Shenzhou-16 Astronaut Shares Space Experience with Hometown in China

Shenzhou-16 Astronaut Shares Space Experience with Hometown in China

Shenzhou-16 astronaut Zhu Yangzhu shared his journey in space with hometown folks and students from his old school at Peixian County of Xuzhou City in east China's Jiangsu Province while on vacation.

On March 26, 2024, Zhu visited his hometown and had a reunion with his parents, friends, and fellow countrymen. They reviewed the launch of Shenzhou-16 and heard stories from Zhu's space mission.

"I feel that everything becomes distinct when I speak the dialect of my hometown. Our simple hometown dialect always reminds me of 'Where did I come from? and Where am I going?' I will never forget the care and support of the fellow villagers in my hometown," said Zhu.

On the second day, Zhu visited his old school and gave a lecture about his experiences in fulfilling his dream of being in outer space.

Students also presented their scientific models to Zhu.

". . . Today I met Zhu Yangzhu, our role model space hero. I feel very excited and very proud (of him)," said Liu Jiabao, a senior at Peixian Middle School.

The Shenzhou-16 crew consisted of Zhu Yangzhu and his colleagues Jing Haipeng, and Gui Haichao. They returned to Earth safely on Oct. 31, 2023.

Since setting foot back on the Earth, the crew members have completed stages of quarantine and recuperation and met the press on January 19.

At present, the trio are all in good shape with normal medical examination results. Their muscle strength, endurance and cardio functions have recovered to their pre-mission levels.

They will continue to conduct training and will work towards follow-up missions.

The Shenzhou-16 Mission (神舟十六号) involved three astronauts, Jing Haipeng (景海鹏, commander), Zhu Yangzhu (朱杨柱) and Gui Haichao (桂海潮), on a 150+ day long duration mission aboard the China Space Station between May 30, 2023, and October 31, 2023.

Video Credit: CCTV Video News Agency

Duration: 1 minute, 19 seconds

Release Date: April 2, 2024

#NASA #Space #China #中国 #Earth #Shenzhou16 #神舟十六号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #JingHaipeng #ZhuYangzhu #GuiHaichao #SpaceLaboratory #CSS #Tiangong #ChinaSpaceStation #天和核心舱 #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #PeixianCounty #XuzhouCity #JiangsuProvince #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Stars & Sunglint Beams off South Pacific Ocean | International Space Station

Stars & Sunglint Beams off South Pacific Ocean | International Space Station

The Sun's glint beaming off the South Pacific Ocean near the coast of Chile just after an orbital sunrise and a slight airglow crowning Earth's horizon are photographed from the International Space Station. At top, are star fields including a cluster of stars in the constellation of Cancer and a portion of the Lynx constellation.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

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

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia), Oleg Novitskiy (Russia), Marina Vasilevskaya (Belarus)

NASA: Loral O'Hara, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

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: March 21, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Earth #Stars #Starlight #Cancer #Lynx #Constellations #Sunglint #SouthPacificOcean #Chile #SouthAmerica #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition68 #STEM #Education

Former NASA Astronauts Test Next-Gen Spacesuit Effectiveness | Collins Aerospace

Former NASA Astronauts Test Next-Gen Spacesuit Effectiveness | Collins Aerospace

After a recent Zero G test, former NASA Astronauts Danny Olivas and Dan Burbank confirmed that the Collins spacesuit enhanced their ability to move and complete tasks in a microgravity environment.

Learn more:  https://collins.aero/3QSLRoU

Former NASA Astronaut John Daniel “Danny” Olivas Official Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/people/dr-john-daniel-danny-olivas-pe/

Former NASA Astronaut Dan Burbank Official Biography (PDF)

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/burbank.pdf

Video Credit: Collins Aerospace

Duration: 1 minute, 30 seconds

Release Date: April 2, 2024  

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #ISS #Microgravity #Moon #ArtemisProgram #Astronauts #DannyOlivas #DanBurbank #Spacesuits #NextGenSpacesuit #xEVAS #EVA #Spacewalks #Moonwalks #Marswalks #HumanSpaceflight #CollinsAerospace #MoonToMars #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #SpaceTechnology #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

United Arab Emirates Astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi Interview | IWASM

United Arab Emirates Astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi Interview | IWASM

Selected in 2021, Nora Al Matrooshi became the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) first ever female astronaut. She trained alongside the most recent NASA astronaut class, including her compatriot, Mohammed Al-Mulla, graduating in March 2024. Watch this short video of the International Women's Air & Space Museum (IWASM) interview with Al Matrooshi.

Nora Al Matrooshi, hailing from UAE's third largest city, Sharjah, possesses an impressive academic background. She graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University and further honed her skills through specialized training at the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Nora also studied the Korean language at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. 

Starting in 2016, she worked as a piping engineer at the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. She is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Nora was chosen from over 4,000 candidates to be trained for future space exploration missions.

International Women's Air & Space Museum Website: 

https://iwasm.org

Subscribe to The International Women's Air & Space Museum YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@internationalwomensairspac1760

Video Credit: International Women's Air & Space Museum

Record Date: March 5, 2024

Duration: 3 minutes, 22 seconds

Release Date: April 2, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #ISS #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisGeneration #Astronauts #AstronautCandidates #ASCANs #Training #NoraAlMatrooshi #Leader #Pioneer #UAE #MBRSC #UAESA #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video  نورا المطروشي

Panning over Interacting Galaxies NGC 5996 & NGC 5994 (Arp 72) | Hubble

Panning over Interacting Galaxies NGC 5996 & NGC 5994 (Arp 72) | Hubble

This image features Arp 72, a very selective galaxy group that only includes two interacting galaxies: NGC 5996 (the large spiral galaxy) and NGC 5994 (its smaller companion, in the lower left of the image). Both galaxies lie approximately 160 million light-years from Earth, and their cores are separated from each other by a distance of around 67 thousand light-years. Moreover, the distance between the galaxies at their closest points is even smaller, closer to 40 thousand light-years. Whilst this might still sound vast, in galactic separation terms it is really very cozy! For comparison, the distance between the Milky Way and its nearest independent galactic neighbor Andromeda is around 2.5 million light-years. Alternatively, the distance between the Milky Way and its largest and brightest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (satellite galaxies are galaxies that are bound in orbit around another galaxy), is about 162 thousand light-years. 

Given this, coupled with the fact that NGC 5996 is roughly comparable in size to the Milky Way, it is not surprising that NGC 5996 and NGC 5994—apparently separated by only 40 thousand light-years or so—are interacting with one another. In fact, the interaction might be what has caused the spiral shape of NGC 5996 to distort and apparently be drawn in the direction of NGC 5994. It also prompted the formation of the very long and faint tail of stars and gas curving away from NGC 5996, up to the top right of the image. This ‘tidal tail’ is a common phenomenon that appears when galaxies get in close together, as can be seen in several Hubble images.

Image Description: A large spiral galaxy with a smaller neighboring galaxy. The spiral galaxy is wide and distorted, with colorful dust. Its companion lies close by it at the end of a spiral arm, to the lower left. A long, faint tail of stars reaches up from the right side of the spiral galaxy to the top of the image. Several small, distant galaxies can be seen in the background, as well as one bright star in the foreground.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, L. Galbany, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA, N. Bartmann (ESA/Hubble)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: April 2, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #InteractingGalaxies #NGC5996 #NGC5994 #Arp72 #SerpensCaput #Constellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Cosmos #Universe #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Expedition 70 Crew Photos: Spring 2024 | International Space Station

Expedition 70 Crew Photos: Spring 2024 | International Space Station

Five NASA astronauts wear eye-protecting specs in anticipation of viewing the solar eclipse from the International Space Station's cupola. The Expedition 70 crewmates will have three opportunities on April 8 to view the Moon's shadow as it tracks across the Earth surface during the eclipse.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara is pictured in her spacesuit before beginning a spacewalk for maintenance on the International Space Station's port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the solar arrays to track the Sun and generate electricity to power the orbital outpost.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara is pictured during a spacewalk for maintenance on the International Space Station's port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the solar arrays to track the Sun and generate electricity to power the orbital outpost.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps installs the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-2, or ADSEP-2. The scientific device can interface with the Dragon and Cygnus cargo craft and houses cassettes that process samples for biology and physics research including cell and tissue culturing, protein crystal growth, microorganism and bacteria studies, and materials science research.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Mike Barratt works aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module processing protein crystal samples inside a portable glovebag to learn how to generate personalized medicines in space for astronauts.

Expeditiom 70 Flight Engineers (from left) Nikolai Chub from Roscosmos, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps, both from NASA, are pictured inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. The trio was awaiting the opening of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft's hatch on Harmony's space-facing port.

Expedition 70 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick smiles for a portrait during photography duties aboard the International Space Station.

Just a tiny image in the center of this photograph, the Soyuz MS-25 crew ship carrying three crew members is pictured approaching the International Space Station for a docking to the Poisk module. Aboard the Soyuz MS-25 were, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya. At left, is the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship docked to the Rassvet module, and at right, is the Prichal docking module attached to the Nauka science module.

The arrival of three new crew members to the existing seven people already aboard for Expedition 70 temporarily increases the station’s population to 10.

On March 25, 2024, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy (Russia), and Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya joined NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin of Russia, already living and working aboard the space station.

Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos (Russia), who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory.

Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, providing the ride home for O’Hara on Saturday, April 6, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. O’Hara will have spent 204 days in space when she returns.

Follow Expedition 70 Updates: 

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

Expedition 70 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia), Oleg Novitskiy (Russia), Marina Vasilevskaya (Belarus)

NASA: Loral O'Hara, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

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

Image Dates: Nov. 1, 2023-March 29, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Belarus #Беларусь #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #Expedition71 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

What's Up for April 2024 | Skywatching Tips from NASA (Northern Hemisphere)

What's Up for April 2024 | Skywatching Tips from NASA (Northern Hemisphere)

Here are examples of skywatching highlights for April 2024 in the Northern Hemisphere:

Catch Mars and Saturn rising, and Jupiter hangs out with Comet 12P. Plus NASA has you covered for the total eclipse in North America whether you are headed to totality or watching from afar.

View and download the eclipse map here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5073

0:00 Intro 

0:14 Moon & planet highlights

0:57 Comet 12p/Pons-Brooks

1:38 Total solar eclipse

3:45 April Moon phases

NASA's Night Sky Network

https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/night-sky-network/

Skywatching resources from NASA: https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: April 1, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #SolarEclipse #Planets #Mars #Saturn #Jupiter #Comets #Comet12P #Comet12pPonsBrooks #SolarSystem #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #Caltech #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronauts Share Tips for Viewing a Total Solar Eclipse

NASA Astronauts Share Tips for Viewing a Total Solar Eclipse

Astronauts Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, Frank Rubio, and Sultan Alneyadi are on a mission to get you ready for the upcoming total eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024.

View and download the eclipse map here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5073

Not in the path of the eclipse? Watch with us from anywhere in the world. We will provide live broadcast coverage from 1 to 4 p.m. EDT (1700 to 2000 UTC) on April 8. We will share conversations with experts and provide telescope views of the eclipse from several sites along the eclipse path: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MJY_ptQW1o&t=0s

WARNING: Except during the brief totality phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing. Indirect viewing methods, such as pinhole projectors, can also be used to experience an eclipse. 

For more on how to safely view this eclipse: https://go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2024Safety 

Learn more about the total solar eclipse: https://go.nasa.gov/Eclipse2024 

Track the eclipse path: https://go.nasa.gov/EclipseExplorer 

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producer: Sonnet Apple

Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

Release Date: April 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Earth #Moon #Sun #SolarEclipses #EclipseMap #SolarEclipse #Canada #Mexico #UnitedStates #ISS #Astronauts #StephenBowen #WoodyHoburg #FrankRubio #SultanAlneyadi #UAE #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Mars: North Pole Dry Ice & Sand Dunes | Europe's Mars Express

Planet Mars: North Pole Dry Ice & Sand Dunes | Europe's Mars Express

With its High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter captured a region in Planum Boreum at Mars’ north pole on April 14, 2023. Here, frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) covers vast sand dunes.

Celebrating over 20 years at Mars! 

The Mars Express mission was launched on June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on board a Russian Soyuz rocket with a Fregat upper stage. In addition to being Europe’s first mission to Mars, Mars Express is the first fully European mission to any planet.

Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

Image Capture Date: April 14, 2023

Video Credit: SciNews

Duration: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 28, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Mars #NorthPole #PlanumBoreum #SandDunes #DryIce #CarbonDioxide #Geology #MarsExpress #MarsExpressSpacecraft #HRSC #Europe #DLR #FUBerlin #Berlin #Germany #Deutschland #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Panning over Globular Cluster NGC 1651 in The Large Magellanic Cloud | Hubble

Panning over Globular Cluster NGC 1651 in The Large Magellanic Cloud | Hubble

This image shows a globular cluster known as NGC 1651. It is located about 162,000 light-years away in the largest and brightest of the Milky Way’s satellite galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). A notable feature of this image is that the globular cluster almost fills the entire image, even though globular clusters are only about 10 to 300 light-years in diameter (NGC 1651 has a diameter of roughly 120 light-years). 

A common misconception is that Hubble and other large telescopes manage to observe wildly differently sized celestial objects by zooming in on them, as one would with a specialized camera here on Earth. However, while small telescopes might have the option to zoom in and out to a certain extent, large telescopes do not. Each telescope’s instrument has a fixed ‘field of view’ (the size of the region of sky that it can observe in a single observation). For example, the ultraviolet/visible light channel of Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), the channel and instrument that were used to collect the data used in this image, has a field of view roughly one twelfth the diameter of the Moon as seen from Earth. Whenever WFC3 makes an observation, that is the size of the region of sky that it can observe.

The reason that Hubble can observe objects of such wildly different sizes is two-fold. First, the distance to an object will determine how big it appears to be from Earth, so entire galaxies that are relatively far away might take up the same amount of space in the sky as a globular cluster like NGC 1651 that is relatively close by. In fact, there is a distant spiral galaxy lurking in this image, directly left of the cluster—though undoubtedly much larger than this star cluster, it appears small enough here to blend in with foreground stars! Second, multiple images spanning different parts of the sky can be mosaiced together to create single images of objects that are too big for Hubble’s field of view. This is a very complex task and is not typically done for most images, but it has been done for Hubble’s most iconic ones.

Image Description: A spherical collection of stars fills the whole view. The stars merge into a bright, bluish core in the center, and form a sparse band around that out to the edges of the image. A few stars lie in front of the cluster, with visible diffraction spikes. The background is dark black.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Girardi, F. Niederhofer

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: March 25, 2024

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #NGC1651 #Mensa #Constellation #LMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Companions: Interacting Galaxies NGC 5996 & NGC 5994 | Hubble

Companions: Interacting Galaxies NGC 5996 & NGC 5994 | Hubble

This image features Arp 72, a very selective galaxy group that only includes two interacting galaxies: NGC 5996 (the large spiral galaxy) and NGC 5994 (its smaller companion, in the lower left of the image). Both galaxies lie approximately 160 million light-years from Earth, and their cores are separated from each other by a distance of around 67 thousand light-years. Moreover, the distance between the galaxies at their closest points is even smaller, closer to 40 thousand light-years. Whilst this might still sound vast, in galactic separation terms it is really very cozy! For comparison, the distance between the Milky Way and its nearest independent galactic neighbor Andromeda is around 2.5 million light-years. Alternatively, the distance between the Milky Way and its largest and brightest satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (satellite galaxies are galaxies that are bound in orbit around another galaxy), is about 162 thousand light-years. 

Given this, coupled with the fact that NGC 5996 is roughly comparable in size to the Milky Way, it is not surprising that NGC 5996 and NGC 5994—apparently separated by only 40 thousand light-years or so—are interacting with one another. In fact, the interaction might be what has caused the spiral shape of NGC 5996 to distort and apparently be drawn in the direction of NGC 5994. It also prompted the formation of the very long and faint tail of stars and gas curving away from NGC 5996, up to the top right of the image. This ‘tidal tail’ is a common phenomenon that appears when galaxies get in close together, as can be seen in several Hubble images.

Image Description: A large spiral galaxy with a smaller neighboring galaxy. The spiral galaxy is wide and distorted, with colorful dust. Its companion lies close by it at the end of a spiral arm, to the lower left. A long, faint tail of stars reaches up from the right side of the spiral galaxy to the top of the image. Several small, distant galaxies can be seen in the background, as well as one bright star in the foreground.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, L. Galbany, J. Dalcanton, Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA

Release Date: April 1, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #InteractingGalaxies #NGC5996 #NGC5994 #Arp72 #SerpensCaput #Constellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Cosmos #Universe #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks over Scotland

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks over Scotland

12P/Pons–Brooks is a periodic comet with an orbital period of 71 years. It fits the classical definition of a Halley-type comet with an orbital period between 20 and 200 years. It is also one of the brightest known periodic comets, reaching an absolute visual magnitude ~5 in its approach to perihelion.

Comet Pons-Brooks was discovered at Marseilles Observatory in July 1812 by Jean-Louis Pons.

Image Credit: Alan Tough 

Release Date: March 30, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Sun #Earth #Comets #Comet #Comet12PPonsBrooks #Perihelion #Lacerta #Constellation #SolarSystem #Astrophotography #AlanTough #Astrophotographer #CitizenScience #Scotland #STEM #Education

Tonight's Sky: April 2024 (Northern Hemisphere)

Tonight's Sky: April 2024 (Northern Hemisphere)

Clear April nights are filled with starry creatures. Near the Big Dipper, you will find several interesting binary stars. You can also spot galaxies like the Pinwheel Galaxy, M82, and M96—the last one is an asymmetric galaxy that may have been gravitationally disrupted by encounters with its neighbors. Keep watching for space-based views of these celestial objects.

“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning. 

This video was produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University. 

Video Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: March 29, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Planets #SolarSystem #Stars #BinaryStars #Galaxies #PinwheelGalaxy #M82 #M96 #Nebulae #BigDipper #Constellations #MilkyWayGalaxy #Skywatching #STScI #JPL #Caltech #SSU #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft Moves into Space Simulator | JPL

NASA's Europa Clipper Spacecraft Moves into Space Simulator | JPL

A timelapse video shows engineers and technicians moving NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft into the 85-foot-tall Space Simulator at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The spacecraft underwent thermal vacuum testing in the chamber in February 2024 and passed with flying colors. 

Europa Clipper is set to launch to Jupiter's ocean moon Europa in October 2024 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

When the spacecraft is in JPL’s clean room, viewers also can watch a 24-hour live feed of the spacecraft at: bit.ly/clippercam 

More mission information: https://europa.nasa.gov/

Built in 1961, the Space Simulator is designed for environmental testing of robotic spacecraft in simulated interplanetary conditions of extreme cold, high vacuum, and intense solar radiation. The chamber is a stainless steel cylindrical vessel with a diameter of 25 feet and a height of 85 feet. A 15-by-25-foot door provides access for loading spacecraft.

Missions, such as Europa Clipper, contribute to the field of astrobiology, the interdisciplinary research field that studies the conditions of distant worlds that could harbor life as we know it. While Europa Clipper is not a life-detection mission, it will conduct a detailed exploration of Europa and investigate whether the icy moon, with its subsurface ocean, has the capability to support life. Understanding Europa’s habitability will help scientists better understand how life developed on Earth and the potential for finding life beyond our planet.

Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. 

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: March 27, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Jupiter #Europa #Moon #OceanMoon #Astrobiology #Biosignatures #Habitability #Radiation #EuropaClipper #Spacecraft #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #APL #MSFC #JPL #Caltech #California #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#11: March 27, 2024 | Stennis Space Center

NASA Artemis V Moon Rocket Engine Test#11: March 27, 2024 | Stennis Space Center

An Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 rocket engine (RS-25 developmental engine E0525) was tested on the Fred Haise Test Stand (formerly A-1 Test Stand) at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on March 27, 2024, at 18:10 UTC (13:10 CDT). This was the 5th test using a new production engine nozzle providing additional performance data on the upgraded unit and the 11th hot fire test out of the 12 planned in the final round of certification testing ahead of production of an updated set of engines for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) that will be used beginning with Artemis V. The test had a planned duration of 500 seconds, with the RS-25 engine running up to 113% power level.

Upgrades to the nozzle include a new type and amount of insulation. This is a critical consideration since the RS-25 engines are exposed to more heat during SLS launches than previous space shuttle missions. SLS features four RS-25 engines instead of the three main engines used for the space shuttle and the proximity of the RS-25 nozzle to the SLS solid rocket boosters is closer than on the space shuttle.

The goal of the upgrades is to streamline the nozzle production process, while making it more cost efficient and still achieving the same performance level as with previous RS-25 engines. While new manufacturing methods have been incorporated into the production of the nozzle, the shape, length, and diameter remain the same.

Sixteen main engines remained from the shuttle program. All were modified and tested at NASA Stennis for use on the first four Artemis missions.

For information about the Space Launch System, visit: 

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

Credit: NASA's Stennis Space Center

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 9 minutes

Release Date: March 27, 2024

#NASA #Space #Artemis #ArtemisV #Moon #Rocket #SpaceLaunchSystem #SLS #Engine #RS25 #AerojetRocketdyne #MoonToMars #DeepSpace #Propulsion #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #NASAStennis #Mississippi #MSFC #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mars Images: March 2024 | NASA Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

Mars Images: March 2024 | NASA Mars Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers

MSL - sol 4139

MSL - sol 4135

MSL - sol 4135

MSL - sol 4137

MSL - sol 4138

MSL - sol 4139

MSL - sol 4137

Mars 2020 - sol 1100

Support FriendsofNASA.org

Celebrating 11+ Years on Mars (2012-2024)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Celebrating 3+ Years on Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: March 25-29, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #CitizenScience #KevinGill #STEM #Education