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Posts Tagged ‘NASA’

A Special Delivery

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , , on September 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Today, we hope to receive a very special delivery: a capsule containing a sample of an asteroid.

The OSIRIS-REx mission has been in progress for over seven years. Today we find out if its ultimate goal is successful.

In Depth | OSIRIS-REx – NASA Solar System Exploration

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) is the first U.S. spacecraft to collect a sample from an asteroid. OSIRIS-REx traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and is bringing a small sample to Earth for study…

The mission, developed by scientists at the University of Arizona, will give us more information about how the early solar system formed and about how life began. It will also help us better understand asteroids that could impact Earth in the future.

The plan is for the return capsule to land at the Defense Department’s Utah Test and Training Range. If successful, humanity will have the opportunity to study pristine asteroid material.

Interested in videos, activities, and other information about the mission? Here you go:

OSIRIS-REx Resources – NASA Solar System Exploration

The capsule is expected to land at approximately 10:55am Eastern time. Want to watch the livestream? Me too:)

OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return (Official 4K NASA Broadcast)

* Spoiler alert! The mission was a success!

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screenshot from NASA SVS | Imaging Asteroid Bennu

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Turning to Fall

Posted in Holidays, Science!, tagged , , , , , , on September 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s that time again. If you are in the northern hemisphere on planet Earth, today is the Fall Equinox.

Autumnal Equinox 2023: First Day of Fall | Facts, Folklore & More | The Old Farmer’s Almanac

After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. This ends with the winter solstice, after which days start to grow longer once again. 

The word “equinox” comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal,” and nox, ”night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length.

Why just “roughly” equal in length?

Why day and night aren’t equal length on an equinox

Firstly, the sun has a size—it’s not just a point in the sky.… Secondly, the Earth’s atmosphere refracts (bends) sunlight.

What does the ebb and flow of axial luminescence look like from space?

NASA: Seeing Equinoxes and Solstices from Space

For more on the “why” of seasons, check out this explainer:

What Causes the Seasons? | NASA Space Place

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Photo by Alicia Petresc on Unsplash

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Maybe Next Time?

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , , on September 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

NASA just released a report on the current status of research on unidentified anomalous phenomena, more commonly referred to by Area 51 enthusiasts as UFOs.

Here’s the full report:

UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA: Independent Study Team Report

Don’t have time for the full document? Here’s a summary article:

NASA UFO report finds no evidence of ‘extraterrestrial origin’ for UAP sightings | Space

NASA’s UFO study team released its long-awaited first report today, and while its experts found no signs of extraterrestrial origins for reported sightings, the space agency is appointing a new chief to study the phenomenon.

The takeaway? Sorry, folks, it’s not aliens.

But.

When it comes to mysteries like these, we still have a lot more to learn. 

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Photo by Gene Brutty on Unsplash

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A Bold Mission

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on April 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »

NASA recently released the Artemis II roster for the next crewed lunar mission. As one article put it, “this is not your grandfather’s moon mission” and that’s a good thing. The crew is 25% female, 25% African American, and even (gasp!) 25% Canadian! (Think you too have what it takes? Here’s a link to get started: Astronaut Selection Program | NASA. Good luck!)

Why go to space? There are a lot of potential answers. Given the complex, diverse and fascinating future of exploration, here’s a collection of stories and essays that address this very question.

Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures from ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination

Stories by: Madeline Ashby, Steven Barnes, Eileen Gunn, Ramez Naam, Carter Scholz, Karl Schroeder, Vandana Singh

Essays by: Jim Bell, Lawrence Dritsas, Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Emma Frow, Roland Lehoucq, Andrew D. Maynard, Clark A. Miller, Deji Bryce Olukotun, Steve Ruff, William K. Storey, Sara Imari Walker, G. Pascal Zachary

Interview with: Kim Stanley Robinson

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Photo by Armand Khoury on Unsplash

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Congratulations, Percy!

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , , , on February 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »

It’s been just over two years since the Perseverance rover began its quest on Mars. What’s it been up to? A lot, but this article has a summary and link to the whole of its adventure (so far) distilled into a time-lapse video.

Follow Perseverance on Its Mars Journey With This Two-Year Timelapse – Universe Today

The rover has now traveled almost 15 km (9 miles). In addition to studying numerous rocks, it has also collected and stowed away 18 sample containers of rocks, regolith, and even the Martian atmosphere, to be gathered later and brought to Earth in a future Mars Sample Return mission.

For more cool stuff like a Mars photo booth, check out NASA’s Perseverance’s Highlights and Dr. Sunanda Sharma’s talk about Perseverance- Two Years on Mars.

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Chewie on Mars: “What do you mean, this isn’t a new chew toy?”

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The Tranquil Sea

Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 26, 2022| 1 Comment »

I am working on story edits today and found myself needing to look up a lunar technicality. Next thing I know, I was reading a detailed account of the first lunar spacewalk at Tranquillity Base. I thought you might enjoy it too.

Wide Awake on the Sea of Tranquillity | NASA

July 20, 1969: The day began on the farside of the Moon. Armstrong, Aldrin and crewmate Mike Collins flew their spaceship 60 miles above the cratered wasteland. No one on Earth can see the Moon’s farside. Even today it remains a land of considerable mystery, but the astronauts had no time for sight-seeing. Collins pressed a button, activating a set of springs, and the spaceship split in two. The half named Columbia, with Collins on board, would remain in orbit. The other half, the Eagle, spiraled over the horizon toward the Sea of Tranquillity.

“You are Go for powered descent,” Houston radioed…

This also got me thinking about the farside of the moon. We’ve learned a lot about it since these images in 1959:

First Photo of the Lunar Farside – Moon: NASA Science 

Check out the image comparison a few paragraphs in. Or heck, here’s my version:

Image credit: NASA

And since we’re talking about the moon, let’s wrap with an update from Artemis:

NASA to Share Artemis I Update with Orion at Farthest Point from Earth | NASA

Orion entered a distant lunar orbit on at 4:52 p.m. EST Friday, Nov. 25, where the spacecraft will remain for about a week to test systems in a deep space environment about 40,000 miles above the lunar surface before beginning the journey back to Earth. 

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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Nice Shot

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , , on November 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The Artemis moon mission is now underway, which means fun updates like this video flyby of the Moon.

… NASA’s Orion spacecraft performs a close approach of the lunar surface on its way to a distant retrograde orbit, a highly stable orbit thousands of miles beyond the Moon. During the Artemis I flight test, launched on Nov. 16, Orion will travel 280,000 miles (450,000 km) from Earth and 40,000 miles (64,000 km) beyond the far side of the Moon, carrying science and technology payloads to expand our understanding of lunar science, technology developments, and deep space radiation.

— Artemis I Close Flyby of the Moon – YouTube

Check out Orion’s location with the Artemis Real-time Orbit Website: NASA: Artemis I.

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Photo by Hebert Santos

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Third Time’s A Charm?

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , , on November 15, 2022| 1 Comment »

Will the Artemis moon mission finally fly? The answer seems to be, “Probably.”* The weather has been challenging but tonight’s forecast looks good. Here’s hoping all goes well tonight!

NASA’s new Artemis moon rocket is once again being readied for its first flight : NPR

A successful launch would be a key milestone for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to put the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface. The agency has not launched a space vehicle designed to send astronauts to the moon since 1972.

* Edit from the future: the answer is yes!

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Photo by Siim Lukka on Unsplash

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Earth Smash!

Posted in Science!, tagged , , , , on September 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Way to go, NASA, you did good!

NASA’s DART mission successfully crashes spacecraft into asteroid

It was a cosmic smash-up watched around the world.

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Sorry not sorry! (Image credit: NASA/JHUAPL)

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The Best Defense

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on September 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Today is the first test of humanity’s nascent planetary defense system. Like Armageddon, except scientists are the heroes.

NASA will hit an asteroid with a spacecraft to change its course : NPR

“It’s just a spacecraft that is going to go and smack an asteroid.” Oh, is that all?

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NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is scheduled to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid to test our ability to nudge potentially dangerous near-Earth objects into safer trajectories. That is excellent, and we can watch it.

How to Livestream NASA Smashing an Asteroid to Test Planetary Defense Plan

The impact day broadcast of the actual test will start on Monday, September 26 at 6 p.m. EDT, which you can watch on NASA TV, a livestream on NASA’s YouTube channel.

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What will happen and how will we know? 

Ground-based telescopes are key to DART asteroid mission success | Space

On Monday (Sept. 26), the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft will slam into a small space rock called Dimorphos — on purpose, at a staggering 4 miles (6.6 kilometers) per second. The exercise comes in the name of planetary defense, which aims to protect human civilization from any large asteroid that may be on a collision course. For the mission to succeed, scientists need to measure exactly how much the orbit of Dimorphos around its larger companion, Didymos, speeds up. And the DART spacecraft won’t be in any shape to make that measurement itself, so mission personnel are relying on ground-based telescopes to track the aftermath of impact.

If this trial run works, terrific, but even failure would better prepare us to defend Earth. 

Si vis pacem, para [asteroides].

— Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (with minor paraphrasing)

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Photo by Senad Palic on Unsplash

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