NASA

Meet six interns who played a key hands-on role in development and testing of the hardware and software for CADRE, NASA’s upcoming lunar technology demonstration, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. CADRE will send a trio of small rovers to the Moon to work as a team and explore autonomously. For more information about CADRE, visit: go.nasa.gov/cadre For more information about internship opportunities, visit: jpl.nasa.gov/intern Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This new, immersive visualization produced on a NASA supercomputer represents a scenario where a camera — a stand-in for a daring astronaut — just misses the event horizon and slingshots back out. This version is a 360-degree video that lets viewers look all around during the trip. Goddard scientists created the visualizations on the Discover supercomputer at the NASA Center for Climate Simulation. The destination is a supermassive black hole with 4.3 million times the mass of our Sun, equivalent to the monster located at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. To simplify the complex calculations, the black hole is not rotating. A flat, swirling cloud of hot, glowing gas called an accretion disk surrounds the black hole and serves as a visual reference during the fall. So do glowing structures called photon rings, which form closer to the black hole from light that has orbited it one or more times. A backdrop of the starry sky as seen from Earth completes the scene. The project generated about 10 terabytes of data — equivalent to roughly half of the estimated text content in the Library of Congress — and took about 5 days running on just 0.3% of Discover’s 129,000 processors. The same feat would take more than a decade on a typical laptop.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is set to return to Earth this fall after setting the record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut. He arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 21, 2022, and will return home after 371 days in space. While on the orbiting lab, Rubio and his fellow crew members conducted dozens of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. Learn more about Frank Rubio’s year-long scientific journey aboard the space station: https://go.nasa.gov/3LrwS29

Remember that Y2K thing a few years ago? Where everyone was afraid the world was going to end because computer programmers saved space by putting dates as… 77 for 1977, 85 for 1985, Or 90 for 1990? But then it became clear that when the year 2000 finally rolled around all of the computers would think it was actually 00. Or the year 1900. Well, it turns out Hubble has something similar, only Hubble’s clock restarts every 6,213 days, 18 hours, 48 minutes, and 31.875 seconds. Or roughly every 17 years for those of you who like counting. That’s because Hubble’s computers have a different way of tracking time than we have here on the ground. You’d think it would be as simple as synching our ground clocks with Hubble’s personal timepiece, but you’d be surprised! For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Paul Morris: Lead Producer Music Credit: "Auld Lang Syne" by Benjamin Peter McAvoy [PRS] and Traditional [DP] via Sound Pocket Music [PRS], and Universal Production Music. “Ace of Faces” by Justin D. Thompson [BMI] via Emperia Beta Publishing [BMI], and Universal Production Music. Video Credit: 2000 Millennium Celebrations On A 80S 90S Retro Television by Vulk via POND5 2000 To 2024 Year Countdown Spiral Time Tunnel Animation Video by Shurshart via POND5 Flip Calendar - 365 Days Video by BeauPhoto via POND5 Calendar Month Red Video by EnchantedStudios via POND5 Time-Lapse Of Milky Way Stars Over Mountain Tops by BlackBoxGuild via POND5 Green Digital Code On Monitor Seamless Loop Video by gonin via POND5 Paper Animation Texture by vistoff via MotionArray Retro Computer Hacking by RelativeMedia via MotionArray Sound Effects Credit: Slow Down Spin 2 by JiltedG via MotionArray Mistake Sound by PashaStriker via MotionArray Motion Whoosh Swipe by Beison via MotionArray Spinning by StudioZonet via MotionArray Plop by WarpEFX via MotionArray Buzzer by victorysound via MotionArray Bacon Sizzle by Gfx Sounds Studios via MotionArray Plop SFX by WARP EFX via MotionArray Energy Wave Cue by Audio Planet via MotionArray Pencil Foley Part 2 by Woozle via MotionArray Pencil Line by Sound Design via MotionArray Party Horn Noise Maker by Woozle via MotionArray Car Door by Warp EFX via MotionArray Random Numbers Generator by dauzkobza via MotionArray

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has photographed what looks like a cosmic, double-bladed lightsaber. In the center of the image, partially obscured by a dark, Jedi-like cloak of dust, a newborn star shoots twin jets out into space as a sort of birth announcement to the universe. In this video, Dr. Ken Carpenter explains this breathtaking image and how important Hubble is to exploring the mysteries of the universe, even if it is far far away! For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Producer, Director & Editor: James Leigh Director of Photography: James Ball Executive Producers: James Leigh & Matthew Duncan Production & Post: Origin Films Video Credits: Hubble Space Telescope Animation: ESA/Hubble - M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen Music Credits: "Transcode" by Lee Groves [PRS], and Peter George Marett [PRS] via Universal Production Music

What are some skywatching highlights in May 2024? Mars and Saturn tussle with the Moon, Mercury makes a brief a.m. appearance, East Coasters can see red giant star Antares emerge from behind the Moon, and the eta Aquariid meteors peak on May 6th.

Watch as the four members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission move their Dragon Endeavour spacecraft between docking ports on the International Space Station. Aboard are: • NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps • Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin The crew's Dragon spacecraft will physically separate from the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module at 8:55 a.m EDT (1255 UTC), then dock at the station's space-facing Harmony port at 9:38 a.m. EDT (1338 UTC). The spacecraft is relocating to make room for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, currently scheduled to arrive in May. For live updates and other news from the station, visit our ISS blog at https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation. Credit: NASA #NASA #InternationalSpaceStation #SpaceX

At a time when phone cameras are capable of taking snapshots with millions of pixels, an instrument on the Japan-led XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) captures revolutionary science with just 36 of them. That may sound impossible, but it’s true. XRISM (pronounced “crism”) is led by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with NASA, along with contributions from ESA (European Space Agency). It launched into orbit last September and has been scrutinizing the cosmos ever since. The mission detects “soft” X-rays, which have energies up to 5,000 times greater than visible light. It will probe the universe’s hottest regions, largest structures, and objects with the strongest gravity, like supermassive black holes in the cores of distant galaxies. XRISM accomplishes this with an instrument named Resolve. Resolve's detector takes the temperature of each X-ray that strikes it. Astronomers call Resolve a microcalorimeter spectrometer because each of its 36 pixels measures the tiny amount of heat delivered by each incoming X-ray. This lets astronomers see the chemical fingerprints of elements making up the sources in unprecedented detail. In order to accomplish this, the entire detector must be chilled to 459.58 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 273.1 degrees Celsius), just a whisker above absolute zero. The instrument is so precise it can detect the motions of elements within a target, effectively providing a 3D view. Gas moving toward us glows at slightly higher energies than normal, while gas moving away from us emits slightly lower energies. This will, for example, allow scientists to better understand the flow of hot gas within clusters of galaxies and to track the movement of different elements in the debris of supernova explosions. Resolve is taking astronomers into a new era of cosmic exploration — and with only three-dozen pixels.

Get ready to uncover the mysteries of the digital world as we delve into the secret corners of Google Earth that are off-limits for a reason. But beware - some mysteries are best left unsolved! Tune in to discover the surprising truths behind these forbidden places and why you should think twice before hitting that search button. 🔒🌟 #ForbiddenPlaces #GoogleEarth #MysteryUnveiled

The Sun’s activity will be at its peak in 2024, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts and robots on Mars. This peak period – called solar maximum – will be observed by NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmospheric and Volatiles EvolutioN) orbiter and Curiosity rover. Learn how both spacecraft have a big year ahead in this video featuring MAVEN Principal Investigator Shannon Curry of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder. Solar maximum occurs roughly every 11 years. During this period, the Sun is especially prone to throwing fiery tantrums in a variety of forms, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events launch radiation deep into space. When a series of these solar events erupt, it’s called a solar storm. Earth’s magnetic field largely shields our home planet from the effects of these storms. But Mars lost its global magnetic field long ago, leaving the Red Planet more vulnerable to the Sun’s energetic particles. Researchers are excited to potentially gather data on just how intense solar activity can get at Mars. Among the preparations space agencies will need to make for sending humans to the Red Planet is what kind of radiation protection astronauts would require. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN mission. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California leads the Curiosity mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC/Scientific Visualization Studio/SDO/LASP-University of Colorado Boulder/MSSS

Prelaunch Activities for Our Next Commercial Crew Flight Test, celebrating our home planet for Earth Day, and conducting high-flying science during the recent solar eclipse … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

Your science is ready for delivery. 📦 NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick closes out the Dragon spacecraft in preparation for its scheduled departure in late April. Dragon will return to Earth with samples and hardware from several experiments for further study.

Many space telescopes, including NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, require fuel to move. Propellant is, however, a finite resource. Watch how the NASA team carefully installs this mission-limiting resource into the telescope’s spacecraft bus. Music Credits: "Black Nebula" by Thomas Daniel Bellingham "Maelstrom Dream" by Lucie Rose "Evolution of Life" by David Stephen Goldsmith "Maximist" by Michael Blainey "Greatness Takes Time" by Beth Perry and Chris Doney Sound FX: "Asthma inhaler" by natty23 and "Compressed Air" by thompsonman Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Producers: Sophia Roberts (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.); Scott Wiessinger (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) Animator: Jonathan North (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) Photographers: Christopher Gunn (InuTeq, LLC); Jolearra Tshiteya (ASRC Federal) Technical support: Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.) Narrator: Sophia Roberts (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.) This video can be freely shared and downloaded at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14575. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14575. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit https://nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines.

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Got a question or comment? Use #AskNASA to talk to us. Learn more about the important research being operated on Station: https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science For more information about STEM on Station: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

This animation discusses the upcoming spacewalk in which Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of the Expedition 71 crew will egress the Poisk airlock to complete the deployment of one panel on a synthetic radar system on the Nauka module and install equipment and experiments on the Poisk module to analyze the level of corrosion on station surfaces and modules. It will be the 270th spacewalk in support of station maintenance and upgrades, the seventh for Kononenko and the second for Chub.

The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 34th year in orbit by premiering a stunning new Hubble image of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Located approximately 3,400 light-years away the Little Dumbbell Nebula is a planetary nebula, which is an expanding shell of gas around an aging or dying star. Even after all these years, Hubble continues to uncover the mysteries of the universe. These are a few science achievements from Hubble’s latest year in orbit. For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Paul Morris: Lead Producer Music Credit: "Slide" by Timothy Paul Handels [SABAM] via Pedigree Cuts [PRS], and Universal Production Music. Video Credit: Exoplanet K2-18b (Artist’s Impression) Credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser This video can be freely shared and downloaded at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14569. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14569.

At 1:47 a.m. EST (6:47 UTC) on Nov. 16, 2022, NASA’s Orion spacecraft launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from historic Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a path to the Moon, officially beginning the Artemis I mission. Over the course of 25.5 days, Orion performed two lunar flybys, coming within 80 miles (129 kilometers) of the lunar surface. At its farthest distance during the mission, Orion traveled nearly 270,000 miles (435,000 kilometers) from our home planet. NASA’s Orion spacecraft successfully completed a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 9:40 a.m. PST (12:40 p.m. EST) as the final major milestone of the Artemis I mission. Artemis I set new records of performance, exceeded efficiency expectations, and established new safety baselines for humans in deep space. This is a prelude to what comes next—following the success of Artemis I, human beings will fly around the Moon on Artemis II.

Our next-generation solar sail technology could advance future space travel and expand our understanding of our Sun and solar system

Live from our Headquarters in Washington, we’re hosting a media briefing ahead of Earth Day 2024 to share information about NASA's climate research. We'll discuss new airborne science flights, our latest Earth science strategy, and to share data from our newest Earth-observing satellite, PACE, which stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and Ocean Ecosystem.

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Got a question or comment? Use #AskNASA to talk to us.

More partners in space exploration, new data measuring ocean health, air quality and our climate, and an upgrade to testing facilities for Artemis II … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

NASA's Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) project is a groundbreaking initiative that combines data from Landsats 8 & 9 with the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2A & 2B satellites. Let's take a look at how HLS data is revolutionizing Earth observation, from aiding search and rescue operations in the aftermath of hurricanes to helping farmers optimize crop yields. Join us on a journey through the cutting-edge world of remote sensing and explore the future of monitoring our planet's health with HLS.

On April 24, 2024, the Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 34th year in orbit by premiering a never-before-seen view of the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Hubble’s Senior Project Scientist Dr. Jennifer Wiseman takes us on a tour of this stunning new image, describes the telescope's current health, and summarizes some of Hubble's contributions to astronomy during its 34-year career. For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Paul Morris: Lead Producer Jennifer Wiseman: Narrator

Reaction wheels are an essential part of pointing most space telescopes. They are basically flywheels driven by electric motors, which makes them more precise than thrusters and capable of running indefinitely on solar power. They spin to store angular momentum. By slowing or speeding the rotation of a given wheel, changing the amount of momentum, a computer can precisely adjust how the spacecraft points around its center of mass in one plane. With three wheels set at specific angles, a satellite can control its pitch, roll and yaw to point in any direction and then hold that position without any change. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has added its set of reaction wheels to the main spacecraft body, or bus. Roman has six reaction wheels, rather than the necessary three, to give it more angular momentum for faster pointing, as well as complete redundancy should any one wheel fail. Each of Roman’s wheels is 18 inches across, weighs roughly 45 pounds, and spins up to 4,000 rpm. Music credit: "Breaking the Code" from Universal Production Music

A nearby supernova in 2023 offered astrophysicists an excellent opportunity to test ideas about how these types of explosions boost particles, called cosmic rays, to near light-speed. But surprisingly, NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected none of the high-energy gamma-ray light those particles should produce. On May 18, 2023, a supernova erupted in the nearby Pinwheel galaxy (Messier 101), located about 22 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. The event, named SN 2023ixf, is the most luminous nearby supernova discovered since Fermi launched in 2008. Astrophysicists previously estimated that supernovae convert about 10% of their total energy into cosmic ray acceleration. Using Fermi observations of SN 2023ixf, scientists calculated an energy conversion as low as 1% within a few days after the explosion. This doesn’t rule out supernovae as cosmic ray factories, but it does mean we have more to learn about their production. Scientists have been investigating cosmic ray origins since the early 1900s, but the particles can’t be traced back to their sources. Because they’re electrically charged, cosmic rays change course as they travel to Earth thanks to magnetic fields they encounter. Gamma rays, however, do travel directly to us. And cosmic rays produce gamma rays when they interact with matter in their environment. Fermi is the most sensitive gamma-ray telescope in orbit, so when it doesn’t detect an expected signal, scientists must explain the absence. In 2013, Fermi measurements showed that supernova remnants in our own Milky Way galaxy were accelerating cosmic rays, which generated gamma-ray light when they struck interstellar matter. But astronomers say the remnants aren’t producing enough high-energy particles to match scientists’ measurements on Earth. One theory proposes that supernovae may accelerate the most energetic cosmic rays in our galaxy in the first few days and weeks after the initial explosion. But supernovae are rare, occurring only a few times a century in a galaxy like the Milky Way. Out to distances of around 32 million light-years, a supernova occurs, on average, just once a year. After a month of observations, starting when visible light telescopes first saw SN 2023ixf, Fermi had not detected gamma rays. The researchers propose a few scenarios that may have affected Fermi’s ability to see gamma rays from the event, like the way the explosion distributed debris and the density of material surrounding the star. Fermi’s observations provide the first opportunity to study conditions right after the supernova explosion. Additional observations of SN 2023ixf at other wavelengths, new simulations and models based on this event, and future studies of other young supernovae will help astronomers home in on the mysterious sources of the universe’s cosmic rays. Music credit: "Trial" from Universal Production Music Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Producer: Scott Wiessinger (Rothe Ares Joint Venture) Science writer: Jeanette Kazmierczak (University of Maryland College Park) Narrator: Scott Wiessinger (Rothe Ares Joint Venture) This video can be freely shared and downloaded at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14522. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14522. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit https://nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines.