Carbon-rich Dust Grains Found in First Billion Years of Universe | Webb Telescope

Carbon-rich Dust Grains Found in First Billion Years of Universe | Webb Telescope

This image highlights the location of the galaxy JADES-GS-z6 in a portion of an area of the sky known as GOODS-South, which was observed as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, or JADES. 

The galaxy JADES-GS-z6, along with others in this region, were part of a Webb study by an international team of astronomers, who observed the chemical signature of carbon-rich dust grains at redshift ~7. This is roughly equivalent to one billion years after the birth of the Universe. Similar observational signatures have been observed in the much more recent Universe, attributed to complex, carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It is not thought likely, however, that PAHs would have developed within the first billion years of cosmic time. Therefore, this observation suggests the exciting possibility that Webb may have observed a different species of carbon-based molecule: possibly minuscule graphite- or diamond-like grains produced by the earliest stars or supernovae. This observation suggests exciting avenues of investigation into both the production of cosmic dust and the earliest stellar populations in our Universe, and was made possible by Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity.

Image Description: This image shows a deep galaxy field, featuring thousands of galaxies of various shapes and sizes. A cutout indicates a particular galaxy, known as JADES-GS-z6, which was a research target for this result. It appears as a blurry smudge of blue, red and green.

The team’s research indicates that this particular galaxy showed significant dust obscuration and has undergone substantial metal enrichment relative to galaxies with similar mass at the same redshift. The team also believes the galaxy's visible color gradient may indicate a peculiar geometrical alignment of stars and dust.

The galaxy is shown zoomed in on a region measuring roughly 1x1 arcseconds, which is a measure of angular distance on the sky. One arcsecond is equal to 1/3600 of one degree of arc (the full Moon has an angular diameter of about 0.5 degrees). The actual size of an object that covers one arcsecond on the sky depends on its distance from the telescope.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, ESA, CSA, B. Robertson (UC Santa Cruz), B. Johnson (Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian), S. Tacchella (University of Cambridge, M. Rieke (Univ. of Arizona), D. Eisenstein (Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian), A. Pagan (STScI)

Release Date: July 19, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #Galaxies #Galaxy #JADESGSz6 #GOODSSouth #CarbonRichDust #CarbonBasedMolecules #Fornax #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #CSA #Canada #Europe #Infographic #STEM #Education

Meet the Samples: Ha'ahóni and Atsá (Samples 8 & 9) | NASA/JPL

Meet the Samples: Ha'ahóni and Atsá (Samples 8 & 9) | NASA/JPL

Meet two of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of late June 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study.

Considered one of the highest priorities by the scientists in the Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet and provides the best opportunity to reveal the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for ancient life. NASA is teaming with the European Space Agency (ESA) on this important endeavor.

Learn more about Samples No. 8 and 9—“Ha'ahóni” and “Atsá,” two rock samples collected by Perseverance near its original landing site in Jezero Crater. These rock cores were drilled from a boulder that is among the more pristine igneous rocks the rover has sampled. Perseverance found igneous rocks, which form as lava or magma solidifies, throughout the crater floor. Samples No. 8 and 9 potentially represent a unique chapter in the history of Jezero Crater and were the last samples the rover collected on the crater floor before moving on to explore the nearby ancient river delta.

Read about all the carefully selected samples:

https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples

Learn more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: 

https://mars.nasa.gov/msr 

A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, as well as be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)-Caltech

Duration: 1 minute 22 seconds 

Release Date: July 19, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #Mars2020 #PerseveranceRover #JezeroCrater #Haahóni #Atsá #MarsSampleReturn #MSR #Robotics #SpaceTechnology #SpaceEngineering #JPL #Caltech #UnitedStates #Europe #MoonToMars #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Orbital Sunrise above Earth's Pacific Ocean | International Space Station

Orbital Sunrise above Earth's Pacific Ocean | International Space Station

The International Space Station was soaring into an orbital sunrise 259 miles above the U.S. territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean at the time of this photograph.

Follow Expedition 69 updates here:

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

Expedition 69 Crew (July 2023)

Station Commander: Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Dmitri Petelin & Andrey Fedyaev

Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

NASA: Flight Engineers Frank Rubio, Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: July 15, 2023

#NASA #Space #ISS #Planet #Earth #Sun #Sunrise #Orbital #Atmosphere #PacificOcean #Guam #Science #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceTechnology #UnitedStates #Russia #Роскосмос #UAE #SpaceResearch #SpaceLaboratory #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #Expedition69 #InternationalCooperation #STEM #Education

The Final Pre-launch Tests | High Above Down Under | NASA Goddard

The Final Pre-launch Tests | High Above Down Under | NASA Goddard

Episode 4: The Final Tests | Follow two NASA rocket teams as they launch from Australia to study our nearest stellar neighbors—Alpha Centauri A & B—on a quest to understand how stars make the planets around them suitable for life

In this episode, we will answer that question and check in on the rockets as they make their final preparation to launch into space.

Learn more about NASA’s Sounding Rockets Program:

https://www.nasa.gov/soundingrockets

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Additional footage: Office of the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory government, Equatorial Launch Australia

Additional graphics: Vecteezy

Host: Miles Hatfield (NASA/GSFC) 

Writers/Videographers: 

Miles Hatfield (NASA/GSFC) 

Mara Johnson-Groh (NASA/GSFC) 

Producers: 

Beth Anthony (NASA/GSFC) 

Joy Ng (NASA/GSFC) 

Lacey Young (NASA/GSFC) 

Animators: 

Walt Feimer (NASA/GSFC) 

Jenny McElligott (NASA/GSFC) 

Scientific Advisor: 

Kevin France (CU Boulder/LASP/SISTINE)

Special thanks to:

Equatorial Launch Australia

Gumatj Corporation Ltd.

Office of the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory government

Release Date: July 19, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #Exoplanets #Planets #AlphaCentauriA #AlphaCentauriB #UtravioletLight #Astrobiology #SoundingRockets #RocketLaunches #TeamSistine #TeamDeuce #ArnhemSpaceCentre #Australia #NorthernTerritory #Host #MilesHatfield #GSFC #NASAWallops #WFF #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

What's Going on with the Hole in the Earth's Ozone Layer? We Asked a NASA Expert

What's Going on with the Hole in the Earth's Ozone Layer? We Asked a NASA Expert

What's going on with the hole in the ozone layer?

Thanks to a global effort to regulate ozone-depleting substances, the ozone hole is showing signs of recovery and is projected to return to a healthy level by mid-century. Well done, world.

However, at NASA, scientists continue to monitor its progress. NASA Goddard’s Qing Liang explains more. Background info:

https://go.nasa.gov/3DhEBvp

 

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producers: Scott Bednar, Jessica Wilde

Editor: James Lucas

Duration: 1 minute, 42 seconds

Release Date: July 19, 2023

#NASA #Space #Satellites #Planet #Earth #Atmosphere #SouthPole #Antarctica #OzoneHole #OzoneLayer #Star #Sun #UltravioletLight #UltravioletRadiation #UVRadiation #HumanHealth #HealthHazard #MontrealProtocol #NASAGoddard #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zooming in on PDS 70 System: Host to Planet PDS 70b & Possible Trojan | ESO

Zooming in on PDS 70 System: Host to Planet PDS 70b & Possible Trojan | ESO

This sequence takes the viewer towards the southern constellation of Centaurus. We zoom in on the orange dwarf star PDS 70, which is located about 400 light-years away and has at least two planets orbiting it. The final shot shows the spectacular new image, taken with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) of the PDS 70 system, where the planet PDS 70b and its Trojan cloud of debris are in the same orbit around the central star.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)/L. Calçada/ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/Balsalobre-Ruza et al.

Duration: 50 seconds

Release Date: July 19, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science #DwarfStarPDS70 #PDS70System #Planets #Exoplanets #PlanetPDS70b #PlanetPDS70c #CircumstellarDisc #Centaurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #ALMA #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Does this Exoplanet have a “Sibling” Sharing the Same Orbit? | ESO

Does this Exoplanet have a “Sibling” Sharing the Same Orbit? | ESO

ESOcast 263 Light: Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), astronomers have found  the possible ‘sibling’ of a planet orbiting a distant star. This video summarizes the discovery. The system features a star at its center, around which the planet PDS 70b (highlighted with a solid yellow circle) is orbiting. On the same orbit as PDS 70b, indicated by a solid yellow ellipse, astronomers have detected a cloud of debris (circled by a yellow dotted line) that could be the building blocks of a new planet or the remnants of one already formed. The ring-like structure that dominates the image is a circumstellar disc of material, out of which planets are forming. There is in fact another planet in this system: PDS 70c, seen at 3 o’clock right next to the inner rim of the disc.

Credit: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

Directed by: Angelos Tsaousis and Martin Wallner.

Editing: Angelos Tsaousis.

Web and technical support: Gurvan Bazin and Raquel Yumi Shida.

Written by: Claudia Sciarma and Tom Howarth.

Footage and photos: ESO / L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser, Angelos Tsaousis, C. Malin ( christophmalin.com ), ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/UHD Team/Balsalobre-Ruza et al.

Scientific consultant: Paola Amico, Mariya Lyubenova.

Duration: 1 minute, 28 seconds

Release Date: July 19, 2023

#NASA #ESO #Space #Astronomy #Science # #DwarfStarPDS70 #PDS70System #Planets #Exoplanets #PlanetPDS70b #PlanetPDS70c #CircumstellarDisc #ALMA #AtacamaDesert #Chile #SouthAmerica #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Messier 81: Optical, Ultraviolet & Infrared Views Combined | Hubble/GALEX/Spitzer

Messier 81: Optical, Ultraviolet & Infrared Views Combined | Hubble/GALEX/Spitzer

This image combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) missions. The GALEX ultraviolet data were from the far-UV portion of the spectrum (135 to 175 nanometres). The Spitzer infrared data were taken with the IRAC 4 detector (8 microns). The Hubble data were taken at the blue portion of the spectrum.

Messier 81 (M81) is a spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds—the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. M81 is located 11.6 million light-years away. The M81 galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness make it a popular target for amateur astronomers. In the midsts of this galaxy is the supernova 1993J which was recently found to have a companion star which had been hidden in the glow of the supernova for 21 years. 

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and A. Zezas (Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics); GALEX data: NASA, JPL-Caltech, GALEX Team, J. Huchra et al. (Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics); Spitzer data: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics.

Release Date: May 28, 2007

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier81 #M81 #NGC3031 #BodesGalaxy #SpiralGalaxy #UrsaMajor #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #Spitzer #Infrared  #GALEX #Ultraviolet #SpaceTelescopes #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

The "Grand Design" Spiral Galaxy M81 | Hubble

The "Grand Design" Spiral Galaxy M81 | Hubble

Messier 81 (M81) is a spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds—the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. M81 is located 11.6 million light-years away. The M81 galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness make it a popular target for amateur astronomers. In the midsts of this galaxy is the supernova 1993J which was recently found to have a companion star which had been hidden in the glow of the supernova for 21 years. 

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA). Acknowledgment: A. Zezas and J. Huchra (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)

Release Date: May 28, 2007

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Galaxies #Galaxy #Messier81 #M81 #NGC3031 #BodesGalaxy #SpiralGalaxy #UrsaMajor #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Bode's Galaxy: M81 | Schulman Telescope

Bode's Galaxy: M81 | Schulman Telescope

    

M81 is a spiral-shaped system of stars, dust, and gas clouds—the galaxy's arms wind all the way down into the nucleus. M81 is located 11.6 million light-years away. The M81 galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness make it a popular target for amateur astronomers. In the midsts of this galaxy is the supernova 1993J which was recently found to have a companion star which had been hidden in the glow of the supernova for 21 years. 

Technical Details

Schulman 32-inch RCOS Telescope

Camera: SBIG STX16803

The 0.81 m (32 in) Schulman Telescope is a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector built by RC Optical Systems and installed in 2010. It is operated by the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and is Arizona's largest dedicated public observatory. The Schulman Telescope was designed from inception for remote control over the Internet by amateur and professional astrophotographers worldwide. It is currently the world's largest telescope dedicated for this purpose.

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Galaxies #Galaxy #M81 #NGC3031 #BodesGalaxy #SpiralGalaxy #UrsaMajor #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #UA #MountLemmonObservatory #SchulmanTelescope #AdamBlock #Astrophotographer #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Mars: Colors of the Undiscovered Country | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Mars: Colors of the Undiscovered Country | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Nili Fossae is one of our favorite places to image due to the incredibly dense terrain here where clays have been detected. For this reason, Nili Fossae has long been on the short-list for potential landings for robotic exploration. However, this image shows us how rugged (and dangerous) the landscape can be. We acquired this image to study the diverse mineralogy and gain HiRISE coverage over existing high-resolution CRISM data. (CRISM is a spectrometer also onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.)

This clip features the center swath of the full observation, utilizing the infrared-red-blue (IRB) filter of the HiRISE camera. Enhanced color can help us see details that we do not otherwise view in black and white. It would not appear like to this to our eyes if we were there.

This is a non-narrated clip with ambient sound. Image is less than 1 km (under one mile) across and the spacecraft altitude was 282 km (175 mi).

These images were acquired on April 28, 2022, by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) at an altitude of 281 km from the planet's surface. The image is less than 1 km across. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. 

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

“For 17 years, MRO has been revealing Mars to us as no one had seen it before,” said the mission’s project scientist, Rich Zurek of JPL.

Video Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Duration: 3 minutes, 42 seconds

Release Date: July 18, 2023 

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #Geoscience #NiliFossae #Clays #Minerals #MRO #Orbiter #Spacecraft #HiRISE #HiRISECamera #JPL #Caltech #UniversityOfArizona #BallAerospace #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Psyche Mission to a Metallic Asteroid: Preparing for Fall 2023 Launch

NASA's Psyche Mission to a Metallic Asteroid: Preparing for Fall 2023 Launch

Join the journey as NASA’s Psyche mission team prepares for a launch, no earlier than Oct. 5, 2023, to explore a unique metallic asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid, likely made largely of nickel-iron metal mixed with rock, could contain metal from the core of a planetesimal (the building block of an early rocky planet) and may offer a unique window into the violent history of collisions and accretion that created the terrestrial planets like Earth. Arizona State University (ASU) leads the Psyche mission.

Learn more about NASA's Psyche Mission:

http://www.nasa.gov/psyche and https://psyche.asu.edu/

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is managed by Caltech for NASA, is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. 

Credit: NASA

Duration: 3 minute, 24 seconds

Release Date: July 18, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #PsycheAsteroid #16Psyche #Asteroids #PsycheMission #PsycheSpacecraft #SolarElectricPropulsion #Planets #Mars #Jupiter #AsteroidBelt #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #JPL #Caltech #ASU #MaxarTechnologies #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Emission Nebula Sh2-140 | Mayall Telescope

Emission Nebula Sh2-140 | Mayall Telescope

This image was obtained with the wide-field view of the Mosaic camera on the 4-meter Mayall  Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Sh2-140 is an HII emission nebula on the southwest edge of the Lynds 1204 darn nebula. It is also on the edge the Cephus Ring, a ring of molecular gas and dust. 

Invisible in this image, there are about fifty young stars deeply embedded in the dark gas in the lower-left corner of the image. The image was generated with observations in the B (blue), I (orange) and Hydrogen-Alpha (red) filters. In this image, North is left, East is down.

The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope is a four-meter (158 inches) reflector telescope in Arizona named after Nicholas U. Mayall. It saw first light on February 27, 1973, and was the second-largest telescope in the world at that time.

Credit: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)

Release Date: June 30, 2020

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Nebulae #Nebula #Sh2140 #EmissionNebula #Cepheus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #MayallTelescope #KittPeakNationalObservatory #KPNO #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Emission Nebula Sh2-140 in Cepheus | Schulman Telescope

Emission Nebula Sh2-140 in Cepheus | Schulman Telescope

Sh2-140 is an HII emission nebula on the southwest edge of the Lynds 1204 darn nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. This nebula is also on the edge the Cephus Ring, a ring of molecular gas and dust.

Image Data: Schulman 32-inch RCOS Telescope, Camera SBIG STX16803

The 0.81 m (32 in) Schulman Telescope is a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector built by RC Optical Systems and installed in 2010. It is operated by the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and is Arizona's largest dedicated public observatory. The Schulman Telescope was designed from inception for remote control over the Internet by amateur and professional astrophotographers worldwide. It is currently the world's largest telescope dedicated for this purpose.

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Release Date: July 1, 2014

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Nebulae #Nebula #Sh2140 #EmissionNebula #Cepheus #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #UA #MountLemmonObservatory #SchulmanTelescope #Arizona #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Swarm Technology in Space with NASA's Starling Mission

Swarm Technology in Space with NASA's Starling Mission

NASA has sent a team of four CubeSats into orbit around Earth to see if they are able to cooperate on their own, without real-time updates from mission control. While that kind of autonomous cooperation may not sound too difficult for humans, this team will be robotic—composed of small satellites to test out key technologies for the future of deep space missions.

The Rocket Labs ‘Baby Come Back’ Electron rocket mission lifted off successfully from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on July 18 (NZST), 2023, with NASA’s Starling Mission.

Starling is funded by NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington.

Learn more about NASA's Starling Mission: 

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/starling/

Video Credit: NASA's Ames Research Center

Duration: 1 minute, 25 seconds

Release Date: July 13, 2023

#NASA #Space #Satellites #CubeSats #StarlingMission #SwarmTechnologies #SpaceCommunications #SpaceNavigation #Earth #RocketLab #ElectronRocket #CommercialSpace #NASAAmes #ARC #Science #Technology #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Rocket Lab's Electron Launches NASA Starling CubeSat Mission in New Zealand

Rocket Lab's Electron Launches NASA Starling CubeSat Mission in New Zealand

The ‘Baby Come Back’ Electron rocket mission lifted off successfully from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand on July 18 NZST, 2023, with NASA’s Starling Mission consisting of four CubeSats designed to advance technologies for cooperative groups of spacecraft—also known as swarms. Spacecraft swarms refer to multiple spacecraft autonomously coordinating their activities on orbit. Once positioned in orbit around Earth and spaced about 40 miles/64 km apart, Starling’s spacecraft will demonstrate the ability to autonomously fly together while keeping track of each other’s relative positions and trajectories. They also will demonstrate the ability to plan and execute activities as a group, without guidance from mission controllers, including responding to new information from onboard sensors. Starling’s spacecraft will also demonstrate creating and maintaining an inter-spacecraft communications network that automatically adjusts to changing conditions. The Starling mission will test whether the technologies work as expected, what their limitations are, and what developments are still needed for CubeSat swarms to be successful.

Learn more about NASA's Starling Mission: 

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/starling/

Baby Come Back launched a total of seven satellites to a sun synchronous orbit for three customers: NASA, Space Flight Laboratory and Spire Global. Baby Come Back is Rocket Lab’s seventh Electron launch of 2023, 39th Electron launch overall, and the Company’s second recovery mission this year.  After launch, Electron’s first stage returned to Earth under a parachute and completed a soft splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Rocket Lab’s marine recovery vessel then extracted the stage from the ocean and transported it back to Rocket Lab’s production complex for analysis.

This Electron first stage features new recovery upgrades including waterproofing systems to protect key engine and avionics components. Rocket Lab’s transition to marine recovery away from mid-air capture has been informed by previous recovery missions that showed Electron components and engines passed requalification testing following ocean splashdowns. This mission represents near final maturation of the marine recovery system in preparation for reflight of a booster.

Video Credit: Rocket Lab

Capture Date: July 17, 2023 (EST)

#NASA #Space #Satellites #CubeSats #StarlingMission #SwarmTechnologies #SpaceCommunications #SpaceNavigation #Earth #RocketLab #ElectronRocket #RocketLaunch #NewZealand #CommercialSpace #NASAAmes #ARC #Science #Technology #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video