Saturday, February 10, 2024

The Challenges & Charms of In-Person Observing | NOIRLab

The Challenges & Charms of In-Person Observing | NOIRLab

    

Cosmoview Episode 75: The National Science Foundation NOIRLab’s world-class observatories—Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, the International Gemini Observatory, and Vera C. Rubin Observatory—were built at locations among the highest and driest locations on Earth, often situated far from major inhabited areas. This means that getting to and working on-site presents special challenges. However, it also provides astronomers with the opportunity to discover out-of-the-way and unique environments.


Credit:

Images and Videos: International Gemini Observatory/CTIO/KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/DOE/FNAL/DECam/T. Matsopoulos/R. Hahn/T. Slovinský/N. Bartmann

Duration: 1 minute, 36 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 5, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Earth #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Telescopes #Observatories #NOIRLab #AURA #NSF #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #SouthAmerica #KPNO #InternationalGeminiObservatory #VeraCRubinObservatory #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spacecraft & Robots at Sunset | International Space Station

Spacecraft & Robots at Sunset | International Space Station

The last rays of an orbital sunset illuminate Earth's atmosphere in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above Central America. In the foreground from left are, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus resupply ship, with its prominent cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays, and the Soyuz MS-24 crew spacecraft.

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


Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: Feb. 5. 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #CRS20 #NorthropGrumman #SoyuzMS24 #Spacecraft #Canadarm3 #Dextre #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Europe #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch of NASA PACE Earth Science Mission | Cape Canaveral

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch of NASA PACE Earth Science Mission | Cape Canaveral






A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission to a sun-synchronous orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida, on February 8, 2024, at 06:33 UTC (01:33 EST). Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral. Falcon 9’s first stage (B1081) previously supported Crew-7, CRS-29 and a SpaceX Starlink mission.

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 Credits: NASA/Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Kevin O'Connell and Kevin Davis

Capture Date: Feb. 8, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Oceans #Phytoplankton #Land #PACEMission #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #CapeCanaveral #GSFC #KSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Studying the Health of Earth's Oceans & Climate | This Week @NASA

Studying the Health of Earth's Oceans & Climate This Week @NASA

Week of February 9, 2024: Studying the health of our Earth's oceans and climate, a private astronaut crew heads home from the International Space Station, and mission milestones for NASA's Lucy spacecraft . . . a few of the stories to tell you about—This Week at NASA!


Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Video Producer & Editor: Andre Valentine

Narrator: Emanuel Cooper

Duration: 2 minutes, 35 seconds

Release Date: February 10, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #ISS #Ax3Mission #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Oceans #Phytoplankton #Land #PACEMission #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Friday, February 09, 2024

Shenzhou-17 Crew Reflects on Meaning of Spring Festival to The Chinese People

Shenzhou-17 Crew Reflects on Meaning of Spring Festival to The Chinese People


China's Shenzhou-17 mission crew extended best wishes to Chinese people around the world at the Tiangong Space Station as the Chinese New Year approaches. To celebrate the Chinese New Year, the mission crew wrote Spring Festival couplets, tasted dumplings, and appreciated the panoramic view of the motherland while completing various scientific tasks.

"The whole country celebrates as the Year of the Dragon approaches, and families reunite as spring draws near. The motherland at such moment is really beautiful. This joy and peace is the most precious happiness in our eyes and the warmth that we miss most in our hearts. Although we are far away from our motherland, family and relatives, we have received all the Spring Festival greetings you sent us. We will have a fulfilling and happy Chinese New Year in space," said taikonaut Tang Hongbo.

"At the in-orbit Tiangong space station, we are missing our motherland and our family. Spending the Chinese New Year in space for the first time is a rare life experience. At this moment of family reunion, I miss the rivers and mountains of the motherland and the relatives in my hometown. The twinkling lights of a myriad families at this moment light up the Chinese people's yearning for a better life, but also ignited the enthusiasm of people like us who still stick to their posts," said taikonaut Tang Shengjie.

"On the occasion of the 2024 Chinese New Year, at China's space station that is nearly 400 kilometers away from earth, we wish our great motherland vitality and prosperity, we wish the people of all ethnic groups good luck and good health in the Year of the Dragon," said taikonaut Jiang Xinlin.

"In the new year, let us be full of energy and work together to build and develop our motherland well. The Shenzhou-17 mission crew, from China's space station, wish you all a happy Chinese New Year," said the three crew members.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Feb. 10 this year, marking the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, and is China's most important festival for family reunions.

The Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship was launched into space on Oct. 26 last year, sending three taikonauts of Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin to the Tiangong space station for a six-month mission.

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: CCTV+

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 9, 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

China's Shenzhou-17 Crew: Happy New Year Greetings! | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-17 Crew: Happy New Year Greetings! | China Space Station

China's Shenzhou-17 mission crew extended their best wishes to Chinese people around the world from the 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 Global Television Network (CGTN)

Duration: 45 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 9, 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

Expedition 70 & Ax-3 Crews Plus Cygnus Capture | International Space Station

Expedition 70 & Ax-3 Crews Plus Cygnus Capture | International Space Station

Expedition 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, both NASA astronauts, are pictured inside the cupola with Northrop Grumman's Cygnus resupply ship outside in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

Members of the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) and Expedition 70 crews join each other for movie night inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. From left are, Ax-3 Pilot Walter Villadei; Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría; Expedition 70 Flight Engineers Loral O'Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, both from NASA; and Ax-3 Mission Specialists Marcus Wandt and Alper Gezeravcı.
From left are, Ax-3 Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı; Ax-3 Pilot Walter Villadei; Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría; Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O'Hara from NASA; Ax-3 Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt; and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency); partially obscured at top right is, Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency).
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen shows off a pair of cube-shaped Astrobee robotic free flyers inside the International Space Station's Kibo laboratory module. The autonomous robots are powered by fans and vision-based navigation and are demonstrating their ability to assist astronauts with routine chores and provide remote monitoring abilities for mission controllers on the ground.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Loral O'Hara wears personal protective equipment during scieintific maintenance duties aboard the International Space Station's Destiny laboratory module.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and Expedition 70 Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa processes cell samples inside a Kubik incubator for the Immune Cell Activation biotechnology experiment. The study is investigating ways to develop novel therapeutic tools to target central nervous system diseases and cutaneous cancers such as melanoma.
NASA astronaut and Expedition 70 Flght Engineer Jasmin Moghbeli works inside the Life Science Glovebox for the Microgravity Associated Bone Loss-A investigation. She was processing bone cell samples obtained from human donors on Earth and exploring space-caused bone loss. Results may help doctors learn how to protect and treat astronauts on long-term missions and inform treatments for bone conditions on Earth.
Northrop Grumman's Cygnus resupply ship is pictured attached to the International Space Station shortly after the Canadarm2 robotic arm grappled and installed it to the Unity module's Earth-facing port.


The International Space Station has returned to its standard configuration of seven Expedition 70 crew members conducting advanced microgravity research and orbital lab maintenance. The four Axiom Mission 3 guests ended their stay at the orbital outpost on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, and returned to Earth on Friday, Feb. 9th.

The crew of the “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft for Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station included commander Michael López-Alegría (United States-Spain), pilot Walter Villadei (Italy), mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı (Türkiye) and European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt (Sweden).

The Ax-3 astronauts completed 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Dragon returned to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Learn more about Ax-3 at:

https://axiomspace.com/ax3


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.


Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) 

Image Dates: Jan. 27 - Feb. 8, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #CRS20 #NorthropGrumman #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Europe #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #STEM #Education

Ax-3 Crew Dragon Recovery Operations and Astronauts Egress | Axiom Space

Ax-3 Crew Dragon Recovery Operations and Astronauts Egress | Axiom Space

Ax-3 SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft on recovery boat Shannon

Ax-3 Pilot Walter Villadei (Italy)
Ax-3 Mission Specialist European Space Agency (ESA) Project Astronaut Marcus Wandt (Sweden)
Ax-3 Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı (Türkiye)
Ax-3 Mission SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft
SpaceX recovery boat Shannon approaches the AX-3 Crew Dragon spacecraft after it safely splashed down off the coast of Florida
Splashdown of AX-3 Crew Dragon spacecraft: "Welcome Back to Earth!"

The crew of Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station, commander Michael López-Alegría (United States-Spain), pilot Walter Villadei (Italy), mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı (Türkiye) and European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt (Sweden), was successfully recovered from SpaceX’s “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX’s “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Florida, on February 9, 2024, at 13:30 UTC (8:30am EST). 

The Ax-3 astronauts completed 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Crew Dragon returned to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Learn more about Ax-3 at:

https://axiomspace.com/ax3

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 Credits: Axiom Space/SpaceX

Release Date: Feb. 9, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Ax3 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #UnitedStates #WalterVilladei #Italy #Italia #AlperGezeravcı #Türkiye #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #Europe #STEM #Education

Ax-3 Crew Dragon Recovery Operations and Astronauts Egress | Axiom Space

Ax-3 Crew Dragon Recovery Operations and Astronauts Egress | Axiom Space

The crew of Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station, commander Michael López-Alegría (United States-Spain), pilot Walter Villadei (Italy), mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı (Türkiye) and European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt (Sweden), was successfully recovered from SpaceX’s “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX’s “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Florida, on February 9, 2024, at 13:30 UTC (8:30am EST). 

The Ax-3 astronauts completed 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Crew Dragon returned to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Learn more about Ax-3 at:

https://axiomspace.com/ax3

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.


Video Credit: Axiom Space/SpaceX

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 9, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Ax3 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #UnitedStates #WalterVilladei #Italy #Italia #AlperGezeravcı #Türkiye #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Space to Ground: Homeward Bound | Week of Feb. 9, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: Homeward Bound | Week of Feb. 9, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. The International Space Station has returned to its standard configuration of seven Expedition 70 crew members conducting advanced microgravity research and orbital lab maintenance. The four Axiom Mission 3 guests ended their stay at the orbital outpost on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, and returned to Earth on Friday, Feb. 9th.

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


Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 9, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Astronauts #LoralOHara #JasminMoghbeli #UnitedStates #AndreasMogensen #Denmark #Europe #SatoshiFurukawa #JAXA #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition70 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ax-3 Crew Dragon Splashdown | Axiom Space

Ax-3 Crew Dragon Splashdown | Axiom Space

SpaceX’s “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down successfully off the coast of Florida, on February 9, 2024, at 13:30 UTC (8:30am EST). 

The crew of the “Freedom” Crew Dragon spacecraft for Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station included commander Michael López-Alegría (United States-Spain), pilot Walter Villadei (Italy), mission specialist Alper Gezeravcı (Türkiye) and European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Marcus Wandt (Sweden).

The Ax-3 astronauts completed 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Dragon returned to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Learn more about Ax-3 at:

https://axiomspace.com/ax3

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.


Video Credit: Axiom Space/SpaceX

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 3 minutes, 44 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 9, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Ax3 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #UnitedStates #WalterVilladei #Italy #Italia #AlperGezeravcı #Türkiye #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Thursday, February 08, 2024

The Color of Space: Victor Glover | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

The Color of Space: Victor Glover | NASA Artemis II Moon Mission

Victor Glover will be the first Black astronaut to travel around the Moon for NASA's Artemis II mission. Victor's journey as a Black NASA astronaut offers inspiration to a new generation, reflecting a legacy of resilience and tenacity—the power of representation and the strength of family. 

NASA Astronaut Victor Glover Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/people/victor-j-glover-jr/

www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/glover-vj.pdf

Learn more about the Artemis II Mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii


Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producer and Director: Jori Kates

Executive Producer: Rebecca Sirmons

Lead Editor: Sonnet Apple

Additional Editor: Ashlee Nichols Brookens 

Recording Engineer: Marcus Smith 

Graphic Designer: Mark Hailey

Video Librarian: Sheva Moore

Duration: 27 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 8, 2024


#NASA #ESA #CSA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisII #OrionSpacecraft #DeepSpace #Astronaut #Astronauts #VictorGlover #AfricanAmerican #BlackAmerican #MoonToMars #Science #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #History #HD #Video

NASA PACE Earth Science Mission Launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 | Cape Canaveral

NASA PACE Earth Science Mission Launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 | Cape Canaveral






A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission to a sun-synchronous orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral in Florida, on February 8, 2024, at 06:33 UTC (01:33 EST). Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral. Falcon 9’s first stage (B1081) previously supported Crew-7, CRS-29 and a SpaceX Starlink mission.

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: NASA/Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

Capture Date: Feb. 8, 2024


#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9Rocket #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Oceans #Phytoplankton #Land #PACEMission #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #CapeCanaveral #GSFC #KSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Telescopes Show the Milky Way's Black Hole is Ready for a Kick | NASA Chandra

Telescopes Show the Milky Way's Black Hole is Ready for a Kick | NASA Chandra

The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way is spinning so quickly that it is warping the spacetime surrounding it into a shape that can look like a football. This result was made using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, an X-ray telescope in space, and the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array (VLA), an array of radio telescopes in New Mexico.

Astronomers call the giant black hole Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* for short. It is located about 26,000 light-years away from Earth in the center of our Galaxy.

Black holes have two fundamental properties. The first is their mass, or how much they weigh. The second is their spin, or how quickly they rotate. Determining either of these two values tells scientists a great deal about any black hole and how it behaves.

While astronomers are confident they know how much mass Sgr A* has (about four million times that of the Sun), they have had a harder time trying to nail down just how fast Sgr A* is spinning. This new study involves a method that uses X-ray and radio data to determine how quickly Sgr A* is spinning based on how material is flowing towards and away from the black hole.

The results show that Sgr A* is spinning very fast. In fact, scientists think that it is rotating so quickly that it is warping spacetime around it into a shape that looks like a football. Spacetime is the term for the combined concept of time and the three dimensions of space. Scientists have known for a long time that black holes can do this, but this is strong evidence that our own Milky Way’s black hole is having this effect.

How quickly a black hole is spinning also has other important implications. For example, a black hole’s spin can act as an important source of energy. Spinning supermassive black holes can produce narrow outflows in the form of jets when their spin energy is extracted. Sgr A* is currently rather quiet, but this new finding means that it could become more active in the future. Scientists will continue to use Chandra to study Sgr A* to better understand this black hole and its role in our Galaxy.


Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Duration: 2 minutes, 52 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 8, 2024


#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #BlackHole #SajAstar #SagittariusAstar #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #Astrophysics #NASAChandra #ChandraObservatory #Xray #SpaceTelescope #MSFC #VLA #RadioTelescopes #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Ax-3 SpaceX Dragon Freedom Crew Spacecraft Docked to International Space Station

Ax-3 SpaceX Dragon Freedom Crew Spacecraft Docked to International Space Station


The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft is pictured from a window aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft. Both spacecraft are docked to ports on the International Space Station's Harmony module. Freedom is seen moments before undocking from Harmony's forward port with the Axiom Mission 3 crew aboard. 

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 9:20 a.m. EST on Feb. 7, 2024, over the Pacific Ocean, west of Ecuador, to complete the third all-private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).
The Ax-3 SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is targeting a splashdown off the coast of Daytona, Florida, at approximately 8:30 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024.
Ax-3 astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Marcus Wandt, and Alper Gezeravci completed 18 days aboard the orbiting laboratory at the conclusion of their mission. The SpaceX Dragon will return to Earth with more than 550 pounds of science and supplies, including NASA experiments and hardware.

Learn more about Ax-3 at:

https://axiomspace.com/ax3

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.


Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: Feb. 7, 2024


#NASA #Space #ISS #AxiomSpace #Ax3Mission #Ax3 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #Astronauts #MichaelLópezAlegría #Spain #Espana #UnitedStates #WalterVilladei #Italy #Italia #AlperGezeravcı #Türkiye #MarcusWandt #Sweden #Sverige #MuninnMission #Europe #STEM #Education

Ax-3 Mission Update #4 | Axiom Space | International Space Station

Ax-3 Mission Update #4 | Axiom Space | International Space Station

To wrap up the Ax-3 mission aboard the International Space Station, several members of the Axiom Team had a chance to ask questions of Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría. 

Make sure you stay tuned until the end for questions from the next-generation.

Michael López-Alegría's Biography: https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/michael-lopez-alegria

Learn more about Ax-3 at:

https://axiomspace.com/ax3

For more information about Axiom Space, visit: 

www.axiomspace.com

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: Axiom Space

Duration: 16 minutes

Release Date: Feb. 7, 2024


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