January 21, 2025 – NeRDs Moonbase

Earth’s elusive ‘ignorosphere’ could shed new light on auroras

January 21, 2025 NeRD

Japanese scientists have created the first-ever long-term dataset about Earth’s entire atmosphere, stretching all the way to space. They hope the project will help shed light on some little-explored processes taking place inside our planet’s gaseous shroud, including the magnificent northern lights. Some parts of Earth’s atmosphere are studied continuously in incredible detail. For example, millions of weather stations all around the world, hundreds of meteorological balloons and countless airplanes provide daily measurements of the entire troposphere, the atmosphere’s lowest region. The balloons also reach the lower part of the…

Finland becomes 53rd country to join the Artemis Accords for moon exploration

January 21, 2025 NeRD

The Artemis Accords has just gained its 53rd member nation, bolstering NASA’s efforts to establish peaceful and cooperative international space exploration. Finland joined NASA’s Artemis Accords on Jan. 21 through a signing ceremony that took place on the sidelines of the Winter Satellite Workshop 2025 in Espoo, Finland. The signing makes the Nordic country the latest to commit to the safe and responsible exploration of space that benefits humanity, according to a NASA statement. “Finland has been part of the space exploration community for decades with Finnish companies and research…

NASA Marshall Invites Media to Local Day of Remembrance Event

January 21, 2025 NeRD

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA Marshall will hold a candle-lighting ceremony and wreath placement at 9:30 a.m. CST. The ceremony will include remarks from Larry Leopard, associate director, and Bill Hill, director of Marshall’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. NASA/ Krisdon Manecke NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, invites media to attend its observance of the agency’s Day of Remembrance at 9:30 a.m. CST Thursday, Jan. 23, in the lobby of Building 4221. Day of Remembrance honors the members of…

Bill Nelson steps down as NASA chief as Trump begins 2nd term

January 21, 2025 NeRD

Bill Nelson has stepped down as NASA administrator, ending a half-century of public service. Nelson and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy left the agency on Monday (Jan. 20), the day that Donald Trump began his second term as president. Trump has appointed Janet Petro, who most recently served as director of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, as NASA’s interim chief. “As I leave public office today after 53 years, thank you for the great privilege of a lifetime of serving the people of our country. I am humbled and…

60 Years Ago: Uncrewed Gemini 2 Paves the Way for the First Crewed Mission

January 21, 2025 NeRD

On Jan. 19, 1965, Gemini 2 successfully completed the second of two uncrewed test flights of the spacecraft and its Titan II booster, clearing the way for the first crewed mission. The 18-minute suborbital mission achieved the primary goals of flight qualifying the Gemini spacecraft, especially its heat shield during a stressful reentry. Recovery forces retrieved the capsule following its splashdown, allowing engineers to evaluate how its systems fared during the flight. The success of Gemini 2 enabled the first crewed mission to fly two months later, beginning a series…

Astronauts Set to Swab the Exterior of Station for Microbial Life

January 21, 2025 NeRD

NASA astronaut Victor Glover tests collection methods for ISS External Microorganisms in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab at Johnson Space Center. NASA Astronauts are scheduled to venture outside the International Space Station to collect microbiological samples during crew spacewalks for the ISS External Microorganisms experiment. This investigation focuses on sampling at sites near life support system vents to examine whether the spacecraft releases microorganisms, how many, and how far they may travel. This experiment could help researchers understand whether and how these microorganisms survive and reproduce in the harsh space environment…

Suni Williams Conducts Spacewalk

January 21, 2025 NeRD

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 commander Suni Williams is pictured during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station where she replaced a rate gyro assembly that helps maintain the orientation of the orbital outpost.

Station Science Top News: Jan. 17, 2025

January 21, 2025 NeRD

Insights into metal alloy solidification Researchers report details of phase and structure in the solidification of metal alloys on the International Space Station, including formation of microstructures. Because these microstructures determine a material’s mechanical properties, this work could support improvements in techniques for producing coatings and additive manufacturing or 3D printing processes. METCOMP, an ESA (European Space Agency) investigation, studied solidification in microgravity using transparent organic mixtures as stand-ins for metal alloys. Conducting the research in microgravity removed the influence of convection and other effects of gravity. Results help scientists…