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Northwestern University Takes Top Honors in BIG Idea Lunar Inflatables Challenge 

Following eight months of intense research, design, and prototyping, six university teams presented their “Inflatable Systems for Lunar Operations” concepts to a panel of judges at NASA’s 2024 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge forum.  The challenge, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and Office of STEM Engagement, seeks novel ideas from higher […]

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Bob Swap Builds Bridges With ‘Science Diplomacy’

Associate Director for Mission Planning, Earth Sciences, and environmental scientist Robert J. “Bob” Swap makes a difference by putting knowledge into action. Name: Robert J. “Bob” SwapTitle: Associate Director for Mission Planning, Earth SciencesOrganization: Earth Science Division (Code 610) Robert Swap (right) and Karen St. Germain, NASA Earth science director (left) joined NASA’s Student Airborne […]

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NASA Engineer Carries Indigenous Roots into New Aviation Era

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Abigail Reigner, a systems engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, supports the agency’s research in electrified aircraft propulsion to enable more sustainable air travel. Behind her is a 25% scale model of NASA’s SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan aircraft concept used […]

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Space for Shore: Sentinel-1 reveals Arctic glacier retreat

As Arctic temperatures rise, marine-terminating glaciers—especially in places like Svalbard—are undergoing rapid retreat and intensified calving. The ESA-funded Space for Shore project utilises radar data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission to provide precise, year-over-year insights into glacier retreat and calving intensity, particularly in areas like Kongsfjorden, where notable glaciers are experiencing significant retreat. To source

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Proba-3’s journey to see the Sun’s corona

Video: 00:04:31 The double-satellite Proba-3 is the most ambitious member yet of ESA’s Proba family of experimental missions. Two spacecraft will fly together as one, maintaining precise formation down to a single millimetre. One will block out the fiery disc of the Sun for the other, to enable prolonged observations of the Sun’s surrounding atmosphere, […]

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Sols 4366–4367: One of Those Days on Mars (Sulfate-Bearing Unit to the West of Upper Gediz Vallis)

Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions The Solar System The Sun […]

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NASA to Provide Coverage of Progress 90 Launch, Space Station Docking

The unpiloted Roscosmos Progress spacecraft pictured on Feb. 7, 2023, from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA NASA will provide live launch and docking coverage of a Roscosmos cargo spacecraft delivering nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies to the Expedition 72 crew aboard the International Space Station. The unpiloted Progress 90 spacecraft is […]

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Station Science Top News: Nov. 15, 2024

Anthocyanins protect seeds in space After exposure to space outside the International Space Station, purple-pigmented rice seeds rich in anthocyanin had higher germination rates than non-pigmented white rice seeds. This result suggests that anthocyanin, a flavonoid known to protect plants from UV irradiation, could help preserve seed viability on future space missions. Plants are key […]

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November Transformer of the Month: Ariel Vargas

When Ariel Vargas joined NASA in 2023, he knew he wanted to make an impact. Despite his relatively short tenure, he has earned the reputation of a Digital Transformer in his work as a Network and ICAM (Identity, Credential, and Access Management) Service Integrator at Johnson Space Center (JSC). No matter the task at hand, […]

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First Nations Launch Winners Watch Crew-7 Launch

Participants from the 14th First Nations Launch High-Power Rocket Competition watch NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 launch from the Banana Creek viewing site at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. Students and advisors from University of Washington, University of Colorado-Boulder, and an international team from Queens University – this year’s First […]

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First Nations Launch Winners Watch Crew-7 Launch

NASA/Ben Smegelsky & Virgil Cameron In this image from Aug. 26, 2023, participants from the 14th First Nations Launch High-Power Rocket Competition watch NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 launch at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Students and advisors from University of Washington, University of Colorado-Boulder, and an international team from Queens University – the 2023 […]

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