Friday, November 18, 2022

NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission: All Access | Episode 1 | JSC

NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission: All Access | Episode 1 | JSC

Artemis All Access is your look at the latest in Artemis I, the people and technology behind the mission, and what is coming up next. This uncrewed flight test around the Moon will pave the way for a crewed flight test and future human lunar exploration as part of Artemis.  

Learn more about the mission and track the Orion Spacecraft’s current position at www.nasa.gov

Live coverage of major events will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website at www.nasa.gov/live 

Learn more about the mission and track the Orion Spacecraft’s current position at www.nasa.gov/trackartemis/ 


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 5 minutes, 29 seconds

Release Date: November 18, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SolarArrays #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #Europe #International #Humanity #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Captures Moon with Camera on Solar Array

NASA's Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Captures Moon with Camera on Solar Array

On the third day of the Artemis I mission, Orion maneuvered its solar arrays and captured the Moon with a camera mounted on the end of the array on Friday, November 18, 2022. The spacecraft is now halfway to the Moon.

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration. It will demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. Orion is completing a 25-day test of all key systems. It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon. Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

On the Artemis III Mission, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars. 


Learn more about Artemis I at:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 1 minute, 15 seconds

Capture Date: November 18, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SolarArrays #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #Europe #International #Humanity #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Historic Launch of Our Artemis I Moon Flight Test | This Week @NASA

The Historic Launch of Our Artemis I Moon Flight Test | This Week @NASA 

The historic launch of our Artemis I flight test to the Moon, a powerwalk outside the International Space Station, and the beginnings of a new star . . . a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!


Credit: NASA

Producer: Andre Valentine

Editor: Sonnet Apple

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date:  November 18, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Science #Astronomy #JWST #ISS #Astronauts #Spacewalk #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Artemis I Rocket "Red Crew": Launch Team Heroes | Kennedy Space Center

NASA's Artemis I Rocket "Red Crew": Launch Team Heroes | Kennedy Space Center

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson (second from right) meets with members of the "red crew" after the launch of Artemis I at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. Members of the red crew include Jacobs/TOSC ERC employees Billy Cairns, cryogenic engineering technician (left); Chad Garrett (second from left), safety engineer; and Trent Annis (right), cryogenic engineering technician. The team of technicians are part of the personnel specially trained to conduct operations at the launch pad during cryogenic loading operations at the launch pad. 

Prior to the launch of Artemis I, the red crew entered the zero deck, or base, of the mobile launcher and tightened several bolts to troubleshoot a valve used to replenish the core stage with liquid hydrogen which showed a leak with readings above limits. NASA has historically sent teams to the pad to conduct inspections during active launch operations as needed. Artemis I launch successfully at 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B.


Learn more about Artemis I at:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1


Credit: NASA/Sam Lott

Image Date: November 16, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #BillyCairns #TrentAnnis #ChadGarrett #RedCrew #DeepSpace  #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #KSC #KennedySpaceCenter #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Earth Views: NASA's Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Journeys to The Moon

Earth Views: NASA's Artemis I Orion Spacecraft Journeys to The Moon

On the second day of the 25.5-day Artemis I mission, Orion used its optical navigation camera to snap photos of planet Earth. Orion uses the optical navigation camera to capture imagery of the Earth and the Moon at different phases and distances, providing an enhanced body of data to certify its effectiveness as a method for determining its position in space for future missions under different lighting conditions.

Earth image from the Orion spacecraft on Nov. 16, 2022, following liftoff of Orion atop the Space Launch System (SLS) from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida just hours before. 

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration. It will demonstrate NASA's commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. Orion is completing a 25-day test of all key systems. It will travel 280,000 miles from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the Moon. Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

On the Artemis III Mission, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars. 

Learn more about Artemis I at:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1


Image#1 Note: The original image was provided in low resolution and in black and white.


Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image #1 Processing: PipploIMP (for reconstruction/enlargement/color via AI)

Image Dates: November 16-17, 2022 


#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #DeepSpace #MoonToMars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #HumanSpaceflight #SolarSystem #UnitedStates #Europe #International #Humanity #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Dual Excursions | Week of Nov. 18, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground: Dual Excursions | Week of Nov. 18, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Hear about spacewalks this week by NASA astronauts and Roscosmos cosmonauts.

Expedition 68 Crew

Station Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Anna Kikina & Dmitri Petelin

NASA: Flight Engineers Nicole Mann, Frank Rubio & Josh Cassada

JAXA (Japan): Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata


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.


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


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 2 minutes, 35 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 18, 2022


#NASA #Space #ISS #ESA #Spacewalk #EVA #Cosmonauts #SergeyProkopyev #DmitriPetelin #FlightEngineers #Astronauts #FrankRubio #JoshCassada #NicoleMann #KoichiWakata #JAXA #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition68 #UnitedStates #Russia #Japan #日本 #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Thursday, November 17, 2022

First Nations Launch Teams Build Rockets | NASA

First Nations Launch Teams Build Rockets | NASA

Image: Stephanie Yazzie, a Northern Arizona University (NAU) mechanical engineering student and NAU Space Jacks team member, poses with her team’s rocket in this photo from the 2019 NASA First Nations Launch (FNL) competition.

In this competition, students from Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions, and schools with American Indian Science and Engineering Society chapters demonstrated their engineering and design skills.

FNL 2022, an Artemis Student Challenge, called for faculty advisor-led teams of undergraduate students to conceive, design, fabricate, and fly dual deploy high-power rockets within three challenges with various technical requirements. Winners were chosen by a pool of Native American NASA and industry judges for the competition also included four FNL alumni who completed their STEM degrees and became engineers in the aerospace field.

First Nations Launch High-Power Rocket Competition, April 28–30, 2023

https://spacegrant.carthage.edu/first-nations-launch/

American Indian Science and Engineering Society

https://www.aises.org

Explore more Minority University Research and Education Project opportunities and resources here:

https://www.nasa.gov/stem/murep/projects/index.html

NASA is celebrating Native American Heritage Month, highlighting the achievements of Native Americans at NASA, and bolstering the next generation of talent.


Image Credit: Carthage College/Christine Bolz

Release Date: November 17, 2022


#NASA #Space #Earth #Aerospace #Rocketry #Rockets #Students #Artemis #ArtemisGeneration #University #College #HighSchool #Schools #CarthageCollege #Launch #Competition #NativeAmericans #FirstNations #KSC #UnitedStates #Technology #Engineering #Teamwork #STEM #Education

Mars Sample Return: Bringing Mars Rock Samples Back to Earth | NASA/JPL

Mars Sample Return: Bringing Mars Rock Samples Back to Earth | NASA/JPL

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are developing plans for one of the most ambitious campaigns ever attempted in space: bringing the first samples of Mars material safely back to Earth for detailed study. The diverse set of scientifically curated samples now being collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover could help scientists answer the question of whether ancient life ever arose on the Red Planet.  

Bringing samples of Mars to Earth for future study would happen in several steps with multiple spacecraft, and in some ways, in a synchronized manner. This short animation features key moments of the Mars Sample Return campaign: from landing on Mars and securing the sample tubes to launching them off the surface and ferrying them back to Earth.

Animation is contributed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the European Space Agency, Goddard Space Flight Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center. 

Learn more: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr


Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/MSFC

Duration: 1 minute, 46 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 17, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Planet #Mars #RedPlanet #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #JezeroCrater #SearchForLife #MarsSampleReturn #MSM #Astrobiology #JPL #GSFC #MSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education #Art #Animation #HD #Video

Cygnus Space Freighter NG18 Arrival: Expedition 68 | International Space Station

Cygnus Space Freighter NG18 Arrival: Expedition 68 | International Space Station









The Cygnus spacecraft NG-18 arrived on Nov. 9, 2022, carrying a supply of 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting International Space Station laboratory. The Cygnus spacecraft is named the S.S. Sally Ride in honor of the late NASA astronaut, physicist, and first American woman to fly in space. This Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft was only able to deploy one of its two solar arrays. Nevertheless, it had sufficient power to reach the International Space Station. It is Northrop Grumman’s 18th commercial resupply mission to the space station for NASA.

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) 


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Capture Date: November 9, 2022


#NASA #Space #ISS #Science #Canadarm2 #Robotics #Cygnus18 #CRS18 #Spacecraft #Cargo #SallyRide #NorthropGrumman #CommercialResupply #CommercialSpace #Research #Laboratory #Astronauts #HumanSpaceflight #JSC #UnitedStates #Canada #Japan #Russia #International #OrbitalPerspective #OverviewEffect #STEM #Education

Webb Space Telescope Draws Back Curtain on Universe’s Early Galaxies

Webb Space Telescope Draws Back Curtain on Universe’s Early Galaxies


The powerful NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has found an unexpectedly rich ‘undiscovered country’ of early galaxies that has been largely hidden until now.

A few days after officially starting science operations, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope propelled astronomers into a realm of early galaxies, previously hidden beyond the grasp of all other telescopes. Webb is now unveiling a very rich Universe where the first forming galaxies look remarkably different from the mature galaxies seen around us today. Researchers have found two exceptionally bright galaxies that existed approximately 300 and 400 million years after the Big Bang. Their extreme brightness is puzzling to astronomers. The young galaxies are transforming gas into stars as fast as they can and they appear compacted into spherical or disc shapes that are much smaller than our Milky Way galaxy. The onset of stellar birth may have been just 100 million years after the Big Bang, which happened 13.8 billion years ago. 

“Everything we see is new. Webb is showing us that there’s a very rich Universe beyond what we imagined,” said Tommaso Treu of the University of California at Los Angeles, a co-investigator on one of the Webb programmes. “Once again the Universe has surprised us. These early galaxies are very unusual in many ways.”

In just four days of analysis, researchers found two exceptionally bright galaxies in the GLASS-JWST images. These galaxies existed approximately 450 and 350 million years after the Big Bang (with redshifts of approximately 10.5 and 12.5, respectively), which future spectroscopic measurements with Webb will help confirm.

“With Webb, we were amazed to find the most distant starlight that anyone had ever seen, just days after Webb released its first data,” said Rohan Naidu of the more distant GLASS galaxy, referred to as GLASS-z12, which is believed to date back to 350 million years after big bang. The previous record holder is galaxy GN-z11, which existed 400 million years after the big bang (redshift 11.1), and identified in 2016 by Hubble and Keck Observatory in deep-sky programs.

“Based on all the predictions, we thought we had to search a much bigger volume of space to find such galaxies,” said Castellano.

“These observations just make your head explode. This is a whole new chapter in astronomy. It’s like an archaeological dig, when suddenly you find a lost city or something you didn’t know about. It’s just staggering,” added Paola Santini, fourth author of the Castellano et al. GLASS-JWST paper.

“While the distances of these early sources still need to be confirmed with spectroscopy, their extreme brightnesses are a real puzzle, challenging our understanding of galaxy formation,” noted Pascal Oesch of the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

The Webb observations nudge astronomers toward a consensus that an unusual number of galaxies in the early Universe were much brighter than expected. This will make it easier for Webb to find even more early galaxies in subsequent deep sky surveys, say researchers.

“We’ve nailed something that is incredibly fascinating. These galaxies would have had to have started coming together maybe just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Nobody expected that the dark ages would have ended so early,” said Garth Illingworth of the University of California at Santa Cruz. “The primal Universe would have been just one hundredth of its current age. It’s a sliver of time in the 13.8-billion-year-old evolving cosmos.”

“These galaxies are very different from the Milky Way or other big galaxies we see around us today,” said Treu.


Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, T. Treu (UCLA)

Release Date: November 17, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #PandorasCluster #Abell2744 #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Astronauts Frank Rubio & Josh Cassada on Spacewalk | International Space Station

Astronauts Frank Rubio & Josh Cassada on Spacewalk | International Space Station

NASA spacewalker Frank Rubio during an orbital sunset is pictured during a spacewalk tethered to the International Space Station's starboard truss structure. Behind Rubio, the last rays of an orbital sunset penetrate Earth's thin atmosphere as the space station flew 258 miles above the African nation of Algeria.

NASA spacewalker Frank Rubio takes an out-of-this-world "space-selfie"
NASA Spacewalker Frank Rubio
NASA Spacewalker Frank Rubio
NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Josh Cassada

 NASA Astronauts Koichi Wakata, Josh Cassada, and Nicole Mann

NASA Flight Engineers Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio spent seven hours and 11 minutes working outside the orbiting lab on Tuesday in their Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), or spacesuits. The duo assembled a mounting bracket on the station’s starboard truss structure where new rollout solar arrays will be installed on upcoming spacewalks before the end of the year.

It was the 254th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades and maintenance, and was the first spacewalk for both astronauts. Cassada and Rubio are in the midst of a planned six-month science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program. 

The next two U.S. spacewalks are scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 3. 

Expedition 68 Crew

Station Commander Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos (Russia)

Roscosmos (Russia): Flight Engineers Anna Kikina & Dmitri Petelin

NASA: Flight Engineers Nicole Mann, Frank Rubio & Josh Cassada

JAXA (Japan): Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata

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.

Learn more about the important research being operated on ISS: https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science


Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Capture Date: November 15, 2022



#NASA #Space #ISS #ESA #Spacewalk #EVA #Astronauts #FlightEngineers #FrankRubio #JoshCassada #NicoleMann #KoichiWakata #JAXA #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition68 #UnitedStates #Russia #Japan #日本 #International #STEM #Education

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

The James Webb Space Telescope Catches Fiery Hourglass Protostar L1527

The James Webb Space Telescope Catches Fiery Hourglass Protostar L1527

Space Sparks Episode 8: Learn about how the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has revealed the once-hidden features of the protostar within the dark cloud L1527.


Credit:

Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann  

Editing: Nico Bartmann  

Web and technical support: Enciso Systems  

Written by: Bethany Downer    

Footage and photos: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; J. DePasquale (STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: November 16, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #Protostar #ProtostarL1527 #DarkCloudL1527 #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Zoom into Protostar L1527 | James Webb Space Telescope

Zoom into Protostar L1527 | James Webb Space Telescope

This video zooms in towards the protostar L152 to reveal the object as seen by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, embedded within a cloud of material that is feeding its growth. Material ejected from the star has cleared out cavities above and below it, whose boundaries glow orange and blue in this infrared view. The upper central region displays bubble-like shapes due to stellar ‘burps,’ or sporadic ejections. 

Webb also detects filaments made of molecular hydrogen that has been shocked by past stellar ejections. Intriguingly, the edges of the cavities at upper left and lower right appear straight, while the boundaries at upper right and lower left are curved. The region at lower right appears blue, as there is less dust between it and Webb than the orange regions above it.


Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Webb, NASA, Canadian Space Agency (CSA), unWISE/JPL-Caltech/D. Lang (Perimeter Institute), E. Slawik, N. Risinger, N. Bartmann, M. Zamani  

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: Nov 16, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #Protostar #ProtostarL1527 #DarkCloudL1527 #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Pan of Protostar L1527 | James Webb Space Telescope

Pan of Protostar L1527 | James Webb Space Telescope

The protostar L1527, shown in this image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, is embedded within a cloud of material that is feeding its growth. Material ejected from the star has cleared out cavities above and below it, whose boundaries glow orange and blue in this infrared view. The upper central region displays bubble-like shapes due to stellar ‘burps,’ or sporadic ejections. Webb also detects filaments made of molecular hydrogen that has been shocked by past stellar ejections. Intriguingly, the edges of the cavities at upper left and lower right appear straight, while the boundaries at upper right and lower left are curved. The region at lower right appears blue, as there’s less dust between it and Webb than the orange regions above it.


Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, ESA, CSA, and Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), J. DePasquale (STScI), N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)  

Duration: 25 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 16, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #Protostar #ProtostarL1527 #DarkCloudL1527 #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Fiery Hourglass as New Star Forms: Protostar L1527 | James Webb Space Telescope

Fiery Hourglass as New Star Forms: Protostar L1527 | James Webb Space Telescope

The NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope has revealed the once-hidden features of the protostar within the dark cloud L1527 with its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), providing insight into the formation of a new star. These blazing clouds within the Taurus star-forming region are only visible in infrared light, making it an ideal target for Webb.

The protostar itself is hidden from view within the ‘neck’ of this hourglass shape. An edge-on protoplanetary disc is seen as a dark line across the middle of the neck. Light from the protostar leaks above and below this disc, illuminating cavities within the surrounding gas and dust.

The region’s most prevalent features, the blue and orange clouds, outline cavities created as material shoots away from the protostar and collides with the surrounding matter. The colors themselves are due to layers of dust between Webb and the clouds. The blue areas are where the dust is thinnest. The thicker the layer of dust, the less blue light is able to escape, creating pockets of orange.

Webb also reveals filaments of molecular hydrogen that have been shocked as the protostar ejects material away from it. Shocks and turbulence inhibit the formation of new stars, which would otherwise form throughout the cloud. As a result, the protostar dominates the space, taking much of the material for itself.

Despite the chaos that L1527 is causing, it is only about 100,000 years old—a relatively young body. Given its age and its brightness in far-infrared light, L1527 is considered a class 0 protostar, the earliest stage of star formation. Protostars like these, which are still cocooned in a dark cloud of dust and gas, have a long way to go before they become fully-fledged stars. L1527 does not generate its own energy through the nuclear fusion of hydrogen yet, an essential characteristic of stars. Its shape, while mostly spherical, is also unstable, taking the form of a small, hot, and puffy clump of gas somewhere between 20% and 40% of the mass of our Sun.

As a protostar continues to gather mass, its core gradually compresses and gets closer to stable nuclear fusion. The scene shown in this image reveals that L1527 is doing just that. The surrounding molecular cloud is made up of dense dust and gas that are being drawn towards the center, where the protostar resides. As the material falls in, it spirals around the center. This creates a dense disc of material, known as an accretion disc, which feeds material onto the protostar. As it gains more mass and compresses further, the temperature of its core will rise, eventually reaching the threshold for nuclear fusion to begin.

The disc, seen in the image as a dark band in front of the bright center, is about the size of our Solar System. Given the density, it’s not unusual for much of this material to clump together—the beginnings of planets. Ultimately, this view of L1527 provides a window onto what our Sun and Solar System looked like in their infancy.

More information

Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Under an international collaboration agreement, ESA provided the telescope’s launch service, using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace. ESA also provided the workhorse spectrograph NIRSpec and 50% of the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, which was designed and built by a consortium of nationally funded European Institutes (The MIRI European Consortium) in partnership with JPL and the University of Arizona.

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).


Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI, J. DePasquale (STScI)

Release Date: November 16, 2022


#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #Protostar #ProtostarL1527 #DarkCloudL1527 #Taurus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

NASA's Artemis I Launches to the Moon

NASA's Artemis I Launches to the Moon

NASA's Artemis I mission lifted off on Nov. 16, 2022, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B. This video includes highlights from the event.

With 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the Space Launch System (SLS), is NASA’s most powerful rocket. It will send the uncrewed Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon, 280,000 miles from Earth, farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown.

After 26 days and a total distance of over a million miles, Orion will return home faster and hotter than any spacecraft has before. 

The primary goals for Artemis I are to demonstrate Orion’s systems in a spaceflight environment and ensure a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.

The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will demonstrate our commitment and capability to build a long-term human presence at the Moon for decades to come.

Learn more at: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i/


Credit: NASA

Video Producer: Sonnet Apple

Duration: 2 minutes, 48 seconds


#NASA #ESA #Space #Earth #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #Orion #Spacecraft #SLS #Rocket #DeepSpace #Astronauts #MoonToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #KSC #KennedySpaceCenter #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video