NASA
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NASA
New NASA Instrument for Studying Snowpack Completes Airborne Testing
Summer heat has significant effects in the mountainous regions of the western United States. Melted snow washes from snowy peaks into the rivers, reservoirs, and streams that supply millions of Americans with freshwater—as much as 75% of the annual freshwater supply for some states. But as climate change brings winter temperatures to new highs, these summer rushes of freshwater can sometimes…
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NASA
Sols 4345-4347: Contact Science is Back on the Table
Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 The changes to the plan Wednesday, moving the drive a sol earlier, meant that we started off planning this morning about 18 meters (about 59 feet) farther along the western edge of Gediz Vallis and with all the data we needed for planning. This included the knowledge that once again one of Curiosity’s wheels was…
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NASA
Planets Beware: NASA Unburies Danger Zones of Star Cluster
Most stars form in collections, called clusters or associations, that include very massive stars. These giant stars send out large amounts of high-energy radiation, which can disrupt relatively fragile disks of dust and gas that are in the process of coalescing to form new planets. A team of astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, in combination with ultraviolet, optical, and infrared data, to show where some…
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NASA
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Looks Back While Climbing Slippery Slope
On its way up the side of Jezero Crater, the agency’s latest Red Planet off-roader peers all the way back to its landing site and scopes the path ahead. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is negotiating a steeply sloping route up Jezero Crater’s western wall with the aim of cresting the rim in early December. During the climb, the rover…
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NASA
An Opportunity to Study Water
NASA astronaut Don Pettit fills a sphere of water with food coloring in this image from Oct. 20, 2024. Pettit calls experiments like these “science of opportunity” – moments of scientific exploration that spontaneously come to mind because of the unique experience of being on the International Space Station. During his previous missions, Pettit has contributed to advancements for human space exploration aboard…
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NASA
NASA Announces STEM Engagement Lead, Chief Economist Retirements
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Monday Mike Kincaid, associate administrator, Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM), and Alexander MacDonald, chief economist, will retire from the agency. Following Kincaid’s departure on Nov. 30, Kris Brown, deputy associate administrator for strategy and integration in OSTEM, will serve as acting associate administrator for that office beginning Dec. 1, and after MacDonald’s departure on Dec.…
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NASA
NASA Successfully Integrates Coronagraph for Roman Space Telescope
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully completed integration of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument onto Roman’s Instrument Carrier, a piece of infrastructure that will hold the mission’s instruments, which will be integrated onto the larger spacecraft at a later date. The Roman Coronagraph is a technology demonstration that scientists will use to take an important step in the…
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NASA
NASA Provides Update on Artemis III Moon Landing Regions
As NASA prepares for the first crewed Moon landing in more than five decades, the agency has identified an updated set of nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for its Artemis III mission. These areas will be further investigated through scientific and engineering study. NASA will continue to survey potential areas for missions following Artemis III, including…
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NASA
Sols 4343-4344: Late Slide, Late Changes
Earth planning date: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024 Curiosity is driving along the western edge of the Gediz Vallis channel, heading for a good vantage point before turning westward and leaving the channel behind to explore the canyons beyond. The contact science for “Chuck Pass” on sol 4341 and backwards 30-meter drive (about 98 feet) on sol 4342 completed successfully. This…
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NASA
Red Rocks with Green Spots at ‘Serpentine Rapids’
After discovering and sampling the “leopard spots” of “Bright Angel,” it became apparent that Perseverance’s journey of discovery in this region was not yet finished. Approximately 20 sols (Martian days) after driving south across Neretva Vallis from Bright Angel, the rover discovered the enigmatic and unique red rocks of “Serpentine Rapids.” At Serpentine Rapids, Perseverance used its abrading bit to create an abrasion…
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