Articles tagged with Spacecraft
Scientists use Caenorhabditis elegans to study the effects of long-duration space exploration on humans. The worms develop and reproduce in space just like on Earth, making them an ideal model for investigating the challenges of Martian habitation.
The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument on board NASA's NPP satellite acquired its first measurements in November 2011. The data will be used to improve short-term weather forecasts up to 5-7 days in advance, and provide critical information for climate research.
Researchers used NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data to create a model that takes elevation into account, improving predictions of solar power output in California. The model, made available publicly, provides more realistic estimates for utility companies and homeowners.
Researchers found that the Lutetia asteroid is a dense, intact relic dating back to the solar system's formation. The asteroid's density was calculated using a mathematical method developed by Professor Mikko Kaasalainen, revealing a large and metallic core surrounded by a more porous outer layer.
Researchers re-examining the Hesperia Planum on Mars have discovered a complex landscape with narrow, sinuous channels that defy explanation. The team, led by Tracy Gregg, is seeking help from scientists studying similar features on the Moon to shed light on the channels' origins.
Researchers used MESSENGER data to confirm past volcanic activity on Mercury, which poured out huge volumes of lava 3.5-4 billion years ago
The primary structure of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission has been completed, marking a significant milestone in the project. The spacecraft will undergo static load testing before propulsion subsystem integration begins.
Sunspot 1283 has erupted with multiple flares, including an X1.8 flare on September 7 and a moderate M6.7 flare on September 8. NASA predicts that the latest coronal mass ejection may cause some aurora on the morning of September 11.
The Operational Land Imager (OLI), built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., has been approved for shipment to Orbital Sciences Corporation. OLI will provide more sensitive land cover information and better detect changes over time, benefiting scientific, commercial, and governmental users.
A hydrogen fuel cell-powered mobile lighting system was deployed at the Kennedy Space Center for the final Space Shuttle Atlantis launch, providing clean and quiet power. The system has the potential to drastically reduce dependence on diesel-fueled mobile lighting across the US, offsetting up to 900 gallons of fuel per year.
Two NASA probes, part of the THEMIS mission, will map the lunar surface and its magnetic field. The ARTEMIS mission aims to acquire a full 3D view of the moon's magnetic fields and surrounding environment.
The University of Colorado Boulder's BioServe Space Technologies will carry five CU-Boulder-built payloads aboard the final space shuttle mission. The payloads include an antibody experiment to treat bone loss in astronauts and a salmonella vaccine development project.
Researchers on the final space shuttle mission are conducting an experiment to prevent bone loss in astronauts. The study uses mice as a model, exposing them to microgravity and testing a novel agent that blocks sclerostin, a protein involved in bone formation.
CU-Boulder alumni played a significant role in NASA's space shuttle program, with 16 astronauts flying on 40 missions. The university also contributed to numerous scientific experiments and instruments, including those for the Hubble Space Telescope.
The ARTEMIS P1 spacecraft has entered lunar orbit after a two-year journey that relied on gravity boosts and minimal fuel. Engineers closely monitor the spacecraft's position, preparing for further adjustments.
The DARPA System F6 program has chosen SwRI's wireless communications solution to validate a fractionated spacecraft architecture. This approach replaces traditional spacecraft designs with individual nodes connected wirelessly to support mission goals.
University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist Don Hampton analyzed the comet Hartley 2's nucleus, revealing a dynamic mass of ice and dust emitting gases through cracks. This research provides valuable insights into the composition and unique behavior of comets, shedding light on their role in the solar system's history.
The EPOXI mission confirms carbon dioxide as the volatile fuel for Comet Hartley 2's spectacular ice-spewing jets. The comet's unique rotation and surface features were also revealed, with blocky objects reaching 165 feet high and a 'snowstorm' created by water ice particles.
The EPOXI mission discovered that Hartley 2's strong activity in water release and carbon dioxide-powered jets occurred mainly at the ends of the comet, with most occurring at the small end. The study suggests that material in the waist region is likely redeposited material from the ends.
A CU-Boulder team will participate in the OSIRIS-REx mission, which aims to map and collect samples from a primitive asteroid. The mission is expected to provide insights into the formation of the solar system and potentially shed light on the origins of life.
A UCF scientist is part of a historic mission to retrieve the first-ever sample from an asteroid in orbit. The team will navigate unusual gravity fields and rotate quickly to land on the asteroid, collecting pristine space rock for insights into Earth's origins.
The OSIRIS-REx mission aims to study the asteroid 1999 RQ36, a primitive near-Earth object that contains original material from the solar nebula. The mission will return samples to Earth in 2023, providing insights into the solar system's formation and potential biosignatures.
Researchers have found a method to measure a star's true age using its spin. Astronomer Soren Meibom presented his findings in a press conference, nearly doubling the age covered by previous studies of younger clusters. The technique involves measuring stellar rotation rates for stars in clusters with known ages.
The American Institute of Physics has posted lay-language summaries of recent research presentations at the Acoustical Society meeting. These summaries cover a wide range of topics, including biomedical ultrasound, reducing underwater noise, and new car mufflers. The online collection offers easily approachable explanations of complex ...
The Fast Plasma Instrument (FPI) will collect data on plasma in small regions using electron and ion spectrometers at a rate of 30 times per second. The mission aims to understand the control of magnetic reconnection, a complex phenomenon that releases enormous bursts of energy.
NASA's Glory satellite is scheduled to launch on March 4 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The mission will study the effects of sun particles and aerosols on Earth's climate. The launch also carries three CubeSats, designed and built by university students.
The Stardust-NExT mission will allow scientists to study the surface of comet Tempel 1 before and after its orbit around the sun, comparing findings with previous probe data. The spacecraft's Dust Flux Monitor Instrument will also collect photographs of a crater left on Tempe 1 by a Deep Impact probe.
NASA has extended Phase E of the LROC contract with Arizona State University for approximately two years and $11,368,735. ASU will continue to operate and analyze LROC's science instruments.
The STEREO spacecraft provide a 360-degree view of the Sun, allowing NRL researchers to map its entire atmosphere continuously. This capability enables them to study the solar corona and inner heliosphere in unprecedented detail, shedding light on the evolution and structure of the solar atmosphere.
Scientists using NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have detected beams of antimatter produced above thunderstorms, a phenomenon never seen before. The detection is attributed to terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) associated with lightning and the spacecraft's ability to magnetically connect with distant storms.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is producing the most accurate and complete map of the moon's complex landscape, revealing contours and slopes with precision. The dataset is being used to study lunar processes, including crater density and resurfacing, as well as the formation of multi-ring basins.
The NASA Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made the first-ever images of the plasma sheet and magnetotail in the Earth's magnetosphere. The data suggests a piece of the plasma sheet was bitten off and ejected down the tail, revealing dynamic interactions that have never been seen before.
Researchers developed a novel approach to space electronics using silicon-germanium technology, enabling reliable performance in extreme temperatures and radiation conditions. The new capabilities reduce weight, size, complexity, power, and cost while increasing reliability and adaptability.
The Deep Impact spacecraft flew through a 'snowstorm' of fluffy particles on its encounter with comet Hartley 2, providing new insights into the nature and composition of comets. The spacecraft's High Resolution Imager captured images of clouds of large ice particles surrounding the nucleus, revealing a unique process driven by CO2 jets.
Scientists from the University of Maryland's EPOXI mission have discovered that dry ice is the 'jet' fuel for comets, including Hartley 2. The discovery reveals that solar heating of subsurface frozen carbon dioxide is powering the comet's jets, which are rich in CO2 gas and particles of dust and ice.
The UMD-led EPOXI spacecraft flew by comet Hartley 2 at a distance of 435 miles, collecting never-before-seen images that will help scientists understand the composition and diversity of comets. The mission aims to learn more about the origin and history of our solar system by studying the material from comets.
A new way to weigh planets has been developed using radio signals from small spinning stars called pulsars, providing an independent check on previous results. The measurements of planet masses made this new way could feed into data needed for future space missions.
The CU-Boulder student-built dust counter on NASA's New Horizons mission has reached a distance of 1.67 billion miles from Earth, breaking the record for the most distant working space dust detector. The instrument collected data in agreement with earlier measurements made by NASA's Galileo and Ulysses missions to Jupiter.
The Solar Probe Plus mission will send a robotic spacecraft to the sun's atmosphere to answer long-standing questions about its outer layers. The probe will measure magnetic and electric properties, helping to understand how solar wind is generated and better comprehend the heliosphere.
The Solar Probe Plus mission will explore the sun's corona and solar wind in unprecedented detail. The NRL's Wide-field Imager will provide direct measurements of the plasma and create 3-D images of clouds and shocks.
NASA has awarded CU-Boulder $6.7 million to design instruments for the Solar Probe Plus mission, which will orbit 22 times closer to the sun than Earth. The team aims to understand how the sun ticks and better forecast radiation environments for future space explorers.
The newly launched GOES-15 satellite has successfully completed its on-orbit testing and is now operational. It will provide high-resolution images of Earth and track life-threatening weather patterns.
CU-Boulder undergraduates and staff successfully decommissioned the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) after seven years of operation. The team, led by LASP professionals, uploaded commands to burn the remaining fuel and switched off the transmitter, bringing the satellite safely into Earth re-entry.
The Virtual Mission Operations Center (VMOC) enables approved users to request satellite services instantly, prioritized based on operational intent. The system reduces the need for a 'man in the loop', improving satellite utilization and command speed.
A team of researchers has developed a system that uses electrical trickery on the brain to induce realistic spaceflight effects. The Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) system safely simulates the sensory and mobility disturbances experienced by astronauts after returning to Earth's gravity.
IBEX maps reveal structured and intense interstellar boundary interactions; the spacecraft also collects hydrogen and oxygen from the interstellar medium, shedding light on solar system recycling processes. Recent observations of the Earth's magnetosphere provide new insights into protecting our atmosphere.
The IBEX spacecraft has mapped interactions between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere, revealing a chaotic pileup of charged particles along the magnetopause. The study provides new insights into the tenuous nature of Earth's outer exosphere and its interaction with the solar wind.
The Deep Impact spacecraft will fly past Earth for the fifth and last time on its EPOXI mission, changing its orbit to boost speed on its way to comet Hartley 2. The spacecraft's instruments will be used during an extended flyby in November to gather data on the comet.
NASA has successfully completed the Mission Critical Design Review (CDR) of its Landsat Data Continuity Mission, paving the way for full-scale fabrication and assembly. The LDCM will extend Landsat's record of Earth's changing landscapes with evolutionary technology improving performance and reliability.
A team of Rensselaer researchers is sending an army of microorganisms into space to investigate the effects of microgravity on biofilm formation and development. The goal is to better understand how gravity affects human-bacteria relationships, aiming to develop new ways to prevent biofilms from posing a health threat to astronauts.
Recent studies found that diverse microbial communities persist on spacecraft despite sterilization efforts. Escherichia coli was discovered to survive on Martian surfaces under shielded conditions or with thin dust layers.
The TDRS K-L program has successfully completed its Critical Design Review and Production Readiness Review, paving the way for the assembly of the K and L satellites. The new spacecraft will provide critical communication services to NASA missions, including the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope.
CU-Boulder is leading a $3.3 million concept study for a lander mission to Venus, aiming to study the planet's surface, climate, and atmosphere. The mission will compare Venus with other terrestrial planets and help understand Earth's fate.
The Southwest Research Institute's SC-11 spacecraft control avionics unit is the brain of the WISE spacecraft, providing complete command and control over operations. The SC-11 also offers a backup 'safe mode' processor to ensure sun-safe orientation in case of main processor failure.
Researchers use Ulysses spacecraft and solar minimum to create a 200-million-mile-long virtual lab bench for turbulent flows. They find that the evolution of turbulence is governed by the same generalised scaling function, suggesting a universal basic property governing magnetohydrodynamic turbulence.
Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center and the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility developed a new technique to synthesize high-quality boron-nitride nanotubes, opening doors for various applications. The first practical macroscopic yarns were created using lasers, with potential uses in radiati...
The TacSat-4 spacecraft has completed environmental and performance testing, awaiting launch. The mission provides near global coverage of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) channels for communications, data exfiltration, and Blue Force Tracking.
The Chang'E-1 orbiter has provided significant insights into the moon's surface topography, gravity fields, and interior structures. Researchers have discovered impact basins, volcanic deposit highlands, and a massive mascon in the South Pole-Aitken basin.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-14 has completed its post-launch test phase and is now in on-orbit storage to await duty. The satellite will remain in this mode until needed to replace a failed spacecraft, reducing launch delay from one year to less than a week.
The Goddard team designed and built five ExPRESS Logistics Carriers (ELCs) to deploy experiments in space without a separate satellite. The ELCs will also serve as parking fixtures for ISS hardware, streamlining future missions.