Author: NeRD

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launches to International Space Station

NeRD

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. (Credit: NASA) Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace…

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Risk of Venous Thromboembolism During Spaceflight

NeRD

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) In-person participants (L-R) – Back row: Jason Lytle, Stuart Lee, Eric Bershad, Ashot Sargsyan, Aaron Everson, Philip Wells, Sergi Vaquer Araujo, Steven Grover, John A. Heit, Mehdi Shishehbor, Laura Bostick; Middle row: Sarah Childress Taoufik, Stephan Moll, Brandon Macias, Kristin Coffey, Ann-Kathrin Vlacil, Dave Francisco; Front row: James Pavela, Doug Ebert, Kathleen McMonigal, Esther Kim, Emma Hwang; Not pictured: Tyson Brunstetter, J. D. PolkOnline participants: Stephen Alamo, Mark Crowther, Steven Nissen, Mark Rosenberg, Jeffrey Weitz, R. Eugene Zierler, Serena…

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Sols 4479-4480: What IS That Lumpy, Bumpy Rock?

NeRD

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 3 min read Sols 4479-4480: What IS That Lumpy, Bumpy Rock? NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image of its workspace, including two rocks in front of it with interesting textures, different from anything seen before in the…

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Career Spotlight: Engineer (Ages 14-18)

NeRD

3 Min Read Career Spotlight: Engineer (Ages 14-18) What does an engineer do? An engineer applies scientific principles to design, build, and test machines, systems, or structures to meet specific needs. They follow the steps of the engineering design process to ensure their designs work as planned while meeting a variety of requirements, including size, weight, safety, and cost. NASA hires several types of engineers to help tackle a range of missions. Whether it’s creating quieter supersonic aircraft, building powerful space telescopes to study the cosmos, or developing spacecraft to…

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NASA Super Pressure Balloons Return to New Zealand for Test Flights

NeRD

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A super pressure balloon with the EUSO-2 payload is prepared for launch from Wānaka, New Zealand, during NASA’s campaign in 2023. NASA/Bill Rodman NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program has returned to Wānaka, New Zealand, for two scheduled flights to test and qualify the agency’s super pressure balloon technology. These stadium-sized, heavy-lift balloons will travel the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes for planned missions of 100 days or more.  Launch operations are scheduled to begin in late March from Wānaka Airport, NASA’s dedicated…

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NASA Expertise Helps Record all the Buzz

NeRD

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Test flights help airplane and drone manufacturers identify which parts of the aircraft are creating the most noise. Using hundreds of wired microphones makes it an expensive and time-consuming process to improve the design to meet noise requirements. Credit: NASA Airplane manufacturers running noise tests on new aircraft now have a much cheaper option than traditional wired microphone arrays. It’s also sensitive enough to help farmers with pest problems. A commercial wireless microphone array recently created with help from…

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NASA Space Station Research Helps Power Moon Science

NeRD

NICER (left) is shown mounted to the International Space Station, and LEXI (right) is shown attached to the top of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost in an artist’s rendering. NASA/Firefly Aerospace The International Space Station supports a wide range of scientific activities from looking out at our universe to breakthroughs in medical research, and is an active proving ground for technology for future Moon exploration missions and beyond. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission-1 landed on the Moon on March 2, 2025, kicking off science and technology operations on the surface, including…

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Embracing the Equinox

NeRD

3 Min Read Embracing the Equinox Illustration showing how Earth’s tilt leads to the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receiving changing amounts of sunlight over the course of the year. At the equinoxes, neither hemisphere is more tilted toward the Sun, so both hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Depending on your locale, equinoxes can be seen as harbingers of longer nights and gloomy weather, or promising beacons of nicer temperatures and more sunlight. Observing and predicting equinoxes is one of the earliest skills in humanity’s astronomical toolkit.…

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Former Google chief Eric Schmidt takes the reins at rocket startup Relativity Space

NeRD

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has assumed the top job at an ambitious launch startup. Schmidt, who led Google from 2001 to 2011, has been named CEO at Relativity Space, a California company that’s building a rocket to compete with SpaceX and other major players in the launch industry. Schmidt, who’s worth about $33 billion, has also made a “significant” financial investment in Relativity Space, according to The New York Times, which broke the story on Monday (March 10). Former CEO & Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt speaks at Chainlink’s…

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