Month: July 2024

NASA, SpaceX Invite Media to Watch Crew-9 Launch to Space Station

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The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station poses for a photo during training in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX Media accreditation now is open for the launch of NASA’s ninth rotational mission of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission is targeted for no earlier than mid-August from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center…

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The Next Full Moon is the Buck or Thunder Moon

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23 Min Read The Next Full Moon is the Buck or Thunder Moon Mule deer buck, Yellowstone National Park The Next Full Moon is the Buck or Thunder Moon; the Hay or Mead Moon; Guru Purnima; Asalha Puja (aka Dharma Day or Esala Poya); and the start of Vassa.  The next full Moon will be Sunday morning, July 21, 2024, appearing opposite the Sun (in Earth-based longitude) at 6:17 AM EDT. For the International Date Line West and the American Samoa and Midway time zones this will be late Saturday…

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Science Activation’s PLACES Team Facilitates Second Professional Learning Institute

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3 min read Science Activation’s PLACES Team Facilitates Second Professional Learning Institute The NASA Science Activation Program’s Place-Based Learning to Advance Connections, Education, and Stewardship (PLACES) team successfully led their second Professional Learning (PL) Summer Institute (SI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona from June 11-13, 2024. The team led a group of 13 educators through a variety of powerful place-based data-rich (PBDR) experiences across the three-day SI. PL kicked off with teachers engaging in an intensive field experience at Hat Ranch that leveraged the ecological expertise of…

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NASA STEM Program for Indigenous Communities Honored for Excellence

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2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) An image of a Zhaabondwaan, Anishnaabe traditional teaching lodge in Ontario, Canada, 2023. NASA has been selected by the International Astronautical Federation to receive its 2024 “3G” Diversity Award, which recognizes organizations for their contributions to fostering geographic, generational, and gender diversity in the space sector. NASA’s Indigenous Community-Based Education (CBE) Program is a consortium of partnerships between NASA and numerous, diverse Indigenous communities which co-create unique educational programs for the youth. Through these partnerships, which have been cultivated…

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Apollo 11 Lifts Off

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Apollo 11 launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:32 a.m. EDT, July 16, 1969. Aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Buzz Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 was the United States’ first lunar landing mission. While Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module “Eagle” to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the Moon, Collins remained in lunar orbit.

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NASA to Provide Background on Space Station Deorbit Planning

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The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a fly around of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021. NASA is planning for the future in low Earth orbit for science, research, and commercial opportunities as the agency and its international partners maximize the use of the International Space Station. As the agency fosters new commercial space stations, leadership from NASA and SpaceX will participate in a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT…

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This nerve-rattling ‘Alien: Romulus’ trailer reminds us that ‘fear is bigger in IMAX’ (video)

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Alien: Romulus I Bigger – YouTube Watch On The birth of director Fede Álvarez’ “Alien: Romulus” feature is inching ever closer to its Aug. 16, 2024 release date, and 20th Century Studios wants to ensure you’re all aware of your opportunity to watch this bloody sci-fi horror unfold on the massive canvas of an immense IMAX screen in this latest promotional teaser. Working closely with acclaimed director Ridley Scott on this interstellar fright fest set within the “Alien” universe as the seventh official installment, Álvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) injected…

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Sun blasts out 2nd X-class flare this week, triggers more radio blackouts (video)

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The sun continues firing off solar flares during what has been a period of intense activity.  Sunspot AR3738 might be making its exit as it rotates out of our view on the sun’s western limb, but not before firing off a powerful X-class solar flare, the strongest of its kind. The solar flare from sunspot AR3738 occurred Tuesday morning (July 16) at 9:26 a.m. EDT (1326 GMT). A shortwave radio blackout in conjunction with the latest event was reported over mostly the Atlantic Ocean and also noted across much of Africa, Europe, and…

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Robotic Assembly and Outfitting for NASA Space Missions

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NASA is turning to the 3D modeling experts in the community for ideas and designs to use or enhance the current state of modular robotic construction techniques. Robotic building of structures in space is an active area of research for NASA and might prove to be a path towards sustainable and scalable space exploration. This technology is essential for establishing critical long-term orbital and Lunar surface infrastructure including power/communication towers, research stations, radiation shielding for habitats, and more. Award: $2,000 in total prizes Open Date: July 15, 2024 Close Date:…

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Sols 4243-4245: Exploring Stubblefield Canyon

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Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Mars Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions All Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets 3 min read Sols 4243-4245: Exploring Stubblefield Canyon This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4241 (2024-07-11 20:34:05 UTC). Earth planning date: Friday,…

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