The impressive flight cadence of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane won’t last much longer. Unity flew for the sixth time in as many months last week, carrying two research scientists and another private passenger to and from suborbital space on a mission called Galactic 05. Unity will now get a bit of a break, staying out of the skies until January 2024, Virgin Galactic representatives have said. The spacecraft will then make an even bigger transition, flying just once or twice more before being grounded in mid-2024, according to…
Read MoreArkansas City Welcomes NASA to Discuss 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
4 Min Read Arkansas City Welcomes NASA to Discuss 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Adam Kobelski, a solar astrophysicist with Marshall, shares tips to safely view a total solar eclipse. Many U.S. cities, including Russellville, Arkansas, are planning watch parties to view the April 2024 total solar eclipse. Credits: Joshua Mashon The contiguous United States will see only one total solar eclipse between now and the year 2044, and the citizens of Russellville, Arkansas, are ready. On Monday, April 8, 2024, the Moon will pass between the Sun and Earth, providing…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Semiconductor Manufacturing in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for Terrestrial Use
NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Megan McArthur works in the Microgravity Science Glovebox swapping samples for an experiment called Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules, or SUBSA. The physics investigation explores experimental methods of crystallizing melts in microgravity and is expected to result in reduced fluid motion in the melt, leading to better distribution of subcomponents and the potential for improved technology used in producing semiconductor crystals. NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in semiconductor and in-space manufacturing collaborated on a white paper that outlines how microgravity benefits…
Read MoreMars, Earth, or deep space? ESA narrows down finalists for a future space mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has narrowed down proposals for a future medium-sized (M-class) mission. On Wednesday (Nov. 8), the final three proposals were revealed to be M-Matisse, Plasma Observatory and Theseus, which have varying goals ranging from studying the effects of the solar winds on both Earth and Mars to examining high-energy blasts of radiation from far beyond the solar system. The ESA called for these M-class proposals in 2021, and the launch of the winning mission is set provisionally for midway through the 2030s. A total of 27…
Read More1st black hole ever imaged by humans has twisted magnetic fields and scientists are thrilled
Spiraling light at the edge of a distant supermassive black hole could help matter escape from being consumed by this cosmic titan. The supermassive black hole of M87 — also known as M87* — has a mass equal to around 6.5 billion suns. It especially came to the public’s attention in 2019 when an image of M87*, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), was the first glimpse of the surrounding environment of a black hole ever obtained by humanity. Now, the EHT Collaboration, who was behind that historic image, have modeled…
Read MoreNASA Administrator Honors Life of Apollo Astronaut Frank Borman
Former NASA astronaut Col. (ret.) Frank Borman The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on the passing of former NASA astronaut Col. (ret.) Frank Borman, who passed away Nov. 7, in Billings, Montana, at the age of 95. “Today we remember one of NASA’s best. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero. Among his many accomplishments, he served as the commander of the Apollo 8 mission, humanity’s first mission around the Moon in 1968. “His lifelong love for aviation and exploration was only surpassed by his…
Read MoreConstruction on NASA Mission to Map 450 Million Galaxies Is Under Way
6 min read Construction on NASA Mission to Map 450 Million Galaxies Is Under Way Sara Susca, deputy payload manager and payload systems engineer for NASA’s SPHEREx mission, looks up at one of the spacecraft’s photon shields. These concentric cones protect the telescope from light and heat from the Sun and the Earth, which can overwhelm the telescope’s detectors. NASA/JPL-Caltech SHPEREx Photon Shield Fabrication at Applied Aerospace Structures Corp. in Stockton CA Requester: Kaitlyn Soares Photographer: Gregory M. Waigand Date: 2023-07-12 Photolab order: 107469-11.02.03 AACS Key elements are coming together…
Read MoreGlenn in the Community
3 Min Read Glenn in the Community Astronomy At the Beach NASA Glenn Research Center’s public engagement team member Matt Baeslack helps students better understand solar eclipses by showing them how to make their own handheld solar eclipse viewer to use for the event. Credit: NASA/Chris Hartensine NASA’s Glenn Research Center joined more than 3,200 attendees at the 27th annual Astronomy at the Beach event in Brighton, Michigan, to raise awareness of astronomy, NASA, and STEM with the public. The Great Lakes Association of Astronomy Clubs hosted the two-day event…
Read MoreNewest Astronaut Candidate Class Visits NASA’s Glenn Research Center
1 min read Newest Astronaut Candidate Class Visits NASA’s Glenn Research Center Members of NASA’s 2021 astronaut candidate class visited NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland on Oct. 5 and 6 to learn more about the scope of work at the center. NASA Glenn’s world-class facilities and expertise in power, propulsion, and communications are crucial to advancing the agency’s Artemis program. Dr. Rickey Shyne, NASA Glenn Research Center’s director of Research and Technology, briefs astronaut candidates on Glenn’s core competencies. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis The astronaut candidates, accompanied by Shannon Walker,…
Read MoreNASA Sounding Rocket Launches into Alaskan Aurora
A sounding rocket launched from Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska, Nov. 8, 2023, carrying the DISSIPATION mission. The rocket launched into aurora and successfully captured data to understand how auroras heat the atmosphere and cause high-altitude winds.
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