The EO-1 satellite has produced over four times the expected volume of imagery, demonstrating the effectiveness of its Hyperion and Advanced Land Imager (ALI) instruments in monitoring Earth's surfaces. These instruments have already proven invaluable in applications such as forestry and agricultural crop assessment.
The CONTOUR mission will examine the 'heart' of comets, exploring their composition and dynamics through high-resolution images and gas analysis. The four-year mission will visit two comets, Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, and potentially a new comet in the outer solar system.
MERBoards will provide a new tool to support collaborative processes in Mars Surface Operations, enhancing mission operations with interactive displays and annotation capabilities.
The CONTOUR spacecraft is set to launch on July 1, capturing the sharpest pictures yet of a comet's nucleus, mapping rock and ice surfaces, and analyzing surrounding gas and dust. The mission aims to provide detailed data on ancient comets, assessing their diversity and clarifying how comets evolve.
The MESSENGER project has passed a critical design review and is ready to move forward with building its spacecraft. The spacecraft will study Mercury's composition, geologic history, and magnetosphere over a one-year orbit, providing valuable insights into the inner solar system.
Richard Monastersky and Diane Tennant have won the American Geophysical Union's 2002 David Perlman and Walter Sullivan Awards for Excellence in Science Journalism. Monastersky won for his news article on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous mission, while Tennant won for her seven-part series on a local meteor impact story that spans 35 ...
The TIMED spacecraft is beginning its two-year science mission to study the influences of the sun and humans on the least explored portion of Earth's atmosphere. The mission will provide a global picture of this critical region, enabling future 'space weather' predictions.
The Cornell and Contour Comet Challenge encourages students and teachers to create educational programs about the spacecraft's goal to study comets. The challenge includes two winning teams that will receive a trip to Kennedy Space Center and educational materials.
Case studies illustrate how special-interest groups influence policies on needle exchange programs, ergonomics, and mammograms. The authors suggest that institutions must address vested interests to ensure the appropriate use of scientific evidence.
A new NASA climate model suggests that low solar activity during the Little Ice Age (1400s-1700s) triggered regional cooling in Europe and North America. The study found that a dimmer sun reduced westerly winds, leading to cold temperatures during winter.
The TIMED mission aims to study the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere (MLTI), a gateway between Earth's environment and space. The 2-year mission will gather comprehensive global measurements of temperature, pressure, wind, chemical composition, and energy inputs and outputs in this region.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) has been selected by NASA to develop the first mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt region. The New Horizons: Shedding Light on Frontier Worlds mission will use a team of scientists and engineers from various institutions to design, build, and operate the spacecraft.
The TIMED mission will study the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere region, crucial for understanding space weather's effects on communications and satellite tracking. Ground-based instruments will be used to conduct a global study of this area.
Researchers analyzed sound waves from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory to map the temperature and flow structure beneath sunspots. The study revealed fast-moving streams of hot plasma converging into a gigantic vortex that penetrates the solar surface.
The Mars Odyssey spacecraft has entered into orbit around Mars, providing a key communications link for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The two Rovers will be able to upload data on mineral and element composition of rocks and soils to a state-of-the-art communications package.
Scientists studying Jupiter's moons using laboratory simulations and spacecraft data reveal unique chemical reactions driven by high-energy electrons and ions. The findings support the presence of frozen brine on Europa's surface and provide insights into radiation-induced processes in outer space.
Researchers are investigating the predation habits of Nanomia cara, a gelatinous midwater animal, in the Gulf of Maine. The study aims to determine how this species affects food availability for young cod and other commercially important fishes.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft will continue to provide vital data on global rainfall and climate change with its extended mission. Scientists anticipate improved climate predictions and a more robust record of rainfall patterns.
A new movie from NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission showcases the final moments of the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft's yearlong orbit at asteroid 433 Eros. The minute-long video, produced by imaging team member Mark Robinson, offers a close-up view of the asteroid's varied terrain and features.
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission will attempt a controlled descent to the surface of asteroid 433 Eros on February 12, gathering close-up pictures of its boulder-strewn surface. The primary goal is to study the asteroid's composition and behavior, with a secondary aim of practicing maneuvers for future landing missions.
Scientists from Japan, US, and UK collaborate to build instruments for Solar-B, a satellite studying the Sun's magnetic field and its impact on Earth's climate. The mission aims to understand how magnetic fields interact with the Sun's atmosphere and release energy in solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
The NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft will embark on a series of low-altitude passes over asteroid 433 Eros from Jan. 24 to Jan. 28, gathering detailed images of the surface. The controlled descent, set for Feb. 12, aims to capture high-resolution close-ups of Eros' cratered landscape.
The Stardust spacecraft is set to receive a gravity boost from Earth, lengthening its orbit and setting it on course for a rendezvous with comet Wild 2. The spacecraft will capture particles being boiled off the comet's surface by solar heating.
The University of Colorado-built UVIS instrument package has produced the first spectral images of Jupiter, capturing its aurora and a gigantic glowing ring of gas encircling the planet. The image reveals temperatures of over 100,000 degrees Fahrenheit and a torus density so low that it would fit inside Fenway Park if compressed to sol...
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission has successfully executed the first of three orbital correction maneuvers to bring its spacecraft closer to asteroid Eros. The spacecraft will make a gradual pass within 4 miles of the asteroid's surface, gathering high-resolution images and data on the asteroid's structure.
Dr. Oliver Manuel proposes that the sun and planets formed from debris of a massive supernova explosion, contradicting conventional astrophysics theories. Recent data from NASA's Galileo probe supports his claims by detecting traces of strange xenon gases in Jupiter's atmosphere.
Researchers found American astronauts and mission control personnel reported lower emotional health scores compared to their Russian counterparts. The study suggests steps NASA can take to boost morale, such as rotating leadership roles among three-person crews.
Researchers used Hubble data to study Io's mantle, finding similarities with Earth's. The study suggests Io may have undergone differentiation in a process similar to Earth's, indicating a similar oxidation state in the mantle.
NASA and Lockheed Martin have agreed on a plan to proceed with the X-33 space plane program, including the use of aluminum fuel tanks for hydrogen fuel. The restructured plan focuses on milestone payments and mission safety, with the goal of reducing launch costs.
Hernandez Engineering, Inc. will deliver management, personnel, equipment, and supplies for safety and mission assurance at NASA's Marshall Center. The contract value is up to $35.9 million, with a focus on reducing space launch costs and improving flight safety.
The NEAR mission has provided definitive mass and density measurements of asteroid 433 Eros, confirming it is an undifferentiated, homogeneous structure. The asteroid's surface features spectacular images and movies showing ridges, pits, troughs, and grooves that provide fascinating clues about its history.
The University of California and Caltech are designing a 30-meter telescope called the California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT) to study distant galaxies and star formation. The telescope will have a segmented primary mirror made up of 1,080 small hexagonal mirrors, and its cost is estimated to be around $500 million.
A new mathematical technique developed by Purdue University engineer James Longuski has significantly reduced the time required to plan space missions. By using a graphical representation of possible paths and automating calculations with software program STOUR, engineers can quickly identify optimal routes for spacecraft travel.
Cornell University has been selected by NASA to lead the science team for the next Mars mission, which will include a large roving vehicle carrying six scientific instruments. The rover's Pancam panoramic camera system will reveal terrain around the vehicle and help select rock targets for study.
The University of Iowa's contribution to the Cluster 2 space mission will analyze plasma waves in Earth's magnetosphere, predicting space weather events. The US experiment will also enable a unique telescope-like system for studying low-frequency radio emissions.
A team of Boston University astronomers has captured new ground-based photos of Mercury's surface, revealing details similar to those on the Moon. The images, taken in August 1998, show bright craters and dark lunar mare-like markings, providing insights into Mercury's geology.
The NEAR Shoemaker mission suggests asteroid Eros is a primordial relic from the solar system's formation, with an elemental composition similar to chondritic meteorites. Studying Eros could help scientists understand how rocky planets evolved.
The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has awarded a $136.9 million contract option to Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) to provide information services from May 2000 to April 2001. This brings the total value of the contract to approximately $1.05 billion if all options are exercised.
Scientists are using lasers to detect gravitational waves, which could help study dark matter and unlock the universe's secrets. The technique involves splitting a laser beam into two halves and comparing them for minute movements caused by space stretching.
A team of scientists identified Io as the dominant source of the Jovian dust streams, which are high-rate bursts of submicron-sized particles. The particles' motion is strongly influenced by Jupiter's magnetic field, providing a unique signature that could only be present if Io were the dominant source.
Researchers have found that most of the interstellar dust particles consist of 3-dimensionally cross-linked organic macro-molecules, called polymeric-heterocyclic-aromates. These molecules have been detected in five impact mass spectrometer samples from NASA's STARDUST spacecraft.
The Galileo spacecraft has captured the highest-resolution images yet of three of Jupiter's four innermost moons, revealing surface features as small as 2 kilometers across. The images show a bright surface feature on Amalthea named Ida, a streak of bright material about 50 kilometers in length.
The Cornell University-led Comet Nucleus Tour mission aims to conduct close-proximity comet flybys, studying the comets' geology and composition. The spacecraft will be launched in July 2002 and explore Comets Encke, Schwassmann-Wachmann-3, and potentially others.
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft has captured a striking image of an asteroid featuring a heart-shaped depression. The feature, located below a large ridge on the potato-shaped asteroid, is approximately 3 miles wide and was visible from 1,609 miles away.
The NASA space shuttle Endeavour will gather information key to the University of Hawaii's research on the aftermath of volcanic eruptions. The mission aims to provide more extensive topographic data on volcanoes, including Mount Pinatubo, using advanced radar interferometry.
Astronomers discovered that Jupiter's massive thunderstorms closely resemble clusters of thunderstorms on Earth, but develop from the planet's core heat rather than solar heat. These mesoscale convective complexes drive Jupiter's weather system and produce huge quantities of rain.
The Landsat 7 spacecraft has acquired over 50,000 scenes of the Earth's surface, providing detailed images of natural disasters, unique weather patterns, and glacial changes. The satellite's data will support global change research and inform decision-making about environmental issues.
The TIMED spacecraft, designed and built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, will undergo final environmental testing at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center before its May 18 launch. The mission aims to study the sun's influence on Earth's Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere region.
Stanford researchers used atom interferometry to measure the force of gravity on individual atoms with unprecedented accuracy. Their findings strengthen the likelihood that previous neutron interferometry experiments were incorrect, validating the power of atom interferometry as a precise measurement tool.
NASA's PICASSO-CENA mission aims to measure the impact of tiny particles from industrial pollution on sunlight and climate change. The mission will use lidar technology to gather data on aerosols, clouds, and their effects on regional climate.
A team of scientists from Montana State University designed an experiment to study the role of gravity on infection-fighting white blood cells. The goal is to understand why astronauts are more vulnerable to infections in space and develop pharmaceuticals to boost immune responses.
JHU/APL's MESSENGER spacecraft will be the first to visit Mercury in over three decades, gathering data on the planet's density, atmosphere, and magnetosphere. The $286 million mission has potential applications in industry beyond scientific research.
The QuikScat satellite, launched on June 19, will provide daily snapshots of ocean winds to improve weather forecasting. The satellite is controlled by students and faculty at CU's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) will test the Big Bang theory and collect comprehensive observations of the Milky Way's star-forming regions. Launched on June 23 from Cape Canaveral Air Station, the three-year mission marks a first for an academic department in managing a satellite.
An international team of scientists has found a cloud of dust grains surrounding Ganymede, the largest of Jupiter's four Galilean satellites. The dust was generated by impacts of interplanetary meteoroids and is thought to be an important mechanism for dust production in space.
The two-year TIMED mission will focus on the portion of Earth's atmosphere between 60 and 180 kilometers above the surface. The spacecraft will measure temperature, pressure, winds, and chemical composition, gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of this gateway region.
The Terra mission marks a new era in global change research, providing unprecedented data to study climate change. The workshop brings together leading scientists to discuss new findings and challenges in the field.
The Mars Pathfinder mission sent back 2.3 gigabits of new data, including over 17,000 images and 16 chemical analyses of rocks and soil. The mission provided key findings on Mars' geology, magnetic properties, atmosphere, and cartography.
The NASA Explorer MIDEX Program has selected the Auroral Multiscale Midex Mission (AMM) for a feasibility study. The mission aims to study the interaction between Earth's atmosphere and its nearby space environment, with a focus on understanding auroral phenomena.
A team of Cornell University mission engineers created a last-minute fix to send commands to the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft, allowing it to capture hundreds of new images of asteroid 433 Eros. The fix was completed in just 12 hours and was tested for errors before being sent to the craft.