Wednesday, February 07, 2024

Multiple Views of Distant Supernova Made by Foreground Galaxy Cluster | Hubble

Multiple Views of Distant Supernova Made by Foreground Galaxy Cluster | Hubble


This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the powerful gravity of a galaxy embedded in a massive cluster of galaxies producing multiple images of a single distant supernova far behind it.

The image shows the galaxy’s location within a large cluster of galaxies called MACS J1149.6+2223, located more than 5 billion light-years away. In the enlarged inset view of the galaxy, the arrows point to the multiple images of the exploding star, named Supernova Refsdal, located 9.3 billion light-years from Earth.

Gravitationally lensed supernovae like SN Refsdal offer astronomers a unique way to calculate the Hubble constant—the rate at which the universe is accelerating. Compared to traditional methods that rely on measuring brightness of objects like type Ia supernovae, the method of using gravitationally lensed supernovae relies on geometrics.

One research team is now readying astronomers to find, and study, these rare objects using NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch by May 2027.


Image Credits:

NASA, ESA, Steve A. Rodney (JHU), Tommaso Treu (UCLA), Patrick Kelly (UC Berkeley), Jennifer Lotz (STScI), Marc Postman (STScI), Zolt G. Levay (STScI), FrontierSN Team, GLASS Team, HFF Team (STScI), CLASH Team

Release Date: Feb. 7, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #MACSJ114962223 #Supernovae #SupernovaRefsdal #Supernova #Leo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Chinese Astronauts Celebrate Lunar Year New Year at Work | China Space Station

Chinese Astronauts Celebrate Lunar Year New Year at Work | China Space Station

While celebrating the Lunar New Year, Chinese astronauts are at work conducting experiments on China's Tiangong Space Station (CSS). The national celebrations last up to 16 days in China, but only the first 7 days are considered a public holiday (February 10th–February 16th, 2024). The Shenzhou-17 crew aboard China's Tiangong Space Station has been conducting a series of scientific experiments and technology verification objectives, as well as additional extravehicular activities and payload missions.

The taikonauts have been stationed at the space station for half of their six-month space mission since the end of October 2023. They completed the crew rotation with the Shenzhou-16 astronauts and have conducted tasks, including space station maintenance, life and health support, spacesuit inspection and testing, a Tianzhou-6 cargo ship equipment inspection and preparation for upcoming spacewalks, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Shenzhou-17 is the sixth crew of three astronauts on a mission to the China Space Station. Shenzhou-17 is also the twelfth crewed and seventeenth flight overall of China's Shenzhou spaceflight program. Shenzhou-17 also features the youngest crew of any Chinese space mission to date.

Shenzhou-17 (神舟十七) Crew:

Hongbo Tang (汤洪波) - Commander 

Shengjie Tang (唐胜杰) - Mission Specialist

Xinlin Jiang  (江新林) - Mission Specialist


Video Credit:  China National Space Administration (CNSA)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 7, 2024


#NASA #Space #China #中国 #ChineseNewYear #SpringFestival #春节 #ChinaSpaceStation #CSS #TiangongSpaceStation #中国空间站  #Shenzhou17 #神舟十七号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #HongboTang #ShengjieTang #XinlinJiang #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tuesday, February 06, 2024

CRS-20 Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Arrival | International Space Station

CRS-20 Cygnus Cargo Spacecraft Arrival | International Space Station

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus CRS-20 cargo spacecraft




Northrop Grumman's CRS-20 spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut. 

As part of NASA’s commercial resupply services, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft arrived at the International Space Station today packed with science and supplies for the Expedition 70 crew on Feb. 1, 2024. Cygnus was captured with the Canadarm2 robotic arm controlled by NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson in honor of the former NASA astronaut. 

This was Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft is carrying a supply of 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory.

Shortly afterward, mission controllers on the ground took over control of the Canadarm2 and installed Cygnus to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. O’Hara and NASA Flight Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli later equalized pressure between Cygnus and the space station then opened Cygnus’ hatch to begin six months of cargo operations. They were followed by Commander Andreas Mogensen of European Space Agency (ESA) and Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace  Exploration Agency (JAXA) who began unpacking new research samples and stowing them inside lab freezers for upcoming science investigations.

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: Dec. 22, 2023


#NASA #Space #Earth #Science #ISS #NorthropGrumman #CygnusSpacecraft #CRS20 #NG20 #CargoSpacecraft #SSPatriciaHilliardRobertson #Astronauts #LoralOHara #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #JAXA #Japan #日本 #UnitedStates #MicrogravityResearch #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1566: Hubble (left) and Webb (right) Space Telescope Views

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1566: Hubble (left) and Webb (right) Space Telescope Views

The Spanish Dancer galaxy, NGC 1566, is one of the most typical and photogenic spirals in the sky. There is something different about this galaxy image because it is a diagonal combination of two images—one by the Hubble Space Telescope on the upper left, and the other by the James Webb Space Telescope on the lower right. NGC 1566 lies around 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Dorado, and is also a member of the Dorado galaxy group. 

The Hubble image was taken in ultraviolet light and highlights the locations of bright blue stars and dark dust along the galaxy's impressive spiral arms. In contrast, the Webb image was taken in infrared light and shows where the same dust emits more light than it absorbed.

Image Credit & Copyright: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Lee (STScI), T. Williams (Oxford), R. Chandar (UToledo), D. Calzetti (UMass), PHANGS Team

Release Date: Feb. 6, 2024


#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC1566 #Galaxies #Dorado #Constellation #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescopes #Hubble #HST #JWST #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #APoD

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Readies for Launch | Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Readies for Launch | Kennedy Space Center

From left are, Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, plus Pilot Michael Barratt, Commander Matthew Dominick, and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps of NASA





Crew-8 Mission Specialist & NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps
Crew-8 Commander & NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick
Roscosmos Cosmonaut & Crew-8 Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin of Russia (left) and Crew-8 Pilot & NASA Astronaut Michael Barratt (right)

The four crew members that comprise the SpaceX Crew-8 mission pose for photos inside SpaceX Hangar X at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Hangar X supports Falcon 9 rocket refurbishment and houses administration offices. 

As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-8 marks the ninth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the eighth crew rotation mission to International Space Station. Crew-8 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than mid-February 2024. They will join Expedition 70 and 71 crew members aboard the International Space Station in early 2024 to conduct a wide-ranging set of operational and research activities.

SpaceX Crew-8:

NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, mission specialist; Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, mission specialist 


This will be Epps’ first trip to the International Space Station. She is from Syracuse, New York, and earned a bachelor’s in physics from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, and a master’s in science and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining NASA, she worked at Ford Motor Company and the Central Intelligence Agency. She was selected as an astronaut in July 2009, and has served on the Generic Joint Operation Panel working on space station crew efficiency, as a crew support astronaut for two expeditions, and as lead capsule communicator in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Epps previously was assigned to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission. NASA reassigned Epps to allow Boeing time to complete development of Starliner while also continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for future mission needs.

This will also be the first spaceflight for Dominick, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. He is from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego, California, and a master’s in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is an active-duty U.S. Navy astronaut. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and then served as a test pilot specializing in testing landing on and catapult launches from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

This will be Barratt’s third trip to the space station. In 2009, Barratt served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 19 and 20 as the station transitioned its standard crew complement from three to six, and performed two spacewalks. He flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2011 on STS-133, which delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier. He has spent a total of 212 days in space. Born in Vancouver, Washington, he considers Camas, Washington, to be his hometown. Barratt earned a bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a doctor of medicine from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He completed residencies in internal medicine at Northwestern and aerospace medicine along with a master’s degree at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. After nine years as a NASA flight surgeon and project physician, Barratt joined the astronaut corps in 2000.

Grebenkin, who graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School, Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance, and repair of aircraft radio navigation systems, is flying on his first mission, too. He graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television.

Learn more about the SpaceX Crew-8 Mission:

NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps Official Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jeanette-j-epps/biography

NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/people/matthew-dominick

NASA Astronaut Michael Barratt Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/michael-reed-barratt/biography

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.

For over 23 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, more than 244 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.

The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to more fully focus its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.

Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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: SpaceX

Image Date: Oct. 12, 2023


#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew8 #Earth #Astronauts #MatthewDominick #MichaelBarratt #JeanetteEpps #Cosmonaut #AleksandrGrebenkin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Recientemente: Una misión comercial de reabastecimiento viaja a la estación espacial

Recientemente: Una misión comercial de reabastecimiento viaja a la estación espacial

Recientemente en la NASA, la versión en español de las cápsulas This Week at NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la NASA.

Aprende más sobre la ciencia a bordo de la estación espacial:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/ciencia-en-la-estacion/

Ciencia de la NASA: https://ciencia.nasa.gov

Para obtener más información sobre la ciencia de la NASA, suscríbete al boletín semanal: https://www.nasa.gov/suscribete


Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 2 minutes, 41 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 6, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #NASAenespañol #español #CRS20 #CygnusSpacecraft #Ax3Mission #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Europe #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan  #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Prepares for Launch | SpaceX Headquarters

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Prepares for Launch | SpaceX Headquarters

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, Crew-8 mission specialist
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission
Cosmonaut and SpaceX Crew-8 mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin of Russia
NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, pilot of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission




As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-8 marks the ninth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the eighth crew rotation mission to International Space Station. Crew-8 will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than mid-February 2024. They will join Expedition 70 and 71 crew members aboard the International Space Station in early 2024 to conduct a wide-ranging set of operational and research activities.

SpaceX Crew-8:

NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, mission specialist; Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, mission specialist 


This will be Epps’ first trip to the International Space Station. She is from Syracuse, New York, and earned a bachelor’s in physics from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, and a master’s in science and a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to joining NASA, she worked at Ford Motor Company and the Central Intelligence Agency. She was selected as an astronaut in July 2009, and has served on the Generic Joint Operation Panel working on space station crew efficiency, as a crew support astronaut for two expeditions, and as lead capsule communicator in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Epps previously was assigned to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission. NASA reassigned Epps to allow Boeing time to complete development of Starliner while also continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for future mission needs.

This will also be the first spaceflight for Dominick, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. He is from Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego, California, and a master’s in systems engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is an active-duty U.S. Navy astronaut. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, and then served as a test pilot specializing in testing landing on and catapult launches from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

This will be Barratt’s third trip to the space station. In 2009, Barratt served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 19 and 20 as the station transitioned its standard crew complement from three to six, and performed two spacewalks. He flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2011 on STS-133, which delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier. He has spent a total of 212 days in space. Born in Vancouver, Washington, he considers Camas, Washington, to be his hometown. Barratt earned a bachelor’s in zoology from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a doctor of medicine from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. He completed residencies in internal medicine at Northwestern and aerospace medicine along with a master’s degree at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. After nine years as a NASA flight surgeon and project physician, Barratt joined the astronaut corps in 2000.

Grebenkin, who graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School, Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance, and repair of aircraft radio navigation systems, is flying on his first mission, too. He graduated from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television.

Learn more about the SpaceX Crew-8 Mission:

NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps Official Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/jeanette-j-epps/biography

NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/people/matthew-dominick

NASA Astronaut Michael Barratt Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/michael-reed-barratt/biography

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.

For over 23 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, more than 244 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.

The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to more fully focus its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.

Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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: SpaceX

Image Date: Oct. 16 - Dec. 3, 2023


#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #SpaceX #SpaceXCrew8 #Earth #Astronauts #MatthewDominick #MichaelBarratt #JeanetteEpps #Cosmonaut #AleksandrGrebenkin #LongDurationMission #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Russia #Россия #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition70 #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Monday, February 05, 2024

Light Pollution: "Come to the Dark Side! We Have Stars!" | ESO

Light Pollution: "Come to the Dark Side! We Have Stars!" | ESO

Chasing Starlight 8: Perhaps you did not know, but astronomers are fighting for the dark side. For them, the darkest places on Earth aren’t filled with evil and aggression, just uninterrupted views of the cosmos. Unfortunately, such places are under threat from light pollution.

Learn more:

International Dark-Sky Association

https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution

Globe at Night

https://www.globeatnight.org

Night Sky Network (NASA/JPL)

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm


Credit:

Directed by: Luis Calçada, Martin Kornmesser, Martin Wallner

Hosted by: Suzanna Randall 

Written by: Claudia Sciarma, Thomas Howarth, Bárbara Ferreira

Editing: Martin Kornmesser, Luis Calçada

Videography: Angelos Tsaousis

Footage and photos: Star Wars (1977), Directed: George Lucas; Written: George Lucas; Produced: Gary Kurtz; Production company: Lucasfilm Ltd.; Distributed: 20th Century-Fox, M. Kornmesser, L. Calçada, ESA, NASA, SpaceX, Delft Technical University/M. Langbroek, Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory, P. Horálek, C. Malin, NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research, foto-webcam.eu, Laboratory/CTIO/AURA/DELVE

Animations & Infographics:  Luis Calçada, Martin Kornmesser

Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida

Scientific consultancy: Andy Williams, Olivier Hainaut, Mariya Lyubenova

Filming Locations: ESO Supernova 

Produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory (eso.org)

Duration: 7 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 3, 2024  


#NASA  #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #LightPollution #Energy #Streetlights #Moon #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkWayGalaxy #Constellations #Universe #Astronomer #SuzannaRandall #Astrophysicist #Germany #Deutschland #Telescopes #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Expedition 70 Crew Photos for 2024 | International Space Station

New Expedition 70 Crew Photos for 2024 | International Space Station

Four Expedition 70 astronauts pose for a fun portrait inside their crew quarters. Clockwise from left are, Commander Andreas Mogensen of Denmark from the European Space Agency (ESA), Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Flight Engineers Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, from NASA.
NASA astronauts Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli
Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of Japan peers at the Earth from inside the cupola
Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa works on carbon dioxide removal hardware
Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa jogs on the COLBERT treadmill
Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa works out on the Advanced Resisitive Exercise Device located (ARED)
Astronaut Loral O'Hara poses in front of the Advanced Plant Habitat
Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli poses in front of the Advanced Plant Habitat

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.

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


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Dates: Jan. 12, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #ISS2023 #Science #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Danmark #Europe #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

NASA’s PACE Earth Science Mission Spacecraft on SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

NASA’s PACE Earth Science Mission Spacecraft on SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket





A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft encapsulated atop is rolled to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols. Liftoff of the PACE mission is set for no earlier than 1:33 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols.

Learn more about NASA's PACE Earth Mission: 

https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov


Image Credit: SpaceX

Image Date: Feb. 4, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Oceans #Phytoplankton #Land #PACEMission #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #CapeCanaveral #KSC #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

The Subtle Unstructured Beauty of Galaxy ESO 245-5 in Phoenix | Hubble

The Subtle Unstructured Beauty of Galaxy ESO 245-5 in Phoenix | Hubble


This image shows a densely packed field of stars, laid on top of a background of dust, gas, and light from more distant celestial objects. The stars take up so much of the field of view in this image that it is a little tricky to discern that you are in fact looking at most of a galaxy, known as ESO 245-5. This galaxy is a relatively close neighbor of the Milky Way, lying at the fairly modest distance of 15 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Phoenix. 

Another reason that it is perhaps a little tricky to spot that ESO 245-5 is a galaxy is its apparent lack of structure. Hubble images of spiral galaxies are interesting to look at in part because of their seemingly extraordinarily ordered arms of stars, gas and dust. ESO 245-5, in contrast, is classified as an IB(s)m type galaxy under the system of galaxy classification known as the De Vaucouleurs system. The IB(s)m designation specifically means that the galaxy is irregular (I), barred (B), has a slight spiral structure ((s)), and is of the Magellanic type (m).

Irregular in this context is quite intuitive. The galaxy does not appear to have a regular, ordered structure. In fact, essentially the entire view here is covered by the stars of this galaxy. The second term means that the galaxy has a barred shape at its center. This is the dense stretch of stars that crosses through the center of this image. The third term says that there are hints of a spiral structure, but nothing clear or definitive (hence the ‘s’ is bracketed). Finally, the last term indicates ESO 245-5’s similarity to the Magellanic Clouds—two dwarf galaxies that are close neighbors of the Milky Way. 

Image Description: An irregular galaxy: a cloud of tiny, point-like stars on a dark background. The cloud is densest along a broad, curved band across the center of the image, colored a faint blue with glowing purplish patches, and the stars grow more dense out to the edges but don’t fully vanish. A few distant background galaxies appear among the stars as glowing spots.


Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Messa

Release Date: Feb. 5, 2024


#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #ESO2455 #IrregularGalaxy #Barred #MagellanicType #Phoenix #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

China's Chang'e-5 Moon Mission: Landing, Sample Collection & Earth Return

China's Chang'e-5 Moon Mission: Landing, Sample Collection & Earth Return

Watch extraordinary time lapse video of the first lunar-sample mission in forty-four years! 

This is camera footage of China's Chang'e-5 lunar robotic orbiter & lander in action during the year 2020. Each mission stage is presented: separation, lunar landing, drilling, sample collection, ascender liftoff, unmanned orbital docking, sample transportation, and return to Earth.

Chang'e-5 Moon Landing Site: Mons Rümker, region of Oceanus Procellarum—a vast lunar mare on the western edge of the near side of the Moon.

The Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission was the first of its kind since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. This successful mission made China the third country to return samples from the Moon after the United States and the former Soviet Union. India has plans for its own lunar sample return mission later in this decade.

Chang'e-5 Earth Launch: November 23, 2020

Chang'e-5 Moon Landing: December 1, 2020

Chang'e-5 Earth Landing: December 16, 2020 

Chang'e-5 landed in China's Inner Mongolia region.


Video Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Academy of Space Technology (CAST)

Acknowledgements: CNSA Watcher Archives

Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 4, 2024


#NASA #China #中国 #Space #Astronomy #Science #Moon #Change5Mission #嫦娥五号 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #SampleReturn #Spacecraft #Orbiter #Lander #Ascender #Robotics #CAST #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #History #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

Sunday, February 04, 2024

Science Briefing on NASA PACE Mission Studying Earth's Atmosphere & Oceans

Science Briefing on NASA PACE Mission Studying Earth's Atmosphere & Oceans

Targeted to launch on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission will study how our oceans and atmosphere interact in a changing climate. Prelaunch activities included a briefing on the mission science on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 11am EST with the following NASA participants:

Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor

Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division

Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist

Andy Sayer, PACE atmospheric scientist

Natasha Sadoff, Satellite Needs Program Manager  

PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton as well new data on clouds and aerosols.

Learn more about NASA's PACE Earth Mission: 

https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov


Video Credit: NASA

Duration: 50 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 4, 2024


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Remembering Skylab 4: 50th Anniversary | America's First Space Station (1973-1974)

Remembering Skylab 4: 50th Anniversary America's First Space Station (1973-1974)

NASA Astronauts Carr and Pogue demonstrate weight training in zero-gravity

Astronaut Gerald Carr floats in forward dome area
Scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson has just egressed the Skylab EVA hatchway in this frame taken from a roll of movie film exposed by a 16mm Maurer camera. Astronaut Gerald P. Carr, Skylab 4 commander, took this picture during the final Skylab extravehicular activity (EVA) that took place on Feb. 3, 1974. Carr was above on the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) when he shot this frame of Gibson. Note Carr's umbilical/tether line extending from inside the space station up toward the camera. Astronaut William R. Pogue, Skylab 4 pilot, remained inside the space station during the EVA by Carr and Gibson.
This photograph was taken as the third crew (Skylab-4) departed the space station. The solar observatory was designed for full exposure to the Sun throughout most of the Skylab mission. Solar energy was transformed into electrical power for operation of all spacecraft systems. The proper operation of these solar arrays was vital to the mission. This Skylab in orbit view was taken by the Skylab-4 crew.
This image of Skylab in orbit was taken as the third crew (Skylab-4) departed the space station after 84 days in the orbiting laboratory. "A smiling Skylab seemed to wink good-bye for the job well done."
These three men were the prime crewmen for the Skylab 4 mission. Pictured in their flight suits with a globe and a model of the Skylab space station are, left to right, astronaut Gerald P. Carr, commander; scientist-astronaut Edward G. Gibson, science pilot; and astronaut William R. Pogue, pilot.
Skylab 4 (IV) Launch on a Saturn 1B space vehicle: Nov. 16, 1973

Skylab 4 Mission: Crew Emblem
"The symbols in the patch refer to the three major areas of investigation in the mission. The tree represents man's natural environment and relates directly to the Skylab mission objectives of advancing the study of Earth resources. The hydrogen atom, as the basic building block of the universe, represents man's exploration of the physical world, his application of knowledge, and his development of technology. Since the sun is composed primarily of hydrogen, it is appropriate that the symbol refers to the solar physics mission objectives. The human silhouette represents mankind and the human capacity to direct technology with a wisdom tempered by regard for his natural environment. It also directly relates to the Skylab medical studies of man himself. The rainbow, adopted from the Biblical story of the flood, symbolizes the promise that is offered man. It embraces man and extends to the tree and the hydrogen atom emphasizing man's pivotal role in the conciliation of technology with nature."

Skylab was a United States experimental space station consisting of a 100-ton laboratory complex where medical, scientific, and technological experiments were performed in Earth orbit. The Skylab Program emerged from the Apollo Applications Program of the mid-1960s that sought to use hardware from the Apollo Moon landing program to develop America’s first space station. To build Skylab, engineers converted a Saturn rocket upper stage into an orbital workshop designed to house three successive crews of three astronauts. 

The third and final crew to the Skylab space station completed a record-breaking 84 days in space while continuing the program's scientific objectives of making Earth resources, solar astronomy, and medical experiment observations. Skylab’s third crew was unusual in that all three astronauts were on their first trip into space. Gerald P. Carr, the commander, was a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. Dr. Edward G. Gibson, science pilot, had joined NASA in 1965. The agency gave him pilot training. Lt. Col. William Pogue, U.S. Air Force, rounded out the crew.

Skylab was intended as a research platform in low-Earth orbit, focusing primarily on studying human adaptation to long-duration spaceflight, observing the Sun, and monitoring the Earth. Investigations in physics, materials processing, and student-designed experiments rounded out Skylab’s research portfolio. A series of experiments investigated the responses of the astronauts’ physiologic systems to the effects of long-duration weightlessness. The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) contained instruments to observe the Sun and other celestial objects, while instruments looking down at the home planet comprised the Earth Resources Experiment Package.

Skylab Mission 4
Space Station Crew
Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, William R. Pogue
Launch: Nov. 16, 1973
Landing: Feb. 8, 1974

Learn more about Skylab 4: 


Image Credit: NASA
Image Dates: Aug. 1973-Feb. 1974

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What's in the Night Sky: February 2024 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

What's in the Night Sky: February 2024 | BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what to see in the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere throughout February 2024, including the best comets, clair-obscure effects on the Moon, Orion, Gemini and star clusters. 

Clair-obscure effects: The continuous interplay of sunlight and shadow through its changing phases provides a myriad of opportunities to see faces, eyes, cities, alphabet letters—almost anything you might imagine. Lunar enthusiasts call them clair-obscur effects, derived from the French words for "light" and "shadow." (Source: Sky & Telescope Magazine)


00:00 Intro

00:13 Mercury, Venus and Mars

02:23 Jupiter and Saturn

03:41 Uranus and Neptune

06:22 Comets

11:25 Einstein Crater

13:34 Lunar X and V, Jewelled Handle

15:31 Orion

16:30 Castor and Pollux

17:50 M35

19:05 Ursa Major

20:15 Leo and the Sickle

22:00 Beehive Cluster

23:06 M67

25:08 Hydra


Video Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Duration: 30 minutes
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Planets #SolarSystem #Comets #Stars #Constellations #StarClusters #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Universe #Skywatching #BBC #UK #Britain #Europe #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Smart Dragon-3 Rocket Sea Launches Egypt's NExSat-1 + 8 Satellites

China Smart Dragon-3 Rocket Sea Launches Egypt's NExSat-1 + 8 Satellites

A Smart Dragon-3 sea-based solid-fueled rocket successfully launched nine satellites, including NExSat-1 for the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), from a sea-based platform off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, China, on February 3, 2024, at 03:06 UTC (11:06 local time). Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3, also known as Lightning Dragon No. 3, Jielong-3) is a solid-propellant rocket developed by the China Rocket Co. Ltd., affiliated to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT). The launch was coordinated by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and was the third mission for the Smart Dragon-3 launch vehicle.

The rocket carried satellites for a variety of customers. NExSat 1 is an experimental Earth observation satellite built by the National Authority of Space Sciences (NARSS) in Egypt in collaboration with Berlin Space Technologies (BST).

Other satellites included Dongfang Huiang-01, also known as Yantai-2, a remote sensing satellite with a resolution of 0.5 meters and autonomous processing. 

Little is known about DRO-L. It was developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS). The DRO satellite may be a low Earth orbit link navigation satellite launched in preparation for the upcoming launch of experimental small lunar navigation satellites, Tiandu-1 and 2. The pair are expected to launch for the Moon along with the Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite around March 2024.


Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)/China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)

Acknowledgement: SciNews/SpaceNews

Duration: 1 minute, 24 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 3, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #SmartDragon3Rocket #SD3Rocket #捷龙三号 #SolidFueledRocket #ChinaRocket #CALVT #SeaLaunch #NExSat1 #EgSA #Egypt #GuangdongProvince #RocketLaunch #Spaceflight #SpaceTechnology #STEM #Education #HD #Video