Russian Cosmonaut Spacewalk: Walkthrough Animation | International Space Station

Russian Cosmonaut Spacewalk: Walkthrough Animation | International Space Station

[No Audio]: NASA coverage is underway for today’s spacewalk with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner of Russia. The duo are venturing outside the station’s Poisk airlock to install an experiment package designed to monitor celestial x-ray sources and new electrical connector patch panels, remove several experiments for disposal,  and relocate a control panel for the European Robotic Arm that is attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Additionally, the two cosmonauts will relocate a control panel for the European robotic arm, which is attached to the Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexsandr Gorbunov will operate the arm during the spacewalk from inside the station.

The spacewalk is scheduled to last about six hours and 45 minutes. Roscosmos spacewalk 63 will be the second for Ovchinin and the first for Vagner. Ovchinin will wear an Orlan spacesuit with red stripes, and Vagner will wear a spacesuit with blue stripes. It will be the 272nd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

It will be the 272nd spacewalk in support of station maintenance and upgrades, the second for Ovchinin and the first for Vagner. 

Expedition 72 Updates:

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

Expedition 72 Crew
Station Commander: Suni Williams
Roscosmos (Russia): Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov
NASA: Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

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.

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Duration: 9 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 19, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #Spacewalk #EVA #Cosmonauts # IvanVagner #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #Astronauts #InternationalCooperation #LongDurationMissions #SpaceLaboratory #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Transition video: Hubble & Webb views of Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis

Transition video: Hubble & Webb views of Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis

Spiral galaxy NGC 2566 sits 76 million light-years away in the constellation Puppis.

The first view of the galaxy shown is a new image that is a combination of data from the James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI and NIRCam instruments. It shows off NGC 2566’s well-defined spiral arms, long central bar and delicate tracery of gas, dust and stars.

The second image is an also-new image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope and shows the galaxy’s star clusters and star-forming regions, bright in visible and ultraviolet light.

Credit: ESA/Webb/Hubble, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy, D. Thilker, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 18, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2566 #SpiralGalaxy #Puppis #Constellation #Universe #JWST #MIRI #NIRCam #Infrared #Hubble #HST #SpaceTelescopes #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566: NirCam+MIRI views | James Webb Space Telescope

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566: NirCam+MIRI views | James Webb Space Telescope

The galaxy filling the frame in this NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is NGC 2566, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Puppis. The image combines observations from two of Webb’s instruments, the Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), to show off NGC 2566’s well-defined spiral arms, long central bar and delicate tracery of gas, dust and stars.

At 76 million light-years away, NGC 2566 is considered a nearby galaxy, making it an excellent target for studying fine details like star clusters and gas clouds. The new Webb images of NGC 2566 were collected as part of an observing program (#3707) dedicated to understanding the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. NGC 2566 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local Universe examined by Webb for this program.

The mid-infrared wavelengths captured by MIRI highlight NGC 2566’s warm interstellar dust, including complex, sooty molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The near-infrared NIRCam data give a detailed view of the galaxy’s stars, even those that are deeply embedded within clouds of gas. The NIRCam data also captured light from the hydrocarbon molecules.

To gain a full understanding of the star-formation process in nearby galaxies, astronomers will combine Webb data with observations from other telescopes. At the long-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the 66 radio dishes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provide a detailed view of the cold, turbulent clouds where stars are born. 

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has also cast its gaze on NGC 2566, and a new Hubble image of this galaxy was released earlier this week. The Hubble data will help researchers take a census of the stars in nearby galaxies, especially the young stars that are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive. Together, the Webb, Hubble and ALMA data provide a rich view of the cold gas, warm dust and brilliant stars in NGC 2566.

Image Description: An oval-shaped spiral galaxy, seen close-up. Its core is a compact, pale spot that glows brightly, filling the disc with bluish light. Faint strands of pale reddish dust swirl out from the core to the far sides of the disc. They each join up with an arm of thick, cloudy, red dust with brighter orange patches, that follows the edge of the disc around to the opposite end and a little off the galaxy.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2566 #SpiralGalaxy #Puppis #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #MIRI #NIRCam #Infrared #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566: NirCam+MIRI view | James Webb Space Telescope

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566: NirCam+MIRI view | James Webb Space Telescope

The galaxy filling the frame in this NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is NGC 2566, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Puppis. The image combines observations from two of Webb’s instruments, the Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), to show off NGC 2566’s well-defined spiral arms, long central bar and delicate tracery of gas, dust and stars.

At 76 million light-years away, NGC 2566 is considered a nearby galaxy, making it an excellent target for studying fine details like star clusters and gas clouds. The new Webb images of NGC 2566 were collected as part of an observing program (#3707) dedicated to understanding the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. NGC 2566 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local Universe examined by Webb for this program.

The mid-infrared wavelengths captured by MIRI highlight NGC 2566’s warm interstellar dust, including complex, sooty molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The near-infrared NIRCam data give a detailed view of the galaxy’s stars, even those that are deeply embedded within clouds of gas. The NIRCam data also captured light from the hydrocarbon molecules.

To gain a full understanding of the star-formation process in nearby galaxies, astronomers will combine Webb data with observations from other telescopes. At the long-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the 66 radio dishes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provide a detailed view of the cold, turbulent clouds where stars are born. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has also cast its gaze on NGC 2566, and a new Hubble image of this galaxy was released earlier this week. The Hubble data will help researchers take a census of the stars in nearby galaxies, especially the young stars that are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive. Together, the Webb, Hubble and ALMA data provide a rich view of the cold gas, warm dust and brilliant stars in NGC 2566.

Image Description: An oval-shaped spiral galaxy, seen close-up. Its core is a compact, pale spot that glows brightly, filling the disc with bluish light. Faint strands of pale reddish dust swirl out from the core to the far sides of the disc. They each join up with an arm of thick, cloudy, red dust with brighter orange patches, that follows the edge of the disc around to the opposite end and a little off the galaxy.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2566 #SpiralGalaxy #Puppis #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #MIRI #NIRCam #Infrared #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Close-up view: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up view: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | James Webb Space Telescope

The galaxy filling the frame in this NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is NGC 2566, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Puppis. In this image, Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) puts the thick clouds of interstellar dust throughout NGC 2566 on display, as well as the galaxy’s compact, bright core.

At 76 million light-years away, NGC 2566 is considered a nearby galaxy, making it an excellent target for studying fine details like star clusters and gas clouds. The new Webb images of NGC 2566 were collected as part of an observing program (#3707) dedicated to understanding the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. NGC 2566 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local Universe examined by Webb for this program.

To gain a full understanding of the star-formation process in nearby galaxies, astronomers will combine Webb data with observations from other telescopes. At the long-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the 66 radio dishes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provide a detailed view of the cold, turbulent clouds where stars are born. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has also cast its gaze on NGC 2566. The Hubble data will help researchers take a census of the stars in nearby galaxies, especially the young stars that are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths that Hubble is sensitive to. Together, the Webb, Hubble and ALMA data provide a comprehensive view of the cold gas, warm dust, and brilliant stars in NGC 2566.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen close-up. Its core is a round spot that glows intensely bright, crowned by eight long and spikes that extend across the galaxy, artefacts of the telescope’s structure. Its disc is an oval shape with edges made of very thick and cloudy arms of gas and dust, mostly blue but paler and brighter around patches of stars. Wisps of darker dust also fill the inner disc and swirl off the ends of the arms.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2566 #SpiralGalaxy #Puppis #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #MIRI #Infrared #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | James Webb Space Telescope

Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | James Webb Space Telescope

The galaxy filling the frame in this NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is NGC 2566, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Puppis. In this image, Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) puts the thick clouds of interstellar dust throughout NGC 2566 on display, as well as the galaxy’s compact, bright core.

At 76 million light-years away, NGC 2566 is considered a nearby galaxy, making it an excellent target for studying fine details like star clusters and gas clouds. The new Webb images of NGC 2566 were collected as part of an observing program (#3707) dedicated to understanding the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. NGC 2566 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local Universe examined by Webb for this program.

To gain a full understanding of the star-formation process in nearby galaxies, astronomers will combine Webb data with observations from other telescopes. At the long-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the 66 radio dishes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provide a detailed view of the cold, turbulent clouds where stars are born. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has also cast its gaze on NGC 2566. The Hubble data will help researchers take a census of the stars in nearby galaxies, especially the young stars that are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths that Hubble is sensitive to. Together, the Webb, Hubble and ALMA data provide a comprehensive view of the cold gas, warm dust, and brilliant stars in NGC 2566.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen close-up. Its core is a round spot that glows intensely bright, crowned by eight long and spikes that extend across the galaxy, artefacts of the telescope’s structure. Its disc is an oval shape with edges made of very thick and cloudy arms of gas and dust, mostly blue but paler and brighter around patches of stars. Wisps of darker dust also fill the inner disc and swirl off the ends of the arms.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAWebb #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2566 #SpiralGalaxy #Puppis #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #JWST #MIRI #Infrared #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Close-up view: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | Hubble

Close-up view: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | Hubble

Featured in this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture is the spiral galaxy NGC 2566. It sits 76 million light-years away in the constellation Puppis. A prominent bar of stars stretches across the center of this galaxy, and spiral arms emerge from each end of the bar. Because NGC 2566 appears tilted from our perspective, its disc takes on an almond shape, giving the galaxy the appearance of a cosmic eye.

As NGC 2566 gazes at us, astronomers gaze right back, using Hubble to survey the galaxy’s star clusters and star-forming regions. The Hubble data are especially valuable for studying stars that are just a few million years old; these stars are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive. Using these data, researchers will measure the ages of NGC 2566’s stars, helping to piece together the timeline of the galaxy’s star formation and the exchange of gas between star-forming clouds and stars themselves.

Several other astronomical observatories have examined NGC 2566, including the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope. The Webb data complement this Hubble image, adding a view of NGC 2566’s warm, glowing dust to Hubble’s stellar portrait. At the long-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, NGC 2566 has also been observed by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). ALMA is a network of 66 radio telescopes that work together as one to capture detailed images of the clouds of gas in which stars form. Together, Hubble, Webb and ALMA provide an overview of the formation, lives and deaths of stars in galaxies across the Universe.

Image Description: An oval-shaped spiral galaxy. Its core is a compact, glowing blue spot. A bright bar of light, lined with dark reddish dust, extends horizontally to the edge of the disc. A spiral arm emerges from each end of the bar and follows the edge of the disc, lined with blue and red glowing patches of stars, to the opposite end and a little off the galaxy. Blue stars are scattered between us and the galaxy.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 16, 2024

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #NGC2566 #SpiralGalaxy #Puppis #Constellation #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #Cosmos #Universe #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

New Expedition 72 Crew & International Space Station Images

New Expedition 72 Crew & International Space Station Images

Astronauts Suni Williams and Don Pettit pose for a selfie-portrait

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Don Pettit, Expedition 72 Commander and Flight Engineer respectively, take a break from science maintenance activities and pose for a selfie-portrait aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams photographs the European Materials Ageing (EMA) experiment hardware beng set up inside the International Space Station's Harmony module. EMA contains a variety of samples that will be exposed to the space environment to learn how to improve the development of space hardware and applications for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The external investigation will operate outside the Columbus laboratory module for about a year.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams installs the European Materials Ageing experiment hardware inside the Nanoracks Bishop airlock. The external investigation will be robotically removed from Bishop, installed on the Bartolomeo research platform attached to the outside of the Columbus laboratory module, and expose a variety of materials to the vacuum of space for about a year.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Nick Hague installs the European Materials Ageing experiment hardware inside the Nanoracks Bishop airlock. The external investigation will be robotically removed from Bishop, installed on the Bartolomeo research platform attached to the outside of the Columbus laboratory module, and expose a variety of materials to the vacuum of space for about a year.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Nick Hague, Expedition 72 Commander and Flight Engineer respectively, install the European Materials Ageing experiment hardware inside the Nanoracks Bishop airlock. The external investigation will be robotically removed from Bishop, installed on the Bartolomeo research platform attached to the outside of the Columbus laboratory module, and expose a variety of materials to the vacuum of space for about a year.

The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft by a SpaceX Crew-8 member shortly after undocking from the Harmony module's space-facing port. The orbital outpost was soaring 272 miles above the cloudy Patagonia region of South America at the time of this photograph on October 23, 2024.

The International Space Station is pictured from a window on the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft by a SpaceX Crew-8 member shortly after undocking from the Harmony module's space-facing port. The orbital outpost was soaring 272 miles above a cloudy Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile at the time of this photograph on October 23, 2024.

The Full Moon is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above the Pacific Ocean. In the foreground, a portion of one of the orbital outpost's radiators, also known as the External Active Thermal Control System, is seen.

Crew Update: Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner of Russia are preparing for a spacewalk that will see the duo remove external science experiments and relocate European robotic arm hardware. The pair organized their spacewalking tools and conducted photographic inspections inside the Poisk airlock where they will exit into the vacuum of space at 10:10 a.m. EST on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Ovchinin and Vagner will spend about six hour and 40-minutes wearing their Orlan spacesuits while tethered to the outside of the orbital outpost.

Expedition 72 Updates:

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

Expedition 72 Crew
Station Commander: Suni Williams
Roscosmos (Russia): Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov
NASA: Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

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.

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: Oct. 23-Dec. 14, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #SpaceXCrew8DragonSpacecraft #Astronauts #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #LongDurationMissions #SpaceLaboratory #MicrogravityExperiments #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education

The Christmas Tree Cluster: NGC 2264 with Blinking X-rays | NASA Chandra

The Christmas Tree Cluster: NGC 2264 with Blinking X-rays | NASA Chandra

The “Christmas Tree Cluster,” or NGC 2264, shows a cluster of young stars between one and five million years old. (For comparison, the Sun is a middle-aged star about 5 billion years old—about 1,000 times older.) NGC 2264 is about 2,500 light-years from Earth. NASA Chandra X-ray Telescope data (red, purple, blue, and white) has been combined with optical data (green and violet) captured from by astrophotographer Michael Clow from his telescope in Arizona in November 2024.

Here, wispy green clouds in a conical shape strongly resemble an evergreen tree. Tiny specks of white, blue, purple, and red light, stars within the cluster, dot the structure, turning the cloud into a festive, cosmic Christmas tree!

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

Credits: 

X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO

Optical: Michael Clow
Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and K. Arcand 
Video: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart

Duration: 12 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #NASAChandra #ChandraXrayObservatory #Stars #NGC2264 #StarCluster #ChristmasTreeCluster #Monoceros #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #Xray #NASAMarshall #MSFC #CXC #2MASS #WIYNTelescope #NSF #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Missions Spot Cosmic 'Wreath' Displaying Stellar Circle of Life

NASA Missions Spot Cosmic 'Wreath' Displaying Stellar Circle of Life

Most stars form in collections or groups, called clusters or associations that include very massive stars. Since antiquity, wreaths have symbolized the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. It is fitting then that one of the best places for astronomers to learn more about the stellar lifecycle resembles a giant holiday wreath itself.

The star cluster NGC 602 lies on the outskirts of the Small Magellanic Cloud. It is one of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way about 200,000 light-years from Earth. The stars in NGC 602 have fewer heavier elements compared to the Sun and most of the rest of the Galaxy. Instead, the conditions within NGC 602 mimic those for stars found billions of years ago when the Universe was much younger.

This new image combines data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The dark ring-like outline of the wreath seen in JWST data is made up of dense clouds of filled dust.

Meanwhile, X-rays from Chandra show young, massive stars that are illuminating the wreath, sending high-energy light into interstellar space. These X-rays are powered by winds flowing from the young, massive stars that are sprinkled throughout the cluster. The extended cloud in the Chandra data likely comes from the overlapping X-ray glow of thousands of young, low-mass stars in the cluster.

Video Credit: NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 1 minute, 45 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Christmas2024 #MerryChristmas #Stars #StarClusters #NGC602 #Monoceros #Constellation #SMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #NASAChandra #ChandraObservatory #CXC #Xray #MSFC #JWST #Infrared #SpaceTelescopes #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA Artemis II & IV Moon Missions: Orion Spacecraft Tests | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Artemis II&IV Moon Missions: Orion Spacecraft Tests | Kennedy Space Center

Artemis II Orion Spacecraft in FAST Cell for Final Checkouts

The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II mission undergoes checkouts in the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024.

Artemis IV Orion Backshell Panels

Back shell panels are visible on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis IV mission inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The back shell panels serve as the outer layer of the spacecraft and will protect it against the extreme temperatures of re-entry from deep space.

Artemis IV Orion Heat Shield Carrier

The heat shield carrier for Orion’s Artemis IV mission is in view secured on a work stand in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The carrier structure holds the thermal protection system heat shield securely to the Orion crew module while facing launch, reentry, and splashdown impact loads.

Artemis IV Orion Backshell Panels

Back shell panels are visible on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis IV mission inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The back shell panels serve as the outer layer of the spacecraft and will protect it against the extreme temperatures of re-entry from deep space.

The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis II mission undergoes checkouts in the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) cell inside the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 15, 2024. The Orion spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back for the Artemis II test flight.

The Orion spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, as well as CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back for the Artemis II test flight.

The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew under the Artemis campaign. It will launch no earlier than April 2026.

For more information about NASA's Orion spacecraft:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/orion-spacecraft/

Check the NASA Artemis II Mission page for updates:

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

Image Credit: NASA/Rad Sinyak

Image Date: Dec. 15, 2024

#NASA #ESA #CSA #Space #Moon #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIIMission #ArtemisII #ArtemisIVMission #ArtemisIV #OrionSpacecraft #SpacecraftTesting #LockheedMartin #DeepSpace #Astronauts #MoonToMars #Science #SpaceExploration #HumanSpaceflight #KSC #NASAKennedy #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #STEM #Education

Shenzhou-19 Crew's First Spacewalk Successful | China Space Station

Shenzhou-19 Crew's First Spacewalk Successful | China Space Station

The Shenzhou-19 crew members on board China's orbiting Tinagong Space Station successfully completed their first extravehicular activities (EVAs) at 21:57 Beijing Time on December 17, 2024, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze worked for around nine hours to complete their tasks, including the installation of the space station's debris protection device and the inspection of extravehicular equipment and facilities with the assistance of a ground team and the space station's robotic arm.

Cai and Song were assigned the EVA duty, while Wang assisted the pair throughout the mission from the space station.

At 12:51, Cai exited the hatch door of the Wentian lab module and successfully attached himself to the robotic arm. Then, with the assistance of Song, he carefully lifted the equipment needed for the mission out of the hatch door. Song exited the lab module at 14:32 to perform his tasks.

The mission of the first extravehicular activities of the Shenzhou-19 crew was a complete success, setting a new record for the duration of EVAs by Chinese astronauts, said the CMSA.

It marked Cai's second EVAs in space, following his initial EVAs during the Shenzhou-14 mission two years ago. Song became the first Chinese astronaut born after 1990 to carry out EVAs, said the agency.

It was the 17th spacewalk carried out by Chinese astronauts.

The Shenzhou-19 crew is set to carry out a slew of scheduled space-science experiments and technical tests, while they will also undertake additional extravehicular activities and install payloads outside the space station.

China launched the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship on October 30, 2024, sending three astronauts—including the country's first female space engineer—to its orbiting space station for a six-month mission.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:

Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)

Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)

Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #Spacewalk #EVA #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

China Just Unveiled Two New Commercial Cargo Spacecraft | Dongfang Hour

China Just Unveiled Two New Commercial Cargo Spacecraft | Dongfang Hour

In the weeks leading up to the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024, China unveiled two new commercial cargo spacecraft for the China Space Station: Haolong-1 (designed by AVIC), and Qingzhou (developed by Shanghai Microsat aka SECM). These two spacecraft were selected after a public request for proposals. This included bids from commercial companies—a first for China and for its human spaceflight agency, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

In this video, we discuss the characteristics of these two spacecraft, how they are transforming the Chinese space program's procurement process, and the factors behind the selection of the two final tender winners.

Video Credit: Dongfang Hour
Duration: 12 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #CargoSpacecraft #CommercialSpace #CommercialCargo #Haolong1 #AVIC #Qingzhou #ShanghaiMicrosat #SECM #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

PACE Earth Scientists Take to Sea and Air (Really High Air) | NASA

PACE Earth Scientists Take to Sea and Air (Really High Air) | NASA

One of NASA’s most expansive and complex field campaigns took place during September 2024. 
The goal: to check the data that the new PACE satellite is collecting from orbit about Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. To do that, NASA’s PACE-PAX (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment) deployed several aircraft and ships from multiple locations in California, including Marina, Santa Barbara, and NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards.

Learn more about NASA's PACE Earth Mission: https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov

Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producers:
Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Elizabeth C. Wilk (eMITS)
Grace Weikert (eMITS)
Videographers:
Elizabeth C. Wilk (eMITS)
Grace Weikert (eMITS)
Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Animator, Writer, Editor & Narrator: Ryan Fitzgibbons (eMITS)
Scientists: 
Kirk Knobelspiesse (NASA/GSFC)
Ivona Cetinic (Morgan State University)
Brian Cairns (NASA/GSFC GISS)
Jeremy Werdell (NASA/GSFC)
Visualizers:
Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC)
Kel Elkins (USRA)
Interviewees:
Kirk Knobelspiesse (NASA/GSFC)
Ivona Cetinic (Morgan State University)
Brian Cairns (NASA/GSFC GISS)
Samuel LeBlanc (BAER)
Adam Ahern (NOAA CSL)
Duration: 9 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Science #Earth #Planet #Atmosphere #Oceans #MarineBiology #Phytoplankton #PACEMission #PACEPAX #AirborneObservatory #EarthObservation #EarthScience #RemoteSensing #Weather #Climate #ClimateChange #GlobalHeating #JPL #AFRC #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Starship Static Fire Engine Burn: Preparing for Starship Flight Test#7

SpaceX Starship Static Fire Engine Burn: Preparing for Starship Flight Test#7

SpaceX performed a single engine static fire demonstrating a flight-like startup for an in-space burn of the Starship that will be used for Flight Test#7 at SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket—collectively referred to as Starship—represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

Key Starship Parameters:
Height: 121m/397ft
Diameter: 9m/29.5ft
Payload to LEO: 100 – 150t (fully reusable)

"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."

Learn more about Starship:

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

Download the Free Starship User Guide (PDF):

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

Video Credit: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)

Duration:  2 minutes
Release Date: Dec.17, 2024

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Mars #Moon #MoonToMars #ArtemisProgram #ArtemisIII #Starship #Spacecraft #Starship7 #TestFlight7 #HeavyBooster #SuperHeavyRocket #ElonMusk #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #CommercialSpace #SpaceExploration #Starbase #BocaChica #Texas #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

First Binary Star Found Near Milky Way Galaxy's Black Hole | ESO

First Binary Star Found Near Milky Way Galaxy's Black Hole | ESO

Two stars have been found orbiting each other in the vicinity of Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. A young binary star system forming and surviving in this extreme gravity means that black holes are not as destructive as we thought. This video summarizes the discovery.

Read the full article here: 
https://www.friendsofnasa.org/2024/12/first-binary-star-found-near-our.html

Credits: European Southern Observatory (ESO) ESO
Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner.
Editing: Angelos Tsaousis.
Written by: Hanna Huysegoms.
Footage and Photos: ESO / Luis Calçada, Cristoph Malin, Martin Kornmesser, Florian Peißker et al., Nick Risinger, Schoedel, 
DSS, VISTA, EHT Collaboration, VVV Survey/D. Minniti Nogueras-Lara et al.
Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova
Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

#NASA #ESO #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #BinaryStars #D9 #SCluster #SagittariusA #Sagittarius #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #UnitedStates #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video