National Aeronautics and Space Administrion

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA technology also has been adapted for many nonaerospace uses by the private sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. Perhaps more importantly, our exploration of space has taught us to view Earth, ourselves, and the universe in a new way. While the tremendous technical and scientific accomplishments of NASA demonstrate vividly that humans can achieve previously inconceivable feats, we also are humbled by the realization that Earth is just a tiny "blue marble" in the cosmos. Check out our "Thinking About NASA History" folder online as an introduction to how history can help you.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

One Dimensional Gas

"A team of physicists have created a one-dimensional gas out of light, studying the strange properties of this strange state of matter."


https://www.iflscience.com/physicists-turn-light-into-a-one-dimensional-gas-with-incredibly-strange-properties-75963?utm_source=The+IFLScience+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e5de86469f-ICYMI-18-09-24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-c13f3c4e60-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&goal=0_3aa1738e2a-e5de86469f-272567312&mc_cid=e5de86469f&mc_eid=561ee916fc

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Astronauts Stranded in space

"Two US astronauts stranded in space for eight months have said it was hard to watch their malfunctioning craft depart the International Space Station without them, but they were happy and trained to "expect the unexpected"."


https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgn1125ne3o?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Stadium Sized Asteroids

"Nasa has issued an alert for a stadium-sized asteroid set to make a close approach to Earth on Tuesday."

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/asteroid-alert-nasa-2024-on-b2610177.html

Ring of Space Rocks

"Earth may have had a giant ring of space rocks surrounding it, similar to those around Saturn, which could have led to chaotic meteorite strikes on our planet's surface, new research suggests."


https://www.livescience.com/space/earth-once-wore-a-saturn-like-ring-study-of-ancient-craters-suggests

Monday, September 16, 2024

Pair of Asteroids

"A pair of asteroid dynamics researchers from Universidad Complutense de Madrid Ciudad Universitaria have found that a small asteroid will make one orbit around the Earth starting this month before departing back into other parts of the solar system."https://phys.org/news/2024-09-earth-mini-moon-months.html#google_vignette

Friday, September 13, 2024

Bowing 737

"The mid-flight blowout of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane in January sent one of the world's top aerospace manufacturers into a tailspin."https://www.axios.com/2024/03/14/boeing-737-max-problems-timeline

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Polaris Dawn

"The Polaris Dawn crew, comprising the first ever SpaceX employees to voyage into space, was showered with words of encouragement as they embarked on their mission."https://www.earth.com/news/spacex-launches-polaris-dawn-civilian-crew-on-historic-spacewalk-mission/

Polaris

"NASA researchers will soon benefit from a suite of experiments flying aboard a new fully-commercial human spaceflight mission, strengthening future agency science as we venture to the Moon, Mars and beyond."https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/nasa-to-test-telemedicine-gather-essential-health-data-with-polaris-dawn-crew/

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

JWT New Galaxies

"Astronomers exploring the faraway universe with the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's most powerful telescope, have found a class of galaxies that challenges even the most skillful creatures in mimicry — like the mimic octopus."https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/the-james-webb-telescope-found-hundreds-of-little-red-dots-in-the-ancient-universe-we-still-don-t-know-what-they-are

Hubble Discovery

"Like two Sumo wrestlers squaring off, the closest confirmed pair of supermassive black holes have been observed in tight proximity."https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-chandra-find-supermassive-black-hole-duo/?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Monday, September 9, 2024

Next Trip to Moon

"A European spacecraft is set to fly by the Moon and the Earth next week, using gravity to navigate its course on the way to its destination of Jupiter."https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/08/17/esas-juice-spacecraft-set-to-attempt-first-ever-lunar-earth-flyby-on-route-to-jupiter?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Starliner

"The decision to return Starliner home without astronauts on Friday (Sept. 7) was not without controversy, NASA said of discussions with Boeing."

https://www.space.com/boeing-starliner-spacecraft-tension-return-earth-without-astronauts?utm_term=1E9CE68B-BB7D-4199-A76E-9D014B1CA562&lrh=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01&utm_campaign=58E4DE65-C57F-4CD3-9A5A-609994E2C5A9&utm_medium=email&utm_content=4EA75E20-1AEE-49D3-9409-39182C8C23E1&utm_source=SmartBrief

China's Launch

"China plans to launch two heavy-lift Long March 5 rockets with elements of the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission in 2028, the mission's chief designer said Thursday."https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/with-nasas-plan-faltering-china-knows-it-can-be-first-with-mars-sample-return/

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Guesswork regarding Moon

"There continues to be guesswork regarding resources available on the moon. 

Clearly, a leading hot topic is whether or not super-chilly water ice at the lunar south pole is truly ripe for the picking and processing into oxygen, hydrogen and other essentials needed for life support, even rocket fuel. "

https://www.space.com/moon-lunar-resources-international-cooperation?utm_term=1E9CE68B-BB7D-4199-A76E-9D014B1CA562&lrh=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01&utm_campaign=58E4DE65-C57F-4CD3-9A5A-609994E2C5A9&utm_medium=email&utm_content=4EA75E20-1AEE-49D3-9409-39182C8C23E1&utm_source=SmartBrief

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Small Asteroid

"A small asteroid on a collision course with Earth today burned up harmlessly in Earth's atmosphere.


The European Space Agency (ESA) says a 3-foot (1-meter) asteroid struck the atmosphere and burned up harmlessly on Wednesday (Sept. 4) around 12:46 p.m. ET (1646 GMT) above the western Pacific Ocean near Luzon Island in the Philippines. "


https://www.space.com/asteroid-earth-impact-september-2024-rw1?utm_term=1E9CE68B-BB7D-4199-A76E-9D014B1CA562&lrh=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01&utm_campaign=58E4DE65-C57F-4CD3-9A5A-609994E2C5A9&utm_medium=email&utm_content=4EA75E20-1AEE-49D3-9409-39182C8C23E1&utm_source=SmartBrief

Copernicus

"This initiative is headed by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA)."


https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Introducing_Copernicus#:~:text=Copernicus%20is%20the%20Earth%20observation,change%20and%20ensure%20civil%20security.

Thursday, September 5, 2024

Stargazers

"Stargazers in Salisbury, UK, were treated to a magical sight as the Perseid meteor shower, seen each year when Earth passes through debris left by the comet Swift–Tuttle, rained shooting stars over the prehistoric monoliths at Stonehenge."


https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-024-02781-z/index.html?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

UAE

"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency is moving forward on a one-after-another mission to the main asteroid belt. 


The probe will conduct high-speed flybys of six asteroids, completing the spectacular sojourn with a rendezvous and orbiting of a seventh mini-world — and then deploy a small lander onto that final space rock destination."


https://www.space.com/uae-asteroid-belt-mission-progress-2028-launch?utm_term=1E9CE68B-BB7D-4199-A76E-9D014B1CA562&lrh=64a20f24338333901e4cb7afc40a3cfae56c6770df59fc13cf25a5ce36d78b01&utm_campaign=58E4DE65-C57F-4CD3-9A5A-609994E2C5A9&utm_medium=email&utm_content=4EA75E20-1AEE-49D3-9409-39182C8C23E1&utm_source=SmartBrief

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Mars Perseverance

"Marking a new journey in NASA's exploration of Mars, the Perseverance rover is set to begin a monthslong, steep and challenging ascent up a crater, the space agency announced Wednesday."https://abcnews.go.com/US/nasas-mars-rover-begin-challenging-journey-crater-rim/story?id=112841665

Solar Sail

"Despite a failed first attempt, NASA deployed its pioneering solar sail system, which will harness energy from the Sun to propel itself forward through space."https://gizmodo.com/nasas-solar-sail-mission-is-finally-flying-after-deployment-glitch-2000493203?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Nuclear Strikes

"Scientists at China’s deep space exploration program believe that nuclear weapons are the most effective option to prevent a dangerous asteroid collision with Earth, which could pose a doomsday threat to humanity."https://interestingengineering.com/space/china-study-backs-nuclear-strikes-asteroids

Butch Wilmore

"On Saturday NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore noticed some strange noises emanating from a speaker inside the Starliner spacecraft."

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/starliners-speaker-began-emitting-strange-sonar-noises-on-saturday/