Author: NeRD

Facility Managers, Assemble: Protecting Johnson Space Center’s People and Places

NeRD

Not all heroes wear capes (or blue flight suits). At Johnson Space Center in Houston, the heroes might train their colleagues how to safely respond and evacuate their office in an emergency. They might investigate office accidents and remove potential hazards. Or they might help fix a leaky bathroom sink or a broken coffee maker. Those heroes are approximately 135 on-site facility managers who ensure the safety and health of every building and its occupants. Established in 2009, the Facility Manager program encompasses buildings at Johnson Space Center, Sonny Carter…

Read More

The Marshall Star for October 2, 2024

NeRD

20 Min Read The Marshall Star for October 2, 2024 The Fabric of Marshall: Center Hosts Safety Day 2024 By Serena Whitfield “Safety Woven Throughout the Fabric of Marshall” was the theme for Safety Day at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Sept. 26. Kickoff activities were held in Building 4316 and other sites around the center. “It is crucial to ensure that each of us weaves safety into everything we do, not only at work, but in our daily lives,” Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey said. NASA Marshall Space Flight…

Read More

New NASA eClips VALUE Bundles for Learners with Varied Needs

NeRD

Learn Home New NASA eClips VALUE Bundles… For Kids and Students Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science   2 min read New NASA eClips VALUE Bundles for Learners with Varied Needs The NASA Science Activation program’s NASA eClips project, led by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), aims to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) literacy and inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists by providing effective web-based, standards-aligned, in-school and out-of-school learning and teaching resources through the lens…

Read More

October’s new moon will bring us a spectacular ‘ring of fire’ eclipse

NeRD

LIVE: Annular Solar Eclipse – October 2, 2024 – YouTube Watch On October’s new moon will bring us a spectacular ‘ring of fire’ eclipse The new moon occurs on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 2:49 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (1849 GMT), according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, and for observers in the southeastern Pacific islands and southern Chile and Argentina there will be an annular solar eclipse.  A new moon phase happens when the sun and moon are on the same line drawn from one celestial pole to the other. Usually,…

Read More

Annular solar eclipse will turn the sun into a glorious ‘ring of fire’ today. Here’s what you need to know.

NeRD

Today (Oct. 2), an annular solar eclipse will begin its journey across parts of the Pacific Ocean, southern Chile and southern Argentina.  If you’re unable to see the eclipse in person, you can watch the annular solar eclipse online here at Space.com, courtesy of TimeandDate, and follow all the action on our solar eclipse live updates page. The annular phase of the eclipse will first be visible from Earth at 12:50 p.m. EDT (1650 GMT); however, the best time to watch livestreams will be from 3:03 to 3:09 p.m. EDT…

Read More

FAA requires investigation of anomaly on SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronaut launch

NeRD

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring an investigation of the anomaly a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket experienced during the Crew-9 astronaut launch on Sept. 28. That liftoff successfully sent a Crew Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov toward the International Space Station. However, the Falcon 9‘s upper stage suffered an issue after deploying the capsule, SpaceX revealed on Sept. 29. The issue was an “off-nominal deorbit burn,” which resulted in the upper stage landing in the ocean outside of its target disposal…

Read More

China unveils spacesuit for moonwalking astronauts (video)

NeRD

China has strutted out its moon-landing spacesuit, unveiling its design in a ceremony Saturday (Sept. 28) in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality. A technician put the spacesuit — which China aims to start using on crewed moon missions by 2030 — through its paces, showcasing various movements and gestures, including climbing the rungs of a ladder.  The overall design of the moon-landing suit is inspired by traditional Chinese armor, underscoring the suit’s rugged and resolute appearance. It also features ribbons, which have always been an important element in the design of Chinese…

Read More

NASA Announces Selections for Lunar Comms, Network Studies

NeRD

NASA has selected Intuitive Machines of Houston and Aalyria Technologies Inc. of Livermore, California, to perform capability studies with the goal of advancing space communications and exploration technologies. These studies will allow NASA to gain insights into industry capabilities and innovations to facilitate NASA partnerships with commercial communications and navigation providers. The awards, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (Next STEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Appendix Q, are firm fixed-price milestone-based contracts. Intuitive Machines is awarded $647,600 — Study Area No. 1, Lunar User Terminals and Network Orchestration…

Read More

Astrophysicist Gioia Rau Explores Cosmic ‘Time Machines’

NeRD

To shape NASA’s path of exploration forward, Dr. Gioia Rau unravels stars and worlds beyond our solar system. Name: Dr. Gioia RauTitle: AstrophysicistOrganization: Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate (Code 667) Dr. Gioia Rau is an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Photo courtesy of Gioia Rau What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? I’m an astrophysicist who studies both evolved stars, stars that about to die, and exoplanets, planets outside our solar system.…

Read More