NASA Earth Scientists Take Flight, Set Sail to Verify PACE Satellite Data

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5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) More than 100 scientists will participate in a field campaign involving a research vessel and two aircraft this month to verify the accuracy of data collected by NASA’s new PACE satellite: the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem mission. The process of data validation includes researchers comparing PACE data with data collected by similar, Earth-based instruments to ensure the measurements match up. Since the mission’s Feb. 8, 2024 launch, scientists around the world have successfully completed several data validation campaigns; the…

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NASA Astronaut Don Pettit’s Science of Opportunity on Space Station

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3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A fisheye lens attached to an electronic still camera was used to capture this image of NASA astronaut Don Pettit. NASA Science ideas are everywhere. Some of the greatest discoveries have come from tinkering and toying with new concepts and ideas. NASA astronaut Don Pettit is no stranger to inventing and discovering. During his previous missions, Pettit has contributed to advancements for human space exploration aboard the International Space Station resulting in several published scientific papers and breakthroughs. Pettit,…

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6 Ways Students Can Engage With NASA Glenn

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4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Students take a tour of NASA Glenn’s Telescience Support Center, where researchers operate International Space Station experiments. Credit: NASA/Jef Janis School is back in session, and the joy of learning is back on students’ minds. Teachers and parents seeking ways to extend students’ academic excitement outside of the classroom should know NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland offers various opportunities to engage with NASA. NASA educators encourage Ohio students and teachers to take part in the incredible space and…

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Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA Heliophysics

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Learn Home Leveraging Teacher Leaders to… Heliophysics Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Stories Science Activation Highlights Citizen Science   2 min read Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA Heliophysics Many teachers are exceptionally skilled at bridging students’ interests with real-world science. Now for the third year, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has brought together such a group of highly-motivated secondary and higher education teachers as part of their NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT) Space Physics Ambassador program. In…

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Space Station AMS-02 Instrument Works on the Mystery of Dark Matter

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AMS-02 mounted on the outside of the space station. NASA Visible matter in the form of stars and planets adds up to about five percent of the total known mass of the Universe. The rest is either dark matter, antimatter, or dark energy. The exact nature of these substances is unknown, but the International Space Station’s Alpha-Magnetic Spectrometer or AMS-02 is helping to solve the mystery. AMS-02 collects data on charged particles from cosmic ray events, which helps scientists understand the origin of those rays and could ultimately reveal whether…

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Hubble telescope spies a sparkling ‘cosmic fossil’ 3 million light-years away (image)

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The Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered an isolated cosmic fossil, which may offer new insight on galaxy formation.  Located about 3 million light-years from Earth, the Tucana Dwarf galaxy sits at the far edge of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes our Milky Way galaxy. This galaxy is home to older stars, leading researchers to believe it may contain traces from the early universe, according to a statement from NASA.  “Having such pristine properties enables scientists to use the Tucana Dwarf as a cosmic fossil,” NASA officials said in…

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La NASA invita a los medios al lanzamiento de Europa Clipper

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Técnicos ponen a prueba un conjunto de enormes paneles solares que miden aproximadamente 14,2 metros de largo y 4,1 metros de alto para la nave espacial Europa Clipper de la NASA, dentro de la Instalación de servicio de carga peligrosa de la agencia en el Centro Espacial Kennedy en Florida el 7 de agosto. Crédito: NASA/Kim Shiflett Read this release in English here. La NASA y SpaceX tienen planificado que la ventana para el lanzamiento de la misión Europa Clipper se abra el jueves 10 de octubre. Esta misión ayudará a…

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Thruster issues delay BepiColombo probe’s Mercury arrival until November 2026

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The joint European-Japanese BepiColombo spacecraft is set for a Mercury flyby late on Wednesday (Sept. 4), but thruster issues mean the probe faces a lengthy delay before entering orbit around the solar system’s innermost planet. BepiColombo launched in 2018 on an Ariane 5 rocket to seek out answers to mysteries surrounding Mercury. Its circuitous route to entering orbit around Mercury involves one Earth flyby, a pair of Venus flybys and six more around Mercury itself. The Sept. 4 flyby will be BepiColombo’s fourth of Mercury to date.  However, plans for…

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El X-59 de la NASA avanza en las pruebas de preparación para volar

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3 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) El técnico de soporte vital de la NASA Matthew Sechler ayuda a instalar un asiento eyectable en el avión X-59, en las instalaciones de Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, en Palmdale, California. La culminación de instalación del asiento marca un hito en la integración de la aeronave mientras se prepara para las pruebas en tierra firme. Crédito: Lockheed Martin Read this story in English here. El equipo que prepara el X-59 de la NASA continúa realizando pruebas en preparación para…

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