Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion Spacecraft Testing | NASA Kennedy
Friends of NASA (FoN) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to building international support for peaceful space exploration, commerce, scientific discovery, and STEM education.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Artemis II Moon Mission: Orion Spacecraft Testing | NASA Kennedy
NASA T-34C Aircraft in Flight | Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center
NASA T-34C Aircraft in Flight | Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center
The NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is an aeronautical research center. Its primary campus is located inside Edwards Air Force Base in California and is considered NASA's premier site for aeronautical research.
Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in California:
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/home/index.html
Image Credit: NASA/Jim Ross
Image Date: Sept. 15, 2023
#NASA #Artemis #Moon #Aerospace #Flight #Aviation #Aircraft #T34CAircraft #Technology #Engineering #Civilian #Research #Aeronautical #FlightTests #Armstrong #AFRC #EdwardsAFB #California #UnitedStates #Photography #STEM #Education
Rare Sighting of ‘Doomed’ SOHO Sungrazing Comet: Solar Eclipse 2024
Rare Sighting of ‘Doomed’ SOHO Sungrazing Comet: Solar Eclipse 2024
Early on April 8, 2024, a citizen scientist found a comet in images from the European Space Agency/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). It follows the recent discovery of SOHO’s 5000th comet. However, this one—named Comet SOHO-5008—was special for another reason.
Karl Battams, manager of the SOHO Sungrazer Project, predicted that comet SOHO-5008 would be visible during the total solar eclipse. It was due to plunge parts of the United States and Mexico into darkness later that same day.
Petr Horálek, from the Institute of Physics in Opava (Czechia), was in Mexico for the eclipse. The clouds cleared and Petr took this beautiful shot of the Sun’s awe-inspiring corona. To the lower left of the Sun, Comet SOHO-5008 is visible.
Soon after Petr captured the comet on camera, it met its demise, coming so close to the Sun that it disintegrated.
Observations of these ‘sungrazing’ comets from the ground are extremely rare, and this sighting was only possible thanks to the total solar eclipse.
The image is a composite of 100 frames, with the wide corona imaged at a focal length of 200 mm (exposure time from 1/4000 to 2 seconds) and the inner corona imaged at a focal length of 1100 mm (exposure time from 1/500 to 4 seconds).
SOHO’s prowess as a comet-hunter was unplanned, but turned out to be an unexpected success. With its clear view of the Sun’s surroundings, SOHO can easily spot sungrazing comets. This has made it the most prolific discoverer of comets in astronomical history.
SOHO is a cooperative effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. Mission control is based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. SOHO’s Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment (LASCO), the instrument that provides most of the comet imagery, was built by an international consortium, led by the US Naval Research Lab.
To learn more about the Sungrazer Project, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/the-sungrazer-project/
Credits: Petr Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava), Josef Kujal (Astronomy Society in Hradec Králové), Milan Hlaváč
Release Date: April 19, 2024
#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Hubble #Sun #Comet #CometSOHO5008 #Comets #OortCloud #Science #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Cosmos #Universe #SOHO #Europe #GSFC #NRL #UnitedStates #SungrazerProject #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #PetrHorálek #Volunteers #STEM #Education
Friday, April 19, 2024
China's Five-Hundred-Meter Radio Telescope Detects over 900 New Pulsars
China's Five-Hundred-Meter Radio Telescope Detects over 900 New Pulsars
The National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) said that the pulsars included over 120 binary pulsars, more than 170 millisecond pulsars, and 80 faint and intermittent pulsars.
Pulsars, or fast-spinning neutron stars, originate from the imploded cores of massive dying stars through supernova explosions.
Pulsar observation, an important task for FAST, can be used to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation and black holes and study the laws of physics in extreme environments.
According to FAST's operator, less than 3,000 pulsars had been discovered worldwide over the past 50-plus years since the discovery of the first pulsar. The number of new pulsars discovered by FAST is more than three times the total number of pulsars found by telescopes outside China during the same period.
In recent years, FAST has achieved notable success in the study of fast radio bursts, neutral hydrogen, and pulsars, greatly expanding the scope of the human exploration of the universe.
Dubbed the "China Sky Eye," the telescope is located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in the country's southwestern province of Guizhou. It has a reception area equal to 30 standard football fields.
Learn more about FAST in China:
Video Credit: New China TV
Duration: 2 minutes, 14 seconds
Release Date: April 17, 2024
#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Pulsars #FRB #FastRadioBursts #RadioTelescope #FAST #五百米口径球面射电望远镜 #Physics #Astrophysics #GuizhouProvince #China #NAOC #CAS #STEM #Education #HD #Video
STEM Careers: NASA Space Waste Engineer Annie Meier | Kennedy Space Center
STEM Careers: NASA Space Waste Engineer Annie Meier | Kennedy Space Center
As the saying goes, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure” and at NASA, Annie Meier is that person! Annie is a space waste engineer working on technologies to convert waste into vital resources for human space travel. Trash can be used to produce important gasses and even water—commodities astronauts traveling to another planet can’t just pick up along the way.
Ready to convert your passion for sustainability into a career?
Don’t waste time, start preparing today with this hands-on activity:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-water-filter/
Video Credit: NASA STEM
Duration: 7 minutes, 41 seconds
NASA's Space to Ground: On Top of It | Week of April 19, 2024
NASA's Space to Ground: On Top of It | Week of April 19, 2024
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Russia continue to prepare for an April 25, 2024, spacewalk that will see the Roscosmos duo work outside in the vacuum of space for about seven hours. Meanwhile, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are to become the first to launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for no earlier than 10:34 p.m. EDT Monday, May 6, from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex-41. The astronauts will spend about a week at the orbiting laboratory before the crew capsule makes a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.
After successful completion of the mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the space station.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/
Expedition 70 Crew
Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)
NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science
For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education
Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Image Dates: April 19, 2024
#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronauts #UnitedStates #BoeingStarliner #BoeingOFT2 #Cosmonauts #Spacewalk #EVA #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Expedition70 #Expedition71 #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video
Thursday, April 18, 2024
China Satellites Successfully Complete Earth-Moon Communications Tests
China Satellites Successfully Complete Earth-Moon Communications Tests
China's experimental satellites Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 that accompanied the Queqiao-2 relay satellite to the Moon in March 2024, have conducted successful new experiments on lunar communication and navigation technologies, China's Deep Space Exploration Lab (DSEL) said on April 13, 2024.
The satellites carried out tests of high-reliability transmission and routing between Earth and the lunar surface. They also transmitted back the latest close-up images of the Moon.
The DSEL says the test satellites will conduct more experiments on lunar communication and navigation technologies, so as to provide strong support for design and construction of the planned International Lunar Research Station and China's own Queqiao integrated satellite network for lunar communication, navigation and remote sensing.
Tiandu-1, weighing 61 kilograms, is equipped with a Ka-band dual-frequency communicator, a laser retroreflector, and a space router.
Tiandu-2, weighing 15 kilograms, is fitted with communication and navigation devices.
China successfully launched the two test satellites along with the Queqiao-2 on March 20.
This orbital configuration provides several advantages over Queqiao, launched in 2018 for Earth-Moon relay communications.
Queqiao-2's orbit is closer to the Moon, greatly improving data transmission rates compared to Queqiao's distant path. It also enhances communication coverage of the lunar south pole region versus Queqiao's position around the Earth-Moon L2 Lagrangian point.
This optimized orbit is more fuel-efficient, allowing Queqiao-2 to maintain operations for an extended period using minimal propellant. Queqiao-2 will provide the relay services planned for ongoing lunar probes Chang'e-4 and the upcoming Chang'e-6 mission, conducting scientific exploration periodically.
The deployment of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite is a key step for China's future lunar exploration missions including Chang'e-6, Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8.
The landing and sample collection sites for China's moon missions in the coming years are mainly in the lunar south pole region or on the far side of the moon. A more powerful relay satellite with more functions is necessary to provide communications and data transmission services for the missions, China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.
Chang'e-6 is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2024, while Chang'e-7 will be launched around 2026, and Chang'e-8 around 2028. Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 will form the basic model of a lunar research station to carry out further exploration of the lunar environment, according to the CNSA.
Video Credit: CCTV Video News Agency
Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds
Release Date: April 13, 2024
#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Satellites #Earth #China #中国 #Moon #CommunicationSatellites #SpaceCommunicationNetworks #Queqiao2 #鹊桥二号中继星 #Tiandu1 #Tiandu2 #DSEL #CNSA #SpaceTechnology #LunarResearch #SpaceExploration #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video
Astronomy Careers: Maintaining a Radio Telescope
Astronomy Careers: Maintaining a Radio Telescope
The Green Bank Observatory is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. To keep the telescope moving takes a lot of work. In this video, we meet technical manager, Anthony Nucilli who keeps the telescope turning smoothly.
The Green Bank Observatory (previously National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank) is an astronomical observatory located in the National Radio Quiet Zone in Green Bank, West Virginia, U.S. It is the operator of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope.
This “clip” is part of the STEM in 30 episode: Astronomy Careers - More Than Meets the Eye - STEM in 30 Season 9 - Episode 7.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@airandspace
Video Credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)
#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Earth #RadioAstronomy #GreenBankObservatory #WestVirginia #UnitedStates #Astronomers #Technology #Engineering #STEMCareers #Smithsonian #NationalAirandSpace #NASM #STEM #Education #HD #Video
New Project: Travel Through NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory Images in 3D
New Project: Travel Through NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory Images in 3D
A new project provides special 3D “experiences” on Instagram using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes through augmented reality, allowing users to travel virtually through objects in space. These new experiences of astronomical objects—including the debris fields of exploded stars—are being released to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of operations from Chandra, NASA’s flagship X-ray telescope.
In recent years, Instagram experiences—previously referred to as filters—of NASA mission control, the International Space Station, and the Perseverance Rover on Mars have allowed users to virtually explore what NASA does. This new set of Chandra Instagram filters joins this space-themed collection.
The new Instagram experiences are created from 3D models based on data collected by Chandra and other telescopes along with mathematical models. Traditionally, it has been very difficult to gather 3D data of objects in space due to their two-dimensional projection on the sky. New instruments and techniques, however, have allowed astronomers in recent years to construct data-driven models of what these distant objects look like in three dimensions.
These advancements in astronomy have paralleled the explosion of opportunities in virtual, extended, and augmented reality. Such technologies provide virtual digital experiences, which now extend beyond Earth and into the cosmos.
This new set of Chandra Instagram filters was made possible by a collaboration including NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, as well as students and researchers at Brown University.
Setting this Chandra set apart from other Instagram experiences, they will include an option to also listen to sonifications of data of the same object. Sonification is the process of translating data into sounds and notes, instead of colors as is typically done in communicating astronomical data. This is a project that Chandra has led on behalf of NASA.
Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 2 minutes, 31 seconds
Release Date: April 18, 2024
#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Visualizations #3DModels #AugmentedReality #Instagram #InstagramFilters #Stars #Nebluae #Galaxies #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #XrayObservatory #SpaceTelescope #JPL #SmithsonianInstitution #BrownUniversity #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Sonification #Audio #HD #Video
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
China Shenzhou-18 Crew Rocket Moved to Launchpad | China Space Station
China Shenzhou-18 Crew Rocket Moved to Launchpad | China Space Station
The combination of the Shenzhou-18 spaceship and a Long March-2F Y18 carrier rocket has been vertically transferred to the launching area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Wednesday morning, April 17, 2024. Shenzhou-18 will transport the seventh crew of three astronauts to the China Space Station and replace the Shenzhou-17 crew currently onboard.
Weighing over 40 tons, with a total height of nearly 60 meters, the combination has four support points distributed along the circumference of the rocket's core stage that measures only 3.35 meters in diameter. The total weight of the combination and the launch platform is nearly 800 tons.
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, and various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned. The manned spaceship will be launched at an appropriate time in the near future, said the CMSA.
Shenzhou-17 Crew:
Hongbo Tang (Commander)
Shengjie Tang (Mission Specialist)
Xinlin Jiang (Mission Specialist)
The Shenzhou-18 crew members will be announced shortly before launch.
"This will be the first manned mission conducted in April since we started building the space station. Considering the characteristics of high winds and dust during this season, we have conducted statistical analysis of meteorological data over the past 30 years in the launch site, and formulated targeted preventive measures and response strategies. Meanwhile, we have updated power supply system of certain facilities, strengthened equipment operation assessments and status checks, and organized interdisciplinary collaborative training and emergency drills. We have also improved the comprehensive situational awareness and critical information collection and dissemination capabilities of the launch site, optimized our product testing projects and timing, therefore, further improving the site's ability to handle continuous missions," said Wang Xuewu, deputy director of Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Video Credit: CCTV Video News Agency
Duration: 1 minute, 54 seconds
NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Encima de la sombra: 12 de abril de 2024
NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Encima de la sombra: 12 de abril de 2024
Espacio a Tierra, la versión en español de las cápsulas Space to Ground de la NASA, te informa semanalmente de lo que está sucediendo en la Estación Espacial Internacional.
Aprende más sobre la ciencia a bordo de la estación espacial:
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: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 4 minutes, 21 seconds
The Milky Way Galaxy over Quercy Park in France
The Milky Way Galaxy over Quercy Park in France
"Here is a portrait of the Milky Way, reflected in the calm waters of Lacam Lake!"
"Water is very scarce in Quercy as it easily seeps into the ground . . . This lake was an invaluable source in the Middle Ages for shepherds and their flocks! Capturing this kind of shot is always a challenge; it requires perfectly calm water, without currents or wind, as well as a very clear sky . . . Those conditions were met that evening! Thus, the Milky Way reveals itself both in the sky and in the landscape, for the greatest pleasure of the eyes."
Technical details: Panorama composed of 10 photographs - 13 seconds per shot (no tracking or stacking) - ISO 1600 - Sigma 28mm f/1.4 (f/1.6) - Canon 6D Astrodon Camera
Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park
International Dark-Sky Association
https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution
Image Credit: Julien Looten
Release Date: April 16, 2024
#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Stars #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxy #LightPollution #CitizenScience #Astrophotographer #JulienLooten #Astrophotography #Cosmos #Universe #SolarSystem #QuercyPark #MidiPyrénées #France #STEM #Education
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Astronauts: Williams, Fincke & Wilmore
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Astronauts: Williams, Fincke & Wilmore
For more info on CFT and Starliner, visit:
Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Image Date: April 16, 2024
#NASA #Space #ISS #Boeing #StarlinerSpacecraft #Starliner #CST100 #Astronauts #SunitaWilliams #MikeFincke #ButchWilmore #ULA #Rocket #Atlas5 #CommercialCrew #OFT2Test #OFT2 #HumanSpaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #CapeCanaveral #Spaceport #Florida #LaunchAmerica #UnitedStates #STEM #Education
Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft: Launchpad Arrival | NASA Kennedy
Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft: Launchpad Arrival | NASA Kennedy
This is an important milestone ahead of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission launch on May 6, 2024.
Starliner will carry NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station for a docking to the forward port of the Harmony module. Ahead of Starliner’s launch, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crewmates will board the Dragon spacecraft, currently docked to the forward port, for a relocation to the zenith port of Harmony to allow for Starliner docking. The date shift also allows additional time for the crew aboard the microgravity laboratory to complete science and cargo logistics ahead of the departure of the Dragon cargo spacecraft.
As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Williams and Wilmore will spend about a week docked to the International Space Station ahead of a return to Earth in the western United States. The flight test will help NASA verify whether the Starliner system is ready to fly regular crew rotation missions to space station for the agency.
Through the Commercial Crew Program (CCP), NASA is working with business partners to build rockets and spacecraft. The Commercial Crew Program has made it possible for astronauts to launch to space from the United States once again.
For more info on CFT and Starliner, visit:
Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
Image Date: April 16, 2024
#NASA #Space #ISS #Boeing #StarlinerSpacecraft #Starliner #CST100 #Astronauts #SunitaWilliams #MikeFincke #ButchWilmore #ULA #Rocket #Atlas5 #CommercialCrew #OFT2Test #OFT2 #HumanSpaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #CapeCanaveral #Spaceport #Florida #LaunchAmerica #UnitedStates #STEM #Education
Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Prepared for Crew Launch | NASA Kennedy
Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Prepared for Crew Launch | NASA Kennedy
See Boeing teams and United Launch Alliance (ULA) crews roll Starliner out of Boeing factory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center—an important milestone ahead of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission launch on May 6, 2024.
Teams transported the spacecraft to the ULA Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41. There, teams stacked Starliner atop the Atlas V rocket that will carry it to orbit on its Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station.
Following a review of the International Space Station operations, NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test now is targeting no earlier than Monday, May 6, 2024, for Starliner’s first launch with astronauts to the orbital complex. The date adjustment optimizes space station schedule of activities planned toward the end of April, including a cargo spacecraft undocking and a crew spacecraft port relocation required for Starliner docking. NASA and Boeing also are performing prelaunch closeout work and completing final certification for flight.
Starliner will carry NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station for a docking to the forward port of the Harmony module. Ahead of Starliner’s launch, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crewmates will board the Dragon spacecraft, currently docked to the forward port, for a relocation to the zenith port of Harmony to allow for Starliner docking. The date shift also allows additional time for the crew aboard the microgravity laboratory to complete science and cargo logistics ahead of the departure of the Dragon cargo spacecraft.
As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Williams and Wilmore will spend about a week docked to the International Space Station ahead of a return to Earth in the western United States. The flight test will help NASA verify whether the Starliner system is ready to fly regular crew rotation missions to space station for the agency.
Through the Commercial Crew Program (CCP), NASA is working with business partners to build rockets and spacecraft. The Commercial Crew Program has made it possible for astronauts to launch to space from the United States once again.
For more info on CFT and Starliner, visit:
Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Video Credit: Boeing
Duration: 1 minute, 13 seconds
Release Date: April 16, 2024
#NASA #Space #ISS #Boeing #StarlinerSpacecraft #Starliner #CST100 #Astronauts #SunitaWilliams #MikeFincke #ButchWilmore #ULA #Rocket #Atlas5 #CommercialCrew #OFT2Test #OFT2 #HumanSpaceflight #Science #SpaceTechnology #CapeCanaveral #Spaceport #Florida #LaunchAmerica #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video
Examples of Black Hole Locations in The Milky Way Galaxy | ESO Animation
Examples of Black Hole Locations in The Milky Way Galaxy | ESO Animation
This artist’s animation, done with Space Engine software, shows the locations and distances (in light-years [ly]) to examples of our galaxy’s stellar black holes: Gaia BH3, a black hole now found to be the most massive stellar black hole ever identified; Cygnus X-1, the next most massive stellar black hole; and Gaia BH1, the closest black hole to Earth. At the center of our galaxy, lurks Sagittarius A*, a supermassive black hole.
Note that, due to a projection effect, Gaia BH3 looks closer to the Sun than Gaia BH1, but in reality the former is further away. It is the second-closest black hole to Earth identified to date.
Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/L. Calçada/Space Engine
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: April 16, 2024
#NASA #ESO #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #BlackHoles #BlackHole #GaiaSpaceObservatory #GaiaBH3 #Aquila #Constellation #VLT #SolarSystem #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #Art #Animation #HD #Video