Articles tagged with Spacecraft
STEREO-A has resumed its normal science operations, transmitting lower-resolution real-time data and high-definition images of the sun's surface and atmosphere with a two- to three-day delay. This allows scientists to better track solar events and make accurate models of interplanetary space weather.
The upgraded McMurdo TDRSS Relay System (MTRS) is transmitting terabytes of data at 200 megabits per second, enabling the production of global maps and enhancing natural hazard monitoring. The system's performance has improved data flow and will eventually support other polar-orbiting spacecraft.
Voyager 1's journey into interstellar space has been clarified by a UNH-led study, revealing that the spacecraft crossed the heliopause but is now navigating a 'muddied' magnetic field region. This discovery confirms two key findings: the center of the IBEX ribbon is the direction of the interstellar magnetic field and Voyager 1 is bey...
The New Horizons team revealed a diverse range of findings about the Pluto system, including varied landforms, atmospheric complexity, and intriguing moons. The mission has provided unprecedented insights into Pluto's geological activity, with evidence of water-ice rich crusts and multiple haze layers in its atmosphere.
The New Horizons mission has revealed a wide range of colors across Pluto's surface, with dark red regions at the equator and brighter, bluer regions at higher latitudes. The team also discovered significant regional differences in volatile ices on Pluto's surface, including water ice in previously undetected regions.
Researchers are exploring plasma-based treatments for fungal infections, as well as using plasmas to extend the shelf life of seafood. Additionally, advancements in plasma propulsion technology are being made for small spacecraft, offering potential solutions for satellite thrusters.
SwRI scientists suggest that geologic activity brings nitrogen up from Pluto's interior to resupply its atmosphere. They also consider the possibility of cryovolcanism and ongoing geysers as sources of nitrogen.
The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission is gathering data on magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon that happens when the Earth's magnetic field connects and disconnects from the solar wind. The tetrahedral formation of MMS spacecraft allows scientists to study this process in three dimensions.
Researchers at UT Arlington are developing a new ceramic material that can withstand both extreme heat and collisions, making it suitable for use in spacecraft, power plants, and other applications. The advanced material is created by blending different ceramics within the same family, resulting in added strength.
Researchers created a simulation of Pluto's space environment to estimate solar wind densities and understand how they affect the dwarf planet's atmosphere. The models, which take into account coronal mass ejections and other factors, suggest that Pluto may experience low solar wind densities for about a month before being compressed.
The OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS) instrument will help the team select a suitable sampling site on asteroid Bennu by measuring visible and near infrared light. The mission aims to investigate the composition of the early solar system, organic materials, and water.
The OSIRIS-REx team is preparing to ship its instruments to the spacecraft's assembly facility, with a launch date of September 2016. The mission aims to bring back a small sample from asteroid Bennu for study, providing insights into the asteroid's composition and properties.
The OSIRIS-REx team is preparing to deliver crucial instruments for the NASA mission to collect a sample from near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft will map and analyze the asteroid's surface using five key instruments, including cameras, altimeters, thermometers, spectrometers, and an imaging spectrometer.
A new approach has been proposed to communicate with spacecraft as they re-enter the atmosphere, utilizing a matched layer in the antenna to replicate special conditions that enhance signal transmission. This method could also be applied to other hypersonic vehicles, such as military planes and ballistic missiles.
A NASA spacecraft will use radar equipment developed in Antarctica to scan Europa for potential water plumes and habitable conditions, driven by evidence of an ocean beneath the thick ice cover.
Scientists can now observe physical phenomena beyond Earth's orbit with a new CubeSat concept. The CAPEd Crusader will use small-satellite technology to transmit data from distant planets, revolutionizing planetary exploration.
MIT engineers have developed an autonomous mission-planning system that enables underwater robots to plan their own missions, execute, adapt, and re-plan them alone without human support. The system allows robots to make high-level decisions, prioritize tasks, and avoid collisions, freeing engineers to focus on overall strategy.
Scientists have discovered a magnetization signal emanating from an ancient region of Mercury's crust, indicating the presence of a dynamo-driven magnetic field 3.8 billion years ago. This finding suggests that Mercury's core dynamo has persisted for billions of years.
Scientists have discovered that Mercury's magnetic field is almost 4 billion years old, providing a new understanding of the planet's history. The discovery was made possible by data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which orbited Mercury between 2011 and 2015.
Debris from the US DMSP F13 satellite explosion poses a threat to other spacecraft with orbits different from its own. A new technique called CiELO was developed to assess collision risks from small-sized debris, revealing a peak in risk at altitudes just below the explosion location.
The MESSENGER spacecraft is using its altimeter instrument to help with navigation during close approaches to Mercury's surface. The team is using the altimeter's precise measurements of distance from the spacecraft to the surface to assess the accuracy of their orbit predictions.
The UT Arlington team, led by Brian Dennis, Krishnan Rajeshwar, and Norma Tacconi, will design and build a microfluidic electrochemical reactor to recover oxygen from carbon dioxide. The goal is to achieve an oxygen recovery rate of 75% or more.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) has ended its 17-year mission, providing critical rainfall data for tropical cyclone monitoring, flood detection, drought monitoring, and disease monitoring. TRMM's legacy lives on through the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which succeeds and improves upon the TRMM project.
Researchers have detected a mysterious high plume on Mars, extending horizontally about 500 km and reaching an exceptional altitude of 200-250 km above the planet's surface. The team used images from amateur astronomers and spacecraft to analyze the phenomenon, exploring possible scenarios such as cloud or auroral emission.
The GOES-R satellite will provide enhanced hurricane track and intensity forecasts, increased severe weather warning lead time, and improved solar flare warnings. The new satellite will also offer more frequent images of weather patterns and severe storms, contributing to more accurate and reliable weather forecasts.
The Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) Flight Model 2 instrument for NOAA's GOES-S satellite has successfully completed its Pre-Shipment Review. The instrument is now complete and will be placed into storage until spacecraft integration begins.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has imaged the impact crater created by NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission. The crater is small, less than ten feet in diameter, due to the spacecraft's low mass and velocity.
The mission has provided unprecedented ultraviolet images of the tenuous oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon coronas surrounding Mars. Scientists also made a comprehensive map of highly variable ozone in the Martian atmosphere underlying the coronas.
The Rosetta spacecraft has woken up from its 957-day hibernation, sparking jubilation among scientists and engineers. The mission aims to unlock the mysteries of how our solar system formed and developed into what we see today.
The Rosetta-Alice spectrograph has obtained the first far ultraviolet spectra of a cometary surface, revealing an unusually dark comet surface and no large water-ice patches. Hydrogen and oxygen have been detected in the comet's coma.
A team of scientists has found seven tiny grains captured by Stardust, likely visitors from interstellar space. The particles are diverse in terms of chemical composition and structure, with some having a fluffy structure like snowflakes.
The Voyager and IBEX missions have greatly expanded our understanding of the outer heliosphere, providing detailed information about interactions at its edge. Recent studies have focused on the enigmatic ribbon of enhanced emissions, which was only detected by IBEX in 2009.
The Van Allen Probes have found a two-fold process that accelerates particles in the radiation belts, with an initial boost followed by electromagnetic waves called Whistlers. This mechanism helps explain how electrons reach intense speeds, damaging spacecraft and affecting astronauts.
The NOAA Magnetometer instrument is set to monitor magnetic field variations around Earth, enabling more accurate forecasts of space weather and its effects on orbiting spacecraft and electric power grids. The advanced technology will result in more timely and accurate weather forecasts, supporting public safety and economic health.
The GOES-R satellite's solar array provides a stable platform to track the sun's movement, powering critical instruments like EXIS and ABI. The advanced spacecraft will result in more timely and accurate weather forecasts, enhancing public safety and economic health.
The Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory satellite has completed its check-out period and started its mission, collecting observations of rainfall and snowfall. The satellite's two science instruments have been calibrated and are now producing accurate data on weather elements such as thunderstorms.
Anusha Mujumdar, a 3rd year PhD student at Exeter University, has won the Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship to support her pioneering research on spacecraft control for the Mars Sample Return mission. Her work will help develop 'rendezvous and capture' technology for retrieving samples from Mars.
The Solar Ultraviolet Imager and Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors have completed integration with the GOES-R spacecraft, enabling it to observe sun and space weather. This development enhances the prediction capabilities of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, aiding in understanding and mitigating space weather impa...
The OSIRIS-REx mission aims to find answers about the early solar system and organic materials that made life possible. The spacecraft will collect at least 2 ounces of asteroid samples and return them to Earth for scientists to study.
A total lunar eclipse will be visible in North America on April 15, offering a unique viewing opportunity. The spacecraft's batteries need sunlight to charge, and it will have to pass through the complete shadow twice before the eclipse ends.
The Van Allen Probes have discovered persistent zebra stripes in the inner radiation belt surrounding Earth, caused by the planet's slow rotation. This structure is produced by the oscillating electric field generated by Earth's magnetic field axis.
Scientists have discovered a persistent structure in Earth's inner radiation belt, resembling zebra stripes, due to the planet's slow rotation. The striped pattern is visible even during low solar wind activity and is caused by an oscillating electric field generated by Earth's magnetic field axis.
Researchers have discovered that Mercury has contracted by as much as 4.4 miles due to cooling, exceeding previous estimates of ½ to 2 miles. This finding is consistent with thermal models and resolves a decades-old paradox in understanding the planet's history.
NASA successfully tested remote robotic oxidizer transfer technology, enabling robots to replenish hazardous propellant in satellites. The technology has the potential to extend satellite life, mitigate orbital debris, and aid commercial satellite servicing.
The first four GOES-R instruments - ABI, SUVI, EXIS, and SEISS - have been delivered to Lockheed Martin for integration. These instruments will improve NOAA's ability to observe weather in near real-time, providing critical data on weather patterns, oceans, and space weather.
Scientists have combined Planck spacecraft and gravitational lensing observations to accurately measure the mass of ghostly sub-atomic particles called neutrinos for the first time. The team finds that massive neutrinos can explain the discrepancies between cosmological results and observations of large-scale structures in the Universe.
The MAVEN spacecraft has completed its initial checkout and is now ready to carry out its full science mission. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission aims to determine the role of gas escape in changing Mars' climate throughout its history.
A study by researchers at the University of California, Davis found that growing up in space weakens a key immune system pathway in Drosophila flies. The Toll pathway was 'non-functional' in space-raised flies, but showed improvement under hypergravity conditions.
The Solar Ultra-Violet Imager (SUVI) is a new telescope that will observe the sun in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths, identifying active regions, solar flares, and eruptions. This will improve space weather forecasting, enabling earlier warnings for potential impacts on Earth's power grids, communication systems, and orbiting satellites.
Juno's flyby provided an extraordinary view of Earth and the moon from a unique vantage point near the tip of one of the spacecraft's solar-array arms. The star tracker captured frames for the movie when the spacecraft was about 2.4 million miles from Earth, offering a front-row seat to the flyby.
Scientists believe Comet ISON may have been destroyed upon approaching the sun, leaving behind small rubble pieces. Telescopes will observe and detect any remaining fragments to confirm the comet's status.
The Van Allen Probes mission reveals that high-energy particles in Earth's radiation belts can be accelerated to nearly the speed of light by ultra-low frequency electromagnetic waves. Scientists hope to use this discovery to better predict space weather conditions and protect orbiting satellites.
The Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS) instrument on GOES-R will monitor radiation hazards to astronauts and satellites. SEISS data will improve energetic particle forecasts and enhance warning systems for space weather events.
The Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE) was launched by NASA using a combination of enthusiasm, spare parts, and resources. The instrument was assembled in just five months to fill a gap in the data record after an aging satellite's battery life expired.
The Solar Wind Electron Analyzer (SWEA) will track how charged particles, such as planetary oxygen ions, escape the planet's atmosphere. By identifying electrons in the solar wind and Martian ionosphere, SWEA can determine where the boundary layer between the two regions is located.
The ABI will offer faster imaging with much higher detail, enabling more accurate forecasts of severe weather and other hazards. The instrument's improved capabilities will help save lives and protect communities from extreme weather events.
LLCD successfully transmitted data from lunar orbit to Earth at a rate of 622 Mbps, more than six times faster than previous radio systems flown to the moon. The demonstration validated laser communication technology for future space missions.
Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) detects propylene, a chemical used in food-storage containers and car bumpers, on Titan's lower atmosphere. The detection fills a mysterious gap in Titan observations dating back to NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft.
Scientists tracked energy from the sun to Earth's magnetosphere using eight NASA spacecraft, including ARTEMIS and THEMIS. The research provides insights into substorms and their impact on space weather, with energy flows lasting up to half an hour and covering areas 10 times larger than Earth.
Researchers using Van Allen Probes discovered ultra-fast particles driving a previously unknown configuration of three bands in the Earth's radiation belts. Computer simulations show that one common acceleration method doesn't apply to these particles.