction, and chemical element analysis. X-ray computed tomography was also used to produce a 3D computer model of one of the particles, highlighting its diverse interior. This early glimpse provided the evidence of abundant carbon and water in the sample.

“As we peer into the ancient secrets preserved within the dust and rocks of asteroid Bennu, we are unlocking a time capsule that offers us profound insights into the origins of our solar system,” said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson. “The bounty of carbon-rich material and the abundant presence of water-bearing clay minerals are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg. These discoveries, made possible through years of dedicated collaboration and cutting-edge science, propel us on a journey to understand not only our celestial neighborhood but also the potential for life’s beginnings. With each revelation from Bennu, we draw closer to unraveling the mysteries of our cosmic heritage.”

For the next two years, the mission’s science team will continue characterizing the samples and conduct the analysis needed to meet the mission’s science goals. NASA will preserve at least 70% of the sample at Johnson for further research by scientists worldwide, including future generations of scientists. As part of OSIRIS-REx’s science program, a cohort of more than 200 scientists around the world will explore the regolith’s properties, including researchers from many U.S. institutions, NASA partners Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and other scientists from around the world. Additional samples will also be loaned later this fall to the Smithsonian Institution, Space Center Houston, and the University of Arizona for public display.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Lauretta, the principal investigator, leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft, provided flight operations, and was responsible for capsule recovery. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace were responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

Find more information about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-REx Mission Page: http://www.asteroidmission.org


Image Credit: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold, Dante Lauretta

Story Credit: Abbey A. Donaldson

Release Date: Oct. 11, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #OSIRISRExMission #OSIRISRExSpacecraft #Asteroids #AstreroidBennu #ToBennuAndBack #SampleReturn #SpaceTechnology #CSA #Canada #CNES #France #JSC #GSFC #UArizona #LockheedMartin #JSC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket on Launch Pad

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket on Launch Pad





A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Psyche mission, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will travel to a metal-rich asteroid by the same name orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter to study its composition. The spacecraft also carries the agency's Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration, which will test laser communications beyond the Moon. 

Destination: Only the 16th asteroid to be discovered, Psyche was found in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, who named it for the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology. It has a mean diameter of approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi) and contains about one percent of the mass of the asteroid belt.

What gives asteroid Psyche great scientific interest is that it is likely rich in metal. It may consist largely of metal from the core of a planetesimal, one of the building blocks of the Sun’s planetary system. At Psyche scientists will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but rich in metal.

The spacecraft is expected to begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.

Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar is providing the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. 

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to: www.nasa.gov/psyche and psyche.asu.edu


Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Image Date: Oct. 11, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #PsycheAsteroid #16Psyche #Asteroids #Science #PsycheMission #PsycheSpacecraft #SpaceX #FalconHeavyRocket #Planets #Mars #Jupiter #AsteroidBelt #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MaxarTechnologies #Astrotech #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Johnson's Curation Lab Ready to Reveal OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample

NASA Johnson's Curation Lab Ready to Reveal OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample

On Sept. 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) spacecraft returned to Earth after a seven-year journey in which it explored asteroid Bennu and collected samples from its surface. The sample has been returned to the NASA Johnson Space Center's Curation Lab to be opened, studied, and distributed to scientists around the world for decades of ground-breaking research to learn more about our planet, the solar system and the organics that may reveal more about the origins of life on Earth. 

The sample was publicly revealed on Oct. 11, 2023.

The astromaterials curation team has collected bonus asteroid Bennu particles located outside the OSIRIS-REx TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) head. They have also completed additional steps toward disassembly to reveal of the bulk asteroid sample inside the head. . . 

Follow sample-delivery updates on NASA's OSIRIS-REx blog: 

https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/

OSIRIS-REx NASA page: https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

University of Arizona's OSIRIS-REx Mission Page: http://www.asteroidmission.org


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Oct. 11, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #OSIRISRExMission #OSIRISRExSpacecraft #Asteroids #AstreroidBennu #ToBennuAndBack #SampleReturn #SpaceTechnology #CSA #Canada #CNES #France #JSC #GSFC #UArizona #LockheedMartin #JSC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Swiss Alps | International Space Station

The Swiss Alps | International Space Station

The sun reflects off peaks of the snow-capped Swiss Alps while casting shadows in the foothills of the mountain range as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above Switzerland.

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)

Image Date: Sept. 25, 2023


#NASA #Space #Planet #ISS #Earth #SwissAlps #Switzerland #Europe #Astronauts #SultanAlNeyadi #UAE #UAESA #StephenBowen #FrankRubio #WoodyHoburg #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #UAE #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #STEM #Education

Mars: Fly Across The ‘Labyrinth of Night’ with Mars Express | ESA

Mars: Fly Across The ‘Labyrinth of Night’ with Mars Express | ESA

Nestled between the colossal martian ‘Grand Canyon’ (Valles Marineris) and the tallest volcanoes in the Solar System (the Tharsis region) lies Noctis Labyrinthus—a vast system of deep and steep valleys that stretches out for around 1,190 km (roughly the length of Italy here on Earth).

This video visualizes a flight over the eastern part of Noctis Labyrinthus as seen by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). It presents a perspective view down and across this fascinating landscape, showing distinctive ‘graben’—parts of the crust that have subsided in relation to their surroundings. The intense volcanism in the nearby Tharsis region is to blame for the formation of these features; this volcanism caused large areas of martian crust to arch upwards and become stretched and tectonically stressed, leading to it thinning out, faulting and subsiding.

The highest plateaus seen here represent the original surface level before chunks of surface fell away. The intersecting canyons and valleys are up to 30 km wide and six km deep. In many places, gigantic landslides can be seen covering the valley slopes and floors, while other valley slopes show large dune fields created by sands blown both down and upslope by martian winds.

The European Space Agency has highlighted Mars Express images of Noctis Labyrinthus before, in 2006 and 2015. Mars Express has orbited the Red Planet since 2003, imaging Mars’s surface, mapping its minerals, studying its tenuous atmosphere, probing beneath its crust, and exploring how various phenomena interact in the martian environment.

Processing notes: The video was created using an image mosaic built over eight orbits (0442, 1085, 1944, 1977, 1988, 10497, 14632 and 16684) by ESA’s Mars Express and its HRSC. This mosaic is combined with topographic information from a digital terrain model to generate a three-dimensional landscape, with every second of the video comprising 50 separate frames rendered according to a pre-defined camera path. The opening credits (Mars globe, first 24 seconds) were created using the recent 20-year Mars global colour mosaic; this opening sequence has a three-fold vertical exaggeration, while the subsequent flight animation has a 1.5-fold exaggeration. Haze has been added to conceal the limits of the terrain model, and starts building up at distance of between 150 and 200 km. The video is centred at the martian coordinates of 7°S, 265°E.


Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin & NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Duration: 3 minutes, 50 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 11, 2023


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Mars #NoctisLabyrinthus #Geology #MarsExpress #MarsExpressSpacecraft #HRSC #20thAnniversary #Europe #DLR #FUBerlin #Berlin #Germany #Deutschland #JPL #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualization #HD #Video

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Rollout

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Rollout

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled to the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Psyche mission, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 






Teams transport NASA's encapsulated Psyche spacecraft from the Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville to Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled to the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Psyche mission, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will travel to a metal-rich asteroid by the same name orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter to study its composition. The spacecraft also carries the agency's Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) technology demonstration. It will test laser communications beyond the Moon. 

Destination: Only the 16th asteroid to be discovered, Psyche was found in 1852 by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis, who named it for the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology. It has a mean diameter of approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi) and contains about one percent of the mass of the asteroid belt.

What gives asteroid Psyche great scientific interest is that it is likely rich in metal. It may consist largely of metal from the core of a planetesimal, one of the building blocks of the Sun’s planetary system. At Psyche scientists will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but rich in metal.

The spacecraft is expected to begin orbiting the asteroid Psyche in 2029.

Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar is providing the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. 

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to: www.nasa.gov/psyche and psyche.asu.edu


Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Image Dates: Oct. 5-10, 2023


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #PsycheAsteroid #16Psyche #Asteroids #Science #PsycheMission #PsycheSpacecraft #SpaceX #FalconHeavyRocket #Planets #Mars #Jupiter #AsteroidBelt #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MaxarTechnologies #Astrotech #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Pan of Star Cluster NGC 346 (MIRI image) | James Webb Space Telescope

Pan of Star Cluster NGC 346 (MIRI image) | James Webb Space Telescope

This new infrared image of NGC 346 from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) traces emission from cool gas and dust. In this image blue represents silicates and sooty chemical molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. More diffuse red emission shines from warm dust heated by the brightest and most massive stars in the heart of the region. Bright patches and filaments mark areas with abundant numbers of protostars.


Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, ESA, CSA, N. Habel (JPL), P. Kavanagh (Maynooth University), N. Bartmann   

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 5, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebula #NGC346 #SMC #Galaxy #Infrared #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #MIRI #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zooming into Star Cluster NGC 346 | James Webb Space Telescope

Zooming into Star Cluster NGC 346 | James Webb Space Telescope

This video takes the viewer on a journey to NGC 346, one of the most dynamic star-forming regions in nearby galaxies, as seen by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope.

NCG 346 is located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a dwarf galaxy close to our Milky Way.


Video Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, ESA, CSA, ESO, ESA/Hubble, Digitized Sky Survey 2, A. Nota, N. Bartmann, M. Zamani  

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Oct 5, 2023


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Nebula #NGC346 #SMC #Galaxy #Infrared #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #JWST #MIRI #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video