The Artemis 2 crew, from left to right: Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch. (NASA TV) Topics: Astronautics, Astrophysics, International Space Station, NASA, Space Exploration NASA has selected the four astronauts that will travel to the Moon during the upcoming Artemis 2 mission, which will be humanity’s first crewed return to theContinue reading “Fly Them to the Moon…”
Category Archives: NASA
Class of ’78…
Topics: African Americans, Diversity in Science, NASA The inclusion of women and people of color in NASA’s astronaut cadet program was unprecedented — and sometimes met fierce resistance. The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel, Meredith Bagby, William Morrow (2023) Growing up in raciallyContinue reading “Class of ’78…”
Life Detector…
An Orbitrap cell. Credit: Ricardo Arevalo Topics: Astrobiology, Astronautics, Biology, Laser, NASA, Planetary Science, Space Exploration As space missions delve deeper into the outer solar system, the need for more compact, resource-conserving, and accurate analytical tools have become increasingly critical—especially as the hunt for extraterrestrial life and habitable planets or moons continues. A University ofContinue reading “Life Detector…”
At Horizon’s Edge…
An artist’s concept of New Horizons during the spacecraft’s planned encounter with Pluto and its moon Charon. The craft’s miniature cameras, radio science experiments, ultraviolet and infrared spectrometers, and space plasma experiments would characterize the global geology and geomorphology of Pluto and Charon, map their surface compositions and temperatures, and examine Pluto’s atmosphere in detail. Credit: JohnsContinue reading “At Horizon’s Edge…”
Death of Chrysalis…
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, NASA, Planetary Science WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Call it the case of the missing moon. Scientists using data obtained by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and computer simulations said on Thursday the destruction of a large moon that strayed too close to Saturn would account both for the birth of the gas giantContinue reading “Death of Chrysalis…”
WASP-39b and CO2…
Topics: Astrophysics, Chemistry, ESA, Exoplanets, James Webb Space Telescope, NASA The James Webb Space Telescope — already famous for its mesmerizing images of the cosmos — has done it again. The telescope has captured the first unambiguous evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside the Solar System. The finding not only provides tantalizingContinue reading “WASP-39b and CO2…”
Studying UAPs…
Topics: Astrophysics, NASA, SETI I was startled, to say the least, that this story appears in Scientific American, and that NASA and theoretical astrophysicist Avi Loeb is interested in it. The nut job “giggle factor” has given way to curiosity about things humans cannot explain, and that bothers us as a species. My concern isContinue reading “Studying UAPs…”
HETs…
Topics: Applied Physics, Computer Modeling, NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight Abstract Hall effect thrusters operating at power levels in excess of several hundreds of kilowatts have been identified as enabling technologies for applications such as lunar tugs, large satellite orbital transfer vehicles, and solar system exploration. These large thrusters introduce significant testing challenges due to theContinue reading “HETs…”
Uhura to Proctor…
Topics: NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight, SpaceX, Star Trek Dr. King revealed to Nichols that TOS was the only show that he and his wife, Coretta, allowed their little children to stay up and watch. Further, he told Nichols what the show meant to him personally and detailed the importance of her having created a character with “dignityContinue reading “Uhura to Proctor…”
J0030…
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, NASA, Neutron Stars, Pulsars NASA’s NICER instrument reveals that neutron stars are not as simple as we thought. Pulsars are the lighthouses of the universe. These tiny, compact objects are neutron stars — the remnants of once-massive stars — that spin rapidly, beaming radiation into space. Now, for the first time, astronomersContinue reading “J0030…”
Physics and Nano 