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Panning across Planetary Nebula CVMP 1 in Circinus | NOIRLab
A twenty-second video pan out from the core of the planetary nebula CVMP 1. The international Gemini Observatory composite color image of the planetary nebula CVMP 1 was captured by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Gemini South Telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile. CVMP 1 formed as the result of a massive star throwing off its outer layers at the end of its life.
Credit: International Gemini Observatory/National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Planetary Nebula CVMP 1 in Circinus | Gemini South Telescope
The international Gemini Observatory composite color image of the planetary nebula CVMP 1 captured by the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile. CVMP 1 formed as the result of a massive star throwing off its outer layers at the end of its life.
Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/National Science Foundation (NSF)/Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Planet Mars: Circular Sand Dunes | NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Sand dunes of many shapes and sizes are common on Mars. In this example, the dunes are almost perfectly circular, which is unusual.
Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.
Latitude (centered)
42.505°
Longitude (East)
67.076°
Spacecraft altitude
298.2 km (185.3 miles)
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.
NASA's Space to Ground: Deep Dive | Week of Aug. 4, 2023
NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft installation at the International Space Station is now complete. Cygnus, carrying over 8,200 pounds of cargo and science experiments, launched atop the company’s Antares rocket at 8:31 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At 5:52 a.m., NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, along with NASA astronaut Frank Rubio as backup, captured Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Highlights of space station research facilitated by delivery aboard this Cygnus are:
- The final iteration of a series of spacecraft fire protection experiments
- A new potable water dispenserthat provides hot water and improved sanitization
- Neural cellsthat will be cultured into 3D cell models for gene therapy testing
- A probethat measures plasma density of the upper atmosphere
- A memory cardthat contains creative works from students around the world
Cygnus will remain at the space station until October before it departs for a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
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.
China's Plan for a Crewed Moon Landing in 2029 | Dongfang Hour
China has revealed plans to land two Chinese astronauts on the lunar surface by 2030, and is currently developing a heavy lift rocket, a crewed spacecraft, and a lunar lander to support this mission.
In this episode, we do a deep dive into the space hardware, the timelines, as well as a comparison with Apollo and Artemis.
The coming decade is going to be packed with lunar activity, both crewed and uncrewed!
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How NASA Uses Gravity and Radio Waves to Study Planets and Moons
The Deep Space Network, NASA’s international collection of giant radio antennas used to communicate with spacecraft at the Moon and beyond, helps scientists and engineers use gravity and radio science experiments to learn more about our planetary neighborhood.
After reaching a spacecraft reaches its destination, it uses radio antennas to communicate with the Deep Space Network, which in turn transmits radio signals back to the spacecraft. Every spacecraft travels in a predetermined path emitting radio signals as it orbits around its target. Scientists and engineers can infer the spacecraft's location and how fast it's going by measuring changes in the spacecraft's radio signal frequency. This is made possible by the Doppler effect, the same phenomenon that causes a siren to sound different as it travels towards and away from you.
The Doppler phenomenon is observed here when the spacecraft and the Deep Space Network antenna move in relation to each other. Differences between the frequency of radio signals sent by the spacecraft as it orbits and signals received on Earth give us details about the gravitational field of a planetary body. For example, if the gravity is slightly stronger, the spacecraft will accelerate slightly more. If gravity is slightly weaker, the spacecraft will accelerate slightly less. By developing a model of the planetary body's gravitational field, which can be mapped as a gravitational shape, scientists and researchers can deduce information about its internal structure.
The Deep Space Network was developed by and is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. The antennas of the Deep Space Network are the indispensable link to robotic explorers venturing beyond Earth. They provide the crucial connection for commanding our spacecraft and receiving never-before-seen images and scientific information on Earth, propelling our understanding of the universe, our solar system and ultimately, our place within it.
JPL manages the Deep Space Network for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program, based at NASA Headquarters within the Space Operations Mission Directorate.
NASA’s Psyche Asteroid Mission Spacecraft: Huge Solar Arrays Permanently Installed
The solar arrays for NASA’s Psyche mission underwent a final deployment test and were permanently installed on the spacecraft at Astrotech Space Operations near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Psyche is preparing for a 2.5 billion-mile (4 billion-kilometer) solar-powered trip to the metal-rich asteroid of the same name. In a clean room at Astrotech, the solar arrays were attached to the spacecraft body, unfolded lengthwise, and then re-stowed. This timelapse video was shot over about eight days in late July 2023. The solar arrays provide power for the journey to the asteroid and for operating the spacecraft’s science instruments. When unfolded, each array is 37 feet (11.3 meters) long.
Psyche expects to launch from Kennedy no earlier than Oct. 5, 2023.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in Spacesuits | Kennedy Space Center
From left to right: Mission Specialist Konstantin Borisov (Russia), Pilot Andreas Mogensen (Denmark), Commander Jasmin Moghbeli (USA), and Mission Specialist Satoshi Furukawa (Japan)
Jasmin Moghbeli, NASA astronaut and commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission
Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan) is a veteran astronaut and mission specialist on NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission
NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew are pictured in their spacesuits during a training session at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will be the spacecraft commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the agency’s seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station. This will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will join European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Russia and astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Mogensen will be the spacecraft pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the first non-US astronaut assigned in this capacity. This will be the first long-duration mission for Mogensen. He previously served as a flight engineer on a ten-day mission to the International Space Station in 2015. Crew-7 will be his second trip to space.
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 5:23 a.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 21, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The adjusted date allows additional time for launch site processing at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, a backup opportunity is available at 3:49 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.
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.
NASA Mars Curiosity Rover’s Most Challenging Climb Yet | JPL
Mars Report - August 2023: NASA’s Curiosity rover recently made its most challenging climb on Mars. Curiosity faced a steep, slippery slope on its journey up Mount Sharp, so rover drivers had to come up with a creative detour. After the detour, Curiosity stopped by a new area with intriguing impact craters to explore.
This edition of the Mars Report, set in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Yard and the Curiosity rover operations area, features rover driver Dane Schoelen explaining how the team found another route with less hazardous terrain. Curiosity will celebrate its 11th anniversary on Mars on Aug. 5.
Wildfires 101: How NASA Studies Fires in a Changing World
Changes in our climate, along with other factors, have led to wildfires increasing in intensity, severity, size and duration. From forest floor to space, NASA scientists and collaborators are advancing tools and methods to predict, remotely detect, and ultimately mitigate wildfires. That process starts with understanding fire behavior, tracking them with satellites, and getting that data in the hands of land managers and communities facing record-breaking fire seasons.
NASA's SpaceX Crew-7: Launch Pad Visit | Kennedy Space Center
The crew of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission poses for a photo wearing their matching Crew-7 patch polo shirts during a training with SpaceX. Form left to right: Konstantin Borisov (Russia), Andreas Mogensen (Denmark), Jasmin Moghbeli (USA), and Satoshi Furukawa (Japan).
Jasmin Moghbeli, NASA astronaut and commander of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission
Konstantin Borisov, a Russian cosmonaut and mission specialist on NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission
Andreas Mogensen, a Danish astronaut and pilot of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission
Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan) is an astronaut and mission specialist on NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission
NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew are pictured during a training session at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A in Florida. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will be the spacecraft commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the agency’s seventh rotational mission to the International Space Station. This will be the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will join European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Russia and astronaut Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Mogensen will be the spacecraft pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission—the first non-US astronaut assigned in this capacity. This will be the first long-duration mission for Mogensen. He previously served as a flight engineer on a ten-day mission to the International Space Station in 2015. Crew-7 will be his second trip to space.
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 5:23 a.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 21, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The adjusted date allows additional time for launch site processing at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, a backup opportunity is available at 3:49 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 5:23 a.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The adjusted date allows additional time for launch site processing at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, a backup opportunity is available at 3:49 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.
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: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)/NASA's Johnson Space Center
Is Climate Change the Same as Global Warming? – We Asked a NASA Expert
Is climate change the same as global warming?
Not quite. The warming of Earth—or global warming—is just one factor that makes up a range of changes that are happening to our planet, which is climate change. NASA is studying all of it: https://climate.nasa.gov/
Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Meet the Perseverance Rover's Mars Samples: Shuyak & Mageik | 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 July 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 ESA (European Space Agency) on this important endeavor.
Learn more about Samples No. 14 and 15—“Shuyak” and “Mageik,” a pair of sedimentary rock core samples that excite scientists because, on Earth, this type of sedimentary rock preserves signs of life for a very long time. If that same process also occurs on Mars, it could help us understand if life ever existed there.
A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover characterizes the planet's geology and past climate, paves the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).
Rover Name: Perseverance
Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.
Space Art on STEMonstrations: Inspiring Creativity | NASA Education
For more than 50 years, art has helped capture and convey the excitement and wonder of human space exploration. Did you know that astronauts integrate artistic expression like music, painting, and photography into their own lives while on the International Space Station?
In the latest STEMonstration episode, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann explores how space exploration both inspires and affects art. Learn about the creative solutions astronauts employ to overcome the challenges of doing art in microgravity. Be inspired by a digital gallery of space-themed artwork created by astronauts on station and students on Earth. In the corresponding classroom connection, students can tap into their own creativity to create personal masterpieces based on astronaut observations of 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.
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