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The Martian by Andy Weir
It’s Girl Scout Day! March 12, 2024, is the 112th birthday of Girl Scouts in the United States, and to celebrate, we’re sharing a lithograph of the Girl Scout alumnae who became NASA astronauts.
Girl Scouts learn to work together, build community, embrace adventurousness and curiosity, and develop leadership skills—all of which come in handy as an astronaut. For example, former Scouts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir worked together to make history on Oct. 18, 2019, when they performed the first all-woman spacewalk.
Pam Melroy is one of only two women to command a space shuttle and became NASA’s deputy administrator on June 21, 2021.
Nicole Mann was the first Indigenous woman from NASA to go to space when she launched to the International Space Station on Oct. 5, 2022. Currently, Loral O’Hara is aboard the space station, conducting science experiments and research.
Participating in thoughtful activities in leadership and STEM in Girl Scouts has empowered and inspired generations of girls to explore space, and we can’t wait to meet the future generations who will venture to the Moon and beyond.
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Hubble’s Guide to Viewing Deep Fields
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but no images have left a greater impact on our understanding of the universe quite like the Hubble Space Telescope’s deep fields. Like time machines, these iconic images transport humanity billions of light-years back in time, offering a glimpse into the early universe and insight into galaxy evolution!
You’ve probably seen these images before, but what exactly do we see within them? Deep field images are basically core samples of our universe. By peering into a small portion of the night sky, we embark on a journey through space and time as thousands of galaxies appear before our very eyes.
So, how can a telescope the size of a school bus orbiting 340 miles above Earth uncover these mind-boggling galactic masterpieces? We’re here to break it down. Here’s Hubble’s step-by-step guide to viewing deep fields:
Step 1: Aim at the darkness
Believe it or not, capturing the light of a thousand galaxies actually begins in the dark. To observe extremely faint galaxies in the farthest corners of the cosmos, we need minimal light interference from nearby stars and other celestial objects. The key is to point Hubble’s camera at a dark patch of sky, away from the outer-edge glow of our own galaxy and removed from the path of our planet, the Sun, or the Moon. This “empty” black canvas of space will eventually transform into a stunning cosmic mosaic of galaxies.
The first deep field image was captured in 1995. In order to see far beyond nearby galaxies, Hubble’s camera focused on a relatively empty patch of sky within the constellation Ursa Major. The results were this step-shaped image, an extraordinary display of nearly 3,000 galaxies spread across billions of light-years, featuring some of the earliest galaxies to emerge shortly after the big bang.
Step 2: Take it all in
The universe is vast, and peering back billions of years takes time. Compared to Hubble’s typical exposure time of a few hours, deep fields can require hundreds of hours of exposure over several days. Patience is key. Capturing and combining several separate exposures allows astronomers to assemble a comprehensive core slice of our universe, providing key information about galaxy formation and evolution. Plus, by combining exposures from different wavelengths of light, astronomers are able to better understand galaxy distances, ages, and compositions.
The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is the deepest visible-light portrait of our universe. This astonishing display of nearly 10,000 galaxies was imaged over the course of 400 Hubble orbits around Earth, with a total of 800 exposures captured over 11.3 days.
Step 3: Go beyond what’s visible
The ability to see across billions of light-years and observe the farthest known galaxies in our universe requires access to wavelengths beyond those visible to the human eye. The universe is expanding and light from distant galaxies is stretched far across space, taking a long time to reach us here on Earth. This phenomenon, known as “redshift,” causes longer wavelengths of light to appear redder the farther they have to travel through space. Far enough away, and the wavelengths will be stretched into infrared light. This is where Hubble’s infrared vision comes in handy. Infrared light allows us to observe light from some of the earliest galaxies in our universe and better understand the history of galaxy formation over time.
In 2009, Hubble observed the Ultra Deep Field in the infrared. Using the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, astronomers gathered one of the deepest core samples of our universe and captured some of the most distant galaxies ever observed.
Step 4: Use your time machine
Apart from their remarkable beauty and impressive imagery, deep field images are packed with information, offering astronomers a cosmic history lesson billions of years back in time within a single portrait. Since light from distant galaxies takes time to reach us, these images allow astronomers to travel through time and observe these galaxies as they appear at various stages in their development. By observing Hubble’s deep field images, we can begin to discover the questions we’ve yet to ask about our universe.
Credit: NASA, ESA, R. Bouwens and G. Illingworth (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Hubble’s deep field images observe galaxies that emerged as far back as the big bang. This image of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field showcases 28 of over 500 early galaxies from when the universe was less than one billion years old. The light from these galaxies represent different stages in their evolution as their light travels through space to reach us.
Step 5: Expand the cosmic frontier
Hubble’s deep fields have opened a window to a small portion of our vast universe, and future space missions will take this deep field legacy even further. With advancements in technologies and scientific instruments, we will soon have the ability to further uncover the unimaginable.
Slated for launch in late 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will offer a new lens to our universe with its impressive infrared capabilities. Relying largely on the telescope’s mid-infrared instrument, Webb will further study portions of the Hubble deep field images in greater detail, pushing the boundaries of the cosmic frontier even further.
And there you have it, Hubble’s guide to unlocking the secrets of the cosmos! To this day, deep field images remain fundamental building blocks for studying galaxy formation and deepening not only our understanding of the universe, but our place within it as well.
Still curious about Hubble Deep Fields? Explore more and follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with #DeepFieldWeek!
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Are You Up to the Task of Navigating Space with NASA?
We’re committed to exploration and discovery, journeying to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. But how do we guide our missions on their voyage among the stars? Navigation engineers lead the way!
Using complex mathematical formulas, navigation experts calculate where our spacecraft are and where they’re headed. No matter the destination, navigating the stars is a complicated challenge that faces all our missions. But, we think you’re up to the task!
Our space navigation workbook lets you explore the techniques and mathematical concepts used by navigation engineers. The book delves into groundbreaking navigation innovations like miniaturized atomic clocks, autonomous navigation technologies, using GPS signals at the Moon, and guiding missions through the solar system with X-ray emissions from pulsars — a type of neutron star. It also introduces you to experts working with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
If you’re a high schooler who dreams of guiding a rover across the rocky surface of Mars or planning the trajectory of an observer swinging around Venus en route to the Sun, this workbook is for you! Download it today and start your adventure with NASA: https://go.nasa.gov/3i7Pzqr
Soyuz Neptune-ME@Commander
Soyuz Neptune-ME@Engineer 2
Mission Precision
The Instrument was designed and built to meet a mission's precision.
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Apollo Display and Keyboard (DSKY)
The Display and Keyboard (DSKY) was the main interface between the crew and the Apollo Guidance Computers which controlled the Command/Service Module and the Lunar Module.
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Apollo 8 Christmas Message
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts did a live television broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures of the Earth and Moon seen from Apollo 8. They ended the broadcast with the crew taking turns reading from the book of Genesis.
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Vostok 1 Globus IMP Navigation Instrument
This Globus IMP instrument was spacecraft navigation instruments used in Vostok 1.
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Mars Perseverance Rover Mission Landing Site
The Jezero crater (circle) on Mars was where the Mars Perseverance rover landed.
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Mars 2020 Perseverance
Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission is to search for signs of ancient life on the red planet.
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Left to right: Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, Jupiter, Io
This was amazing to watch
We are going to the Moon!
At 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, 2022, our Orion spacecraft launched aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from historic Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a path to the Moon, officially beginning the Artemis I mission.
This mission is the first integrated test of NASA’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, the SLS rocket, and Kennedy ground systems. This is the very first time this rocket and spacecraft have flown together, and it’s the first of many Artemis missions to the Moon. Artemis I is uncrewed, but it lays the groundwork for increasingly complex missions that will land humans on the lunar surface, including the first woman and the first person of color to do so.
With Artemis, we will build a long-term human presence on the Moon and prepare humanity for future exploration plans to Mars and beyond.
See more photos of Artemis I on our Flickr.
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December 17th of 2019 is The Launch Date of The CHEOPS_Mission to measure The Radii of EXOPLANETS Which have already been discovered by now.
Humanity might now be ignoring its’ First Chance to send a Deep_Space Exploration Probe to a real Oort_Cloud Object for The Time in History!
At Least 94 More Exoplanets were just recently discovered by Astronomers and Astrophysicists using NASA's Kepler Space_Telescope.
Scientists discover almost 100 new exoplanets
“We started out analyzing 275 candidates of which 149 were validated as real exoplanets. In turn 95 of these planets have proved to be new discoveries,” said American PhD student Andrew Mayo at the National Space Institute (DTU Space) at the Technical University of Denmark.
“This research has been underway since the first K2 data release in 2014.”
Mayo is the main author of the work being presented in the Astronomical Journal.
The research has been conducted partly as a senior project during his undergraduate studies at Harvard College. It has also involved a team of international colleagues from institutions such as NASA, Caltech, UC Berkeley, the University of Copenhagen, and the University of Tokyo.
Keep reading
Could it be that the way to slow down before arriving at a destination Solar_System is to use Solar_Sails to Reflect Light coming from The Destination Solar_System for a Longtime before entering into The Destination Solar_System?
Here's some more information on NASA's Juno_Mission.
Juno: Join the Mission!
Our Juno spacecraft may be millions of miles from Earth, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved with the mission and its science. Here are a few ways that you can join in on the fun:
Juno Orbit Insertion
This July 4, our solar-powered Juno spacecraft arrives at Jupiter after an almost five-year journey. In the evening of July 4, the spacecraft will perform a suspenseful orbit insertion maneuver, a 35-minute burn of its main engine, to slow the spacecraft by about 1,212 miles per hour so it can be captured into the gas giant’s orbit. Watch live coverage of these events on NASA Television:
Pre-Orbit Insertion Briefing Monday, July 4 at 12 p.m. EDT
Orbit Insertion Coverage Monday, July 4 at 10:30 p.m. EDT
Join Us On Social Media
Orbit Insertion Coverage Facebook Live Monday, July 4 at 10:30 p.m. EDT
Be sure to also check out and follow Juno coverage on the NASA Snapchat account!
JunoCam
The Juno spacecraft will give us new views of Jupiter’s swirling clouds, courtesy of its color camera called JunoCam. But unlike previous space missions, professional scientists will not be the ones producing the processed views, or even choosing which images to capture. Instead, the public will act as a virtual imaging team, participating in key steps of the process, from identifying features of interest to sharing the finished images online.
After JunoCam data arrives on Earth, members of the public will process the images to create color pictures. Juno scientists will ensure JunoCam returns a few great shots of Jupiter’s polar regions, but the overwhelming majority of the camera’s image targets will be chosen by the public, with the data being processed by them as well. Learn more about JunoCam HERE.
Follow our Juno mission on the web, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr.
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NASA's Juno_Mission reaches Jupiter on The 4th of July!
Scientists Excited as Juno Nears Jupiter
http://www.sci-news.com/space/juno-nears-jupiter-03994.html
On the evening of July 4, Juno — a solar-powered spacecraft the size of a basketball court — will fire its main engine for 35 minutes, placing it into a polar orbit around Jupiter
During the flybys, the spacecraft will probe beneath the obscuring cloud cover of the Solar System’s largest planet and study its auroras to learn more about the planet’s origins, structure, atmosphere and massive magnetosphere.
A series of 37 planned close approaches during the mission will eclipse the previous record for Jupiter set in 1974 by NASA’s Pioneer 11 spacecraft of 27,000 miles (43,000 km).
NASA’s Cassini_Mission to Saturn will be Retiring soon.
Future_Missions to Saturn will someday follow in its’ footsteps.
Cassini’s Retirement
What were you up to back in 1997? It was an exciting year. Titanic was setting box office records, Dolly the sheep was getting cloned, and the very first Harry Potter book was hitting shelves. It was also the year that a bus-sized NASA spacecraft named Cassini launched. Carrying the ESA Huygens probe, Cassini set off for Saturn to learn all about the lovely ringed planet.
After almost 20 years, Cassini is entering its last phase, building up to the “Grand Finale” that will culminate in September 2017 (if all goes well).
~ Scientific American
Also check out: https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/
idc if it's midnight at our time by its Live. I'm gonna watch it.
Ever wanted to look back in time? This week, we’re launching a kind of time machine – a telescope so powerful it will help us see back some of the first stars and galaxies made after the Big Bang.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most advanced telescope we’ve ever put in space. With revolutionary technology, it will study 13.5 billion years of cosmic history and help humanity understand our place in the stars.
Tomorrow, Dec. 25, at 7:20 a.m. ET (12:20 UTC), the Webb Telescope is set to launch from French Guiana, beginning a 29-day journey to a spot a million miles away.
How to Watch:
In English:
Dec. 25
Live coverage starts at 6:00 a.m. ET/11:00 UTC
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Twitch
In Spanish:
Dec. 25
Live coverage starts at 6:30 a.m. ET/11:30 UTC
Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
Once Webb launches, the journey has only just begun. The telescope will begin a 2-week-long process of unfolding itself in space before settling in to explore the universe in ways we’ve never seen before.
Follow along on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and with #UnfoldTheUniverse.
Imagine being this beautiful:
They are the sh*t, and they know it.
I feel kinda bad for NASA and SpaceX sincerely. Today they are writing a new chapter in the history of human space travel, an event that should be a shining beacon of hope for the future and pride for the US and for the STEM field in general, that is sadly overshadowed by the horrific murder of George Floyd by those heinous beasts disguised as cops.
"The Martian" by Andy Weir
I'm just back from holiday. While away I read this really fun book titled "The Martian" written by Andy Weir. It is a great read, fast paced, full of action with suspense and light relief. For other Engineers like me it really brings home what we do which is to solve problems. I highly recommend this book!
So there is no reason not to care about space exploration and the future of human
How Exactly Do We Plan to Bring an Asteroid Sample Back to Earth?
Our OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launches tomorrow, and will travel to a near-Earth asteroid, called Bennu. While there, it will collect a sample to bring back to Earth for study. But how exactly do we plan to get this spacecraft there and bring the sample back?
Here’s the plan:
After launch, OSIRIS-REx will orbit the sun for a year, then use Earth’s gravitational field to assist it on its way to Bennu. In August 2018, the spacecraft’s approach to Bennu will begin.
The spacecraft will begin a detailed survey of Bennu two months after slowing to encounter the asteroid. The process will last over a year, and will include mapping of potential sample sites. After the selection of the final site, the spacecraft will briefly touch the surface of Bennu to retrieve a sample.
To collect a sample, the sampling arm will make contact with the surface of Bennu for about five seconds, during which it will release a burst of nitrogen gas. The procedure will cause rocks and surface material to be stirred up and captured in the sampler head. The spacecraft has enough nitrogen to allow three sampling attempts, to collect between 60 and 2000 grams (2-70 ounces).
In March 2021, the window for departure from the asteroid will open, and OSIRIS-REx will begin its return journey to Earth, arriving two and a half years later in September 2023.
The sample return capsule will separate from the spacecraft and enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule containing the sample will be collected at the Utah Test and Training Range.
For two years after the sample return, the science team will catalog the sample and conduct analysis. We will also preserve at least 75% of the sample for further research by scientists worldwide, including future generations of scientists.
The Spacecraft
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is outfitted with some amazing instruments that will help complete the mission. Here’s a quick rundown:
The OCAMS Instrument Suite
PolyCam (center), MapCam (left) and SamCam (right) make up the camera suite on the spacecraft. These instruments are responsible for most of the visible light images that will be taken by the spacecraft.
OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA)
This instrument will provide a 3-D map of asteroid Bennu’s shape, which will allow scientists to understand the context of the asteroid’s geography and the sample location.
OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES)
The OTES instrument will conduct surveys to map mineral and chemical abundances and will take the asteroid Bennu’s temperature.
OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS)
This instrument will measure visible and near infrared light from the asteroid. These observations could be used to identify water and organic materials.
Regolith X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS)
REXIS can image X-ray emission from Bennu in order to provide an elemental abundance map of the asteroid’s surface.
Touch-and-Go Sample Arm Mechanism (TAGSAM)
This part of the spacecraft will be responsible for collecting a sample from Bennu’s surface.
Watch Launch and More!
OSIRIS-REx Talk Wednesday, Sept. 7 at noon EDT Join us for a discussion with representatives from the mission’s science and engineering teams. This talk will include an overview of the spacecraft and the science behind the mission. Social media followers can ask questions during this event by using #askNASA. Watch HERE.
Uncovering the Secrets of Asteroids Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. EDT During this panel, our scientists will discuss asteroids, how they relate to the origins of our solar system and the search for life beyond Earth. Social media followers can ask questions during this event by using #askNASA. Watch HERE.
LAUNCH COVERAGE!
Thursday, Sept. 8 starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT
Watch the liftoff of the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:05 p.m.
Full coverage is available online starting at 4:30 p.m. Watch
HERE
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We will also stream the liftoff on Facebook Live starting at 6:45 p.m. EDT. Watch
HERE
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How to build a telescope