NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann on First Spacewalk | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann on First Spacewalk | International Space Station

NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann is pictured in her Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or spacesuit, during her first spacewalk on Jan. 20, 2023. She and fellow spacewalker Koichi Wakata (out of frame) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency installed a modification kit on the International Space Station's starboard truss structure that will enable the future installation of the orbiting lab's next roll-out solar array.

NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata concluded their spacewalk at 3:35 p.m. EST after 7 hours and 21 minutes. It was the 258th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, upgrades, and maintenance, the first spacewalk of 2023, and the first spacewalk for both astronauts.

Astronaut Nicole Mann's Official NASA Biography

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/nicole-a-mann

Follow Expedition 68 crew updates at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

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.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Date: Jan. 20, 2023 

#NASA #Space #Earth #Astronauts #Spacewalk #EVA #NicoleMann #KoichiWakata #JAXA #Japan #FrankRubio #JoshCassada #Cosmonauts #Роскосмос #Russia #Science #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition68 #JSC #UnitedStates #Canada #CSA #Research #Laboratory #STEM #Education

Download Free 2023 Hubble & Webb Calendar | European Space Agency

Download Free 2023 Hubble & Webb Calendar | European Space Agency

To celebrate another year of exciting images and discoveries from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, and the first year of operations with the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, ESA/Hubble and ESA/Webb have released a new calendar that showcases beautiful imagery from both missions for 2023.

High Resolution Digital 2023 Calendar File (Adobe PDF, 46 MB)

https://esawebb.org/media/archives/calendars/pdfsm/cal2023.pdf

Low Resolution Digital 2023 Calendar File (Adobe PDF, 3 MB)

https://esawebb.org/media/archives/calendars/pdf/cal2023.pdf

Print-Ready 2023 Calendar (Adobe PDF, 586 MB) *Large File Size*: 

https://esahubble.org/media/archives/announcements/pdf/calendar_hubble_2023_v05_print.pdf

The 2023 calendar features a selection of images from Press Releases (from Hubble and Webb), Hubble Pictures of the Week and Webb Pictures of the Month published throughout 2022. These include imagery of planets, star clusters, galaxies, and more. It can now be accessed electronically for anyone to print, share and enjoy.

The images featured in the calendar are as follows:

Cover: This landscape of mountains and valleys speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible regions of star birth.

January: The protostar L1527, shown in this image from the 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.

February: The image on the left is the first deep-field image from the James Webb Space Telescope, showcasing thousands of galaxies of the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 in the near-infrared. The image on the right from the Hubble Space Telescope features the galaxy cluster Abell 611, located roughly 3.2 billion light-years from Earth.

March: In this mosaic image stretching 340 light-years across, the James Webb Space Telescope showcases the Tarantula Nebula star-forming region in infrared light, including tens of thousands of previously unseen young stars that are obscured by cosmic dust in visible-light images.

April: This month features four galaxy mergers. The objects are IC 1623 (top left, as seen by Webb), Arp 248 (bottom left, as seen by Hubble), Arp 282 (top right, as seen by Hubble), and IC 2431 (bottom right, as seen by Hubble).

May: Two views from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal the planetary nebula NGC 3132, also known as the Southern Ring. The left image is a sharp near-infrared view of the nebula, while the view on the right is in mid-infrared wavelengths, and captures the dust shrouding one of the white dwarf stars at the nebula’s centre.

June: Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, is featured here in near-infrared wavelengths as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope. Different colours mark the light from the planet’s aurorae, and the clouds and hazes at different depths in the atmosphere. The Great Red Spot shines brightly with reflected near-infrared light from the Sun.

July: This montage displays four globular star clusters as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. Shown here are Liller 1 (top left), Terzan 9 (bottom left), Terzan 4 (top right) and NGC 6569 (bottom right). Each is filled with both redder, older stars and bluer, younger ones.

August: These images show unusual, densely packed groupings of entire galaxies. The left image, in visible light from the Hubble Space Telescope, is of the soon-to-merge galaxies of HCG 40. The right image, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared light, is of the interacting galaxies of HCG 92 — also known as Stephan’s Quintet.

September: This celestial cloudscape from the Hubble Space Telescope captures the colourful region surrounding the Herbig-Haro object HH 505. The Orion Nebula is awash in intense ultraviolet radiation from bright young stars. Outflows from such stars collide with gas and dust, creating the shockwaves known as Herbig-Haro objects that are brightly visible to Hubble.

October: This montage features three views of M74, also known as the Phantom Galaxy. The left section of this image is a visible-light image from the Hubble Space Telescope, while the right section, in mid-infrared wavelengths, comes from the James Webb Space Telescope. In the centre, data from both telescopes are combined for a truly unique view into the heart of the object.

November: Two views of the famous Pillars of Creation, part of the Eagle Nebula, are revealed here by the James Webb Space Telescope. The left, mid-infrared, image details the spread of interstellar dust. On the right, the near-infrared image highlights bright, newly-formed stars.

December: NGC 7038 is displayed in glorious detail here by the Hubble Space Telescope. The image is remarkably detailed, combining over 15 hours of observations to expose distant stars and galaxies in the background. The spiral galaxy filling the frame here contains celestial objects that can be used to measure distances on cosmic scales.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble/Webb

Release Date: Dec. 19, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #HST #JWST #Planets #Stars #StarClusters #Galaxies #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #AdobePDF #FreeCalendar #Calendar2023 #STEM #Education

Planet Mars: Gully Activity in Triolet Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Planet Mars: Gully Activity in Triolet Crater | NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Gullies lying on the northeast slopes of Triolet Crater (about 11.6 km in diameter ), are located in the Southern Highlands just east of Gorgonum Chaos. Some gullies have eroded through resistant layers up to the crater rim.

Black and white images are less than 5 km across; enhanced color images are  less than 1km. 

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, to provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and to relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, and reached Mars on March 10, 2006. 

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Narration: Tre Gibbs

Tre's website: www.tregibbs.com

Duration: 1 minute, 11 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 24, 2023

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Mars #Planet #RedPlanet #Gullies #TrioletCrater #SouthernHighlands #GorgonumChaos #Geology #Landscape #Terrain #MRO #HiRISE #Spacecraft #JPL #California #UA #UniversityOfArizona #UnitedStates #SolarSystem #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Milky Way over Camel Hump Hill, Australia

The Milky Way over Camel Hump Hill, Australia 

Ian: "Not running up this hill . . ."

"Camel Hump Hill near Hawker on a breezy morning during astro twilight!"

From the glowing arc of the Milky Way to dozens of intricate constellations, the unaided human eye should be able to perceive several thousand stars on a clear, dark night. Unfortunately, growing light pollution has robbed about 30% of people around the globe and approximately 80% of people in the United States of the nightly view of their home galaxy.

Learn more via Globe at Night: https://www.globeatnight.org

International Dark-Sky Association (IDA)

https://www.darksky.org

Image technical details: Lighting from a video light. Sigma lens, processing in Photoshop.

Image Credit: Ian Inverarity

Image Date: Jan. 23, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Twilight #Starlight #Art #Photography #MilkyWayGalaxy #Stars #LightPollution #Skyglow #CitizenScience #IanInverarity #Astrophotographer #Astrophotography #Skywatching #Cosmos #Universe #SolarSystem #CamelHumpHill #Australia #Hawker #STEM #Education

Star Cluster NGC 1850 | Hubble

Star Cluster NGC 1850 | Hubble

Star cluster NGC 1850 is approximately 63,000 times the mass of the Sun, and its core is roughly 20 light-years in diameter. This 100 million-year-old globular cluster is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and a birthplace for billions of stars. The cluster is approximately 160,000 light-years away in the constellation Dorado. Typical of globular clusters, it is a spherical collection of densely packed stars held together by mutual gravitational attraction. Unlike most globular clusters, however, the stars of NGC 1850 are relatively young. Globular clusters with young stars such as NGC 1850 are not present in our own Milky Way galaxy.

Astrophysicists theorize that when the first generation of stars in NGC 1850 was born, the stars ejected matter like dust and gas into the surrounding cosmos. The density of the newly formed star cluster was so high that this ejected matter could not escape the cluster’s gravitational pull, causing it to stay nearby. The intense gravity of the cluster also pulled in hydrogen and helium gas from its surroundings. These two sources of gas combined to form a second generation of stars, increasing the density and size of this globular cluster.

In 2021, scientists detected the presence of a black hole in NGC 1850. They have also detected many brighter blue stars (seen on the right of the second image) that burn hotter and die younger than red stars. Also present are around 200 red giants, stars that have run out of hydrogen in their centers and are fusing hydrogen further from their core, causing the outer layers to expand, cool, and glow red (seen throughout the second image). Surrounding the cluster is a pattern of nebulosity, diffuse dust and gas theorized to come from supernova blasts (the blue veil-like structures on the first image and the red ones on the second image).

Credits: NASA, European Space Agency and N. Bastian (Donostia International Physics Center); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Release Date: Dec. 8, 2022

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #StarClusters #GlobularStarCluster #NGC1850 #Nebula #Dorado #Constellation #LMC #Galaxy #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Pan of Molecular Cloud Chameleon I | James Webb Space Telescope

Pan of Molecular Cloud Chameleon I | James Webb Space Telescope

This video features a new image from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) features the central region of the Chameleon I dark molecular cloud, which resides 630 light years away. The cold, wispy cloud material (blue, center) is illuminated in the infrared by the glow of the young, outflowing protostar Ced 110 IRS 4 (orange, upper left). The light from numerous background stars, seen as orange dots behind the cloud, can be used to detect ices in the cloud, which absorb the starlight passing through them.

A molecular cloud is a vast interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Cold, dense clumps in molecular clouds with higher densities than their surroundings can be the sites of star formation if these clumps collapse to form protostars.

An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of diverse ices in the darkest, coldest regions of a molecular cloud measured to date by studying this region. This result allows astronomers to examine the simple icy molecules that will be incorporated into future exoplanets, while opening a new window on the origin of more complex molecules that are the first step in the creation of the building blocks of life.

This research forms part of the Ice Age project, one of Webb's 13 Early Release Science programs, which has studied a dust ridge in the centre of the Chameleon I molecular cloud.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, STScI, M. K. McClure, F. Sun, Z. Smith, the Ice Age ERS team, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb) and M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)

Duration: 30 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 23, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #MolecularCloud #ChameleonI #Stars #Protostars #Constellation #Chamaeleon #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #NIRCam #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Molecular Cloud Chameleon I | James Webb Space Telescope

Molecular Cloud Chameleon I | James Webb Space Telescope

This image by the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) features the central region of the Chameleon I dark molecular cloud, which resides 630 light years away. The cold, wispy cloud material (blue, center) is illuminated in the infrared by the glow of the young, outflowing protostar Ced 110 IRS 4 (orange, upper left). The light from numerous background stars, seen as orange dots behind the cloud, can be used to detect ices in the cloud, which absorb the starlight passing through them.

Image Description: A large, dark cloud is contained within the frame. In its top half it is textured like smoke and has wispy gaps, while at the bottom and at the sides it fades gradually out of view. On the left are several orange stars: three each with six large spikes, and one behind the cloud which colors it pale blue and orange. Many tiny stars are visible, and the background is black.

A molecular cloud is a vast interstellar cloud of gas and dust in which molecules can form, such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Cold, dense clumps in molecular clouds with higher densities than their surroundings can be the sites of star formation if these clumps collapse to form protostars.

An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of diverse ices in the darkest, coldest regions of a molecular cloud measured to date by studying this region. This result allows astronomers to examine the simple icy molecules that will be incorporated into future exoplanets, while opening a new window on the origin of more complex molecules that are the first step in the creation of the building blocks of life.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. Zamani (ESA/Webb); Science: F. Sun (Steward Observatory), Z. Smith (Open University), and the Ice Age ERS Team.

Release Date: Jan. 23, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #MolecularCloud #ChameleonI #Stars #Protostars #Constellation #Chamaeleon #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #NIRCam #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Studying Exoplanets | The James Webb Space Telescope

Studying Exoplanets | The James Webb Space Telescope

Space Sparks Episode 9: Until recently, the only planetary system we could study was our own Solar System. Now astronomers have found evidence for thousands of planets around stars other than our own Sun. These are known as exoplanets. Because of this we are getting closer to answering key questions such as: Is Earth unique? Do other planetary systems similar to ours exist? Are we alone in the Universe?

Thanks to its powerful capabilities at infrared wavelengths, the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope will offer a unique view of the outer planets in our own magnificent Solar System 

Watch this special Space Sparks episode to learn how Webb will study exoplanets.

Video Credits:

Directed by: Bethany Downer and Nico Bartmann  

Editing: Nico Bartmann  

Web and technical support: Enciso Systems  

Written by: Owen Higgins  

Narration: Sara Mendes de Costa   

Footage and photos: ESA/Hubble, ESA/Webb, ESA, NASA, CSA, STScI, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab, Northrup Grumman, M. Kornmesser, J. Olmsted (STScI), ESO, L. Calçada, Solar Dynamics Observatory, L. Hustak, A Carter (UCSC), the ERS 1386 team, A. Pagan (STScI), A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley), JPL, Caltech, spaceengine.org

Duration: 6 minutes, 40 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 22, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #JWST #Stars #Exoplanets #Planets #Atmospheres #Astrobiology #JamesWebb #WebbTelescope #UnfoldTheUniverse #Europe #CSA #Canada #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tempestuous Young Stars in The Orion Nebula | Hubble

Tempestuous Young Stars in The Orion Nebula | Hubble

The bright variable star V 372 Orionis takes center stage in this image from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, which has also captured a smaller companion star in the upper left of this image. Both stars lie in the Orion Nebula, a colossal region of star formation roughly 1,450 light years from Earth.

Image Description: Two very bright stars with cross-shaped diffraction spikes are prominent: the larger is slightly lower-right of center, the smaller lies towards the upper-left corner. Small red stars with short diffraction spikes are scattered around them. The background is covered nearly completely by gas: smoky, bright blue gas around the larger star in the center and lower-right, and wispier red gas elsewhere.

V 372 Orionis is a particular type of variable star known as an Orion Variable. These young stars experience some tempestuous moods and growing pains, which are visible to astronomers as irregular variations in luminosity. Orion Variables are often associated with diffuse nebulae, and V 372 Orionis is no exception; the patchy gas and dust of the Orion Nebula pervade this scene.

This image overlays data from two of Hubble’s instruments. Data from the Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Camera 3 at infrared and visible wavelengths were layered to reveal rich details of this corner of the Orion Nebula. Hubble also left its own subtle signature on this astronomical portrait in the form of the diffraction spikes surrounding the bright stars. These prominent artefacts are created by starlight interacting with Hubble’s inner workings, and as a result they reveal hints of Hubble’s structure. The four spikes surrounding the stars in this image are created by four vanes inside Hubble supporting the telescope’s secondary mirror. The diffraction spikes of the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope, on the other hand, are six-pointed as a result of Webb’s hexagonal mirror segments and 3-legged support structure for the secondary mirror.  

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)/Hubble & NASA, J. Bally, M. Robberto

Release Date: Jan. 23, 2023

#NASA #ESA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Star #V372Orionis #OrionVariable #VariableStar #OrionNebula #Orion #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #STScI #GSFC #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education

Space Butterfly: Nebula Westerhout 40 | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

Space Butterfly: Nebula Westerhout 40 | NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

What looks like a red butterfly in space is in reality a nursery for hundreds of baby stars, revealed in this infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Officially named Westerhout 40 or W40, the butterfly is a nebula—a giant cloud of gas and dust in space where new stars may form. The butterfly's "wings" are giant bubbles of hot, interstellar gas blowing from the hottest, most massive stars in this region.

The material that forms W40's wings was ejected from a dense cluster of stars that lies between the wings in the image. The hottest, most massive of these stars, W40 IRS 1a, lies near the center of the star cluster.

W40 is about 1,400 light-years from the Sun, about the same distance as the well-known Orion Nebula, although the two are almost 180 degrees apart in the sky.

Image Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Caltech

Release Date: March 27th, 2019

 

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Stars #StellarNursery #Nebula #Westerhout40 #W40 #Cosmos #Universe #SpitzerSpaceTelescope #SpaceTelescope #Telescope #Infrared #JPL #Caltech #MSFC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Zooming in on The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble

Zooming in on The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble

This image, captured with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, is one of the largest and sharpest images ever taken of the Andromeda galaxy—otherwise known as M31.

Distance: 2 million light years

This is a cropped version of the full image and has 1.5 billion pixels. You would need more than 600 HD television screens to display the whole image. It is one of the biggest Hubble images ever released and shows over 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters embedded in a section of the galaxy’s pancake-shaped disc stretching across over 40,000 light-years.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), J. Dalcanton (University of Washington, USA), B. F. Williams (University of Washington, USA), L. C. Johnson (University of Washington, USA), the PHAT team, and R. Gendler

Duration: 50 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 18, 2016

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #AndromedaGalaxy #M31 #Messier31 #Spiral #Andromeda #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Panning across The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble

Panning across The Andromeda Galaxy | Hubble

This image, captured with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, is one of the largest and sharpest images ever taken of the Andromeda galaxy—otherwise known as M31.

Distance: 2 million light years

This is a cropped version of the full image and has 1.5 billion pixels. You would need more than 600 HD television screens to display the whole image. It is one of the biggest Hubble images ever released and shows over 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters embedded in a section of the galaxy’s pancake-shaped disc stretching across over 40,000 light-years.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), J. Dalcanton (University of Washington, USA), B. F. Williams (University of Washington, USA), L. C. Johnson (University of Washington, USA), the PHAT team, and R. Gendler

Duration: 50 seconds

Release Date: Feb. 18, 2016

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #AndromedaGalaxy #M31 #Messier31 #Spiral #Andromeda #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

The Andromeda Galaxy: Close-up View | Hubble

The Andromeda Galaxy: Close-up View | Hubble

This image, captured with the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, is one of the largest and sharpest images ever taken of the Andromeda galaxy—otherwise known as M31.

Distance: 2 million light years

This is a cropped version of the full image and has 1.5 billion pixels. You would need more than 600 HD television screens to display the whole image. It is one of the biggest Hubble images ever released and shows over 100 million stars and thousands of star clusters embedded in a section of the galaxy’s pancake-shaped disc stretching across over 40,000 light-years.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), J. Dalcanton (University of Washington, USA), B. F. Williams (University of Washington, USA), L. C. Johnson (University of Washington, USA), the PHAT team, and R. Gendler.

Release Date: Jan. 5, 2015

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Galaxy #AndromedaGalaxy #M31 #Messier31 #Spiral #Andromeda #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HST #SpaceTelescope #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

New Mars Images | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

New Mars Images | NASA's Curiosity & Perseverance Rovers | JPL

MSL - Sol 3716 - Mastcam

MSL - Sol 3712 - MAHLI

MSL - Sol 3714 - Mastcam

Mars2020 - Sol 680 - Mastcam-Z

Mars2020 - Sol 680 - SuperCam

MSL - Sol 3716 - MAHLI

MSL - Sol 3714 - Mastcam

MSL - Sol 3715 - MastCam

Support FriendsofNASA.org | For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit: mars.nasa.gov

Celebrating 10 Years+ on Mars! (2012-2023)

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

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.

Mars Helicopter (Ingenuity)

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Processing: Kevin M. Gill

Image Release Dates: Jan. 17-20, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #CuriosityRover #MSL #MountSharp #GaleCrater #PerseveranceRover #Mars2020 #IngenuityHelicopter #JezeroCrater #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #UnitedStates #MoonToMars #CitizenScience #KevinGill #PipploIMP #ThomasAppéré #STEM #Education

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch: GPS III Mission | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch: GPS III Mission | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 18, 2023, lifted off at 7:24 a.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, carrying a U.S. Space Force GPS satellite. The Falcon 9 launched the Lockheed Martin-built GPS III SV-06—the 6th of the newest version of the satellite known as GPS III. The GPS constellation of 31 satellites operated by the U.S. Space Force provides positioning, navigation and timing signals to military and civilian users. GPS satellites operate in medium Earth orbit at an altitude of 12,550 miles. 

The launch of SV-06 was SpaceX’s fifth GPS mission, its second national security space launch of 2023 and Falcon 9’s 196th flight.

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Crew-5 astronauts to the International Space Station. 

Approximately two and a half minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s first stage separated. Following separation, the first stage landed on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

GPS III SV06 will augment the current GPS constellation that is comprised of 31 operational spacecraft operating in MEO at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles) in six orbital planes. Each satellite circles the Earth twice per day. GPS is the premier space-based provider of positioning, navigation, and timing services for more than four billion users worldwide.

This latest generation of GPS satellite boasts a 15-year design life—25 percent longer than the previous generation of GPS satellites on orbit and brings new capabilities to users such as the new L1C civilian signal, which opens the window for future interoperability with international satellite navigation systems.

The payload for this mission is Global Positioning System III Space Vehicle 06 (GPS-III-SV06). It was built in Littleton, Colorado, by Lockheed Martin and it was placed into a medium Earth orbit (MEO) with an operational circular orbit at 20,180 km and an inclination of 55 degrees.

GPS-III-SV06 had a launch mass of 4.352 kg and is named after Amelia Earhart, the famous aviator who became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in 1932. Earhart disappeared during a flight around the world in 1937.

The mission marked the fifth GPS III satellite launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with one previously launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket.

GPS III SV06 will augment the current GPS constellation that is comprised of 31 operational spacecraft operating in MEO at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles) in six orbital planes. Each satellite circles the Earth twice per day. GPS is the premier space-based provider of positioning, navigation, and timing services for more than four billion users worldwide.

This latest generation of GPS satellite boasts a 15-year design life—25 percent longer than the previous generation of GPS satellites on orbit and brings new capabilities to users such as the new L1C civilian signal, which opens the window for future interoperability with international satellite navigation systems.

Credit: SpaceX

Image Date: Jan. 18, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SpaceX #Falcon9 #Rocket #ElonMusk #Satellite #GPSIIISV06 #GPS #Civilian #Military #Spaceflight #Technology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #Spaceport #CapeCanaveral #Florida #USSpaceForce #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

China's Lunar Rover Yutu-2: New Images of The Moon's Far Side | CNSA

China's Lunar Rover Yutu-2: New Images of The Moon's Far Side | CNSA

China's lunar rover beamed back new images from far side of moon before Chinese New Year. For the new Year of the Rabbit, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) released the latest pictures taken by the robotic lunar rover Yutu-2 to send its New Year wishes to everyone.

Yutu-2 is the robotic lunar rover component of CNSA's Chang'e 4 mission to the Moon, launched on December 7, 2018. Chang'e 4 entered lunar orbit on December 12, 2018, before making the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon on January 3, 2019. Yutu-2 is currently operational as the longest-lived lunar rover and the first lunar rover traversing the far side of the Moon.

It has travelled a distance of over 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) along the Moon's surface.

Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/South China Morning Post (SCMP)

Duration: 45 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 21, 2023

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #China #中国 #Earth #Moon #FarSide #Yuyu2 #Rover #Robotics #Change4Mission #Lander #SpringFestival #ChineseNewYear2023 #CNSA #Technology #Engineering #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #SCMP #HD #Video