NASA Investigation Uncovers Cause of Two Science Mission Launch Failures
by NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) investigators have determined the technical root cause for the Taurus XL launch failures of NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) and …
Month: April 2019
ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/30/2019
By Bill Keeter Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) 3 Status: Following yesterday’s MBSU 3 failure, troubleshooting was not successful and the Flight Investigation Team (FIT) …
Staying Healthy Longer in Space
Falling ill while traveling is an unfortunate yet common occurrence. Even a minor bug can ruin an entire trip. But for astronauts, getting sick on …
New Mission Ready to Extend NASA’s Study of Carbon
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3, or OCO-3, sits on the large vibration table (known as the “shaker”) in the Environmental Test Lab at the Jet …
PIA23189: Gasa Crater
Target: Mars Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey Instrument: THEMIS Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Source:: updates
NASA Announces University Student Design Challenge Winners
NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland has chosen scholars from The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), …
NASA Instrument to More Accurately Measure Ozone Discovered by “Accident”
NASA research scientist Tom Hanisco set out to build an instrument capable of measuring a short-lived chemical that cleanses the atmosphere of methane — a …
“Yeti” Footprints Sighted By Indian Army Expedition Team In Nepal
By [email protected] (UFO Blogger) The Indian Army Monday claimed it had discovered “mysterious footprints” of a Yeti, a mythical creature of folklore in Nepal. Taking …
PIA23196: Alluvial Fan, China and Mongolia
Target: Earth Mission: Terra Instrument: ASTER Image Credit: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Source:: updates
PIA23195: Asteroid Apophis
Target: Asteroid Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Source:: updates
NASA Brings Moon and More to Visitors at COSI Science Festival
NASA will host a range of activities and demonstrations, including a virtual reality chair and Oculus Go trip to the Moon, at the COSI Science …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/29/2019
By Bill Keeter Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) 3 Failure: This morning, a critical bus loss occurred on MBSU 3 that brought down loads on …
PIA23211: Testing OCO-3
Mission: Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-3) Instrument: OCO-3 Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Source:: updates
Opportunity’s Final Traverse Map
This final traverse map for NASA’s Opportunity rover shows where the rover was located within Perseverance Valley on June 10, 2018, the last date it …
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Celebrates 60 Years
On May 1, 1959, the Beltsville Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was renamed NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in honor of Robert H. Goddard, widely …
Space Station Science Highlights: Week of April 22, 2019
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station installed a variety of hardware and set up science experiments that arrived via a Cygnus resupply ship last week. …
Implementation of Cross-Agency Nuclear Applications
Abstract: The Radioisotope Power System (RPS) Program was established in 2009 to manage RPS investments for NASA to ensure the availability of RPS for the …
Improving the Nuclear Launch Approval Process; Progress and Plans
Abstract: Launches involving radioisotope power systems (RPS) or radioisotope heater units (RHU’s) must comply with a number of different statutory, regulatory, and administrative requirements. While …
Translating Phased Array Measurements of a Low-Noise Top-Mounted Propulsion Installation for a Supersonic Airliner
Abstract: A novel translating-phased-array technique was applied during a model-scale validation test of low-noise propulsion concepts for supersonic transport aircraft. The test involved particle image …
I Am Building SLS: Jeff Adams
I’m a civil engineer who spent part of my childhood in Titusville, Florida watching the historic Apollo program launches (my father worked for Boeing fueling …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/26/2019
By Bill Keeter SpX-17 Launch Status: SpX-17 is now scheduled to launch on Wednesday, May 1 with capture/berthing on Saturday, May 4. Rodent Research-12 (RR-12): …
Building Better Life Support Systems for Future Space Travel
Astronauts on future long-duration spaceflight missions to the Moon and Mars could rely on microalgae to supply essentials including food, water and oxygen. Source:: space …
Maturation of Dynamic Power Convertors for Radioisotope Power Systems
Abstract: Dynamic Radioisotope Power Systems (DRPS) are being developed by NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) …
Hubble Snaps a Crowded Cluster
This sparkling burst of stars is Messier 75. It is a globular cluster: a spherical collection of stars bound together by gravity. Clusters like this …
A Look at the Science Ahead for Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan
NASA astronaut Christina Koch got word she will stay in space just short of a year, and her colleague Andrew Morgan also will stay in …
NASA Invites Media to Learn More About Near-Earth Asteroids, Comets
Media are invited to hear experts from around the world discuss the latest research on near-Earth objects (NEOs) at the International Academy of Astronautics’ 2019 …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/25/2019
By Bill Keeter MISSE-FF (Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility): Robotics Flight Controllers successfully installed one of the new MISSE Science Carrier (MSC) in the #1 …
Station Crew Views the Frozen Southern Tip of Hudson Bay
The International Space Station crew snapped this image of the Hudson Bay’s frozen southern tip. Source:: updates 3
Mystery of the Universe’s Expansion Rate Widens With New Hubble Data
The universe is getting bigger every second — but how fast? Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope say they have crossed an important threshold in …
NASA to Broadcast Next Space Station Resupply Launch, Prelaunch Activities
NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting no earlier than 3:59 a.m. EDT Wednesday, May 1, for the launch of its next resupply mission to …
Hermes to Bring Asteroid Research to the ISS
SpaceX Crew Resupply Mission 17 is scheduled to launch hundreds of pounds of science materials to the international Space Station on Tues. April 30, 2019. …
This Week in NASA History: Mississippi Test Facility Captive-Fires S-II-T – April 23, 1966
This week in 1966, the Mississippi Test Facility – today’s NASA Stennis Space Center – successfully captive-fired S-II-T, a test version of the S-II, or …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 4/24/2019
By Bill Keeter Kubik: The crew installed Kubik #5 and #6 in the Columbus module in support of the upcoming NanoAntioxidents experiment arriving on SpX-17. …
Landslides in Mars’ Cerberus Fossae
Cerberus Fossae is a steep-sided set of troughs cutting volcanic plains to the east of Elysium Mons, Mars. This image was captured by the HiRISE …
NASA Social Media Efforts Win Two Webby Awards
Agency digital properties also won five People’s Voice Awards. Source:: updates 5
NASA’s InSight Lander Captures Audio of First Likely ‘Quake’ on Mars
NASA’s Mars InSight lander has measured and recorded for the first time ever a likely “marsquake.” Source:: updates 5
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Opens Newest ‘Green’ Building
NASA Marshall held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 22 for its newest, environmentally-friendly building, where some 440 team members are pursuing crucial work supporting the nation’s …
PIA23119: Matara Crater Dunes
Target: Mars Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey Instrument: THEMIS Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Source:: Mars
PIA23116: Bonestell Crater – False Color
Target: Mars Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey Instrument: THEMIS Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU Source:: Mars
NASA Celebrates Earth Day with Social Media, Public Events
This Earth Day, April 22, NASA invites you to celebrate our beautiful home planet by participating in a global social media event and local events …