The Marshall Star

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Agency Leadership Talks NASA 2040, Artemis, Budget at Marshall Town Hall By Jessica Barnett From funding to historic achievements to the future of NASA, there was no shortage of topics for discussion during the latest Marshall Town Hall. Marshall team members joined in person and online as Acting Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, and Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails shared their goals for Marshall and the agency’s future and answered questions from the audience in Activities Building 4316…

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Final day of Prime Day Lego deals: We recommend saving 20% on the Lego X-Wing Fighter today

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Build or build not, there is no try. Lego’s Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing fighter is now 20% off when you grab it on Amazon and this could be a good way to beat the Black Friday rush on a popular set. That means you get a sizable saving on a 474-piece model of the iconic ship that comes with minifigures. Save 20% today and get the 474-piece Lego Star Wars X-Wing Fighter for just $40 on Amazon.   There’s a reason this particular Lego Star Wars set is as popular as…

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Save a HUGE 51% on this Holy Stone drone deal for Prime Day

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When it comes to drone deals, you won’t find a better saving than this — for Prime Day, Amazon is offering a huge 51% off the Holy Stone HS720G drone. That’s a saving of $218, and this powerful beginner drone can be yours for just $209.99 (down from $427.99).  HOWEVER. We know that retailers like to inflate the ‘before’ price to make it look like a better deal, and after some digging, we found this drone on the Holy Stone website for $299.00, which is substantially less than Amazon’s ‘before’…

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NASA’s Bennu Asteroid Sample Contains Carbon, Water

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A view of the outside of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector. Sample material from asteroid Bennu can be seen on the middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is located inside. Photo: NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold Initial studies of the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu sample collected in space and brought to Earth by NASA show evidence of high-carbon content and water, which together could indicate the building blocks of life on Earth may be found in…

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NASA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month 2023

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In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize Hispanic astronauts who have flown in space. The table below lists these individuals of various nationalities who have made significant contributions to their space programs. The first Hispanic astronauts completed short flights to a Soviet space station and aboard the space shuttle. In the past 23 years, many more have completed flights to the International Space Station and contributed to its assembly, operations, and research activities. Table of Hispanic astronauts who have flown in space. Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez of Cuba holds the…

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‘Potentially catastrophic’ solar storm identified in ancient tree rings

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Earth was hit by the largest-ever detected solar storm 14,300 years ago, ancient tree rings reveal. If a storm of a similar magnitude hit our planet today, it could have potentially catastrophic effects on our modern technological society. The powerful solar storm was identified by an international team of scientists studying ancient tree rings preserved in the eroded banks of the Drouzet River, near Gap, in the Southern French Alps.  Related: Yes, solar storms are increasing, but don’t lose sleep over an ‘internet apocalypse.’   By studying ancient tree rings,…

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Save 20% on solar eclipse glasses ahead of Saturday’s eclipse

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If you want to view this Saturday’s (October 14) solar eclipse safely, you’ll need a pair of specialized glasses. Sunglasses are not safe or appropriate for solar viewing. Fortunately, they’re relatively inexpensive and you can get 20% off a 12-pack. These SKKAEO solar glasses are scratch-resistant and are compliant with ISO 12312-2 international standards to keep out 100% of harmful ultraviolet and infrared light. Save 20% and get a 12-pack of solar eclipse glasses for $14.30 on Amazon.  It should be noted that NASA does not approve any brand of…

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Canon EOS R5 now $500 off in Amazon Prime Day camera deal

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The Canon EOS R5, one of the best cameras for photos and videos, is now on sale in the Amazon Prime Day deals 2023 with a whopping $500 discount! We gave it four and a half out of five stars in our full Canon EOS R5 review because it has 8K video recording, shoots detailed 45MP stills photographs and has great handling and ergonomics.  It’s now much cheaper than its closest rival the Nikon Z8 mirrorless camera which also tops our best cameras buying guide, but with a $500 discount,…

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NASA’s Webb Captures an Ethereal View of NGC 346

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3 min read NASA’s Webb Captures an Ethereal View of NGC 346 This new infrared image of NGC 346 from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) traces emission from cool gas and dust. In this image blue represents silicates and sooty chemical molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. More diffuse red emission shines from warm dust heated by the brightest and most massive stars in the heart of the region. Bright patches and filaments mark areas with abundant numbers of protostars. This image includes 7.7-micron light…

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NASA’s Roman Mission Gears Up for a Torrent of Future Data

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NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team is exploring ways to support community efforts that will prepare for the deluge of data the mission will return. Recently selected infrastructure teams will serve a vital role in the preliminary work by creating simulations, scouting the skies with other telescopes, calibrating Roman’s components, and much more. Their work will complement additional efforts by other teams and individuals around the world, who will join forces to maximize Roman’s scientific potential. The goal is to ensure that, when the mission launches by May 2027,…

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