925 posts tagged with nasa.
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“spaghettification is just 12.8 seconds away”
360 Video: NASA Simulation Plunges into a Black Hole answers the question of what it would look like to fall into a black hole. If you’d rather not, NASA also released 360 Video: NASA Simulation Shows a Flight Around a Black Hole. They also released videos explaining what is going on in the visualizations for the dive into the black hole as well as the flight around it. The press release has more information.
EPIC indeed
Listening at Two Very Different Scales
Large-scale listening: To ensure that DSS-43 can still place the longest of long-distance calls, the antenna underwent a round of updates in 2020. A new X-band cone was installed. DSS-43 transmits radio signals in the X (8 to 12 gigahertz) and S (2 to 4 GHz) bands; it can receive signals in the X, S, L (1 to 2 GHz), and K (12 to 40 GHz) bands. The dish’s pointing accuracy also was tested and recertified. 1200 words from Willie D. Jones for IEEE Spectrum.
Small-scale listening: The sounds being produced are within the lower range of human hearing, so it’s possible there are sounds in the soil we haven’t heard yet. Early research from Switzerland shows soils were producing the most complex sounds in spring and summer, which declined in autumn and winter. Phoebe Weston writes 1000 words for The Guardian.
Voyager 1 sends readable message to Earth
After 4 nail-biting months of gibberish, Voyager 1 is making sense again. Since November 2023, the almost-50-year-old spacecraft has been experiencing trouble with its onboard computers. Although Voyager 1, one of NASA's longest-lived space missions, has been sending a steady radio signal to Earth, it hasn't contained any usable data. Now, there may be hope for recovery.
The Lost Universe: NASA's First TTRPG Adventure
The Lost Universe (science.nasa.gov, 03/04/2024): "A dark mystery has settled over the city of Aldastron on the rogue planet of Exlaris. Researchers dedicated to studying the cosmos have disappeared, and the Hubble Space Telescope has vanished from Earth's timeline. Only an ambitious crew of adventurers can uncover what was lost. Are you up to the challenge? This adventure is designed for a party of 4-7 level 7-10 characters and is easily adaptable for your preferred tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) system." Adventure design by Christina Mitchell. Graphic design by Michelle Belleville.
Moon landings, a wooden satellite, Tolkien on Mars, fiery descents
The Martian helicopter completed its final flight on Valinor Hills. "yeah it really could be an ocean moon" - Let's check in on humanity's exploration of space in early 2024. [more inside]
The Brave Little Flying Toaster
The Ingenuity helicopter will fly no more. After three years and more than 2 hours of cumulative flying time, the first human craft to fly on Mars is grounded. [more inside]
What happens when an astronaut in orbit says he’s not coming back?
"Space is a harsh, incredibly forbidding domain. It can play with the mind" Not everyone on a space mission is subject to the same rigorous tests as others - this assymetry between professional astronutters and mad scientists was once put to the test when one of the latter, Taylor Gun-Jin Wang, couldn't get his experiment to work - and spiralled into a deep funk... especially when the boss told him to not waste time trying to fix it...
Why did NASA build a vehicle designed to attack aircraft tires?
Why did NASA create the Tire Assualt Vehicle (TAV), a model radio-control tank with a drill?
The Space Shuttle Program had experienced some close calls with the landing and braking system, especially the tires. Hard data was desired about the response of the tires to various off-nominal situations. To obtain this data, a Convair 990 jetliner was converted into the Landing Systems Research Aircraft by adding an instrumented version of a Shuttle Orbiter landing gear.
(StackExchange, with an answer by the creator of the TAV) [more inside]
Asteroid bits, fast spaceships, JuMBOs, a space battle, space cat video
December 2023 solstice from space. Let's check in on humanity's solar system exploration before 2024 kicks in. [more inside]
Coming in hot!
POV footage of NASA's Artemis 1's Orion spacecraft's re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere: Real-time (25m); Time-lapsed 25x (1m)
I've Made a Huge Mistake
Chris Lewicki recounts a story about how he almost killed a half-billion-dollar Mars rover. Turns out cables are hard.
Launches, landings, elements, and the fiery golden apples of the sun
NASA started work on this day in 1958. So let's mark the occasion by checking on the past month of humanity's exploration of space. [more inside]
Misogyny, in SPACE
CNN article on the upcoming book, The Six: The Untold Stories of America’s First Women Astronauts Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, but she was not the only woman trained for that mission. [more inside]
On this day in 1977, Voyager 1 launched.
Space.com looks back on the historic launch Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space in 2012. The spacecraft’s next big encounter will take place in about 40,000 years, when it will fly by another star system. [more inside]
Feeling lunar gravity
Had ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface. Let's check in on humanity's exploration of space as autumn 2023 draws nigh, starting with the Sun and working outwards from there. [more inside]
The S-Files
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES—118th Cong., 1st Sess. [S. 2226]
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.
AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. RUBIO, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND)
Viz: At the appropriate place, insert the following:
TITLE I—UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA DISCLOSURE
This title may be cited as the "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act of 2023" [more inside]
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.
AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. RUBIO, and Mrs. GILLIBRAND)
Viz: At the appropriate place, insert the following:
TITLE I—UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA DISCLOSURE
This title may be cited as the "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act of 2023" [more inside]
A First Glimpse of Our Magnificent Earth, Seen From the Moon
The first people to view our planet from the moon were transformed by the experience. In this film, they tell their story. Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee (editor and podcast host of the ruminative Emergence Magazine) and Adam Loften created the Emmy nominated video Earthrise in 2018.
I wondered what role this image could offer us 50 years later as we face intense political, social and ecological upheaval. Could it become a symbol of remembrance that unites us?[more inside]
Hello from lunar orbit! 🌔
An eclipse, the heart of a supernova, rockets up and down the gravity well, and more missions. Here's a snapshot of humanity's exploration of space in April 2023. [more inside]
First woman appointed director Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA's first female Goddard Space Flight Center director swears oath on Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan. NASA's newly appointed director of the Goddard Space Flight Center has claimed two firsts before even starting her official duties. On Thursday, Makenzie Lystrup became the first woman in NASA's history to be appointed the director of the Goddard Space Flight Center. She also became the first person to take their oath of office on a copy of Carl Sagan's 1994 book Pale Blue Dot. [more inside]
Volcano on Venus
A Martian glacier, rockets, asteroid samples, moons, and more rockets. From the fiery Sun to the search for alien civilizations, here's an update on humanity's exploration of space.
Sol
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured video of an immense solar flare followed by a solar tornado. [more inside]
Sol
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured video of an immense solar flare followed by a solar tornado. [more inside]
Saving Icarus
On the 20th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Ars Technica published two articles; the first asks if NASA has fixed its safety culture, and the second, a reprint of a 2014 article with some updates, wonders if, had the damage to the ship's wing that occurred on launch been detected before they started reentry, the crew could have been saved. (Previously on the blue; Columbia previouslies) [more inside]
An unusually close glimpse of black hole snacking on star.
The Moon doesn’t currently have an independent time. It's time for another look at humanity's exploration of space, from 2022's end to the start of 2023. There's a lot going on, especially between the Earth's surface and orbit. [more inside]
From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon
Helga, Zohar and Commander Moonikin Campos take a trip. It's time for another look at humanity's exploration of space, starting with the Sun.
The European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter glimpsed a "solar snake" racing across the face of the Sun. [more inside]
The European Space Agency-led Solar Orbiter glimpsed a "solar snake" racing across the face of the Sun. [more inside]
More than 50 Years of NASA Wake-Up Songs
As far back as Gemini 6, NASA has used music to wake astronauts - and robots - to start their day. From Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra to Puccini and Rachmaninov, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Weird Al Yankovic, from the Ramones to the Everly Brothers to ABBA, NASA crews have woken up to meaningful and whimsical music. Archivist Colin Fries compiled a chronology of Wakeup Calls for NASA (89-page PDF). Previously. [more inside]
Is tonight the night that NASA launches its SLA rocket?
The face of the sun, a dying robot, meteor strikes, lovely moons
October 2022 in humanity's exploration of space. Let's start from the sun. The European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter zoomed very close to our star and captured great images of its corona. [more inside]
It's Full Of Stars
NASA has shared a new image, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope [previously] of the iconic Pillars Of Creation first captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995.
Moon to Mars activities and asteroid crashing
NASA published its new strategic objectives. And a lot more is going on. Just past the fall equinox, we catch up with humanity's exploration of space. [more inside]
From the Earth to the Moon, to Venus, Mars, and more
A roundup of July and August 2022 in humanity's exploration of space. Humans and robots explored, rockets ascended and descended, various preparations are under way, and many plans were aired. [more inside]
"What are you talking about, HAL?"
Apollo stage separations, cold war spy satellites, and more
Fran Blanche (previously, previouslyer) goes into detail about the history of the film cameras and film recovery pods used in the early Apollo missions. SLYT, main video runs about 10 minutes, with raw footage after the credits.
Looking into the universe in June 2022
Today NASA published the first image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. That makes this a fine day to catch up on all of the other ways people and our machines are exploring space. [more inside]
Voyage On, Voyager
Launched in 1977, Voyagers 1 and 2 took advantage of.a rare planetary alignment to send a probe past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Originally designed to last four years, they are now the furthest man-made objects from Earth, now traveling in interstellar space. After 45 years, however, systems on the spacecraft are being powered down, in an effort to conserve power into the next decade. A bittersweet ending to an amazing mission.
From Ukraine to deep space
April-June 2022 in humanity's exploration of space. Stand by for rocky passengers, glitches, amazing images, a very French rocket name, Earthly politics, and lots of asteroids.
On the Earth In the Himalayas, a liquid mirror telescope came online. France joined the Artemis accords for sustainable space exploration. BRICS nations announced a new space agreement: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. [more inside]
On the Earth In the Himalayas, a liquid mirror telescope came online. France joined the Artemis accords for sustainable space exploration. BRICS nations announced a new space agreement: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. [more inside]
Rockets, photos, the sun, a space station, and a very distant star
Late March 2022 in humanity's exploration of space. The past couple of weeks saw a lot of activity in the solar system, especially with launches and images. [more inside]
The sound of 5000 exoplanets
On March 21, 2022, the number of known exoplanets passed 5,000 according to the NASA Exoplanet Archive. The music is created by playing a note for each newly discovered world. The pitch of the note indicates the relative orbital period of the planet. Planets that take a longer time to orbit their stars are heard as lower notes, while planets that orbit more quickly are heard as higher notes.
Dismissal for any homosexual conduct was a "custom within the agency"
Nature: Documents reveal NASA’s internal struggles over renaming Webb telescope - which is to say, NASA ignored evidence of James Webb's culpability in purging queer people from NASA and tried to cover it up. [more inside]
Excessive Indentations, Bullet Points, and Font Sizes
Finally the single most important fact... is hidden at the very bottom. Twelve little words which the audience would have had to wade through more than 100 to get to. If they even managed to keep reading to that point.
Death by PowerPoint: the slide that killed seven people [more inside]
That figure is far higher than NASA might have hoped.
Later in the hearing, Martin broke down the costs per flight, which will apply to at least the first four launches of the Artemis program: $2.2 billion to build a single SLS rocket, $568 million for ground systems, $1 billion for an Orion spacecraft, and $300 million to the European Space Agency for Orion's Service Module. NASA, Martin said, had checked and confirmed these figures.
The option of dropping a 500-ton structure on India and China
Updates from February 2022 in space. The human effort to explore space continued this month, intersecting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [more inside]
The Whole Earth Photolog, revisited
From grainy stills to gorgeous high-resolution portraits, from intimate pairings to stark contrasts, and from iconic standbys to little-known surprises, The Planetary Society's Earth gallery offers a rich collection of stunning photography and video footage of our world as seen from both planetary spacecraft and geostationary satellites. It is a vista that has inspired many a deep thought in the lucky few that have seen it firsthand [previously]. And it's just one of a number of annotated collections from the Bruce Murray Space Image Library.
to strengthen its space presence in an all-round manner
The past fortnight in space. Updates from humanity's exploration of the solar system.
On Earth's surface: using data from three satellites, scientists published a visualization of an unusually violent star. A "hard start" delayed an ABL Space Systems rocket test launch. An uncrewed SpaceX Dragon module safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. [more inside]
On Earth's surface: using data from three satellites, scientists published a visualization of an unusually violent star. A "hard start" delayed an ABL Space Systems rocket test launch. An uncrewed SpaceX Dragon module safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. [more inside]
JWST@L2
Who says there aren’t any old, bold pilots?
From L2 to the Moon and points elsewhere
The last two weeks of 2021 in space. Starting with the Earth area: Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu, two taikonauts of the Shenzhou-13 mission on board the Tianhe space station, completed a second EVA lasting six hours. [more inside]
Good corona news
For the first time in history, a spacecraft has touched the Sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has now flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere — called the corona — sampling particles and characterizing magnetic fields in this dynamic environment. The second video has footage from within the corona itself.
The Webb Space Telescope Will Rewrite Cosmic History. If It Works.
"Now we’re going to put our zillion-dollar telescope on top of a stack of explosive material and turn things over to fate." Current scheduled launch date December 22 To look back in time at the cosmos’s infancy and witness the first stars flicker on, you must first grind a mirror as big as a house. Its surface must be so smooth that, if the mirror were the scale of a continent, it would feature no hill or valley greater than ankle height. Only a mirror so huge and smooth can collect and focus the faint light coming from the farthest galaxies in the sky — light that left its source long ago and therefore shows the galaxies as they appeared in the ancient past, when the universe was young. [more inside]
New space walks
A space exploration update for November 2021. In Earth orbit news, one crew returned from the International Space Station, while a new crew rode a SpaceX flight to board the ISS. The ISS altered its orbit by a mile to avoid incoming debris from an old Chinese launch. Members of the Shenzhou 13 team aboard China's Tiangong space station conducted a spacewalk to build out the station; colonel Wang Yaping became China's first female spacewalker. [more inside]
Color Your Worlds
Sharpen your Cosmic Latte colored pencil and explore the universe with the Exoplanet Travel Bureau Coloring Book. (Bonus: NASA coloring pages for kids.)