Starship's Fourth Flight Test | SpaceX

Starship's Fourth Flight Test | SpaceX

"Starship is essential to both SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation Starship system as well as for NASA, which will use a lunar lander version of Starship for landing astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis III mission through the Human Landing System (HLS) program."

Fourth SpaceX Starship Flight on June 6, 2024

SpaceX statement on the results: 

On June 6, 2024, Starship successfully lifted off at 7:50 a.m. CT from Starbase in Texas and went on to deliver maximum excitement: The Super Heavy booster lifted off successfully and completed a full-duration ascent burn.

Starship executed another successful hot-stage separation, powering down all but three of Super Heavy’s Raptor engines and successfully igniting the six second stage Raptor engines before separating the vehicles.

Following separation, the Super Heavy booster successfully completed its flip maneuver, boostback burn to send it towards the splashdown zone, and jettison of the hot-stage adapter.

The booster’s flight ended with a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico seven minutes and 24 seconds into the flight.

Starship's six second stage Raptor engines successfully powered the vehicle to space and placed it on the planned trajectory for coast.

Starship made a controlled reentry, successfully making it through the phases of peak heating and max aerodynamic pressure and demonstrating the ability to control the vehicle using its flaps while descending through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

Starlink on Starship once again enabled real-time telemetry and live high-definition video throughout every phase of entry, with external cameras providing views all the way to the flight’s conclusion.

Flight 4 ended with Starship igniting its three center Raptor engines and executing the first flip maneuver and landing burn since our suborbital campaign, followed by a soft splashdown of the ship in the Indian Ocean one hour and six minutes after launch.

The fourth flight of Starship made major strides to bring us closer to a rapidly reusable future. Its accomplishments will provide data to drive improvements as we continue rapidly developing Starship into a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an inspired fourth flight test of Starship! And thank you to our customers, Cameron County, spaceflight fans, and the wider community for the continued support and encouragement.

Video Credit: SpaceX

Release Date: July 4, 2024

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #FlightTest #Spacecraft #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #Starbase #BocaChica #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Happy 4th of July! | NASA

Happy 4th of July! | NASA

At NASA, we are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation and scientific discovery. Like the spirit of Independence Day, our mission is to strive to achieve new heights and forge a path forward in space exploration.

We wish you a safe and happy 4th of July!

Image Description: Astronaut Harrison Schmitt was the first scientist and geologist to visit the Moon. In this picture, astronaut Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, stands near the deployed United States flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. The Lunar Module (LM) is at left background and the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at right background (partially obscured). The photo was made by astronaut Eugene Cernan, commander. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the LM "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit. As he returned to the Lunar Module before Cernan, Schmitt is the next-to-last person to have walked on the Moon's surface. Since the death of Cernan in 2017, Schmitt is the most recent person to have walked on the Moon that is still alive.

Learn more about former NASA astronaut Harrison Schmitt:

https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-harrison-schmitt/

Learn more about NASA's Apollo Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/

Learn about NASA's Artemis Program

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/

Through Artemis, NASA "aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, heralding a new era for space exploration and utilization."

Image Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Image Date: December 13, 1972

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Moon #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #ApolloProgram #ArtemisProgram #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #Astronauts #Apollo17 #HarrisonSchmitt #Geologist #Scientist #UnitedStates #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #History #STEM #Education

NASA Astronauts Send Fourth of July Wishes from International Space Station

NASA Astronauts Send Fourth of July Wishes from International Space Station

NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams share a Fourth of July message and extend their best wishes to those back on Earth in a video recorded on June 28, 2024.

The crew members are currently living and working aboard the International Space Station. Their missions aim to advance scientific knowledge and test new technologies for future human and robotic missions to the Moon and Mars, including NASA's Artemis lunar missions.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/

Expedition 71 Updates: 

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

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

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 2 minutes, 34 minutes

Release Date: July 3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #FourthOfJuly #IndependenceDay #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Engineering #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Prepare for Second Spacewalk | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Astronauts Prepare for Second Spacewalk | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-18 crew members, currently on board China's orbiting Tiangong space station, have been preparing for their second extravehicular activities (EVAs), scheduled to occur in the next few days, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

In video footage released by the CMSA, the space station combination is now in a stable status with all equipment functioning well, and the Shenzhou-18 crew, also in good condition, was testing extravehicular spacesuits, preparing maintenance items and consumables, readying equipment and tools for operations outside the spacecraft, and installing the robotic arm console.

The trio also had in-orbit training on donning spacesuits, and carried out targeted training for EVAs, according to the CMSA.

The Shenzhou-18 crew was launched into space on April 25, 2024, as the third manned mission in the application and development stage of China's space station, and the 32nd flight mission of the country's overall crewed space program.

Since completing their first spacewalk on May 28, the crew has successfully completed tasks, including maintaining the experiment cabinets and installing components, monitoring environmental conditions inside the space station, and preparing for their second EVA, the CMSA said.

They have made steady progress in experiments in fields, such as space materials science, space life sciences, and aerospace medicine.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)

Video Credit: CCTV Video News Agency

Duration: 2 minutes, 16 seconds

Release Date: July 3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #EVA #Spacewalks #ScientificExperiments #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Hurricane Beryl in Caribbean Sea | International Space Station

Hurricane Beryl in Caribbean Sea | International Space Station

Hurricane Beryl is pictured as a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above.

The eye of Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea, is pictured as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above.

Hurricane Beryl is pictured as a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above.

Hurricane Beryl is pictured as a Category 4 storm off the coast of Grenada in the Caribbean Sea as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above.

Hurricane Beryl was pictured east of Barbados as a Category 3 storm from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane Beryl was pictured east of Barbados as a Category 3 storm from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane Beryl is now producing heavy rain, 145 mph winds and storm surge affecting the island country of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. 

Visit the National Hurricane Center (NOAA) for updates:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Expedition 71 Updates: 

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominik, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

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

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

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

Image Dates: June 30-July 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #Meteorology #Weather #Hurricanes #HurricaneBeryl #EarthObservation #Environment #ClimateChange #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education

Earth Observation from The International Space Station | NASA

Earth Observation from The International Space Station | NASA

Stunning images of Earth captured by crew members on the International Space Station are actively supporting life on our planet, helping monitor climate change, and advancing our understanding of Earth’s changing landscapes.

Expedition 71 Updates: 

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin (Russia)

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

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

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

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

Duration: 2 minutes, 30 minutes

Release Date: July 3, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #EarthObservation #Environment #ClimateChange #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Engineering #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Binary Star Eta Carinae—A Source of Very High-energy Cosmic Gamma Radiation

Binary Star Eta Carinae—A Source of Very High-energy Cosmic Gamma Radiation

The binary star Eta Carinae may be about to explode. However, no one knows when. It may be next year. It may be a million years from now. Eta Carinae's mass—about 100 times greater than our Sun—makes it an excellent candidate for a full blown supernova. Historical records do show that about 170 years ago Eta Carinae underwent an unusual outburst that made it one of the brightest stars in the southern sky. This binary star in the Homunculus Nebula is located 7,500 light-years away in the constellation Carina. Eta Carinae is the only star system currently thought to emit natural LASER light. 

With the gamma-ray telescopes of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.), astrophysicists have detected very high energy gamma rays from Eta Carinae. It constitutes a new type of source for such high-energy radiation. The DESY animation by Science Communication Lab takes you on an interstellar roadtrip to this extraordinary system.

Video Credit: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)

Duration: 3 minutes, 35 seconds

Release Date: July 1, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #BinaryStars #EtaCarinae #GammaRays #Nebulae #HomunculusNebula #ReflectionNebula #CarinaNebula #NGC3372 #KeyholeNebula #Carina #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #DESY #SCL #Germany #Deutschland #Visualization #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Sentando las bases: 28 de junio 2024

NASA's "Espacio a Tierra" | Sentando las bases: 28 de junio 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: 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: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: July 2, 2024

#NASA #Space #Earth #ISS #Science #NASAenespañol #español #SpaceTechnology #SpaceLaboratory #Engineering #Astronauts #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Global Atmospheric Methane (CH₄) | NASA Earth Observatory

Global Atmospheric Methane (CH₄) | NASA Earth Observatory

Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps heat 28 times more effectively than carbon dioxide over a 100-year timescale. Concentrations of methane have increased by more than 150% since industrial activities and intensive agriculture began. After carbon dioxide, methane is responsible for about 20% of climate change in the twentieth century. Methane is produced under conditions where little to no oxygen is available. 

About 30% of methane emissions are produced by wetlands, including ponds, lakes and rivers. Another 20% is produced by agriculture, due to a combination of livestock, waste management and rice cultivation. Activities related to oil, gas, and coal extraction release an additional 30%. The remainder of methane emissions come from minor sources such as wildfires, biomass burning, permafrost, termites, dams, and the ocean. 

Scientists around the world are working to better understand the budget of methane with the ultimate goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving prediction of environmental change. 

The NASA SVS visualization presented here shows the complex patterns of methane emissions produced around the globe and throughout the year from the different sources described above. The visualization was created using output from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), GEOS modeling system, developed and maintained by scientists at NASA. Wetland emissions were estimated by the LPJ-wsl model, which simulates the temperature and moisture dependent methane emission processes using a variety of satellite data to determine what parts of the globe are covered by wetlands. Other methane emission sources come from inventories of human activity.

Video Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Visualizations: Helen-Nicole Kostis

Scientific Consulting: Lesley Ott, Brad Weir

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: July 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #Methane #GlobalMethaneEmissions #ClimateModels #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Climate #Environment #GreenhouseGases #GHG #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualization #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 Crew Continues Experiments for 2nd Month | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Crew Continues Experiments for 2nd Month | China Space Station

The crew of the Shenzhou-18 mission has been continuously conducting experiments aboard China's Tiangong space station for the second month. The three Chinese astronauts, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, were sent to the orbiting Tiangong space station for a six-month mission on April 25, 2024. 

The crew regularly maintained the combustion science laboratory cabinet by replacing burners, vacuuming and exhausting, and organizing related materials to better carry out the following experimental projects. 

The combustion science laboratory cabinet has been used in experiments since the in-orbit ignition experiment in 2023. The facility is expected to contribute to scientific achievements in improving the fundamental theory of combustion and developing advanced combustion technology.

The crew recently installed slide positioning kits for the glovebox. The glovebox provides a sealed and clean space for crew members to manipulate objects in experiments.

The astronauts have also regularly replaced experimental samples, cleaned the chamber and maintained the axial mechanism electrodes for the containerless materials laboratory cabinet to ensure the stable and smooth operation of relevant experiments.

In addition, the crew also replaced samples in the fluid physics laboratory cabinet. The cabinet is used to conduct on-orbit microgravity experiments on the kinetic processes, diffusion processes, phase transitions and self-organization behavior of different fluid systems.

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)

China Central Television (CCTV) Video News Agency

Duration: 1 minute, 16 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #ScientificExperiments #Taikonauts #Astronauts #YeGuangfu #LiCong #LiGuangsu #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Stellar Nursery L1527 & Protostar in Taurus | James Webb Space Telescope

Stellar Nursery L1527 & Protostar in Taurus | James Webb Space Telescope

L1527, shown in this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), is a molecular cloud that harbors a protostar. The protostar is a relatively young object of about 100,000 years. It resides about 460 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus. The more diffuse blue light and the filamentary structures in the image come from organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while the red at the center of this image is an energized, thick layer of gases and dust that surrounds the protostar. The region in between, appearing in white, is a mixture of PAHs, ionized gas, and other molecules.

The effects of stellar outflows are visible. They are emitted in opposite directions along the protostar’s rotational axis as the object consumes gas and dust from the surrounding cloud. These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud. They appear as filamentary structures throughout. They are also responsible for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or excite, the surrounding matter and cause the regions above and below it to glow. This creates an effect reminiscent of fireworks brightening a cloudy night sky. 

As the protostar continues to age and release energetic jets, it will consume, destroy, and push away much of this molecular cloud, and many of the structures we see here will begin to fade. Eventually, once it finishes gathering mass, this impressive display will end, and the star itself will become more apparent, even to visible-light telescopes.

Image Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Release Date: July 2, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Protostars #StellarOutflows #StellaNurseries #L1527 #Taurus #Constellation #Universe #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #CSA #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education 

What's Up for July 2024 | Skywatching Tips from NASA

What's Up for July 2024 | Skywatching Tips from NASA

Here are examples of skywatching highlights for the northern hemisphere in July 2024:

The Moon and planets come together twice in the morning sky—at the start and end of July, find the elusive planet Uranus with some help from Mars, and two star clusters—M6 and M7—are well placed for viewing in the evening.

0:00 Intro 

0:xx Moon & planet highlights

x:xx Use Mars to locate planet Uranus

x:xx Star clusters M6 & M7 in Scorpius

x:xx July 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: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 4 minutes, 45 seconds

Release Date: July 2, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #Planets #Mars #Uranus #SolarSystem #Stars #StarClusters #MilkyWayGalaxy #JPL #Caltech #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Planet Earth: Polar Ice Mass Loss | NASA GRACE Mission

Planet Earth: Polar Ice Mass Loss | NASA GRACE Mission

The mass of the polar ice sheets have changed over the last decades. Research based on observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites (2002-2017) and GRACE Follow-On (since 2018-) indicates that between 2002 and 2023, Antarctica shed approximately 150 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.4 millimeters per year; and Greenland shed approximately 270 gigatons of ice per year, causing global sea level to rise by 0.03 inches (0.8 millimeters) per year.

These images, created from GRACE and GRACE-FO data, show changes in polar land ice mass since 2002. Orange and red shades indicate areas that lost ice mass, while light blue shades indicate areas that gained ice mass. White indicates areas where there has been very little or no change in ice mass since 2002.

The average flow lines (grey; created from satellite radar interferometry) of the icesheets converge into the locations of prominent outlet glaciers, and coincide with areas of highest mass loss. This supports other observations that warming ocean waters near polar icesheets play a key role in contemporary ice mass loss.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was a joint mission of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) that measured Earth's gravity field anomalies

Learn more about GRACE:

https://grace.jpl.nasa.gov

Video Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Scientific consulting: Felix W. Landerer

Duration: 52 seconds

Release Date: July 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Science #Planet #Earth #PolarIce #MassLoss #Antarctica #Greenland #GRACEMission #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Climate #Environment #GreenhouseGases #GHG #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #DLR #Germany #JPL #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualization #HD #Video

Global Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) | NASA Earth Observatory

Global Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) | NASA Earth Observatory

The visualization featured here shows the atmosphere in three dimensions and highlights the accumulation of CO₂ during a single calendar year (January 1-December 31, 2021). Every year, the world’s vegetation and oceans absorb about half of human CO₂ emissions, providing an incredibly valuable service that has mitigated the rate of accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, around 2.5 parts per million remain in the atmosphere every year causing a steady upward march in concentrations that scientists have tracked since the 1950s at surface stations.

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, 2 (OCO-2) provides the most complete dataset tracking the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), the main driver of climate change. Every day, OCO-2 measures sunlight reflected from Earth’s surface to infer the dry-air column-averaged CO₂ mixing ratio and provides around 100,000 cloud-free observations. Despite these advances, OCO-2 data contain many gaps where sunlight is not present or where clouds or aerosols are too thick to retrieve CO₂ data. In order to fill gaps and provide science and applications users a spatially complete product, OCO-2 data are assimilated into NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS), a complex modeling and data assimilation system used for studying the Earth’s weather and climate.

GEOS is also informed by satellite observations of nighttime lights and vegetation greenness along with about 1 million weather observations collected every hour. These data help scientists infer CO2 mixing ratios even when a direct OCO-2 observation is not present and provide additional information on the altitude of CO₂ plumes that the satellite is not able to see. Together, OCO-2 and GEOS create one of the most complete pictures of CO₂.

The volumetric visualization starts in January 1, 2021, showing the higher CO₂ concentrations, which are closer to the ground, revealing the seasonal movement of high CO₂ at a global scale. During the months of June-September (summer months for northern hemisphere), global CO₂ concentrations tend to be lowest because northern hemisphere plants actively absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere via photosynthesis. During northern hemisphere fall and winter months, much of this CO₂ is re-released to the atmosphere due to respiration and can be seen building up. By June and July 2021, plants again draw CO₂ out of the atmosphere, but notably higher concentrations remain in contrast to the nearly transparent colors of the previous year. 

The diurnal rhythm of CO₂ is apparent over our planet's largest forests, such as the Amazon rainforest in South America and the Congo rainforest in Central Africa. The fast-paced pulse in those rainforests is due to the day-night cycle; plants absorb CO₂ during the day via photosynthesis when the sun is out, then stop absorbing CO₂ at night. In addition to highlighting the buildup of atmospheric CO₂, this visualization shows how interconnected the world’s greenhouse gas problem is. NASA’s unique combination of observations and models plays a critical role in helping scientists track increases in CO₂ as they happen to better understand their climate impact.

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory, 2 (OCO-2)

https://ocov2.jpl.nasa.gov

Video Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Visualizations: Helen-Nicole Kostis

Scientific Consulting: Lesley Ott, Brad Weir

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: July 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Science #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #OCO2Observatory #GlobalCO2Emissions #ClimateModels #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #Climate #Environment #GreenhouseGases #GHG #EarthObservation #RemoteSensing #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Visualization #HD #Video

Saturn Moons Titan & Tethys | NASA Cassini Mission

Saturn Moons Titan & Tethys | NASA Cassini Mission

NASA's Cassini spacecraft arrived in the Saturn system in 2004 and ended its mission in 2017 by deliberately plunging into Saturn's atmosphere. This method was chosen because it is necessary to ensure protection and prevent biological contamination to any of the moons of Saturn thought to offer potential habitability. The Cassini Mission mapped more than 620,000 square miles (1.6 million square kilometers) of liquid lakes and seas on the surface of Saturn's largest moon Titan (visible in foreground). This work was performed with its radar instrument that sent out radio waves and collected a return signal (or echo) that provided information about the terrain and the liquid bodies' depth and composition, along with two imaging systems that could penetrate the moon's thick atmospheric haze.

Titan is larger than the planet Mercury and is the second largest moon in our solar system. Titan is the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object in space, other than Earth, where clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found. Titan’s subsurface water could be a place to harbor life as we know it, while its surface lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons could conceivably harbor life that uses different chemistry than we are used to—that is, life as we do not yet know it. 

Tethys (visible in background) is Saturn's fifth largest moon. This cold, airless and heavily scarred body is very similar to sister moons Dione and Rhea except that Tethys is not as heavily cratered as the other two. This may be because its proximity to Saturn causes more tidal warming, and that warming kept Tethys partially molten longer, erasing or dulling more of the early terrain.

Tethys' density is 0.97 times that of liquid water. This suggests that Tethys is composed almost entirely of water ice plus a small amount of rock.

Tethys has a high reflectivity (or visual albedo) of 1.229 in the visual range, again suggesting a composition largely of water ice. However, this would behave like rock in the Tethyan average temperature of -305 degrees Fahrenheit (-187 degrees Celsius). Many of the crater floors on Tethys are bright, suggesting an abundance of water ice. Also contributing to the high reflectivity is that Tethys is bombarded by Saturn E-ring water-ice particles generated by geysers on Enceladus.

Tethys appeared as a tiny dot to astronomers until the Voyager (1 and 2) encounters in 1980 and 1981. The Voyager images showed a major impact crater and a great chasm. The Cassini spacecraft has added details including a great variety of colors at small scales suggesting a variety of materials not seen elsewhere.

The Cassini-Huygens mission was a cooperative project of NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The Cassini radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the U.S. and several European countries.

Cassini Mission information:

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/cassini

Image Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI / CICLOPS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Date: Nov. 26 2009

Image Date: July 1, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Planet #Saturn #Moons #Titan #Tethys #Astrobiology #SolarSystem #CassiniMission #CassiniSpacecraft #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #ESA #Italy #Italia #ASI #Europe #STEM #Education

The World's Largest Optical Telescope Takes Shape | ESO's ELT in Chile

The World's Largest Optical Telescope Takes Shape | ESO's ELT in Chile

This drone footage shows the European Southern Observatory's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) taking shape in the Chilean Atacama Desert. We can see the insulating cladding being used to dress the dome and the white lattice structure at the center—now almost complete—that will support the ELT’s 39-meter primary mirror. Around the 1:30 mark, we can also see two arc-shaped tracks, currently protected with tan wooden plates, bracketing the white lattice. These tracks will allow the telescope to move in altitude. The grey beams at opposite sides of the lattice, seen more clearly at the 2:15 mark, will support the so-called Nasmyth platforms—two tennis-court-sized areas where the scientific instruments will rest.

The current largest optical telescopes have diameters of up to ten meters, and the ELT's diameter will thus be four times greater. 

Altitude: 3046 meters

Planned year of technical first light: 2027

Learn more about the European Southern Observatory's ELT at: https://elt.eso.org

Video Credit: G. Hüdepohl/ESO

Acknowledgement: CIMOLAI

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: July 1, 2024

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