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JPL News-Month in Review Sept 2022, and NASA-Image of the Day

JPL News-Month in Review Sept 2022, and NASA-Image of the Day                       NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory jplnewsroom@jpl.nasa.gov

CLIMATE CHANGE
NASA Studies Find Previously Unknown Loss of Antarctic Ice
New research on Antarctica, including the first map of iceberg calving, doubles the previous estimates of loss from ice shelves and details how the continent is changing. Read More

 

STARS AND GALAXIES
Engineers Solve Data Glitch on NASA’s Voyager 1
Webb ushers in a new era of exoplanet science with the first unequivocal detection of carbon dioxide in a planetary atmosphere outside our solar system. Read More

     JPL LIFE
NASA Helps Minority-Serving Institutions Refine Tech Proposals

Three teams selected for the agency’s first MSI Space Accelerator visited the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to work with mentors in an inspiring conclusion to the 10-week program. Read More

MARS
NASA’s Perseverance Makes New Discoveries in Mars’ Jezero Crater
The rover found that Jezero Crater’s floor is made up of volcanic rocks that have interacted with water. Read More

STARS AND GALAXIES

 

NASA’s Webb Detects Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet Atmosphere
Webb ushers in a new era of exoplanet science with the first unequivocal detection of carbon dioxide in

a planetary atmosphere outside our solar system. Read More

VIDE

What’s Up – Sept 2022

What’s Up for September? Mars on the move, prime viewing time for Jupiter, and a clever way to

find your bearings on the equinox.

Watch Now

What’s Up: September 2022 Skywatching Tips from NASA

Sep 1, 2022  NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

What are some skywatching highlights in September 2022? Mars is on the move this month,

forming a “red triangle” with bright red stars Aldebaran and Betelgeuse. Saturn and Jupiter

fly with the Moon on the 9th, and then the Moon slides over closer Jupiter in the morning

sky on the 11th. At the end of the month, September 23rd brings the equinox,

meaning day and night are of nearly equal length, and a change of seasons is

afoot. 0:00 Intro 0:12 Mars on the move in September 0:43 Jupiter at opposition

1:39 Evening planets: Jupiter and Saturn 2:07 September equinox 2:55 September

Moon phases Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What’s Up,

along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available

at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatch….

STARS AND GALAXIES

NASA Scientists Help Probe Dark Energy by Testing Gravity
Could one of the biggest puzzles in astrophysics be solved by reworking Albert Einstein’s

theory of gravity? A new study

co-authored by NASA scientists says not yet. Read More

SOLAR SYSTEM

45 Years Ago: Voyager 2 Begins Its Epic Journey to the Outer Planets and Beyond

The ambitious mission took advantage of a rare alignment of the outer planets before

continuing its journey into interstellar space. Read More

Voyager at 45: NASA’s Longest and Farthest Explorers (Live Q&A)

Streamed live on Aug 30, 2022  NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Launched in 1977, the twin Voyager probes are NASA’s longest-operating mission and the only

spacecraft ever to explore interstellar space. For two decades after launch, the spacecraft were

planetary explorers, giving us up-close views of the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and

Neptune. Now, as they reach distances far beyond the hopes of their original designers,

the aging spacecraft challenge their team in new ways, requiring creative solutions to keep

them operating and sending back science data from the space between the stars.

As we celebrate the 45th anniversary of these epic explorers, join Voyager deputy

project scientist Linda Spilker and propulsion engineer Todd Barber for a live Q&A.

SOLAR SYSTEM
Voyager, NASA’s Longest-Lived Mission, Logs 45 Years in Space
Launched in 1977, the twin Voyager probes are NASA’s longest-operating mission

and the only spacecraft ever to explore interstellar space. Read More

STARS AND GALAXIES

Test Chamber for NASA’s New Cosmic Mapmaker Makes Dramatic Entrance
The SPHEREx mission will create a 3D map of the entire sky. Its cutting-edge

instruments require a custom-built chamber to make sure they’ll be ready to

operate in space. Read More

GALLERY

Robots in Development at JPL

Check out this curated gallery of some prototypes of some future explorers.

View Now

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/image-gallery-robotics?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=monthly20220902-18

ROBOTICS.

Image Gallery: Robotics

Explorers in Development at JPL

JPL is the lead NASA center for robotic exploration, which means we send robots, not humans, into space. Here is a gallery of some prototypes of future explorers that have recently been in development. Some can help us on Earth, while others may lead the way for exploration of our solar system.

Nebula-Spot

Aug. 25, 2022

CREDIT

NASA/JPL-Caltech

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/nebula-spot

The DuAxel Rover During a Field Test in California’s Mojave Desert

Oct. 13, 2020The DuAxel rover participates in a field test in the Mojave Desert in California.

The four-wheeled rover is composed of two separate two-wheeled Axel robots, which

are attached to one another via a tether. When the robot needs to travel to over long

distances, it operates as one conventional rover with four wheels. Once it reaches its

destination, it can separate and transform into two robots: One part anchors itself in

place while the other uses a tether to explore otherwise inaccessible terrain.

This flexibility was built with crater walls, pits, scarps, vents, and other extreme terrain

in mind. That’s because on Earth, some of the best locations to study geology can be

found in rocky outcrops and cliff faces, where many layers of the past are neatly exposed.

They’re hard enough to reach here, let alone on the Moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies.

The DuAxel project is a technology demonstration being developed by roboticists at

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to see how this unconventional

rover might fill a niche in planetary exploration.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia24108-the-duaxel-rover-during-a-field-test-in-californias-mojave-desert

DuAxel Undocks a Tethered Axel to Explore a Steep Slope

Oct. 13, 2020

During a field test in the Mojave Desert, the DuAxel robot separates into two single-axled

robots so that one can rappel down a slope too steep for conventional rovers.

The tether connecting both Axels not only allows the one robot to descend

the slope while the other remains anchored in place, it also provides power and

a means of communication with the anchoring robot above.

The DuAxel project is a technology demonstration being developed by roboticists at

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to see how this unconventional

rover might fill a niche in the exploration the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

More information about Axel can be found here:

https://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/systems/system.cfm?System=16

 CREDIT

NASA/JPL-Caltech/J.D. Gammell

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia24109-duaxel-undocks-a-tethered-axel-to-explore-a-steep-slope

 ROBOTICS AT JPL.

A-PUFFER

Inspired by origami, the foldable Autonomous Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot

(A-PUFFER) was developed as a prototype concept to scout regions on the Moon

and gain information about locations that may be difficult for astronauts to investigate

on foot. Learn more 

A foldable robot that can access tight spaces

Robot Statistics

ABILITY

Driving, Folding

ENVIRONMENT

Ground, Surface

STATUS

Completed (since 2020)

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS

Earth, Moon, Mars, Icy Moons

ANIMAL ANALOG: PUFFER FISH

About A-PUFFER

Inspired by origami, the foldable Autonomous Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer

Robot (A-PUFFER) was developed to scout regions on the Moon and gain

information about locations that may be difficult for astronauts to investigate

on foot, such as hard-to-reach craters and narrow caves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENSORS

Off-the-shelf

The latest in the PUFFER series of robots features an upgraded onboard

computer with a wireless radio for communication and a stereo camera for

sensing the environment in front of it. The use of commercial off-the-shelf

electronics and manufacturing capabilities enables low-cost production of multip

 

 

 

 

 

AGILITY

Collaboration

Because each A-PUFFER is small enough to fit in a shoebox, multiple

robots can be deployed to work together cooperatively to support Earth

science as well as future Mars and icy moon science mission concepts

in ways that are not possible with a single rover.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/robotics-at-jpl/a-puffer

RoboSimian Competes

July 16, 2014

RoboSimian, a limbed robot developed by engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion

Laboratory in Pasadena, California, competed in the DARPA Robotics

Challenge (DRC) Trials in Florida in December 2013. The robot weighs

238 pounds (108 kilograms), including its battery, and stands at 5.4 feet

(164 cm) in its bipedal pose. The DRC Finals will take place in Pomona,

California, from June 5-6, 2015.

The RoboSimian team is led by JPL. Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.,

collaborated on the development of the robot’s unique hands.

The California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages JPL

for NASA. For more information about robotics at JPL, including

involvement with the DARPA Robotics Challenge,

see http://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm.

TARGET

INSTRUMENT

  • RoboSimian

CREDIT

JPL-Caltech

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia18565-robosimian-competes

Image Gallery: Robotics

 BRUIE

BRUIE, or the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, is being developed at

JPL for underwater exploration in ice-covered regions on Earth, and in the icy

waters of ocean worlds elsewhere in our solar system. The long-term goal is

to be able to deploy BRUIE for autonomous operations in an alien ocean,

where it would search for signs of life at the boundary between the ice shell and ocean.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/image-gallery-robotics?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=monthly20220902-18

Lemur-3

Aug. 25, 2022

FreeClimber: LEMUR 3 belongs to a new generation of robots being built at JPL that can

crawl, walk and even climb rock walls. This robot was designed to operate in extreme

terrains, demonstrating the applicability of its systems for possible missions to Mars,

the Moon, and small bodies. It was developed under sponsorship of NASA Science

Mission Directorate.

CREDIT

NASA/JPL-Caltech

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/robotics-at-jpl/freeclimber-lemur-3

 ROMAN

A powerful robot designed to work in real-world environments

Robot Statistics

MASS

113.398 KILOGRAMS

LENGTH

1.26 METERS

SPEED

4.5 M/S

ABILITY

Driving, Manipulating

STATUS

Completed (since 2020)

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANIMAL ANALOG: HUMAN

About RoMan

Roman was built to advance the ability of autonomous

robots to interact with the wide variety of objects that

they might encounter in human-scale environments,

be they small and hard to grasp or large, heavy, and

difficult to move. It uses its tracked base and array of

sensors to navigate any relatively flat terrain, such as

inside buildings, around urban streets, and through

grassy outdoor areas. Its potential applications include

search-and-rescue missions in disaster zones, where

it could help clear rubble or lift and move obstacles.

The RoMan platform was developed in collaboration

with the CCDC Army Research Laboratory.

DEXTERITY

Multi-handed

Multi-handed Each of Roman’s two strong arms (based on RoboSimian’s limbs)

are equipped with either a three-finger gripper to delicately grasp lighter,

more complex objects or a JPL-designed “CamHand” that can drag debris

as large as a tree limb out of the robot’s way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

STRENGTH

Ripped Robot

RoMan’s arms are strong enough that it can do one-handed pushups,

as its operators discovered when they forget to turn on collision

avoidance and it drove its palm into the ground

JPL Robotics Technologist Joseph Bowkett poses with RoMan.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/robotics-at-jpl/subterranean-rollocopter

ROLLOCOPTER

An innovative robot that can either roll or fly

Robot Statistics

ABILITY

Driving, Flying

ENVIRONMENT

Aerial, Ground, Surface

MOVEMENT

Wheeled, Moving, Flight

STATUS

Completed (since 2020)

About Rollocopter

Is it a rover or a flyer? It’s both. Rollocopter, a hybrid aerial

and terrestrial platform, uses a quadrotor system to fly

or roll along on two passive wheels. This design gives

the robot greater range than aerial-only quadrotors

and eliminates obstacle-avoidance issues associated

with ground-only robots. When Rollocopter encounters

an obstacle, it can simply fly over it. To fly this robot

requires a celestial body with an atmosphere and

could be used to explore subterranean caves other worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGILITY

All-in-One

Rollocopter uses the same motors and control system for

both flying and rolling, which keeps it simple and light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOBILITY

Long Hauler

It can travel distances up to 10 times greater than an aerial drone.

Image gallery

Gallery description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/robotics-at-jpl/subterranean-rollocopter

Find Out More

DARPA Subterranean Challenge at JPL Robotics

NASA Robots Compete Underground in DARPA Challenge

JPL and the Space Age: The Footsteps of Voyager

Premiered Aug 25, 2022  NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

While the legendary Voyager 2 was in the midst of its triumphant

Grand Tour through the outer planets, the space shuttle era was

underway on Earth. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory would be

among the first to demonstrate how NASA’s new shuttle could be

used to conduct science experiments about our own planet from

the vantage of space. But for launching missions to targets beyond

Earth orbit, the shuttle posed engineering challenges. One mission

that launched from the shuttle was Galileo, JPL’s flagship mission

to Jupiter, and its route to the launch pad would be full of unexpected

twists and turns. Drawing on rare film footage as well as the memories

of the engineers and scientists who were there, “The Footsteps of

Voyager” recounts the dramatic experiences of these first-ever

encounters at Uranus and Neptune and the efforts to deploy Galileo,

a mission that would become the first to orbit an outer planet.

Documentary length: 56 minutes 

JPL and the Space Age: The Pathfinders

Premiered Jun 30, 2022 NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

It started with JPL agreeing to land something on Mars – cheaply –

and do it in a radically different way. This is how the era NASA called

“Faster, Better, Cheaper” began. The documentary film

“The Pathfinders” tells the story of a small group of engineers

at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who did not heed warnings

that the audacious challenge of landing on Mars with airbags

would likely not be a career-enhancing move. From relying

on a parachute that could not be tested in a way to match

the Martian atmosphere to receiving the late addition of

an unwanted rover that wouldn’t have looked out of place

in a toy store, the Mars Pathfinder mission was a doubter’s

dream, taken on by a mostly young group of engineers and

scientists guided by a grizzled manager known for his

maverick ways. “The Pathfinders” retraces the journey

of this daring mission to Mars that captured the imagination

of people around the world with its dramatic landing and

its tiny rover – the first wheels ever to roll on Mars.

Documentary length: 60 minutes 

JPL and the Space Age: The Stuff of Dreams

Premiered Aug 24, 2022  NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

In 1977, the greatest adventure in space exploration began

with the launch of the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft,

two robotic explorers designed to explore the deep reaches

of our solar system. The Voyagers were the creations of

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where a brash young

scientist had just been put in charge. His ambition was to

take the next steps in exploring the solar system. Instead,

he found himself struggling for JPL’s very survival in the

midst of financial cutbacks at the very same time of the

Voyagers’ triumphs of discoveries at Jupiter and Saturn.

“The Stuff of Dreams” tells the story of the Voyagers’

astounding successes and unexpected discoveries – but

most of all, it’s a tale of perseverance by people and machines

struggling against forces put in their way. Documentary

length: 1 hour 27 minutes

NASA – Image of the Day

Sep 2, 2022

The Crater Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three impact craters are displayed in this three-dimensional perspective view

of the surface of Venus taken by NASA’s Magellan, the first deep space probe

launched by a space shuttle. The center of the image is located at approximately

27 degrees south latitude, 339 degrees east longitude in the northwestern portion

of the Lavinia Planitia region of Venus.

Read More: The Crater Farm

Image credit: NASA/JPL

Last Updated: Sep 2, 2022

Editor: Michael Bock

Tags:  Image of the Day, Venus

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-crater-farm

Aug 31, 2022

Lacerta’s Star Outshines a Galaxy

In space, being outshone is an occupational hazard. This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image captures a galaxy named NGC 7250. Despite being remarkable in its own right — it has bright bursts of star formation and recorded supernova explosions — it blends into the background somewhat thanks to the gloriously bright star hogging the limelight next to it. This bright object is a single and little-studied star named TYC 3203-450-1, located in the constellation of Lacerta (The Lizard), much closer than the much more distant galaxy. Only this way a normal star can outshine an entire galaxy, consisting of billions of stars. Astronomers studying distant objects call these stars “foreground stars” and they are often not very happy about them, as their bright light is contaminating the faint light from the more distant and interesting objects they actually want to study. In this case TYC 3203-450-1 million times closer than NGC 7250 which lies over 45 million light-years away from us. Would the star be the same distance as NGC 7250, it would hardly be visible in this image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little-studied star, TYC 3203-450-1, upstages a galaxy in this Hubble Telescope

image from December 2017. Both the star and the galaxy are within the Lizard

constellation, Lacerta. However, the star is much closer than the much more

distant galaxy.

Astronomers studying distant objects call these stars “foreground stars”

and they are often not very happy about them, as their bright light is

contaminating the faint light from the more distant and interesting

objects they actually want to study.

See more images from Hubble.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
Text credit: European Space Agency

Last Updated: Aug 31, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  GalaxiesHubble Space TelescopeImage of the DayStars

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/lacerta-s-star-outshines-a-galaxy

 Aug 30, 2022

A Peek Into Jupiter’s Inner Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auroras and hazes glow in this composite image of Jupiter taken by

the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).

NIRCam has three specialized infrared filters that showcase details of the planet.

Since infrared light is invisible to the human eye, the light has been

mapped onto the visible spectrum: the auroras are mapped to

redder colors, hazes to yellows and greens, and light reflected

from a deeper main cloud to blues.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team;

image processing by Judy Schmidt.

Last Updated: Aug 30, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Image of the Day, James Webb Space Telescope, Jupiter

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/a-peek-into-jupiter-s-inner-life

Aug 29, 2022

Early Morning Artemis I

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B, Monday, Aug. 29, 2022, as the Artemis I launch teams load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants including liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as the launch countdown progresses at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. Launch of the uncrewed flight test is targeted for no earlier than 8:33 a.m. ET. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft

aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B, Monday,

Aug. 29, 2022, as the Artemis I launch teams loaded more than 700,000

gallons of cryogenic propellants including liquid hydrogen and liquid

oxygen. The Artemis I flight test is the first integrated test of our deep

space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and

supporting ground systems.

NASA waved off the Aug. 29 launch attempt after a test to get

the RS-25 engines on the bottom of the core stage to the

proper temperature range for liftoff was not successful.

Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Last Updated: Aug 29, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Artemis IImage of the DayKennedy Space CenterMoon to Mars,

Orion SpacecraftSpace Launch System

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/early-morning-artemis-i

Aug 26, 2022

Apollo 15 Catches Earth on the Horizon 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This view of the crescent Earth over the Moon’s horizon was taken during

the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. Apollo 15 launched from the Kennedy

Space Center on July 26, 1971 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. Aboard was

a crew of three astronauts: David R. Scott, mission commander; James B.

Irwin, lunar module pilot; and Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot.

Designed to explore the Moon over longer periods, greater ranges,

and with more instruments for the collection of scientific data than

before, Apollo 15 included the introduction of a $40 million lunar

roving vehicle (LRV) that reached a top speed of 16 kph (10 mph)

across the Moon’s surface.

The successful Apollo 15 lunar landing mission was the first

in a series of three advanced missions planned for the

Apollo program. The primary scientific objectives were

to observe the lunar surface, survey and sample material

and surface features in a preselected area of the Hadley-Apennine

region, setup and activate surface experiments, and

conduct in-flight experiments and photographic tasks

from lunar orbit. Apollo 15 televised the first lunar liftoff

and recorded a walk in deep space by Worden. Both

the Saturn V rocket and the LRV were developed at

the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Image credit: NASA

Last Updated: Aug 26, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  ApolloApollo 15Image of the Day

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/apollo-15-catches-earth-on-the-horizon

Aug 25, 2022

NASA T-38s Soar Over Artemis I

 

PHOTO DATE: August 23, 2022. LOCATION: Kennedy Space Center. SUBJECT: NASA T-38s fly in formation above the Space Launch System rocket on Launch Pad 39B. NASA 901: Chris Condon / Zena Cardman. 902: Nicole Ayers / Christina Koch. 903: Jeremy Hansen / Drew Morgan. 904: Reid Wiseman / Joe Acaba. 905 (Photo Chase): Jack Hathaway / Josh Valcarcel (NASA Photographer)
PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T-38 planes are a fixture of astronaut training, assisting pilots and

mission specialists to think quickly in changing situations. Here,

our T-38s fly in formation above the Space Launch System

(SLS) rocket on Launch Pad 39B. The SLS and Orion

spacecraft for the Artemis I mission will launch no

earlier than Aug. 29, 2022.

Astronaut Andrew Morgan posted this and two other

photos on Twitter on Aug. 25, 2022, saying “This week

we flew over @NASAArtemis, thanking the @nasa

centers across the country that put this Moon rocket

on @NASAKennedy’s pad and celebrating the upcoming test flight!”

Image credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Last Updated: Aug 25, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  AeronauticsArtemis IImage of the DayKennedy Space Center

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/nasa-t-38s-soar-over-artemis-i

Aug 24, 2022

Milky Way Time Lapse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This time lapse of the Milky Way Galaxy taken from the International

Space Station (ISS) also captured a lightning strike on Earth so bright

that it lit up the space station’s solar panels.

Astronaut Kjell Lindgren posted this on Twitter and Instagram on

Sept. 2, 2015, saying, “Large lightning strike on Earth lights up or

solar panels.”

See more photos from the ISS.

Image credit: NASA/Kjell Lindgren

Last Updated: Aug 24, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Galaxies, Image of the Day, International Space Station (ISS), Universe

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/milky-way-time-lapse

Aug 23, 2022

The Historic X-1E Looks Forward

This is a forward-looking view of the X-1E that stands on static display in front of the main office building at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. Captured in the background of the image is the Waning Gibbous Moon on November 22, 2021. Visible off the nose of the X-1E is the air data probe with alpha and beta vanes which measured vertical and horizontal motion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The supersonic X-1E research aircraft was the last of NASA’s

experimental X-1 series of aircraft. From 1955-1958, it made

26 flights and one captive flight (attached to a carrier aircraft).

Research flights took place over what is now NASA’s

Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

In this photo from November 2021, the X-1E looks

toward the full Moon.

Image credit: NASA/Joshua Fisher

Last Updated: Aug 24, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Aeronautics, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Image of the Day, NACA, Supersonic Flight

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/the-historic-x-1e-looks-forward

Aug 22, 2022

NASA’s Europa Clipper in High Bay 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The core of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft has taken center stage

in the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at the agency’s Jet Propulsion

Laboratory in Southern California. Standing 10 feet (3 meters) high

and 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide, the craft’s main body will for the next

two years be the focus of attention in the facility’s ultra-hygienic

High Bay 1 as engineers and technicians assemble the spacecraft

for its launch to Jupiter’s moon Europa in October 2024.

See more images of the spacecraft coming together.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Last Updated: Aug 24, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Europa (Moon), Europa Clipper, Image of the Day, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/nasas-europa-clipper-in-high-bay-1

Aug 19, 2022

Moon Over New Orleans

A paddlewheeler makes its way up the Mississippi River as the moon rises over New Orleans on Sunday evening, August 22, 2021. The August Sturgeon Moon, which was also a rare Blue Moon, was full at 7:02 A.M. local time Sunday but the moon still put on a show when it rose over New Orleans later that evening. New Orleans is home to the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility where the core stage of the Space Launch System that will return people to the moon is being built.
Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A paddlewheeler makes its way up the Mississippi River as the Moon

rises over New Orleans on Sunday evening, Aug. 22, 2021.

The August Sturgeon Moon, which was also a rare Blue Moon,

was full at 7:02 a.m. local time Sunday but the nearly full

Moon still put on a show when it rose over New Orleans

later that evening. New Orleans is home to the NASA

Michoud Assembly Facility, where the core stage of the

Space Launch System that will return people to

the Moon was built.

Credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Last Updated: Aug 19, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Earth’s Moon, Image of the Day

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/moon-over-new-orleans

Aug 18, 2022

Voyager 1 Sees the Great Red Spot

Voyager 1 at Jupiter – Red spot
Image taken on March 5, 1979
This image was re-processed on November 6, 1998 and re-recorded to film on the MDA film recorder, MRPS ID# 93779, from which this file was scanned.
Original vidicon image size is 800 lines with 800 pixels per line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Launched in 1977, the twin Voyager probes are NASA’s longest-operating

mission and the only spacecraft ever to explore interstellar space. 45 years

on, Voyager 1 and 2 continue to provide us with observations of the farthest

reaches of space.

Our Voyager 1 spacecraft zoomed toward Jupiter in January and

February 1979, capturing hundreds of images of Jupiter during its

approach, including this close-up of swirling clouds around

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

Learn more about Voyager: Voyager, NASA’s Longest-Lived Mission,

Logs 45 Years in Space

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

Last Updated: Aug 18, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Image of the Day, Jupiter, NASA History, Voyager

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/voyager-1-sees-the-great-red-spot

Aug 16, 2022

Perennial Perseids

In this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Perseid meteors are an annual event many skywatchers look forward to,

as they often produce lots of shooting stars to enjoy. The Perseids are

debris remnants of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the

Sun once. The meteors often leave long “wakes” of light and color behind

them as they streak through Earth’s atmosphere. They’re also known for

their fireballs, which are larger explosions of light and color that can

persist longer than an average meteor streak.

This photo was taken Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia.

Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Last Updated: Aug 24, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Image of the Day, Meteors & Meteorites

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/perennial-perseids

Aug 15, 2022

Aquanaut Gets to Work Underwater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A team of roboticists from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston have

applied their expertise in making robots for deep space to designing a fully

electric shape-changing submersible robot that will cut costs for maritime

industries. Aquanaut, seen here during testing in the giant pool at Johnson’s

Neutral Buoyancy Lab, opens its shell and turns its arms, claw hands, and

various sensors to the job.

NASA has a long history of transferring technology to the private sector.

The agency’s Spinoff publication profiles NASA technologies that have

transformed into commercial products and services, demonstrating

the broader benefits of America’s investment in its space program.

Spinoff is a publication of the Technology Transfer program in

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).

Learn more: NASA Space Robotics Dive into Deep-Sea Work

Image credit: Nauticus Robotics Inc.

Last Updated: Aug 24, 2022

Editor: Monika Luabeya

Tags:  Benefits to You, Image of the Day, Robotics, Space Tech

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/aquanaut-gets-to-work-underwater

Aug 12, 2022

Hubble Peers at Celestial Cloudscape

This celestial cloudscape from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the colourful region surrounding the Herbig-Haro object HH 505. Herbig-Haro objects are luminous regions surrounding newborn stars, and are formed when ionised jets of gas spewing from these newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. In the case of HH 505, these jets originate from the star IX Ori, which lies on the outskirts of the Orion Nebula around 1000 light-years from Earth. The jets themselves are visible as gracefully curving structures at the top and bottom of this image, and are distorted into sinuous curves by their interaction with the large-scale flow of gas and dust from the core of the Orion Nebula. This observation was captured with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) by astronomers studying the properties of outflows and protoplanetary discs. The Orion Nebula is awash in intense ultraviolet radiation from bright young stars. Stellar jets are irradiated while they collide with the surrounding gas and dust, lighting them up for Hubble to see. This allows astronomers to directly observe jets and outflows and learn more about their structures. The Orion Nebula is a dynamic region of dust and gas where thousands of stars are forming, and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. As a result, it is one of the most scrutinised areas of the night sky and has often been a target for Hubble. This observation was also part of a spellbinding Hubble mosaic of the Orion Nebula, which combined 520 ACS images in five different colours to create the sharpest view ever taken of the region.

This celestial cloudscape from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the colorful region in the Orion Nebula surrounding the Herbig-Haro object HH 505. Herbig-Haro objects are luminous regions surrounding newborn stars that form when stellar winds or jets of gas spew from these infant stars creating shockwaves that collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. In the case of HH 505, these outflows originate from the star IX Ori, which lies on the outskirts of the Orion Nebula around 1,000 light-years from Earth. The outflows themselves are visible as gracefully curving structures at the top and bottom of this image. Their interaction with the large-scale flow of gas and dust from the core of the nebula distorts them into sinuous curves.

Captured with Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) by astronomers studying the properties of outflows and protoplanetary disks, the image reveals bright shockwaves formed by the outflows as well as slower moving currents of stellar material. The Orion Nebula is awash in intense ultraviolet radiation from bright young stars. Hubble’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light allows astronomers to directly observe these high-energy outflows and learn more about their structures.

The Orion Nebula is a dynamic region of dust and gas where thousands of stars are forming. It is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth, making it one of the most scrutinized areas of the night sky and often a target for Hubble. This observation was also part of a spellbinding Hubble mosaic of the Orion Nebula, which combined 520 ACS images in five different colors to create the sharpest view ever taken of the region.

Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Bally; Acknowledgment: M. H. Özsaraç

Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, MD
301-286-1940

Last Updated: Aug 12, 2022

Editor: Andrea Gianopoulos

Tags:  Goddard Space Flight Center, Hubble Space Telescope, Image of the Day, Nebulae, Stars, Universe

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/hubble-peers-at-celestial-cloudscape

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