Flight 5 Starship & Heavy Booster Moved to Launch Pad | SpaceX Starbase

Flight 5 Starship & Heavy Booster Moved to Launch Pad | SpaceX Starbase

In these images, Starbase tower lifts the Super Heavy booster for Flight 5 to its expected catch height and Flight 5 Starship is moved to the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

"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."

Key Starship Parameters:

Height: 121m/397ft

Diameter: 9m/29.5ft

Payload to LEO: 100 – 150t (fully reusable)

Satellites: "Starship is designed to deliver satellites further and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship creates possibilities for new missions, including space telescopes even larger than the James Webb."

Super Heavy is the first stage, or booster, of the Starship launch system. Powered by 33 Raptor engines using sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX), Super Heavy is fully reusable and will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere to land back at the launch site.

Starship's Engines: Raptors

"The Raptor engine is a reusable methalox staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship launch system. Raptor engines began flight testing on the Starship prototype rockets in July 2019, becoming the first full-flow staged combustion rocket engine ever flown."

Raptor Engine Parameters:

Diameter: 1.3m/4ft

Height: 3.1m/10.2ft

Thrust: 230tf/500 klbf

Learn more:

https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):

https://www.spacex.com/media/starship_users_guide_v1.pdf

Image Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Release Dates: Aug. 8-Sept. 20, 2024

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #Starship5 #HeavyBooster #Spacecraft #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #Starbase #BocaChica #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Outer Stars of The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble Space Telescope

Outer Stars of The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble Space Telescope

The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. Distance: 2 million light-years

It is thought that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies will collide several billion years from now.

Images 1&2: Stars in the Andromeda Galaxy’s giant stellar stream

These NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope images are of a small part of the giant stellar stream of the Andromeda Galaxy. The stream is a long structure thought to be the remains of a companion galaxy torn apart by the Andromeda Galaxy’s gravity and engulfed in it.

Images 3&4: Stars in the Andromeda Galaxy’s halo with background galaxies 

These NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope images are of a small part of the halo of the Andromeda Galaxy. The halo is the huge and sparse sphere of stars that surrounds a galaxy. While there are relatively few stars in a galaxy’s halo, studies of the rotation rate of galaxies suggest that there is a great deal of invisible dark matter here.

Hubble’s position above the distorting effect of the atmosphere, combined with this galaxy’s relative proximity, means that these images can be resolved into individual stars, rather than the cloudy white wisps usually seen in observations of galaxies. In the background, many faraway galaxies are visible, billions of light-years further away than the Andromeda Galaxy.

Andromeda’s proximity to the Milky Way means it looks larger than other galaxies from Earth: Seen with the naked eye, Andromeda would be about six times the width of the Moon (about 3 degrees)

These observations were made in order to observe a wide variety of stars in Andromeda, ranging from faint main sequence stars like our own Sun, to the much brighter RR Lyrae stars—a type of variable star. With these measurements, astronomers can determine the chemistry and ages of the stars in each part of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Image Credits: NASA, ESA and T.M. Brown/Space Telescope Science Institute

Release Date: July 21, 2011

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #AndromedaGalaxy #Messier31 #M31 #Andromeda #Constellation #AndromedaGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Members | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Members | International Space Station

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Pilot Nichole Ayers of NASA, Mission Specialists Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, Takuya Onishi of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and Commander Anne McClain of NASA pose for a selfie portrait in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center during a pre-flight training session.

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Pilot Nichole Ayers of NASA, Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia, and Commander Anne McClain of NASA pose for a portrait in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Commander Anne McClain of NASA, and Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos of Russia have a discussion during pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia listens to a presentation during pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia participates in pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi participates in pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi prepares for spacewalk training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

SpaceX Crew-10 members (from left) Pilot Nichole Ayers of NASA, Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Commander Anne McClain of NASA, and Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos (Russia) participate in water survival training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Four crew members are preparing to launch for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Commander Anne McClain and Pilot Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia will join astronauts at the orbiting laboratory no earlier than February 2025.

Veteran Astronaut Anne McClain NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/anne-c-mcclain/

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/anne-c-mcclain/

Astronaut Nichole Ayers NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers/

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi Biography

https://humans-in-space.jaxa.jp/en/astronaut/onishi-takuya/

The flight is the 10th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. While aboard, the international crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions and benefit people on Earth.

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: May 14-Sept. 19, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew10 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Falcon9Rocket #Astronauts #AnneMcClain #Commander #NicholeAyers #TakuyaOnishi #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #KirillPeskov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #CCP #Expedition72 #Expedition73 #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers | International Space Station

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers | International Space Station

Astronaut Candidate Individual Portrait, Nichole Ayers - ASCAN Class of 2021

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers prepares for spacewalk training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers is seated in a T-38 aircraft trainer during pre-flight mission training at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers walks on the tarmac toward a T-38 aircraft trainer.

NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-10 Pilot Nichole Ayers listens to a presentation during pre-flight mission training in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers poses for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

NASA astronaut candidate Nichole Ayers pictured here in an event at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Nichole Ayers is currently training for her first spaceflight where she will serve as pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. Four crew members are preparing to launch for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Commander Anne McClain and Pilot Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Russia will join astronauts at the orbiting laboratory no earlier than February 2025.

Astronaut Nichole Ayers NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/people/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/astronauts/nasa-astronaut-nichole-ayers/

The flight is the 10th crew rotation with SpaceX to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. While aboard, the international crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions and benefit people on Earth.

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: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/Josh Valcarcel/Robert Markowitz

Release Dates: Dec. 3, 2021-Aug. 12, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew10 #SpaceX #CrewDragonSpacecraft #Falcon9Rocket #Astronauts #NicholeAyers #Pilot #AnneMcClain #TakuyaOnishi #Japan #日本 #Cosmonauts #KirillPeskov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #CCP #Expedition72 #Expedition73 #Houston #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Sunita in Charge | Week of Sept. 20, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground: Sunita in Charge | Week of Sept. 20, 2024

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia are scheduled to launch no earlier than 2:05 p.m. EDT Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.

Crew-9 will be the first human spaceflight mission to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral. This is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will spend approximately five months at the station, conducting more than 200 science and research demonstrations before returning in February 2025.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner 

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

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

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: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 20, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #SpaceXCrew9 #Astronauts #NickHague #SunitaWilliams #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #AleksandrGorbunov #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

First Views of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | International Space Station

First Views of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Matthew Dominick: "So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows. But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1/8s exposure you can really start to see it. This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun. For now a timelapse preview."

Note: The cupola is a small space station module with seven windows for observing the Earth and activities outside.

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) is a comet from the solar system's Oort cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory east of Nanjing, China, on January 9, 2023, and independently found by the automated Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa on February 22, 2023. ATLAS is funded by NASA's planetary defense office, and developed and operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. C/2023 A3 will pass perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million miles) on September 27, 2024. This is when it can be best viewed with the naked eye from the ground on Earth.

The Oort cloud is theorized to be a vast cloud of icy planetesimals surrounding the Sun at distances ranging from 2,000 to 200,000 AU (0.03 to 3.2 light-years). The concept of such a cloud was proposed in 1950 by the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort, in whose honor the idea was named. Oort proposed that the bodies in this cloud replenish and keep constant the number of long-period comets entering the inner Solar System—where they are eventually consumed and destroyed during close approaches to the Sun.

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/M. Dominick

Duration: 9 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 19, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Planet #Earth #Comets #CometTsuchinshanATLAS #C2023A3 #OortCloud #SolarSystem #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition71 #China #中国 #SouthAfrica #STEM #Education #Timelapse #HD #Video

A Galaxy Cluster with Crossing Gas Streams | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

A Galaxy Cluster with Crossing Gas Streams | NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have found a galaxy cluster that has two pairs of streams of superheated gas crossing one another. Researchers have discovered a pair of enormous, comet-like tails of hot gas—spanning over 1.6 million light-years long—trailing behind a galaxy within the galaxy cluster called Zwicky 8338, or Z8338 for short. This tail was spawned as the galaxy had part of its gas stripped off by the hot gas it is hurtling through.

What makes this remarkable is that this is the second pair of tails trailing behind a galaxy in this system. Previously, astronomers discovered a shorter pair of tails from another galaxy nearby to this latest one. This newer and longer set of tails was only visible due to a deeper observation with Chandra that revealed fainter X-rays.

Astronomers also found evidence that the streams trailing behind the speeding galaxies have crossed one another, causing the shorter pair of tails to be detached from the galaxy they are trailing.

These galaxies are in motion because they were part of two galaxy clusters that collided with each other to create Z8338. This makes Z8338 a chaotic landscape of galaxies, superheated gas, and shock waves. These are similar to sonic booms created by supersonic jets.

Why is this important? Z8338 is helping to teach astronomers how these galaxy clusters, among the largest objects in the Universe held together by gravity, evolve over time. More specifically, this result gives them information about how the galaxies that are part of the cluster interact. This includes how this complex system can allow new stars, planets, and other structures to grow in the future.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Credits:

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Xiamen University/C. Ge Optical: DESI collaboration

Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk

Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 19, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #GalaxyCluster #Zwicky8338 #Constellation #Hercules #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #Xray #SpaceTelescope #XiamenUniversity #China #中国 #CXC #CfA #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Astronaut Tracy Dyson Powers International Space Station Research

NASA Astronaut Tracy Dyson Powers International Space Station Research

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson is returning home after a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. While on orbit, Dyson conducted an array of experiments and technology demonstrations that contribute to advancements for humanity on Earth and the agency’s trajectory to the Moon and Mars. Here is a look at some of the science Dyson conducted during her mission: https://go.nasa.gov/4euV5kt

Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson NASA Biography:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tracy-caldwell-dyson

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/tracy-caldwell-dyson/biography

Expedition 71 Updates:

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

Expedition 71 Crew

Station Commander: Oleg Kononenko (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner 

NASA: Tracy Dyson, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barrett, Jeanette Epps, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit

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

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: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 2 minutes, 48 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2024

#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Astronaut #TracyDyson #MicrogravityExperiments #MicrogravityResearch #UnitedStates #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #SpaceLaboratory #Expedition71 #HumanSpaceflight #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Shenzhou-18 Crew Give China Space Station Video Tour to German Students

Shenzhou-18 Crew Give China Space Station Video Tour to German Students

The Shenzhou-18 crew members, currently in orbit aboard China's Tiangong space station, sent a video message to German students, providing a station tour and conveying Mid-Autumn Festival greetings during a special cultural event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, in Berlin, Germany.

On April 25, 2024, China launched the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship, carrying three astronauts—Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu—to the space station for a six-month mission. Shenzhou-18 represents the seventh crew of three astronauts to operate China's Tiangong space station.

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

Duration: 2 minutes, 21 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 17, 2024

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

Nebula N11: Billowing Bubbles of Stellar Floss in Dorado | Hubble

Nebula N11: Billowing Bubbles of Stellar Floss in Dorado | Hubble

This Hubble image shows a complex cluster of emission nebulae, nestled within the Large Magellanic Cloud.

This inset image shows where N11 is located within the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Here is a bubbling region of stars old and new. It lies around 160,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. This complex cluster of emission nebulae, known as N11, was discovered by American astronomer and NASA astronaut Karl G. Henize in 1956. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of the cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a nearby dwarf galaxy orbiting the Milky Way.

This region is named LHA 120-N 11, informally known as N11, and is one of the most active star formation regions in the nearby Universe. 

About 1,000 light-years across, N11’s sprawling filaments weave stellar matter in and out of each other like sparkling candy floss. These cotton-spun clouds of gas are ionized by a burgeoning host of young and massive stars, giving the complex a cherry-pink appearance. Throughout N11, colossal cavities burst from the fog. These bubbles formed as a result of the vigorous emergence and death of stars contained in the nebulae. Their stellar winds and supernovae carved the surrounding area into shells of gas and dust.

N11’s stellar activity caught the attention of many astronomers. It is one of the largest and most energetic regions in the LMC. To investigate the distribution of stars in N11, scientists used Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys, taking advantage of its sensitivity and excellent wide-field resolution. The cluster houses a wide array of stars for Hubble to examine, including one area that has stopped forming stars, and another that continues to form them. Hubble’s unique capabilities allowed astronomers to comprehensively study the diversity of stars in the N11 complex, and map the differences between each region.

Image 1 Description: Glowing clouds of pink and red gas and dust fill the image, along with several stars—foreground stars shine with diffraction spikes, and more distant stars fill the background.

Image 2 Description: The bottom half of the image shows N11. Glowing clouds of pink and red gas and dust fill the image, along with several stars—foreground stars shine with diffraction spikes, and more distant stars fill the background. Above it to the right, a smaller image shows a starry region of space with orange tendrils of gas and dust with a white rectangle designating the portion that shows N11. To its left, another small image shows a wide view of a diffuse galaxy with a white rectangle designating the portion that shows N11.

Image 1 Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. M. Apellaniz (Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC/INTA Inst. Nac. de Tec. Aero.); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Image 2 Credit: The above plus ESO VMC Survey, and DSS2

Release Date: Aug. 19, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #Nebula #N11 #LMCN11 #LHA120N11 #Astronaut #KarlHenize #Dorado #Constellation #LMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Europa Clipper: Interplanetary Navigation Engineer Sarah Elizabeth McCandless

Europa Clipper: Interplanetary Navigation Engineer Sarah Elizabeth McCandless

Meet Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, an interplanetary navigator for NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. The Europa Clipper Mission will explore Jupiter’s moon Europa where a massive ice-covered ocean could potentially contain the right conditions to support life. 

Tasked with guiding the spacecraft on its journey to Europa, Sarah shares how her love for exploration—from piloting planes to navigating the cosmos—has shaped her path to NASA. 

Europa Clipper is set to launch in October 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will arrive at Jupiter in 2030. The mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, with key spacecraft infrastructure contributions from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. 

For more information on the mission go to:

https://europa.nasa.gov/

Download Europa Clipper Ocean World poster:

https://europa.nasa.gov/resources/173/europa-clipper-journey-to-an-ocean-world-poster/

Video Credit: NASA 360

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Jupiter #Europa #Moon #Ocean #Astrobiology #Biosignatures #Habitability #NavigationEngineer #Radiation #EuropaClipper #Spacecraft #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #APL #MSFC #GSFC #JPL #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Aurora Butterfly over Finland

Aurora Butterfly over Finland

On Earth, auroras are mainly created by particles originally emitted by the Sun in the form of solar wind. When this stream of electrically charged particles gets close to our planet, it interacts with the magnetic field, which acts as a gigantic shield. While it protects Earth’s environment from solar wind particles, it can also trap a small fraction of them. Particles trapped within the magnetosphere—the region of space surrounding Earth in which charged particles are affected by its magnetic field—can be energized and then follow the magnetic field lines down to the magnetic poles. There, they interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper layers of the atmosphere, creating the flickering, colorful lights visible in the polar regions here on Earth.

Earth auroras have different names depending on which pole they occur at. Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights, is the name given to auroras around the north pole and Aurora Australis, or the southern lights, is the name given for auroras around the south pole.

Learn more:
The Colors of the Aurora (National Park Service)
https://www.nps.gov/articles/-articles-aps-v8-i1-c9.htm

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, opposite Estonia.

Image Credit & Copyright: Roy Bigler
Image Date: Sept. 12, 2024 

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #Planet #Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights #MagneticField #Magnetosphere #SolarWind #Sun #Astrophotography #Astrophotographer #RoyBigler #Finland #Tasavalta #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-18 Crew Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival | China Space Station

Shenzhou-18 Crew Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival | China Space Station

The astronauts aboard China's space station Tiangong were not able to personally join the 1.4 billion fellow Chinese in spending the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, but they instead enjoyed their festival feast in-orbit high above the Earth on the occasion of the holiday for family reunion.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar and dates back more than a millennium. As a festival in honor of the Moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns, and share the holiday pastry of mooncakes.

The Shenzhou-18 crew, stationed in outer space, marked the occasion with a unique celebration, appreciating the Moon from the Tiangong space station, enjoying a festive feast, and sending warm wishes to those on the ground.

Astronaut Ye Guangfu, one of the three crew members, stated that from the space station, they can witness the Moon as it rises and sets 16 times a day, as the station orbits the Earth approximately every 90 minutes.

The Mid-Autumn Festival feast in space was particularly lavish, featuring dishes like spicy mutton, stewed beef with potatoes, braised pork chops, and milky chicken. The ground support team prepared personalized food packages tailored to each astronaut's tastes, with mooncakes as a must-have item.

"Let's open it now and see what our moon cake really looks like. The expected moon cake has come out. It's one filled with lotus seed paste. I hereby also wish you all a happy reunion filled with blessings," Ye said.

On April 25, 2024, China launched the Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship, carrying three astronauts—Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu—to the space station for a six-month mission.

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

Duration: 49 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou18 #神舟十八 #MidAutumnFestival #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

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

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

Mars 2020 - sol 1268

Mars 2020 - sol 1264

Mars 2020 - sol 1251

MSL - sol 4302

MSL - sol 4295

MSL - sol 4307

MSL - sol 4302

    

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Celebrating 12+ 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: Aug. 30-18, 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

Journey to Interacting Galaxies Arp 107 in Leo Minor

Journey to Interacting Galaxies Arp 107 in Leo Minor

Enjoy this trip to Arp 107, starting with a view of the constellations Ursa Major and Leo Minor. The journey to Arp 107, seen as we pass thousands of galaxies, would take light 450 million years to complete. As we approach Arp 107, the images transition from those taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to the newest image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Webb provides new details into these interacting galaxies, including a view from its Mid-Infrared Instrument, into the supermassive black hole at the center of Arp’s disturbed spiral galaxy.

Credits

Video:  NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Space Telescope Science Institute, Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Duration: 37 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #Galaxy #Galaxies #Arp107 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxy #SeyfertGalaxy #EllipticalGalaxy #LeoMinor #Constellation #Universe #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #MIRI #NIRCam #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Tour of Interacting Galaxies Arp 107 in Leo Minor | Webb Telescope

A Tour of Interacting Galaxies Arp 107 in Leo Minor | Webb Telescope

This video tours Arp 107, two galaxies that collided hundreds of millions of years ago. The journey begins and ends on a new mid- and near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope, and includes a fade to the mid-infrared view from Webb.

Webb has captured the pair of galaxies in the process of merging. This will take hundreds of millions of years.

Arp 107 is located 465 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.

Credits

Video: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)

Duration:  2 minutes, 43 seconds

Release Date: Sept. 18, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #Galaxy #Galaxies #Arp107 #InteractingGalaxies #SpiralGalaxy #SeyfertGalaxy #EllipticalGalaxy #LeoMinor #Constellation #Universe #JamesWebb #SpaceTelescope #MIRI #NIRCam #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video