NASA's New Pandora SmallSat Mission to Study Exoplanet Atmospheres

NASA's New Pandora SmallSat Mission to Study Exoplanet Atmospheres

Pandora, NASA’s newest exoplanet mission, is one step closer to launch with the completion of the spacecraft bus that will provide the structure, power, and other systems enabling the mission to conduct its work.

Pandora is a small satellite that will provide in-depth studies of at least twenty known planets orbiting distant stars in order to determine the composition of their atmospheres—especially the presence of hazes, clouds, and water. This data will establish a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and future missions that will search for habitable worlds.

Astronomers view the presence of water as a critical aspect of habitability because water is essential to life as we know it. However, variations in light from a planet's host star can mask or mimic the signal of water. Separating these sources is will be Pandora's task.

Using a novel all-aluminum, 45-centimeter-wide (17 inches) telescope, Pandora’s detectors will capture each star’s visible brightness and near-infrared spectrum at the same time, while also obtaining the transiting planet’s near-infrared spectrum. This combined data will enable the science team to determine the properties of stellar surfaces and cleanly separate star and planetary signals.

Over the course of its year-long prime mission, Pandora will observe at least twenty exoplanets ten times with each one lasting a total of 24 hours. Each observation will include a transit, when the exoplanet passes in front of its star as seen from our perspective. This is when the mission will capture the planet’s spectrum.

Pandora Mission Profile:
https://smallsat.wff.nasa.gov/missions/pandora.php

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Science writers: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park) 
Scientist: Ben Hord (NASA/GSFC)
Scientist: Elisa Quintana (NASA/GSFC)
Animator: Jonathan North (eMITS)
Animator: Chris Smith (KBR)
Duration: 1 minute, 29 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 16, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SmallSat #Stars #StarSystems #Exoplanets #ExoplanetTransits #PlanetaryAtmospheres #Astrobiology #Habitability #Astrophysics #NASAPandoraMission #PandoraMission #SpaceExploration #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #GSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

Exoplanets Need to be Prepared for Extreme Space Weather | NASA Chandra

Exoplanets Need to be Prepared for Extreme Space Weather | NASA Chandra

Planets around most other stars in the known universe need to be prepared for extreme space weather conditions, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space observatory that examined the effects of X-rays on potential planets around the most common type of stars.

Astronomers found that only a planet with greenhouse gases in its atmosphere like Earth and at a relatively large distance away from its host star would have a chance to support life as we know it around a nearby star.

Wolf 359 is a red dwarf star with a mass about a tenth that of the Sun. Red dwarf stars are the most common stars in the universe and live for billions of years, providing ample time for life to develop. At a distance of only 7.8 light-years away, Wolf 359 is also one of the closest stars to our Solar System.

The researchers think that Wolf 359 can help them unlock the secrets around stars and habitability because it is so close and belongs to such an important class of stars. Because red dwarfs are the most prevalent types of stars, astronomers have looked hard to find exoplanets around them. While a group of astronomers have said they have found evidence for two planets in orbit around Wolf 359 from optical telescopes, this has not been independently confirmed yet.

Regardless, even the possibility of planets around Wolf 359 is intriguing. Astronomers decided to use NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton to see what the environment for any potential planets would be like there.

They found that Wolf 359 is producing enough damaging radiation that only a planet with greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, in its atmosphere—and located at a relatively large distance from the star—would likely be able to sustain life. The team looked at what astronomers call the “habitable zone,” the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface, for Wolf 359. They found that the output of high-energy radiation from Wolf 359 means that any planet located in the habitable zone around it is unlikely to have a significant atmosphere long enough for multicellular life, as we know it on Earth, to form and survive. That is, unless that planet is near the habitable zone's outer edge of a planet and has a significant greenhouse effect.

This result helps astronomers know not only where to look for habitable planets, but also what other factors may be necessary to study to understand where life may be possible beyond our Solar System.

Video Credit: Chandra X-ray Observatory
Duration: 2 minutes, 55 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #FoN #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #RedDwarfStars #Wolf359 #Exoplanets #Astrobiology #Leo #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Universe #Chile #XMMNewton #Europe #ChandraXrayObservatory #STEM #Education #Visualization #Animation #HD #Video

Liftoff of Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket: Flight NG-1

Liftoff of Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket: Flight NG-1

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully lifted off at 2:03 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 16, 2025. It safely reached its intended orbit during today's NG-1 mission, accomplishing its primary objective.

About New Glenn

New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) high and features a seven-meter payload fairing, enabling twice the volume of standard five-meter class commercial launch systems. Its reusable first stage aims for a minimum of 25 missions and will land on Jacklyn, a sea-based platform located several hundred miles downrange. Reusability is integral to radically reducing cost-per-launch.   

The vehicle is powered by seven of Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines, the most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine ever flown. LNG is cleaner-burning and higher-performing than kerosene-based fuels, and the seven BE-4s generate over 3.8 million lbf of thrust. The vehicle’s second stage is powered by two BE-3Us, liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) engines designed to together yield over 320,000 lbf of vacuum thrust.   

In addition to the BE-4 and BE-3U, Blue Origin manufactures BE-7 engines for our Blue Moon lunar landers and New Shepard’s BE-3PM engine. 

Learn more: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #NewGlennRocket #NG1 #FirstLaunch #CommercialSpace #ArtemisProgram #BlueMoonLanders #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #LC36 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launch: Flight NG-1

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launch: Flight NG-1

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully lifted off at 2:03 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 16, 2025. It safely reached its intended orbit during today's NG-1 mission, accomplishing its primary objective.

About New Glenn

New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) high and features a seven-meter payload fairing, enabling twice the volume of standard five-meter class commercial launch systems. Its reusable first stage aims for a minimum of 25 missions and will land on Jacklyn, a sea-based platform located several hundred miles downrange. Reusability is integral to radically reducing cost-per-launch.   

The vehicle is powered by seven of Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines, the most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine ever flown. LNG is cleaner-burning and higher-performing than kerosene-based fuels, and the seven BE-4s generate over 3.8 million lbf of thrust. The vehicle’s second stage is powered by two BE-3Us, liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) engines designed to together yield over 320,000 lbf of vacuum thrust.   

In addition to the BE-4 and BE-3U, Blue Origin manufactures BE-7 engines for our Blue Moon lunar landers and New Shepard’s BE-3PM engine. 

Learn more: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn

Image Credit: Blue Origin
Image Dates: Jan. 14-15, 2025

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #NewGlennRocket #NG1 #FirstLaunch #CommercialSpace #ArtemisProgram #BlueMoonLanders #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #LC36 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #STEM #Education

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launch: Flight NG-1

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Launch: Flight NG-1

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully lifted off at 2:03 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 16, 2025. It safely reached its intended orbit during today's NG-1 mission, accomplishing its primary objective.

About New Glenn

New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) high and features a seven-meter payload fairing, enabling twice the volume of standard five-meter class commercial launch systems. Its reusable first stage aims for a minimum of 25 missions and will land on Jacklyn, a sea-based platform located several hundred miles downrange. Reusability is integral to radically reducing cost-per-launch.   

The vehicle is powered by seven of Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines, the most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine ever flown. LNG is cleaner-burning and higher-performing than kerosene-based fuels, and the seven BE-4s generate over 3.8 million lbf of thrust. The vehicle’s second stage is powered by two BE-3Us, liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) engines designed to together yield over 320,000 lbf of vacuum thrust.   

In addition to the BE-4 and BE-3U, Blue Origin manufactures BE-7 engines for our Blue Moon lunar landers and New Shepard’s BE-3PM engine. 

Learn more: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #NewGlennRocket #NG1 #FirstLaunch #CommercialSpace #ArtemisProgram #BlueMoonLanders #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #LC36 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #STEM #Education #HD #Video

SpaceX Falcon 9: Liftoff of Two Lunar Landers | Firefly Aerospace & ispace

SpaceX Falcon 9: Liftoff of Two Lunar Landers | Firefly Aerospace & ispace

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully launched Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's Resilience lunar lander from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:09 a.m. ET. This was SpaceX’s 100th launch from the historic Launch Complex 39A. The pad was constructed in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V launch vehicle, and has been used to support NASA crewed space flight missions, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and the Space Shuttle.

This was the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. It previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Once deployed into a lunar transfer orbit, the Blue Ghost lander will begin its approximate 45-day journey to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Crisium for NASA’s payloads to perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

The Blue Ghost lander flight will deliver ten NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon.

After its deployment, the ispace Resilience lander will begin its 4-5 month journey to the Moon. During their mission, ispace aims to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, to deploy its Tenacious micro rover, to explore the Moon’s surface, and collect regolith.

Learn more about Firefly's Blue Ghost Lander
https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost/

Learn more about ispace's Resilience Lander & Tenacious Rover

https://ispace-inc.com/m1

Video Credit: SpaceX 

Capture Date: Jan. 14, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Moon #Falcon9Rocket #LunarLanders #FireflyAerospace #BlueGhostLunarLander #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #History #STEM #Education #HD #Video

DECam y Gemini Sur descubren tres diminutas ciudades fantasmas | NOIRLab

DECam y Gemini Sur descubren tres diminutas ciudades fantasmas | NOIRLab

Cosmoview Episodio 93:  Mediante la combinación de datos provenientes del telescopio Gemini Sur, ubicado en Chile, y de la investigación DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, un equipo de astrónomos descubrió tres galaxias enanas ultra débiles que solo contienen estrellas muy viejas, reforzando la teoría sobre eventos ocurridos en el Universo primitivo que pudieron interrumpir la formación de estrellas en las galaxias más pequeñas. Las galaxias investigadas se encuentran en una región del espacio aislada de la influencia de otros objetos mayores y se encuentran en la dirección de NGC 300.

Estas imágenes se obtuvieron del Estudio DECam Legacy Survey (DECaLS), el cual corresponde a uno de los tres catálogos de imágenes que forman parte del sondeo DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. Este catálogo de imágenes cubre los 14.000 grados cuadrados del cielo para proporcionar objetivos para el estudio en curso del Instrumento Espectroscópico de Energía Oscura (DESI). DECals se llevó a cabo utilizando la Cámara de Energía Oscura (DECam) de 570 megapíxeles, la cuál está montada en el Telescopio Vícto M. Blanco de 4 metros de NSF, que se encuentra en el Observatorio Interamericano Cerro Tololo (CTIO) de la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias de EE.UU., un Programa de NOIRLab de NSF, en Chile.

Credit: DECaLS / DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys / LBNL / DOE & KPNO / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / T. Slovinský / P. Horálek / N. Bartmann (NSF NOIRLab)
Procesamiento de Imágenes: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab)
Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #español #Galaxies #DwarfGalaxies #Sculptor #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #DECam #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Close-up: The Tiny ‘Stellar-Ghost-Town’ Dwarf Galaxies in Sculptor | NOIRLab

Close-up: The Tiny ‘Stellar-Ghost-Town’ Dwarf Galaxies in Sculptor | NOIRLab

By combining data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and the Gemini South telescope, astronomers have investigated three ultra-faint dwarf galaxies that reside in a region of space isolated from the environmental influence of larger objects. The galaxies, located in the direction of the spiral galaxy NGC 300 and the Scuptor constellation, were found to contain only very old stars, supporting the theory that events in the early Universe cut star formation short in the smallest galaxies.

These images were taken for the DECam Legacy Survey (DECaLS), one of three public surveys that jointly imaged 14,000 square degrees of sky to provide targets for the ongoing Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Survey. DECals was conducted using the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.

Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies are the faintest type of galaxy in the Universe. Typically containing just a few hundred to a thousand stars—compared with the hundreds of billions that make up the Milky Way—these small diffuse structures usually hide inconspicuously among the many brighter residents of the sky. For this reason, astronomers have previously had the most luck finding them nearby, in the vicinity of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

Credit: DECaLS/DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys / LBNL / DOE & KPNO / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / T. Slovinský / P. Horálek / N. Bartmann (NSF NOIRLab)
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab)

Duration: 31 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #DwarfGalaxies #Sculptor #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #DECam #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Three Tiny ‘Stellar-Ghost-Town’ Dwarf Galaxies Discovered | NOIRLab

Three Tiny ‘Stellar-Ghost-Town’ Dwarf Galaxies Discovered | NOIRLab

Cosmoview Episode 93: By combining data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and the Gemini South telescope, astronomers have investigated three ultra-faint dwarf galaxies that reside in a region of space isolated from the environmental influence of larger objects. The galaxies, located in the direction of the spiral galaxy NGC 300 and the Sculptor constellation, were found to contain only very old stars, supporting the theory that events in the early Universe cut star formation short in the smallest galaxies.

These images were taken for the DECam Legacy Survey (DECaLS), one of three public surveys that jointly imaged 14,000 square degrees of sky to provide targets for the ongoing Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Survey. DECals was conducted using the 570-megapixel Department of Energy-fabricated Dark Energy Camera (DECam), mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile, a Program of NSF NOIRLab.

Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies are the faintest type of galaxy in the Universe. Typically containing just a few hundred to a thousand stars—compared with the hundreds of billions that make up the Milky Way—these small diffuse structures usually hide inconspicuously among the many brighter residents of the sky. For this reason, astronomers have previously had the most luck finding them nearby, in the vicinity of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

Credit: DECaLS/DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys / LBNL / DOE & KPNO / CTIO / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / T. Slovinský / P. Horálek / N. Bartmann (NSF NOIRLab)
Image Processing: T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab) & D. de Martin (NSF NOIRLab)
Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxies #DwarfGalaxies #Sculptor #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #VictorBlancoTelescope #DECam #CTIO #CerroTololo #Chile #NOIRLab #NSF #AURA #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket: NG-1 Flight Profile

Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket: NG-1 Flight Profile

Blue Origin has announced that New Glenn's inaugural NG-1 launch will be no earlier than Thursday, January 16, 2025. The three-hour launch window opens at 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC). 

View the webcast an hour before launch here:

https://www.blueorigin.com/missions/ng-1

In this flight profile video, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Following separation, the first stage autonomously descends to a landing platform located several hundred miles downrange in the Atlantic. Next, the two BE-3Us ignite, propelling the second stage into space.

"Blue Origin has several New Glenn vehicles in production and a full customer manifest. Customers include NASA, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, several telecommunications providers, and a mix of U.S. government customers."

About New Glenn 

New Glenn stands more than 320 feet (98 meters) high and features a seven-meter payload fairing, enabling twice the volume of standard five-meter class commercial launch systems. Its reusable first stage aims for a minimum of 25 missions and will land on Jacklyn, a sea-based platform located several hundred miles downrange. Reusability is integral to radically reducing cost-per-launch.   

The vehicle is powered by seven of Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines, the most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled, oxygen-rich staged combustion engine ever flown. LNG is cleaner-burning and higher-performing than kerosene-based fuels, and the seven BE-4s generate over 3.8 million lbf of thrust. The vehicle’s second stage is powered by two BE-3Us, liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) engines designed to together yield over 320,000 lbf of vacuum thrust.   

In addition to the BE-4 and BE-3U, Blue Origin manufactures BE-7 engines for our Blue Moon lunar landers and New Shepard’s BE-3PM engine. 

Learn more: https://www.blueorigin.com/new-glenn

Video Credit: Blue Origin
Duration: 3 minutes, 14 seconds
Release Date: Jan. 13, 2025

#NASA #Space #BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #NewGlennRocket #NG1 #FirstLaunch #CommercialSpace #ArtemisProgram #BlueMoonLanders #SpaceTechnology #HumanSpaceflight #LC36 #CapeCanaveral #Florida #UnitedStates #FortheBenefitofEarth #STEM #Education #Animation #HD #Video

NASA en el 2025: A la Luna, Marte y más allá

NASA en el 2025: A la Luna, Marte y más allá

En 2025, romperemos barreras y exploraremos más allá de lo imaginable.

La investigación científica en la Luna, el estudio de la interacción del viento solar con Marte, demostraciones de vuelos supersónicos silenciosos... ¡estos son solo algunos de los hitos en nuestro horizonte! 

Ciencia de la NASA: https://ciencia.nasa.gov

Para obtener más información sobre la ciencia de la NASA, suscríbete al boletín semanal: 
https://www.nasa.gov/suscribete

Aprende más sobre la ciencia a bordo de la estación espacial: https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/ciencia-en-la-estacion/

Video Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producción: Shane Apple / NASA
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #NASAenespañol #español #Sun #ParkerSolarProbe #Earth #Moon #Mars #ArtemisII #ArtemisProgram #ISS #CommercialCargo #DreamChaserSpacecraft #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #X59Aircraft #SpaceTechnology #CommercialSpace #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Milky Way Animation | Gaia Space Telescope Data | European Space Agency

Milky Way Animation | Gaia Space Telescope Data | European Space Agency

This is a new artist’s animation of our galaxy, the Milky Way, based on data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space telescope.

Gaia has changed our impression of the Milky Way. Even seemingly simple ideas about the nature of our galaxy’s central bar and the spiral arms have been overturned. Gaia has shown us that it has more than two spiral arms and that they are less prominent than we previously thought. In addition, Gaia has shown that its central bar is more inclined with respect to the Sun.

No spacecraft can travel beyond our galaxy, so we cannot take a selfie, but Gaia is giving us the best insight yet of what our home galaxy looks like. Once all of Gaia’s observations collected over the past decade are made available in two upcoming data releases, we can expect an even sharper view of the Milky Way.

Video Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 2 minutes
Release Date: Jan. 15, 2025

#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #GaiaMission #GaiaSpaceTelescope #3DMapping #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #GalaxyClusters #Cosmos #Universe #Cosmology #Astrophysics #Gravity #DarkMatter #DarkEnergy #Europe #STEM #Education #Art #Animation #HD #Video

SpaceX Launches Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 & ispace Resilience Lunar Landers

SpaceX Launches Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 & ispace Resilience Lunar Landers

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully launched Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's Resilience lunar lander from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:11 a.m. ET.

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 deployment from Falcon 9 rocket upper stage

ispace Resilience Lunar Lander deployment from Falcon 9 rocket upper stage

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully launched Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's Resilience lunar lander from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:11 a.m. ET.

This was the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. It previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Once deployed into a lunar transfer orbit, the Blue Ghost lander will begin its approximate 45-day journey to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Crisium for NASA’s payloads to perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

The Blue Ghost lander flight will deliver ten NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon.

After its deployment, the ispace Resilience lander will begin its 4-5 month journey to the Moon. During their mission, ispace aims to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, to deploy its Tenacious micro rover, to explore the Moon’s surface, and collect regolith.

Learn more about Firefly's Blue Ghost Lander
https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost/

Learn more about ispace's Resilience Lander & Tenacious Rover

https://ispace-inc.com/m1

Image Credits: SpaceX, Firefly Aerospace, ispace  

Image Date: Jan. 14 & 15, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Moon #Falcon9Rocket #LunarLanders #FireflyAerospace #BlueGhostLunarLander #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #STEM #Education

Moon Bound: Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lunar Lander Guide

Moon Bound: Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lunar Lander Guide

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lunar Lander Pre-launch

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 Emblem

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle successfully launched Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:11 a.m. ET.

This was the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. It previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Once deployed into a lunar transfer orbit, the Blue Ghost lander will begin its approximate 45-day journey to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Crisium for NASA’s payloads to perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

The Blue Ghost lander flight will deliver ten NASA science instruments and technology demonstrations to the Moon.

Learn more about Firefly's Blue Ghost Lander

https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost/

Image Credit: Firefly Aerospace 

Release Dates: Jan. 13 & 14, 2025

#NASA #SpaceX #Space #Earth #Moon #Falcon9Rocket #LunarLanders #FireflyAerospace #BlueGhostLunarLander #NASAKennedy #KSC #Spaceport #Florida #UnitedStates #Robotics #Engineering #SpaceTechnology #SolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Infographics #STEM #Education

SpaceX Launch: Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 & ispace Resilience Lunar Landers

SpaceX Launch: Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 & ispace Resilience Lunar Landers

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida with lunar payloads from Firefly and ispace 

Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1 (top) & ispace Resilience (bottom) lunar landers inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fairing

ispace Resilience lunar lander prior to Falcon 9 launch vehicle integration

SpaceX is currently targeting Wednesday, January 15, 2025, for Falcon 9’s launch of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's Resilience lunar lander to the Moon from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also on board this mission is ispace’s Resilience lunar lander, including its Tenacious micro rover. Liftoff is targeted for 1:11 a.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Thursday, January 16 at 1:09 a.m. ET.

Watch the live mission webcast here:
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=firefly-blueghost-mission-1

This will be the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. It previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Once deployed into a lunar transfer orbit, the Blue Ghost lander will begin its approximate 45-day journey to the Moon, where it will land in Mare Crisium for NASA’s payloads to perform numerous science and technology demonstrations, including lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field to advance research for future human missions on the Moon and provide insights into how space weather impacts the planet.

After its deployment, the ispace Resilience lander will begin its 4-5 month journey to the Moon. During their mission, ispace aims to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, deploy its Tenacious micro rover, explore the Moon’s surface, and collect regolith.

Learn more about Firefly's Blue Ghost Lander
https://fireflyspace.com/blue-ghost/

Learn more about ispace's Resilience Lander & Tenacious Rover 

https://ispace-inc.com/m1

Image Credits: SpaceX, Firefly Aerospace, ispace 
Release Dates: Jan. 13 & 14, 2025

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The North Star: Polaris and Surrounding Dust

The North Star: Polaris and Surrounding Dust

Why is Polaris called the North Star? First, Polaris is the nearest bright star toward the north spin axis of the Earth. Therefore, as the Earth turns, stars appear to revolve around Polaris, but Polaris itself always stays in the same northerly direction— making it the North Star. Since no bright star is near the south spin axis of the Earth, there is currently no bright South Star. Thousands of years ago, Earth's spin axis pointed in a slightly different direction so that Vega was the North Star. 

Although Polaris is not the brightest star in the sky, it is easily located because it is nearly aligned with two stars in the cup of the Big Dipper. Polaris is near the center of the five-degree wide featured image, a digital composite of hundreds of exposures that brings out faint gas and dust of the Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) all over the frame. The IFN is an extremely faint glow caused by the combined light of the stars of the Milky Way reflected and re-emitted by interstellar gas and dust

Meanwhile, the surface of the cepheid variable star, Polaris, slowly pulsates, causing this famous stellar object to change its brightness by a few percent over the course of only a few days.

Distance: ~323-433 light years 

Image Credit & Copyright: Davide Coverta

David's website: 

https://www.madeofstars.net/home/aboutme
Release Date: Jan. 14, 2025

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