Author: NeRD

From Houston to the Moon: Johnson’s Thermal Vacuum Chamber Tests Lunar Solar Technology 

NeRD

Imagine designing technology that can survive on the Moon for up to a decade, providing a continuous energy supply. NASA selected three companies to develop such systems, aimed at providing a power source at the Moon’s South Pole for Artemis missions.  Three companies were awarded contracts in 2022 with plans to test their self-sustaining solar arrays at the Johnson Space Center’s Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) in Houston, specifically in Chamber A in building 32. The prototypes tested to date have undergone rigorous evaluations to ensure the technology can withstand…

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On This Day: Apollo 12 Lands on the Moon

NeRD

NASA NASA astronaut Alan Bean steps off the lunar module ladder in this photo from Nov. 19, 1969, joining astronaut Charles Conrad Jr. on the Moon in the area called the Ocean of Storms. The two would then complete two spacewalks on the lunar surface, deploying science instruments, collecting geology samples, and inspecting the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, which had landed in the same area. While Bean and Conrad worked on the Moon, astronaut Richard F. Gordon completed science from lunar orbit. Learn more about Apollo 12’s pinpoint landing on the…

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NASA Plans to Assign Missions for Two Future Artemis Cargo Landers

NeRD

Early conceptual renderings of cargo variants of human lunar landing systems from NASA’s providers SpaceX, left, and Blue Origin, right. The large cargo landers will have the capability to land approximately 26,000 to 33,000 pounds (12-15 metric tons) of large, heavy payload on the lunar surface. Credit: SpaceX/Blue Origin NASA, along with its industry and international partners, is preparing for sustained exploration of the lunar surface with the Artemis campaign to advance science and discovery for the benefit of all. As part of that effort, NASA intends to award Blue…

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Northwestern University Takes Top Honors in BIG Idea Lunar Inflatables Challenge 

NeRD

Following eight months of intense research, design, and prototyping, six university teams presented their “Inflatable Systems for Lunar Operations” concepts to a panel of judges at NASA’s 2024 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge forum.  The challenge, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and Office of STEM Engagement, seeks novel ideas from higher education on a new topic each year and supports the agency’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative in developing new approaches and innovative technologies to pave the way for successful exploration on the surface of the Moon.…

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NASA Engineer Carries Indigenous Roots into New Aviation Era

NeRD

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Abigail Reigner, a systems engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, supports the agency’s research in electrified aircraft propulsion to enable more sustainable air travel. Behind her is a 25% scale model of NASA’s SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan aircraft concept used to test and demonstrate hybrid electric propulsion systems for emission reductions and performance boosts in future commercial aircraft. Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna Growing up outside of Philadelphia, Abigail Reigner spent most of her childhood miles away…

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How to watch SpaceX launch Flight 6 of its Starship megarocket today

NeRD

Just before sunset this evening (Nov. 19) on the outskirts of the southernmost town in Texas, SpaceX’s Starship rocket is scheduled to launch on its sixth test flight to space, and you can watch it live on Space.com. The two-stage reusable vehicle is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, consisting of the Starship upper stage and its Super Heavy booster. Today’s launch, designated Integrated Flight Test-6 (IFT-6), is scheduled to lift off during a 30-minute window that opens at 5:00 p.m. EST (2100 GMT; 4 p.m. local Texas…

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Sols 4366–4367: One of Those Days on Mars (Sulfate-Bearing Unit to the West of Upper Gediz Vallis)

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 The Solar System The Sun Mercury Venus Earth The Moon Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto & Dwarf Planets Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Kuiper Belt The Oort Cloud 3 min read Sols 4366–4367: One of Those Days on Mars…

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‘Star Trek Generations’ at 30: Director David Carson reflects on The Nexus and Kirk’s quiet death (exclusive)

NeRD

“They say time is the fire in which we burn” Today marks the 30th anniversary of Paramount Pictures’ “Star Trek Generations,” an extremely important and entertaining 7th entry in the Star Trek movie franchise that acted as a bridge between “The Original Series‘” Enterprise crew led by James T. Kirk and “The Next Generation’s” gang under the command of Jean-Luc Picard. And yes, it’s the movie that killed off William Shatner’s starship captain! Upon a recent rewatch, “Generations” holds up remarkably well with its polished visual effects by Industrial Light…

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Part Ojibwe, All NASA: Linda Spuler’s Role in Protecting Johnson Space Center 

NeRD

Linda Spuler, emergency manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, believes that everyone has a story. “Our stories highlight what we have in common, but they also make us each unique,” she said.  Spuler has worked at Johnson for over 32 years, spending most of her career in Center Operations. Her story has involved helping to coordinate emergency response teams at Johnson in preparation for natural disasters. “Since Johnson is situated on the coast, a good portion of my job revolves around planning for hurricanes,” she said.    Spuler has…

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Blue Origin targeting Nov. 22 for next space tourism launch

NeRD

Blue Origin’s ninth crewed spaceflight will lift off this week, if all goes according to plan. Jeff Bezos‘ aerospace company announced today (Nov. 18) that it’s targeting Friday (Nov. 22) for the launch of NS-28, which will send “Space Gal” Emily Calandrelli and five other people to suborbital space. Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket-capsule combo will lift off from the company’s West Texas spaceport on Friday during a window that opens at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT; 9:30 a.m. local Texas time). You can watch the action live here at…

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