China's Crewed Space Program Achieves Major Milestones over Past Two Decades

China's Crewed Space Program Achieves Major Milestones over Past Two Decades

China reached a historic milestone on October 15, 2003, when taikonaut Yang Liwei stepped out of the Shenzhou-5 re-entry capsule after spending just over 21 hours orbiting Earth in space.

Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, marked the 20th anniversary of his flight into space aboard the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft. The mission made China the third country in the world to achieve human spaceflight capabilities. Yang entered the history books as the first Chinese space traveler.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Yang, who is now the deputy chief designer of China's human spaceflight projects, said that his memories of the last two decades are full of "pride and admiration."

"When I saw more colleagues realize their flight dreams and reunite in the Tiangong space station, I felt happy and so envious of them," Yang said.

He also listed several other advancements that have made him "jealous"—spaceflights have lengthened from one day to six months, the number of taikonauts in orbit has risen from one to six, and his old "space home" has become increasingly comfortable, expanding from 6 cubic meters to 110 cubic meters.

Yang also noted that several technical difficulties have been overcome, such as space-Earth shuttling and orbital docking. This enables in-orbit taikonauts to watch live sports events and make phone calls with their families at any time.

Nevertheless, many of these technological breakthroughs benefited from the contributions of taikonauts, and Yang has certainly been a contributor.

When his rocket lifted to an approximate height of 30-40 kilometers above the ground, for example, Yang felt it begin to vibrate violently. "The fierce vibration was shattering my body, and the pain grew unbearable," Yang recalled.

After his return to Earth, Yang reported the abnormal vibrations during the rocket's ascent to his fellow scientists, who resolved the issue before the Shenzhou-6 launch.

To his delight, more people are now joining the taikonaut ranks. Yang revealed that a hundred candidates for the fourth group of taikonauts have passed the preliminary selection process, with about 10 coming from Hong Kong or Macao.

"Shortly, there will be astronauts from other countries conducting scientific experiments aboard the Chinese space station," Yang said, noting that Tiangong serves as a national space experiment platform and brings benefits to humanity as a whole.

Future taikonauts will go further, as China has launched a crewed lunar exploration project and made breakthroughs in key technologies related to new-generation manned rockets and spacecraft.

When asked if he would undertake more spaceflight missions, the 58-year-old taikonaut said, "I'm always ready for the nation's call."

China launched its Shenzhou-16 crewed spacecraft on May 30, 2023, sending three astronauts to the Tiangong space station for a five-month mission.

The Shenzhou-15 crew returned to Earth at the Dongfeng landing site on June 4 after fulfilling a six-month mission and completing the in-orbit crew rotation with their Shenzhou-16 colleagues in space.

This month, Shenzhou-17 is scheduled to blast off from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Credit: CCTV Video News Agency

Duration: 4 minutes, 37 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 17, 2023

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #Shenzhou5 #Taikonaut #YangLiwei #Shenzhou16 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Tiangong #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #MicrogravityExperiments #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Eclipse Rings

Eclipse Rings

"She knew everything but the question. She was well aware that there would be a complete annular eclipse of the Sun visible from their driving destination: Lake Abert in Oregon. She knew that the next ring-of-fire eclipse would occur in the USA only in 16 more years, making this a rare photographic opportunity. She was comfortable with the plan—that she and her boyfriend would appear in front of the eclipse in silhouette, sometimes alone, and sometimes together. She knew that the annular phase of this eclipse would last only a few minutes and she helped in the many hours of planning. She could see their friend who set up the camera about 400 meters away at the bottom of a ridge. What she didn't know was the question she would be asked. However, she did know the answer: 'Yes'."

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, but appears too small to completely cover the Sun’s surface, resulting in what appears as a ring of fire in the sky.

Image Credit & Copyright: Baolong Chen

Baolong's Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jadedrchen/

Participants: Jerry Zhang (left) & Amber Zhang (right)

Release Date: Oct. 16, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Science #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse #AnnularEclipse #RingOfFire #Eclipse2023 #Canada #Mexico #SouthAmerica #GSFC #LakeAbert #Oregon #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

Annular Solar Eclipse: Moon's Shadow Darkens Earth | International Space Station

Annular Solar Eclipse: Moon's Shadow Darkens Earth | International Space Station

The Moon passes in front of the sun casting its shadow, or umbra, and darkening a portion of the Earth's surface during the annular solar eclipse. The International Space Station was soaring 260 miles above Canada as this picture was taken pointing southward toward Texas.

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, but appears too small to completely cover the Sun’s surface, resulting in what appears as a ring of fire in the sky.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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: Oct. 14, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Earth #Moon #Umbra #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse #AnnularEclipse #Eclipse2023 #HumanSpaceflight #Astronauts #JAXA #Japan #日本 #ESA #Europe #Denmark #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

NASA's Psyche Asteroid Mission Launch from Kennedy Space Center | JPL

NASA's Psyche Asteroid Mission Launch from Kennedy Space Center | JPL

Highlights from the Oct. 13, 2023, launch of NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which will travel 2.2 billion miles to a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Psyche lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:19 a.m PDT (10:19 a.m. EDT).

The mission, which is the first to explore a metal-rich asteroid, aims to help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky bodies—including Earth—in our solar system. The Psyche spacecraft is equipped with four scientific investigations: the magnetometer, gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, multispectral imager, and gravity science experiment. In addition, a technology demonstration called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) will fly on Psyche in order to test high-data-rate laser communications. 

Psyche is scheduled to arrive at the asteroid in 2029 and orbit for about 26 months.

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.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages the mission, which is led by Arizona State University. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center manages launch operations and procured the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Maxar Technologies delivered the solar electric propulsion chassis and most of its engineering hardware systems.

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to nasa.gov/psyche

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Oct. 13, 2023

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

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission Launch: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket

NASA Psyche Asteroid Mission Launch: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket

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

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

Spiral Galaxy IC 5332 in Sculptor | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy IC 5332 in Sculptor | Hubble

This glittering image shows the spiral galaxy IC 5332. It lies about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor and has an almost face-on orientation to Earth. To explain what is meant by ‘face-on’, it is helpful to visualize a spiral galaxy as an (extremely) large disc. If the galaxy is oriented so that it appears circular and disc-shaped from our perspective here on Earth, then we can say that it is ‘face-on’. In contrast, if it is oriented so that it appears squashed and oval-shaped, then we would say that it is ‘edge-on’. The key thing is that the same galaxy would look extremely different from our perspective depending on whether it was face-on or edge-on as seen from Earth.

Image Description: A close-in view of a spiral galaxy. It is seen face-on, showing its circular shape and tightly winding spiral arms. The galaxy glows brightly in the center and dims to cool colors towards the edge. Dark, faint filaments of dust and brightly glowing, pink and orange bubbles of star formation mark the face of the galaxy.

IC 5332 is designated as an SABc-type galaxy in the De Vaucouleurs system of galaxy classification. The ‘S’ is straightforward, identifying it as a spiral galaxy, which it clearly is, given the well-defined arms of bright stars and darker dust that curl outwards from the galaxy’s dense and bright core. The ‘AB’ is a little more complex. It means that the galaxy is weakly barred, which refers to the shape of the galaxy’s center. The majority of spiral galaxies do not spiral out from a single point, but rather from an elongated bar-type structure. SAB galaxies—also known as intermediate spiral galaxies—do not have a clear bar-shape at their core. They do not spiral out from a single point and instead fall somewhere in between. The lowercase ‘c’ describes how tightly wound the spiral arms are: ‘a’ would indicate very tightly wound, and ‘d’ very loosely wound. Thus, IC 5332 is quite an intermediate spiral galaxy on many fronts: weakly barred, with quite loosely wound arms, and almost completely face-on.

Credit: European Space Agency/Hubble & NASA, R. Chandar, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST team

Release Date: Oct. 16, 2023

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #Galaxies #IC5332 #Galaxy #SpiralGalaxy #SABcTypeGalaxy #Sculptor #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #Optical #Infrared #Ultraviolet #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio's Post-Flight Update | Johnson Space Center

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio's Post-Flight Update | Johnson Space Center

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio discusses his record-setting mission aboard the International Space Station after his recent return to Earth. Rubio, whose Soyuz capsule landed in Kazakhstan on Sept. 27, 2023, with two crewmates, spent 371 days in space. This makes him the record-holder for single longest spaceflight for a U.S. astronaut.

During his 371 days aboard the station, Rubio experienced:

- Approximately 5,936 orbits of Earth

- Approximately 157,412,306 statute miles traveled (equivalent of approximately 328 round trips to the Moon and back)

- Fifteen spacecraft visited the International Space Station, including four Roscosmos Progress cargo ships, two Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft, two Roscosmos Soyuz, four crewed SpaceX Dragons, and three uncrewed SpaceX Dragons.

NASA Astronaut Frank Rubio Official NASA Biography

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

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

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

Duration: 40 minutes

Release Date: Oct. 13, 2023

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #SoyuzMS23Spacecraft #Astronaut #FrankRubio #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitiriPetelin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #Kazakhstan #Қазақстан #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition69 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

¿Existen los extraterrestres? Preguntamos a un científico de la NASA

¿Existen los extraterrestres? Preguntamos a un científico de la NASA

¿Existen los extraterrestres? Nunca se ha descubierto vida alienígena. Sin embargo, eso no significa que no exista. Investigadores como el Dr. José Antonio Manfredi, del Centro de Astrobiología de España e investigador principal de las estaciones meteorológicas a bordo de las misiones Mars2020 Perseverance e InSight de la NASA, intentan responder a esta pregunta.

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 1 minute, 56 seconds

Release Date: Oct. 13, 2023 

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Astrobiology #Astrobiología #Earth #Life #LaVida #MoléculasOrgánicas #Galaxies #Stars #SolarSystem #Exoplanets #Planets #Moons  #SpaceExploration #estoesloquenecesitassaber #NASAenespañol #preguntamosauncientíficodelanasa  #LosExtraterrestres #Alien #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

NASA Prepares Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage for Final Assembly

NASA Prepares Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage for Final Assembly

All four RS-25 engines have been installed onto the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage for NASA’s Artemis II Moon mission. The installation of the engines signals the core stage is nearly finished with assembly and will soon be ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During launch, the rocket’s engines provide more than two million pounds of combined thrust.

The Artemis II RS-25 engines installed on the core stage at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Each engine is the size of a compact car and, together, will create more than two million pounds of thrust during launch. The RS-25 engines create immense pressure that controls the flow of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen from the two propellant tanks into each engine's combustion chamber.

NASA and industry partners Aerojet Rocketdyne and Boeing have installed all four RS-25 engines onto the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage for the agency’s Artemis II mission, signaling the core stage is nearing completion. Once complete, the core stage will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, is the lead contractor and Boeing is the core stage lead contractor.

These photos show how technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans installed the third and fourth RS-25 engines onto the core stage for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that will help power NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon.  Technicians added the first engine to the SLS core stage on Sept. 11, 2023. The second engine was installed onto the stage Sept. 15 with the third and fourth engines following Sept. 19 and Sept. 20. Engineers consider the engines to be “soft” mated to the rocket stage. Technicians with NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, will now focus efforts on the complex task of fully securing the engines to the stage and integrating the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure. 

NASA and its partners have fully secured the four RS-25 engines onto the core stage of the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis II flight test. The core stage, and its engines, is the backbone of the SLS mega rocket that will power the flight test, the first crewed mission to the Moon under Artemis.

Engineers have begun final integration testing at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, in preparation for acceptance ahead of shipment of the stage to Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the coming months.

“NASA integrated many lessons learned from the first-time build and assembly of the SLS core stage for Artemis I to increase efficiencies during manufacturing and cross-team collaboration with our partners for Artemis II. NASA teams in New Orleans remain focused on assembling and preparing the SLS rocket’s liquid-fueled stage to support the flight.”

—Julie Bassler, Manager of the Stages Office for the SLS Program

The 212-foot-tall core stage includes two massive liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines at its base. For Artemis II, the core stage and its engines act as the powerhouse of the rocket, providing more than two million pounds of thrust for the first eight minutes of flight to send the crew of four astronauts inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.

NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company and the RS-25 engines lead contractor, along with Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, secured the engines to the maze of propulsion and avionics systems within the core stage Oct. 6. In the coming weeks, engineers will perform testing on the entire stage and its avionics and electrical systems, which act as the “brains” of the rocket to help control it during flight.

Once testing of the stage is complete and the hardware passes its acceptance review, the core stage will be readied for shipping to Kennedy via the agency’s Pegasus barge, based at Michoud.

As teams prepare the core stage for Artemis II, rocket hardware is also under construction on our factory floor for Artemis III, IV, and V that will help send the future Artemis astronauts to the lunar South Pole.

The engines were first soft mated one by one onto the stage beginning in early September. The last RS-25 engine was structurally installed onto the stage Sept. 20. Installing the four engines is a multi-step, collaborative process for NASA, Boeing, and Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Following the initial structural connections of the individual engines, securing and outfitting all four engines to the stage is the lengthiest part of the engine assembly process and includes securing the thrust vector control actuators, ancillary interfaces, and remaining bolts before multiple tests and checkouts.

All major hardware elements for the SLS rocket that will launch Artemis II are either complete or in progress. The major components for the rocket’s two solid rocket boosters are at Kennedy. The rocket’s two adapters, produced at Marshall, along with the rocket’s upper stage, currently at lead contractor United Launch Alliance’s facility in Florida near Kennedy, will be prepared for shipment in the spring.

NASA is working to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon under Artemis. SLS is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration, along with Orion and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, and commercial human landing systems. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Learn more about the Artemis II Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii 

Learn more about SLS: nasa.gov/sls

Image Credit: NASA

Story Credit: Megan Carter

Release Date: Oct. 13, 2023

#NASA #Space #Moon #NASAArtemis #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisII #NASASLS #SpaceLaunchSystem #SLS #CoreStage #RS25Engines #AerojetRocketdyne #Boeing #DeepSpace #Astronauts #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #MSFC #NASAMichoud #MAF #NewOrleans #Louisiana #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Emission Nebula Sh2-88 in Vulpecula | Schulman Telescope

Emission Nebula Sh2-88 in Vulpecula | Schulman Telescope

Emission nebula Sharpless 2-88 or Sh 2-88 is a star formation region that includes the diffuse nebula Sh 2-88A and the two compact knots Sh 2-88B1 and Sh 2-88B2. All of are associated with Vulpecula OB1—a batch of massive stars being born. This nebula lies about 6,500 light years away in the constellation Vulpecula (the Little Fox).

Technical Details:

Optics: Schulman 32-inch RCOS Telescope

Camera: SBIG STX16803

The 0.81 m (32 in) Schulman Telescope is a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector built by RC Optical Systems and installed in 2010. It is operated by the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and is Arizona's largest dedicated public observatory. The Schulman Telescope was designed from inception for remote control over the Internet by amateur and professional astrophotographers worldwide. It is currently the world's largest telescope dedicated for this purpose.

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Caption Acknowledgements: UA/Wikipedia

Image Date: March 1, 2015

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarFormation #StellarNursery #Nebulae #Nebula #EmissionNebula #Sh288 #Vulpecula #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #UA #MountLemmonObservatory #SchulmanTelescope #Astrophotographer #AdamBlock #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Heliophysics Big Year: October 2023 to December 2024 | NASA

Heliophysics Big Year: October 2023 to December 2024 | NASA

The Heliophysics Big Year is a global celebration of solar science and the Sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system. Join us October 2023 to December 2024!

Modeled after the "Big Year" concept from citizen scientists in the bird-watching community, the Heliophysics Big Year challenges everyone to get involved with fun Sun-related activities.

Visit https://go.nasa.gov/HelioBigYear to learn more!

Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Producer: Beth Anthony (KBRwyle)

Duration: 1 minute, ten seconds

Release Date: Oct. 14, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #HeliophysicsBigYear #Science #SolarScience #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse #AnnularEclipse #RingOfFire #Eclipse2023 #Canada #Mexico #SouthAmerica #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Ring of Fire: Watch 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse (Replay of NASA Broadcast)

The Ring of Fire: Watch 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse (Replay of NASA Broadcast)

Watch a replay of this live event with us as a “Ring of Fire” (annular) eclipse traveled across the United States on Oct. 14, 2023, from Oregon to Texas. 

This event occurs when the Moon passes directly in front of the Sun, but appears too small to completely cover the Sun’s surface, resulting in what appears as a ring of fire in the sky. It is also known as an annular solar eclipse. 

Everyone in the contiguous 48 states will have the opportunity to see at least a partial eclipse. Listen to our conversations with scientists and telescope views from across the country.

Warning: During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing.

Learn about the annular eclipse: https://go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2023 

 

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 90 minutes

Release Date: Oct. 14, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Science #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse #AnnularEclipse #RingOfFire #Eclipse2023 #Canada #Mexico #SouthAmerica #GSFC #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 70 Crew: October 2023 Photos | International Space Station

Expedition 70 Crew: October 2023 Photos | International Space Station

Official portrait of NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O'Hara

NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O'Hara is pictured trying on her spacesuit and testing its components aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk.

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen of Denmark is pictured trying on his spacesuit and testing its components aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, both from NASA, pose for a portrait in front of the International Space Station's Cold Atom Lab. The physics research device observes the quantum behavior of atoms chilled to about one ten billionth of a degree above absolute zero—much colder than the average temperature of deep space.

(From left) Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA); and Flight Engineers Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, both from NASA; and Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), pose for a portrait aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module. The quartet is showing off crew active dosimeters that monitor the amount of radiation astronauts are exposed to in the microgravity environment.

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 have been postponed until the review is complete. New dates will be announced later.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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. 4-12, 2023

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

What is a Solar Eclipse? | National Science Foundation

What is a Solar Eclipse? | National Science Foundation

What is a solar eclipse? How is an annular eclipse different? How do we study the sun? Dr. Carrie Black, a program officer at the U.S. National Science Foundation who oversees operations at the National Solar Observatory, explains the science of the sun and answers commonly asked questions about our star. An annular eclipse will occur on October 14th and a total eclipse will occur on April 8th.

To learn more information, visit: https://nso.edu/for-public/exciting-events/#more

On Oct. 14, 2023, a “ring of fire,” or annular, solar eclipse will travel from Oregon coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Weather permitting, most of the Americas will be able to view at least a partial solar eclipse. Click here to see the NASA 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipse Map: https://go.nasa.gov/USEclipseMaps 

An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, but is just far away enough in its orbit that the Sun is not completely covered—creating a large, bright ring in the sky.

WARNING: During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. How to safely view an eclipse: 

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/safety/

Not in the path of the eclipse? Watch with us from anywhere in the world. NASA will provide live broadcast coverage on Oct. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. EDT (1530-1715 UTC) on NASA TV, NASA.gov and the NASA app.

Learn more about the upcoming annular solar eclipse: 

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2023/oct-14-annular/overview/

Credit: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Release Date: Oct. 13, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Heliophysics #Science #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #SolarEclipse #AnnularEclipse #EclipseMap #Eclipse2023 #EyeProtection #SafetyMeasures #Canada #Mexico #SouthAmerica #GSFC #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Rho Ophiuchi Rising over Mt. Gumbok Rangan in India

Rho Ophiuchi Rising over Mt. Gumbok Rangan in India

Shown here is the interstellar cloud complex Rho Ophiuchi rising over Mt. Gumbok Rangan (God’s Mountain). Rangan is considered sacred in the region of Zanskar, India. At an estimated distance of about 460 light years, in the direction of Scorpius, Rho Ophiuchi is one of the closest star-forming regions to our Solar System. 

Distance: ~390 light years

Mt. Gumbok Rangan stands at an elevation of 5,520 m (18,110 ft). The base is about 4,500 m (14,800 ft).

Astrophotographer Soumya Banerjee: "I had been waiting patiently during the night of June 19, 2023, to get in just the right position to shoot Rho Ophiuchi in respect to the mountain. Although the temperature was below freezing, luckily there wasn’t much wind, and the atmosphere was clear enough to easily see the Milky Way. Overall, I enjoyed this experience, but it is a shame that because of increasing light pollution we are unable to see these things without visiting a remote location."

Technical Details:

Camera: Canon 700D (self-astro modded) camera; Sigma 28mm f1.4 lens; Oregon Minitrack LX3 Art Tracker.

Post-processing Details: This image is a blend of a foreground shot during late blue hour and a sky shot during night (at 12:45 a.m. local time) from the same location and position when Rho Ophiuchi came into the correct alignment with the mountain.

Sky frame is a stack of 33 light frames(tracked) and 6 dark frames stacked in ASTAP and processed (stretched) in SIRIL. Each frame is shot with Canon 700D (astro-mod) camera and sigma 28mm f1.4 lens @ f2.2, ISO1600, 30 secs each. The foreground mountain is shot at 28mm f5.6, ISO100, 2.5 secs from the same position and location. Both Sky and Foreground are then blended in Adobe Photoshop.

Image & Caption Credit: Soumya Banerjee      

Soumya's website: https://www.facebook.com/soumya.banerjee.14

Image Location: Zanskar, India Coordinates: 33.5626, 76.9878

Release Date: Oct. 10, 2023

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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 www.psyche.asu.edu

Image Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Capture Date: Oct. 13, 2023

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