The January wildfires in California devastated local habitats and communities. In an effort to better understand wildfire behavior, NASA scientists and engineers tried to learn from the events by testing new technology.

The new instrument, the Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker (c-FIRST), was tested when NASA’s B200 King Air aircraft flew over the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, California. Based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the aircraft used the c-FIRST instrument to observe the impacts of the fires in near real-time. Due to its small size and ability to efficiently simulate a satellite-based mission, the B200 King Air is uniquely suited for testing c-FIRST.

Managed and operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, c-FIRST gathers thermal infrared images in high-resolution and other data about the terrain to study the impacts of wildfires on ecology. In a single observation, c-FIRST can capture the full temperature range across a wide area of wildland fires – as well as the cool, unburned background – potentially increasing both the quantity and quality of science data produced.

“Currently, no instrument is able to cover the entire range of attributes for fires present in the Earth system,” said Sarath Gunapala, principal investigator for c-FIRST at NASA JPL. “This leads to gaps in our understanding of how many fires occur, and of crucial characteristics like size and temperature.”

For decades, the quality of infrared images has struggled to convey the nuances of high-temperature surfaces above 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (550 degrees Celsius). Blurry resolution and light saturation of infrared images has inhibited scientists’ understanding of an extremely hot terrain, and thereby also inhibited wildfire research. Historically, images of extremely hot targets often lacked the detail scientists need to understand the range of a fire’s impacts on an ecosystem.

To address this, NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office supported JPL’s development of the c-FIRST instrument, combining state-of-the-art imaging technology with a compact and efficient design. When c-FIRST was airborne, scientists could detect smoldering fires more accurately and quickly, while also gathering important information on active fires in near real-time.

“These smoldering fires can flame up if the wind picks up again,” said Gunapala. “Therefore, the c-FIRST data set could provide very important information for firefighting agencies to fight fires more effectively.”

For instance, c-FIRST data can help scientists estimate the likelihood of a fire spreading in a certain landscape, allowing officials to more effectively monitor smoldering fires and track how fires evolve. Furthermore, c-FIRST can collect detailed data that can enable scientists to understand how an ecosystem may recover from fire events.

“The requirements of the c-FIRST instrument meet the flight profile of the King Air,” said KC Sujan, operations engineer for the B200 King Air. “The c-FIRST team wanted a quick integration, the flight speed in the range 130 and 140 knots on a level flight, communication and navigation systems, and the instruments power requirement that are perfectly fit for King Air’s capability.”

By first testing the instrument onboard the B200 King Air, the c-FIRST team can evaluate its readiness for future satellite missions investigating wildfires. On a changing planet where wildfires are increasingly common, instruments like c-FIRST could provide data that can aid firefighting agencies to fight fires more effectively, and to understand the ecosystemic impacts of extreme weather events.

The 2024 Annual Highlights of Results from the International Space Station is now available. This new edition contains updated bibliometric analyses, a list of all the publications documented in fiscal year 2024, and synopses of the most recent and recognized scientific findings from investigations conducted on the space station. These investigations are sponsored by NASA and all international partners – CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and the State Space Corporation Roscosmos (Roscosmos) – for the advancement of science, technology, and education.

Between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, more than 350 publications were reported. With approximately 40% of the research produced in collaboration between more than two countries and almost 80% of the high-impact studies published in the past seven years, station has continued to generate compelling and influential science above national and global standards since 2010.

The results achieved from station research provide insights that advance the commercialization of space and benefit humankind.

Some of the findings presented in this edition include:

• Improved machine learning algorithms to detect space debris (Italian Space Agency, Roscosmos, ESA)
• Visuospatial processing before and after spaceflight (CSA)
• Metabolic changes during fasting intervals in astronauts (ESA)
• Vapor bubble production for the improvement of thermal systems (NASA)
• Immobilization of particles for the development of optical materials (JAXA)
• Maintained function of cardiac 3D stem cells after weeks of exposure to space (NASA)

The content in the Annual Highlights of Results from the International Space Station has been reviewed and approved by the International Space Station Program Science Forum, a team of scientists and administrators representing NASA and international partners that are dedicated to planning, improving, and communicating the research operated on the space station.

[See the list of Station Research Results publications here and find the current edition of the Annual Highlights of Results here.]  

Modeling properties of thunderstorm discharges

Researchers report detailed physical properties of different types of corona discharges, including single- and multi-pulse blue discharges linked to powerful but short-lived electrical bursts near the tops of clouds. These details provide a reference for further investigation into the physical mechanisms behind these discharges and their role in the initiation of lightning, an important problem in lightning physics.

An ESA (European Space Agency) instrument used to study thunderstorms, Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) provides insights into their role in Earth’s atmosphere and climate, including mechanisms behind the creation of lightning. Understanding how thunderstorms and lightning disturb the upper atmosphere could improve atmospheric models along with climate and weather predictions. These high-altitude discharges also affect aircraft and spacecraft safety.

Evaluating effects of climate change on oceans

Researchers conclude that the space station’s ECOSTRESS instrument yields highly accurate sea surface temperature data. Given the instrument’s global coverage and high spatial resolution, these data have potential use in studies of biological and physical oceanography to evaluate regional and local effects of climate change.

ECOSTRESS resolves oceanographic features not detectable in imagery from NOAA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite satellite, and has open-ocean coverage, unlike Landsat. Satellites are a fundamental tool to measure sea surface temperatures, which are rising across all oceans due to atmospheric warming induced by climate change.

Describing a gamma ray burst

Researchers report detailed observations and analysis of emissions from an exceptionally bright gamma ray burst (GRB), 210619B, detected by the station’s ASIM and other satellite and ground-based instruments. These observations could be useful in determining various properties of GRBs and how they change during different phases.

Believed to be generated by the collapse of massive stars, GRBs are the brightest, most explosive transient electromagnetic events in the universe. ASIM can observe thunderstorm discharges difficult to observe from the ground. It has a mode where a detected event triggers observation and onboard storage of data.

Sending instruments to the Moon supports a growing lunar economy on and off Earth, and the next flight of NASA science and technology is only days away. NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative is a lunar delivery service that sends NASA science and technology instruments to various geographic locations on the Moon using American companies. These rapid, cost-effective commercial lunar missions at a cadence of about two per year improve our understanding of the lunar environment in advance of future crewed missions to the Moon as part of the agency’s broader Artemis campaign.  

Of the 11 active CLPS contracts, there have been three CLPS launches to date: Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One, which collected data in transit but experienced an anomaly that prevented it from landing on the Moon; Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission, which landed, tipped over, and operated on the lunar surface; and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One that is currently enroute and scheduled to land in early March 2025. The CLPS contract awards cover end-to-end commercial payload delivery services, including payload integration, launch from Earth, landing on the surface of the Moon, and mission operations. 

NASA’s fourth CLPS flight is from Intuitive Machines with their IM-2 mission. The IM-2 mission is carrying NASA science and technology instruments to Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau just outside of 5 degrees of the South Pole of the Moon, closer to the pole than any preceding lunar mission.  

Scheduled to launch no earlier than Wednesday and land approximately eight days later, Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, named Athena, will carry three NASA instruments to the lunar South Pole region – the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) suite and the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA). 

The PRIME-1 suite consists of two instruments, the TRIDENT drill (The Regolith Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain) and MSolo (Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations), which will work together to extricate lunar soil samples, known as regolith, from the subsurface and analyze their composition to further understand the lunar environment and gain insight on potential resources that can be extracted for future examination. 

The meter-long TRIDENT drill is designed to extract lunar regolith, up to about three feet below the surface. It will also measure soil temperature at varying depths below the surface, which will help to verify existing lunar thermal models that are used for ice stability calculations and resource mapping. By drilling into the lunar regolith, information is gathered to help answer questions about the lunar regolith geotechnical properties, such as soil strength, both at the surface and in the subsurface that will help inform Artemis infrastructure objectives. The data will be beneficial when designing future systems for on-site resource utilization that will use local resources to create everything from landing pads to rocket fuel. The lead development organization for TRIDENT is Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin Company. 

The MSOLO instrument is a mass spectrometer capable of identifying and quantifying volatiles (or gasses that easily evaporate) found at or beneath the lunar surface, including– if it’s present in the regolith within the drill’s reach – water and oxygen, brought to the surface by the TRIDENT drill. This instrument can also detect any gases that emanate from the lander, drilling process, and other payloads conducting operations on the surface. Using MSolo to study the volatile gases found on the Moon can help us understand how the lander’s presence might alter the local environment. The lead development organization is INFICON of Syracuse, New York, in partnership with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

NASA’s LRA is a collection of eight retroreflectors that enable precision laser ranging, which is a measurement of the distance between the orbiting or landing spacecraft to the reflector on the lander. The LRA instrument is passive, meaning it does not power on. It will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come, similar to its predecessors. The lead development organization is NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 

In addition to the CLPS instruments, two technology demonstrations aboard IM-2 were developed through NASA’s Tipping Point opportunity. These are collaborations with the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and industry that support development of commercial space capabilities and benefit future NASA missions.  

Intuitive Machines developed a small hopping robot, Grace, named after Grace Hopper, computer scientist and mathematician. Grace will deploy as a secondary payload from the lander and enable high-resolution imaging and science surveying of the lunar surface, including permanently shadowed craters around the landing site. Grace is designed to bypass obstacles such as steep inclines, boulders, and craters to cover a lot of terrain while moving quickly, which is a valuable capability to support future missions on the Moon and other planets, including Mars. 

Nokia will test a Lunar Surface Communications System that employs the same cellular technology here on Earth. Reconceptualized by Nokia Bell Labs to meet the unique requirements of a lunar mission, this tipping point technology aims to demonstrate proximity communications between the lander, a Lunar Outpost rover, and the hopper. 

Launching as a rideshare alongside the IM-2 mission, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft also will begin its journey to lunar orbit where it will map the distribution of water – and other forms of water – on the Moon. 

Future CLPS flights will continue to send payloads to the near side, far side, and South Pole regions of the Moon where investigations and exploration are informed by each area’s unique characteristics. With a pool of 13 American companies under CLPS, including a portfolio of 11 lunar deliveries by five vendors sending more than 50 individual science and technology instruments to lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon, NASA continues to advance long-term exploration of the Moon, and beyond to Mars.   

In Aug. 2024, a team of NASA researchers and partners gathered in Missoula, Montana to test new drone-based technology for localized forecasting, or micrometeorology. Researchers attached wind sensors to a drone, NASA’s Alta X quadcopter, aiming to provide precise and sustainable meteorological data to help predict fire behavior.

Wildfires are increasing in number and severity around the world, including the United States, and wind is a major factor. It leads to unexpected and unpredictable fire growth, public threats, and fire fatalities, making micrometeorology a very effective tool to combat fire.

The campaign was run by NASA’s FireSense project, focused on addressing challenges in wildland fire management by putting NASA science and technology in the hands of operational agencies.

“Ensuring that the new technology will be easily adoptable by operational agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Weather Service was another primary goal of the campaign,” said Jacquelyn Shuman, FireSense project scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

The FireSense team chose the Alta X drone because the U.S. Forest Service already has a fleet of the quadcopters and trained drone pilots, which could make integrating the needed sensors – and the accompanying infrastructure – much easier and more cost-effective for the agency.

The choice of the two sensors for the drone’s payload was also driven by their adoptability.

The first, called a radiosonde, measures wind direction and speed, humidity, temperature, and pressure, and is used daily by the National Weather Service. The other sensor, an anemometer, measures wind speed and direction, and is used at weather stations and airports around the world.

“Anemometers are everywhere, but are usually stationary,” said Robert McSwain, the FireSense uncrewed aerial system (UAS) lead, based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “We are taking a sensor type that is already used all over the world, and giving it wings.”

Both sensors create datasets that are already familiar to meteorologists worldwide, which opens up the potential applications of the platform.

Current Forecasting Methods: Weather Balloons

Traditionally, global weather forecasting data is gathered by attaching a radiosonde to a weather balloon and releasing it into the air. This system works well for regional weather forecasts. But the rapidly changing environment of wildland fire requires more recurrent, pinpointed forecasts to accurately predict fire behavior. It’s the perfect niche for a drone.

“These drones are not meant to replace the weather balloons,” said Jennifer Fowler, FireSense’s project manager at Langley. “The goal is to create a drop-in solution to get more frequent, localized data for wildfires – not to replace all weather forecasting.”

Drones Provide Control, Repeat Testing, Sustainability

Drones can be piloted to keep making measurements over a precise location – an on-site forecaster could fly one every couple of hours as conditions change – and gather timely data to help determine how weather will impact the direction and speed of a fire.

Fire crews on the ground may need this information to make quick decisions about where to deploy firefighters and resources, draw fire lines, and protect nearby communities.

A reusable platform, like a drone, also reduces the financial and environmental impact of forecasting flights. 

“A weather balloon is going to be a one-off, and the attached sensor won’t be recovered,” Fowler said. “The instrumented drone, on the other hand, can be flown repeatedly.”

The Missoula Campaign

Before such technology can be sent out to a fire, it needs to be tested. That’s what the FireSense team did this summer.

McSwain described the conditions in Missoula as an “alignment of stars” for the research: the complex mountain terrain produces erratic, historically unpredictable winds, and the sparsity of monitoring instruments on the ground makes weather forecasting very difficult. During the three-day campaign, several fires burned nearby, which allowed researchers to test how the drones performed in smokey conditions.

A drone team out of NASA Langley conducted eight data-collection flights in Missoula. Before each drone flight, student teams from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana, launched a weather balloon carrying the same type of radiometer.

Once those data sets were created, they needed to be transformed into a usable format. Meteorologists are used to the numbers, but incident commanders on an active fire need to see the data in a form that allows them to quickly understand which conditions are changing, and how. That’s where data visualization partners come in. For the Missoula campaign, teams from MITRE, NVIDIA, and Esri joined NASA in the field.

Measurements from both the balloon and the drone platforms were immediately sent to the on-site data teams. The MITRE team, together with NVIDIA, tested high-resolution artificial intelligence meteorological models, while the Esri team created comprehensive visualizations of flight paths, temperatures, and wind speed and direction. These visual representations of the data make conclusions more immediately apparent to non-meteorologists.

What’s Next?

Development of drone capabilities for fire monitoring didn’t begin in Missoula, and it won’t end there.

“This campaign leveraged almost a decade of research, development, engineering, and testing,” said McSwain. “We have built up a UAS flight capability that can now be used across NASA.”

The NASA Alta X and its sensor payload will head to Alabama and Florida in spring 2025, incorporating improvements identified in Montana. There, the team will perform another technology demonstration with wildland fire managers from a different region.

To view more photos from the FireSense campaign visit: https://nasa.gov/firesense

The FireSense project is led by NASA Headquarters in Washington and sits within the Wildland Fires program, with the project office based at NASA Ames. The goal of FireSense is to transition Earth science and technological capabilities to operational wildland fire management agencies, to address challenges in U.S. wildland fire management before, during, and after a fire. 

For more than a decade, Tristan McKnight has been a driving force behind some of NASA’s most iconic events, orchestrating the behind-the-scenes magic that brings each historic moment to life while sharing the agency’s advancements with the public. 

As a multimedia producer on the audiovisual team at Johnson Space Center in Houston, McKnight produces and directs live broadcasts and manages event planning, coordination, and execution. From overseeing resources, mitigating risks, and communicating with stakeholders, he ensures every detail aligns seamlessly.  

McKnight has played an integral role in the audiovisual team’s coverage of major events including the Artemis II crew announcement, where NASA revealed the astronauts who will venture around the Moon and back, to Johnson’s 2023 Open House, which celebrated the agency’s 65th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station’s operations. These achievements highlight key milestones in human space exploration.  

A standout achievement was contributing to the Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo naming ceremony, held on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The event honored the unsung heroes who made humanity’s first steps on the Moon possible. 

The team’s dedication and passion are a testament to their commitment to sharing NASA’s legacy with the world. 

“Not only have these events been impactful to Johnson, but they have also resonated across the entire agency,” McKnight said. “That is what I’m most proud of!” 

One of McKnight’s most memorable events was the 2023 “Back in the Saddle,” an annual tradition designed to refocus Johnson’s workforce at the start of a new year and renew the center’s commitment to safety and mission excellence. McKnight recalled how the speaker transformed Johnson’s Teague Auditorium into a venue filled with drum kits, inspiring messages, and lighting displays. Each audience member, drumsticks in hand, participated in a lesson on teamwork and synchronization to create a metaphor for working in harmony toward a shared goal. 

Like many high-achieving professionals. McKnight has faced moments of self-doubt. Then he realized that he is exactly where he is supposed to be. “As I settled into my role, I recognized that my contributions matter and simply being true to who I am adds value to the Johnson community,” he said.  

Each day brings its own set of challenges, ranging from minor issues like communication gaps and scheduling conflicts to major obstacles like technology failures. One of McKnight’s most valuable lessons is recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and each situation requires a thoughtful analysis. 

McKnight understands the importance of the “check-and double-check,” a philosophy he considers crucial when working with technology. “Taking the extra time to do your due diligence, or even having someone else take a look, can make all the difference,” he said. 

“The challenges I’ve faced helped me grow as a problem solver and taught me valuable lessons on resilience and adaptability in the workplace,” he said. McKnight approaches obstacles with a level head, focusing on effective solutions rather than dwelling on the problem. 

As humanity looks to the stars, McKnight is energized about the future of exploration, particularly advancements in spacesuit and rocket technology that will enable us to travel farther, faster, and safer than ever before. His work, though grounded on Earth, helps create the inspiration that fuels these bold endeavors. 

“My hope for the next generation is that they dive deeper into their curiosity—exploring not only the world around them but also the Moon, planets, and beyond,” he said. “I also hope they carry forward the spirit of resilience and a commitment to making the world a better place for all.” 

In Aug. 2024, a team of NASA researchers and partners gathered in Missoula, to test new drone-based technology for localized forecasting, or micrometeorology. Researchers attached wind sensors to a drone, NASA’s Alta X quadcopter, aiming to provide precise and sustainable meteorological data to help predict fire behavior.

Wildfires are increasing in number and severity around the world, including the United States, and wind is a major factor. It leads to unexpected and unpredictable fire growth, public threats, and fire fatalities, making micrometeorology a very effective tool to combat fire.

The campaign was run by NASA’s FireSense project, focused on addressing challenges in wildland fire management by putting NASA science and technology in the hands of operational agencies.

“Ensuring that the new technology will be easily adoptable by operational agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Weather Service was another primary goal of the campaign,” said Jacquelyn Shuman, FireSense project scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

The FireSense team chose the Alta X drone because the U.S. Forest Service already has a fleet of the quadcopters and trained drone pilots, which could make integrating the needed sensors – and the accompanying infrastructure – much easier and more cost-effective for the agency.

The choice of the two sensors for the drone’s payload was also driven by their adoptability.

The first, called a radiosonde, measures wind direction and speed, humidity, temperature, and pressure, and is used daily by the National Weather Service. The other sensor, an anemometer, measures wind speed and direction, and is used at weather stations and airports around the world.

“Anemometers are everywhere, but are usually stationary,” said Robert McSwain, the FireSense uncrewed aerial system (UAS) lead, based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “We are taking a sensor type that is already used all over the world, and giving it wings.”

Both sensors create datasets that are already familiar to meteorologists worldwide, which opens up the potential applications of the platform.

Current Forecasting Methods: Weather Balloons

Traditionally, global weather forecasting data is gathered by attaching a radiosonde to a weather balloon and releasing it into the air. This system works well for regional weather forecasts. But the rapidly changing environment of wildland fire requires more recurrent, pinpointed forecasts to accurately predict fire behavior. It’s the perfect niche for a drone.

“These drones are not meant to replace the weather balloons,” said Jennifer Fowler, FireSense’s project manager at Langley. “The goal is to create a drop-in solution to get more frequent, localized data for wildfires – not to replace all weather forecasting.”

Drones Provide Control, Repeat Testing, Sustainability

Drones can be piloted to keep making measurements over a precise location – an on-site forecaster could fly one every couple of hours as conditions change – and gather timely data to help determine how weather will impact the direction and speed of a fire.

Fire crews on the ground may need this information to make quick decisions about where to deploy firefighters and resources, draw fire lines, and protect nearby communities.

A reusable platform, like a drone, also reduces the financial and environmental impact of forecasting flights. 

“A weather balloon is going to be a one-off, and the attached sensor won’t be recovered,” Fowler said. “The instrumented drone, on the other hand, can be flown repeatedly.”

The Missoula Campaign

Before such technology can be sent out to a fire, it needs to be tested. That’s what the FireSense team did this summer.

McSwain described the conditions in Missoula as an “alignment of stars” for the research: the complex mountain terrain produces erratic, historically unpredictable winds, and the sparsity of monitoring instruments on the ground makes weather forecasting very difficult. During the three-day campaign, several fires burned nearby, which allowed researchers to test how the drones performed in smokey conditions.

A drone team out of NASA Langley conducted eight data-collection flights in Missoula. Before each drone flight, student teams from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana, launched a weather balloon carrying the same type of radiometer.

Once those data sets were created, they needed to be transformed into a usable format. Meteorologists are used to the numbers, but incident commanders on an active fire need to see the data in a form that allows them to quickly understand which conditions are changing, and how. That’s where data visualization partners come in. For the Missoula campaign, teams from MITRE, NVIDIA, and Esri joined NASA in the field.

Measurements from both the balloon and the drone platforms were immediately sent to the on-site data teams. The MITRE team, together with NVIDIA, tested high-resolution artificial intelligence meteorological models, while the Esri team created comprehensive visualizations of flight paths, temperatures, and wind speed and direction. These visual representations of the data make conclusions more immediately apparent to non-meteorologists.

What’s Next?

Development of drone capabilities for fire monitoring didn’t begin in Missoula, and it won’t end there.

“This campaign leveraged almost a decade of research, development, engineering, and testing,” said McSwain. “We have built up a UAS flight capability that can now be used across NASA.”

The NASA Alta X and its sensor payload will head to Alabama and Florida in spring 2025, incorporating improvements identified in Montana. There, the team will perform another technology demonstration with wildland fire managers from a different region.

To view more photos from the FireSense campaign visit: https://nasa.gov/firesense

The FireSense project is led by NASA Headquarters in Washington and sits within the Wildland Fires program, with the project office based at NASA Ames. The goal of FireSense is to transition Earth science and technological capabilities to operational wildland fire management agencies, to address challenges in U.S. wildland fire management before, during, and after a fire. 

We’ve been talking about this for 2,000 years. Aristotle mentions it. And in our own time, scientists are designing experiments to figure out exactly what’s going on. But there’s no consensus yet.

Here’s what we do know.

The atmosphere isn’t magnifying the Moon. If anything, atmospheric refraction squashes it a little bit. And the Moon’s not closer to us at the horizon. It’s about 1.5 percent farther away. Also, it isn’t just the Moon. Constellations look huge on the horizon, too.

One popular idea is that this is a variation on the Ponzo illusion. Everything in our experience seems to shrink as it recedes toward the horizon — I mean clouds and planes and cars and ships. But the Moon doesn’t do that. So our minds make up a story to reconcile this inconsistency. Somehow the Moon gets bigger when it’s at the horizon. That’s one popular hypothesis, but there are others. And we’re still waiting for the experiment that will convince everyone that we understand this.

So why does the Moon look larger on the horizon? We don’t really know, but scientists are still trying to figure it out.

[END VIDEO TRANSCRIPT]

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NASA asked artists to imagine the future of deep space exploration in artwork meant to inspire the Artemis Generation. The NASA Moon to Mars Architecture art challenge sought creative images that represent the agency’s bold vision for crewed exploration of the lunar surface and the Red Planet. The agency has selected the recipients of the art challenge competition.  

The challenge, hosted by contractor yet2 through NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program, was open to artists from around the globe. Guidelines asked artists to consider NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture development effort, which uses engineering processes to distil NASA’s Moon to Mars Objectives into the systems needed to accomplish them. NASA received 313 submissions from 22 U.S. states and 47 countries.

The architecture includes four segments of increasing complexity. For this competition, NASA sought artistic representations of the two furthest on the timeline: the Sustained Lunar Evolution segment and the Humans to Mars segment.

• The Sustained Lunar Evolution segment is an open canvas for exploration of the Moon, embracing new ideas, systems, and partners to grow to a long-term presence on the lunar surface. Sustained lunar evolution means more astronauts on the Moon for longer periods of time, increased opportunities for science, and even the large-scale production of goods and services derived from lunar resources. It also means increased cooperation and collaboration with international partners and the aerospace industry to build a robust lunar economy.  

• The Humans to Mars segment will see the first human missions to Mars, building on the lessons we learn from exploring the Moon. These early missions will focus on Martian exploration and establishing the foundation for a sustained Mars presence. NASA architects are examining a wide variety of options for transportation, habitation, power generation, utilization of Martian resources, scientific investigations, and more.

Final judging for the competition took place at NASA’s annual Architecture Concept Review meeting. That review brought together agency leadership from NASA mission directorates, centers, and technical authorities to review the 2024 updates to the Moon to Mars Architecture. NASA selected the winning images below during that review:

Sustained Lunar Evolution Segment Winners

First Place:

Jimmy Catanzaro – Henderson, Nevada

Second Place:

Jean-Luc Sabourin – Ottawa, Canada

Third Place (Tie):

Irene Magi – Prato, Italy

Pavlo Kandyba – Kyiv, Ukraine

Humans to Mars Segment Winners

First Place (Tie):

Antonella Di Cristofaro – Chieti, Italy

Francesco Simone – Gatteo, Italy

Third Place:

Mia Nickell – Suwanee, Georgia

Under 18 Submission Winners

First Place:

Lux Bodell – Minnetonka, Minnesota

Second Place:

Olivia De Grande – Milan, Italy

Third Place:

Sophie Duan – Ponte Vedra, Florida

The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate, managed the challenge. The program supports global public competitions and crowdsourcing as tools to advance NASA research and development and other mission needs.

You would not expect to see NASA at a car show—but that’s exactly where Johnson Space Center employees were from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2025, driving the future of space exploration forward. 

At the Houston AutoBoative Show, a fusion of the auto and boat show, NASA rolled out its Artemis exhibit at NRG Center for the first time, introducing vehicle enthusiasts to the technologies NASA and commercial partners will use to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. 

The Artemis exhibit stood alongside some of the world’s most advanced cars and boats, offering visitors an up-close look at lunar terrain vehicle mockups from Astrolab, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost. Later this year, NASA will select the rover that will fly to the Moon as humanity prepares for the next giant leap. 

In addition to the rovers, the exhibit featured a mockup of JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) pressurized rover, designed as a mobile habitat for astronauts, and Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit, developed for Artemis III astronauts. 

These capabilities will allow astronauts to explore, conduct science research, and live and work on the lunar surface.  

Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche visited the Artemis exhibit to highlight the importance of these technologies in advancing lunar exploration. Every lesson learned on the Moon will help scientists and engineers develop the strategies, technologies, and experience needed to send astronauts to Mars.  

“By bringing the excitement of lunar exploration to the AutoBoative Show, NASA aims to inspire the next generation of explorers to dream bigger, push farther, and help shape humanity’s future in space,” Wyche said.  

NASA’s Artemis campaign is setting the stage for long-term human exploration, working with commercial and international partners to establish a sustained presence on the Moon before progressing to Mars. 

To make this vision a reality, NASA is developing rockets, spacecraft, landing systems, spacesuits, rovers, habitats, and more.  

Some of the key elements on display at the show included:

• The Orion spacecraft – Designed to take astronauts farther into deep space. Orion will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying the crew to the Moon on Artemis missions and safely returning them to Earth.

• Lunar terrain vehicles – Developed to transport astronauts across the rugged lunar surface or be remotely operated. NASA recently put these rover mockups to the test at Johnson, where astronauts and engineers, wearing spacesuits, ran through critical maneuvers, tasks, and emergency drills—including a simulated crew rescue.

• Next-gen spacesuits and tools – Through Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, astronauts’ gear and equipment are designed to ensure safety and efficiency while working on the Moon’s surface.

Guests had the chance to step into the role of an astronaut with interactive experiences like: 

• Driving a lunar rover simulator – Testing their skills at the wheel of a virtual Moon rover. 

• Practicing a simulated Orion docking – Experiencing the precision needed to connect to Gateway in lunar orbit. 

• Exploring Artemis II and III mission roadmaps – Learning about NASA’s upcoming missions and goals. 

Attendees also discovered how American companies are delivering science and technology to the Moon through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. 

“Everyone can relate to exploration, so it was great to teach people the importance lunar rovers will have on astronauts’ abilities to explore more of the lunar surface while conducting science,” said Victoria Ugalde, communications strategist for the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, who coordinated the lunar rovers’ appearance at the show. 

Check out the rovers contracted to develop lunar terrain vehicle capabilities below.

Measuring water loss from space

This study showed that the International Space Station’s ECOSTRESS instrument estimates of evapotranspiration (transfer of water to the atmosphere from Earth’s surface and plants) are comparable to ground-based reference values. This finding suggests space measurements could provide guidance for improved water management on large scales.

Worsening droughts due to climate change require better water management. Evapotranspiration is a critical part of the hydrologic cycle, but data are lacking on local water conditions and demands. California’s Eastern Municipal Water District uses the ground-based California Irrigation Management Information System to track evapotranspiration, but it has limited spatial coverage and consistency. Space-based estimates could be better and more consistent.

Four-legged robotic retrievers

Space station crew members successfully located and retrieved an object in a simulated Mars environment using a remotely controlled four-legged robot, Bert. Legged robots could provide the ability to explore and survey different extraterrestrial surfaces on future missions.

On uneven lunar and planetary surfaces, robots with legs could explore areas inaccessible to wheeled rovers. Surface Avatar, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), evaluated remote control of multiple robots in space, providing information on how human operators respond to physical feedback (such as feeling a bump when a robot arm makes contact) and identifying challenges for orbit-to-ground remote operation of robots. The German Aerospace Center is developing Bert.

Technology supports atmospheric studies

Researchers found that the Compact Thermal Imager (CTI) on the space station produced scientifically useful imagery of atmospheric phenomena, including gravity waves, clouds, and volcanic plumes. This technology could change current practices and instrument design for remote sensing of Earth from space.

The CTI is mounted on hardware for Robotic Refueling Mission 3, which tested technology for the robotic transfer and storage of cryogenic fluids in microgravity. The station’s orbit provides near-global coverage and CTI has reduced size, energy use, and cost. Its images can measure fires, ice sheets, glaciers, and snow surface temperatures on the ground and the transfer of water from soil and plants into the atmosphere.

Dozens of suits have been filed that seek to stop some of President Trump’s executive orders. Here’s a brief rundown.

The order came in response to a lawsuit filed by 19 attorneys general accusing the president of failing to faithfully execute the nation’s laws when he let DOGE comb through federal computer systems.

A coalition of attorneys general are seeking to bypass President Joe Biden's last-minute preemptive pardon of Dr. Anthony Fauci to investigate him on a state level for his role in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The post Republican Attorneys General Seek to Bypass Biden Pardon, Investigate Fauci on State Level appeared first on Breitbart.

Newly-sworn in U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has gotten straight to work on her first day by directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to "pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities," according to a Wednesday report.

The post Report: AG Pam Bondi Orders DOJ to Pause Federal Funding to Sanctuary Cities appeared first on Breitbart.

The department’s current No. 2 official, Emil Bove, escalated his growing conflict with the interim leadership of the F.B.I.

NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley invites media to learn more about Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA), a technology that allows individual spacecraft to make independent decisions while collaborating with each other to achieve common goals – without human input. The DSA team achieved multiple firsts during tests of such swarm technology as part of the agency’s project. 

DSA develops software tools critical for future autonomous, distributed, and intelligent spacecraft that will need to interact with each other to achieve complex mission objectives. Testing onboard the agency’s Starling mission resulted in accomplishments including the first fully distributed autonomous operation of multiple spacecraft, the first use of space-to-space communications to autonomously share status information between multiple spacecraft, and more. 

DSA’s accomplishments mark a significant milestone in advancing autonomous systems that will make new types of science and exploration possible. 

Caleb Adams, DSA project manager, is available for interview on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6. To request an interview, media can contact the Ames Office of Communications by email at arc-dl-newsroom@nasa.gov or by phone at 650-604-4789.  

Learn more about NASA Ames’ world-class research and development in aeronautics, science, and exploration technology at: 

https://www.nasa.gov/ames

-end- 

Tiffany Blake
Ames Research Center, Silicon Valley 
650-604-4789 
tiffany.n.blake@nasa.gov  

To receive local NASA Ames news, email local-reporters-request@lists.arc.nasa.gov with “subscribe” in the subject line. To unsubscribe, email the same address with “unsubscribe” in the subject line.  

For astronauts aboard the International Space Station, staying connected to loved ones and maintaining a sense of normalcy is critical. That is where Tandra Gill Spain, a computer resources senior project manager in NASA’s Avionics and Software Office, comes in. Spain leads the integration of applications on Apple devices and the hardware integration on the Joint Station Local Area Network, which connects the systems from various space agencies on the International Space Station. She also provides technical lead support to the Systems Engineering and Space Operations Computing teams and certifies hardware for use on the orbiting laboratory. 

Spain shares about her career with NASA and more. Read on to learn about her story, her favorite project, and the advice she has for the next generation of explorers. 

Where are you from? 

I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Tell us about your role at NASA. 

I am the Apple subsystem manager where I lead the integration of applications on Apple devices as well as the hardware integration on the Joint Station Local Area Network. We use a variety of different software but I work specifically with our Apple products. I also provide technical lead support to the Systems Engineering and Space Operations Computing teams. In addition, I select and oversee the certification of hardware for use on the International Space Station, and I research commonly used technology and assess applicability to space operations.   

How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be familiar with NASA? 

I get the opportunity to provide the iPads and associated applications that give astronauts the resources to access the internet. Having access to the internet affords them the opportunity to stay as connected as they desire with what is going on back home on Earth (e.g., stream media content, stay in touch with family and friends, and even pay bills). I also provide hardware such as Bluetooth speakers, AirPods, video projectors, and screens. 

How long have you been working for NASA? 

I have been with the agency for 30 years, including 22 years as a contractor. 

What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA? 

I have found that there is a place for just about everyone at NASA, therefore, follow your passion.  Although many of us are, you don’t have to be a scientist or engineer to work at NASA. Yearn to learn.  Pause and listen to those around you. You don’t know what you don’t know, and you will be amazed what gems you’ll learn in the most unexpected situations. 

Additionally, be flexible and find gratitude in every experience. Many of the roles that I’ve had over the years didn’t come from a well-crafted, laid-out plan that I executed, but came from taking advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves and doing them to the best of my ability. 

What was your path to NASA? 

I moved to Houston to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center immediately upon graduating from college. 

Is there someone in the space, aerospace, or science industry that has motivated or inspired you to work for the space program? Or someone you discovered while working for NASA who inspires you?  

I spent over half of my career in the Astronaut Office, and I’ve been influenced in different ways by different people, so it wouldn’t be fair to pick just one! 

What is your favorite NASA memory? 

I’ve worked on so many meaningful projects, but there are two recent projects that stand out.

Humans were not created to be alone, and connection is extremely important. I was able to provide a telehealth platform for astronauts to autonomously video conference with friends and family whenever an internet connection is available. Prior to having this capability, crew were limited to one scheduled video conference a week. It makes me emotional to think that we have moms and dads orbiting the Earth on the space station and they can see their babies before they go to bed, when they wake up in the morning, or even in the middle of the night if needed.  

In addition, since iPads are used for work as well as personal activities on station, it is important for my team to be able to efficiently keep the applications and security patches up to date. We completed the software integration and are in the process of wrapping up the certification of the Mac Mini to provide this capability. This will allow us to keep up with all software updates that Apple releases on a regular basis and minimize the amount of crew and flight controller team time associated with the task by approximately 85%. 

What do you love sharing about station? What’s important to get across to general audiences to help them understand the benefits to life on Earth? 

When I speak to the public about the space station, I like to compare our everyday lives on Earth to life on the station and highlight the use of technology to maintain the connection to those on Earth. For example, most people have a phone. Besides making a phone call, what do you use your phone for? It is amazing to know that the same capabilities exist on station, such as using apps, participating in parent teacher conferences, and more. 

If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be? 

I would have dinner with NASA astronaut Ron McNair. He graduated from the same university as I did, and I’ve heard great stories about him. 

Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you? 

As I mentioned previously, human connection is extremely important. As an engineer in the Astronaut Office, I worked on a project that provided more frequent email updates when Ku-Band communication was available. Previously, email was synced two to three times a day, and less on the weekend. When the capability went active, I sent the first email exchange. 

What are some of the key projects you’ve worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite?  

There have been so many projects over the past 30 years that I don’t think I could select just one. There is something however, that I’ve done on many occasions that has brought me pure joy, which is attending outreach events as Johnson’s “Cosmo” mascot, especially Houston Astros games.    

What are your hobbies/things you enjoy outside of work? 

I enjoy crafting, traveling, mentoring students in Pearland Independent School District, spending time with family, and my Rooted Together community. 

Day launch or night launch?  

Night launch! 

Favorite space movie? 

Star Wars (the original version) 

NASA “worm” or “meatball” logo? 

Meatball 

Every day, we’re conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore further into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It’s a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.  

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.  

Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on Twitter, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  

Publicly released agreements show the vast wealth of President Trump’s cabinet picks and the uncharacteristically large list of potential conflicts of interest with which they enter office.

Two weeks in, the president is quickly moving to eliminate tools of accountability.

The prospect of legal challenges to President Trump’s purges may be a feature, not a bug, for adherents of sweeping presidential authority.

Reducing reliance on resupply missions

Resupply of life support elements such as air, water, food, clothing, and hygiene items will be impractical on missions to the Moon and beyond. This research assessed current use and resupply of these elements on the International Space Station and outlines technologies needed for sustained human presence in space, such as 3D printing maintenance parts, systems for laundering clothes, and improved recovery and recycling of elements.

Researchers analyzed the types and mass of elements supplied from Earth to the station and astronaut feedback from various studies and interviews. The paper also used data from ISS Internal Environments, a wide-ranging investigation that samples various aspects of the space station environment in support of many types of research.

Verifying a technique for analyzing emulsions

This paper presents a review of examining the behavior of emulsions (suspensions of particles in a liquid) in microgravity using a technique called diffusing wave spectroscopy. Results offer insights that could support development of technologies to improve living environments and foods for crew members on future missions.

FSL Soft Matter Dynamics – PASTA studied the dynamics of droplets in emulsions. Accurate study and characterization of the effects of additives on emulsion stability is possible in microgravity. Emulsions have applications in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuels, paints and coatings, chemical processing, and materials.

EEG measurements and predicting cognitive changes in spaceflight

Researchers used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brainwave activity during a relaxed, wakeful state in crew members and found no significant differences before, during, and after flight. These types of measurements could serve as biomarkers of brain health status, helping to predict changes in cognitive performance and the need for prevention and countermeasure strategies during future missions.

Studies have shown that spaceflight can affect key cognitive and motor skills such as task management, attention, and movement speed and accuracy. Neurowellness in Space Ax-1 tested using a portable, easy to use EEG headset to measure ongoing and task-related brain activity in microgravity. The data could help predict and monitor neural changes on future space missions.

The 2024 Annual Highlights of Results from the International Space Station is coming soon. This new edition contains updated bibliometric analyses, a list of all the publications documented in fiscal year 2024, and synopses of the most recent and recognized scientific findings from investigations conducted on the space station. These investigations are sponsored by NASA and all international partners – CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and the State Space Corporation Roscosmos (Roscosmos) – for the advancement of science, technology, and education.

Between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, more than 350 publications were reported. With approximately 40% of the research produced in collaboration between more than two countries and almost 80% of the high-impact studies published in the past seven years, station has continued to generate compelling and influential science above national and global standards since 2010.

The results achieved from station research provide insights that advance the commercialization of space and benefit humankind.

Some of the findings presented in this edition include:

• Improved machine learning algorithms to detect space debris (Italian Space Agency)
• Visuospatial processing before and after spaceflight (CSA)
• Metabolic changes during fasting intervals in astronauts (ESA)
• Vapor bubble production for the improvement of thermal systems (NASA)
• The survival of microorganisms in space (Roscosmos)
• Immobilization of particles for the development of optical materials (JAXA)

The content in the Annual Highlights of Results from the International Space Station has been reviewed and approved by the International Space Station Program Science Forum, a team of scientists and administrators representing NASA and international partners that are dedicated to planning, improving, and communicating the research operated on the space station.

For the Annual Highlights of Results 2023, click here.

The White House defied a law that requires giving Congress 30 days’ notice and detailed reasons before removing the watchdog officials.

Several inspectors general are out of a job after President Donald Trump informed them they were fired on Friday evening.

The post You’re Fired: President Donald Trump Puts 17 Inspectors General Out of a Job appeared first on Breitbart.

Museum of Modern Art Opens Exhibition Featuring NASA Worm

The iconic NASA logotype, commonly known as the worm and designed by Bruce Blackburn and Richard Danne in 1976, made its premiere Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2025 at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York as part of the museum’s new exhibition “Pirouette: Turning Points in Design,” which runs through Oct. 18.

MoMA accessioned the logotype for its permanent collection, as well as the original NASA Graphics Standards Manual published in 1976, also gifted by NASA. The exhibit also includes a letterform sketch of the NASA worm gifted by the Bruce Blackburn Estate.

The “Pirouette: Turning Points in Design” exhibition showcases widely recognized design icons and those known to more niche audiences, highlighting pivotal moments in design history.

Credit: NASA/Bert Ulrich

Attorneys general from 20 states are urging the U.S. Senate to quickly confirm President-elect Donald Trump's nominees for attorney general, secretary of Homeland Security, and FBI director.

The post 20 Attorneys General Call for Swift Senate Confirmations of Noem, Bondi, Patel appeared first on Breitbart.

NASA has selected David Korth as deputy for Johnson Space Center’s Safety and Mission Assurance directorate. Korth previously served as deputy manager of the International Space Station Avionics and Software Office at Johnson Space Center prior to serving as acting deputy for Safety and Mission Assurance.
 
I’m excited to embark on my new role as deputy for Johnson’s Safety and Mission Assurance directorate,” Korth said. “Safety has been a priority for me throughout my NASA career. It is at the forefront of every decision I make.”
 
Korth brings more than 34 years’ experience to NASA human space flight programs. Prior to supporting the space station Avionics and Software Office, Mr. Korth served as deputy manager of the program’s Systems Engineering and Integration Office where he also led the agency Commercial Destination program’s procurement culminating in the selection of Axiom Space.
 
Mr. Korth began his NASA career as an engineer in the space station program’s operations planning group where he helped develop initial operational concepts and planning system requirements for the orbiting laboratory. He converted to civil servant in 1998 and was among the first three individuals to achieve front room certification as a space station ‘OPS PLAN’ front room operator. Korth also served as the lead operations planner for Expedition 1 – the first space station crewed expedition, was awarded two NASA fellowships, served as the operations division technical assistant in the Mission Operations Directorate, and was selected as a flight director in May 2007and served as lead space station flight director for Expeditions 21, 22, and 37, lead flight director for Japanese cargo ship mission HTV3, and lead flight director for US EVAs 22, 23,and 27.

“David did an excellent job supporting Johnson’s many programs and institutional safety needs while serving as acting deputy manager,” said Willie Lyles, director of the Safety and Mission Assurance directorate. “He successfully weighed in on several critical risk-based decisions with the technical authority community. David’s program and flight operations experience is unique and is an asset to this role.” 
 
Throughout his career, Korth has been recognized for outstanding technical achievements and leadership, receiving a Rotary National Award for Space Achievement, a Silver Snoopy award, two Superior Achievement awards, two NASA Outstanding Leadership medals, and a NASA Exceptional Achievement medal.
 
“David is an outstanding leader and engineer who truly understands NASA’s safety environment and protocols,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “His leadership will ensure the center continues its ‘safety first’ ideology. I am extremely pleased to announce his selection for this position.”
 
Mr. Korth earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University, and a master’s degree in statistics from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

NASA has selected Mary Beth Schwartz as director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Center Operations directorate. Schwartz previously served as the directorate’s deputy director.
 
“I’m excited to embark on my new role as director for Johnson’s Center Operations directorate,” Schwartz said. “It is an honor to lead an organization that is foundational to the center’s mission success.”
 
Ms. Schwartz began her NASA career as a NASA intern and has since held a variety of key roles. These include serving as a space shuttle flight controller, chair of the PSRP (Payload Safety Review Panel) for both the International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs, where she led establishment of PSRP franchises with international partners. She also served as the manager of the Safety and Mission Assurance business office, leading efforts in consolidation and budget integration, and as the associate director of Johnson engineering responsible for budget and facility functions.

Throughout her career, Schwartz has been recognized for her contributions to NASA, receiving the NASA Exceptional Service medal, as well as the NASA Honor and Silver Snoopy awards.

“Mary Beth has a unique perspective of Center Operations, not only as a mission and customer-focused organization, but as an organization that is key to employee experience,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “I appreciate her vision for the organization, commitment to the mission, and overall genuine respect of the workforce. I am extremely pleased to announce her selection for this position.”
 
Ms. Schwartz earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston.

Ashley Moody, a Republican, would take the seat of Senator Marco Rubio once he is confirmed as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s secretary of state.

Planets around other stars need to be prepared for extreme weather conditions, according to a new study from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton that examined the effects of X-rays on potential planets around the most common type of stars.

Astronomers found that only a planet with greenhouse gases in its atmosphere like Earth and at a relatively large distance away from the star they studied would have a chance to support life as we know it around a nearby star.  

Wolf 359 is a red dwarf with a mass about a tenth that of the Sun. Red dwarf stars are the most common stars in the universe and live for billions of years, providing ample time for life to develop. At a distance of only 7.8 light-years away, Wolf 359 is also one of the closest stars to the solar system.

“Wolf 359 can help us unlock the secrets around stars and habitability,” said Scott Wolk of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), who led the study. “It’s so close and it belongs to such an important class of stars – it’s a great combination.”

Because red dwarfs are the most prevalent types of stars, astronomers have looked hard to find exoplanets around them. Astronomers have found some evidence for two planets in orbit around Wolf 359 using optical telescopes, but those conclusions have been challenged by other scientists.  

“While we don’t have proof of planets around Wolf 359 yet, it seems very possible that it hosts multiple planets,” Wolk added. “This makes it an excellent test bed to look at what planets would experience around this kind of star.”

Wolk and his colleagues used Chandra and XMM to study the amounts of steady X-rays and extreme ultraviolet (UV) radiation – the most energetic type of UV radiation – that Wolf 359 would unleash on the possible planets around it.

They found that Wolf 359 is producing enough damaging radiation that only a planet with greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in its atmosphere – and located at a relatively large distance from the star – would likely be able to sustain life.

“Just being far enough away from the star’s harmful radiation wouldn’t be enough to make it habitable,” said co-author Vinay Kashyap, also of CfA. “A planet around Wolf 359 would also need to be blanketed in greenhouse gases like Earth is.”

To study the effects of energetic radiation on the habitability of the planet candidates, the team considered the star’s habitable zone – the region around a star where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface. 

The outer limit of the habitable zone for Wolf 359 is about 15% of the distance between Earth and the Sun, because the red dwarf is much less bright than the Sun. Neither of the planet candidates for this system is located in Wolf 359’s habitable zone, with one too close to the star and the other too far out.

“If the inner planet is there, the X-ray and extreme UV radiation it is subjected to would destroy the atmosphere of this planet in only about a million years,” said co-author Ignazio Pillitteri of CfA and the National Institute for Astrophysics in Palermo, Italy.

The team also considered the effects of radiation on as-yet undetected planets within the habitable zone. They concluded that a planet like the Earth in the middle of the habitable zone should be able to sustain an atmosphere for almost two billion years, while one near the outer edge could last indefinitely, helped by the warming effects of greenhouse gases.

Another big danger for planets orbiting stars like Wolf 359 is from X-ray flares, or occasional bright bursts of X-rays, on top of the steady, everyday output from the star. Combining observations made with Chandra and XMM-Newton resulted in the discovery of 18 X-ray flares from Wolf 359 over 3.5 days.

Extrapolating from these observed flares, the team expects that much more powerful and damaging flares would occur over longer periods of time. The combined effects of the steady X-ray and UV radiation and the flares mean that any planet located in the habitable zone is unlikely to have a significant atmosphere long enough for multicellular life, as we know it on Earth, to form and survive. The exception is the habitable zone’s outer edge if the planet has a significant greenhouse effect.

These results were presented at the 245^th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, and are being prepared for publication in a journal. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Learn more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission here:

https://www.nasa.gov/chandra

https://chandra.si.edu

News Media Contact

Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu

Lane Figueroa
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov

Witnesses testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about Pam Bondi in a confirmation hearing for her to become Attorney General of the United States on Thursday, January 16.

The post Watch Live: Day 2 of Pam Bondi Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General appeared first on Breitbart.

Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, will be asked if she can stand up to Donald Trump, who has made it clear that he wants the government’s top lawyer to execute his commands.

The former Florida prosecutor is qualified to be the U.S. attorney general. But will she stand up to Trump when it counts?

If you ask Johnson Space Center employees why they work for NASA, many will tell you it was always their dream. For others, landing a job at NASA was an unexpected stop on their career path. Here is a look at where five Johnson team members worked before NASA and how they are helping to advance the agency’s mission today.

Michelle Wood

Wood worked as an American Sign Language interpreter before joining NASA about seven years ago. Today, she is an Operational Support Officer flight controller and instructor in the Mission Control Center.

***

Warnecke Miller

Miller has been an attorney in Johnson’s Office of the General Counsel for 12 years. Before that, she served as an administrative law judge for Social Security and adjudicated disability cases.

***

Celeste Budwit-Hunter

Budwit-Hunter was a technical writer in the oil and gas industry before earning a master’s degree in family therapy. She went on to work for The Council on Alcohol and Drugs (now The Council on Recovery) and then as a private school counselor for students with learning disabilities. She returned to technical writing while starting a private family therapy practice. After several years of treatment and recovery following a cancer diagnosis, Budwit-Hunter applied to become an editor in the Flight Operations Director’s Procedures Group. She is now the group’s lead editor and is training to become a book manager.

***

Don Walker

Walker worked as a freelancer in television production before joining the Johnson team 38 years ago. Today, Walker is an engineering technician in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, working master control for the center’s television operations.

***

Donna Coyle

Coyle earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations before switching gears to work as an expeditor in the oil and gas industry. That role involved working with cross-functional teams to ensure the smooth and timely delivery of equipment and materials to worksites. After visiting locations and seeing how equipment, piping, and steel were made, she was inspired to go back to school to become an engineer. Coyle’s grandfather worked at NASA during the Apollo missions, and she decided to follow in his footsteps. She joined the Johnson team in 2021 as a crew time engineer, analyzing astronaut time as a resource to help with decision-making before and during expeditions to the International Space Station.

Do you want to join the NASA team? Visit our Careers site to explore open opportunities and find your place with us!

Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a confirmation hearing for her to become the next Attorney General of the United States on Wednesday, January 15.

The post Watch Live: Pam Bondi Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General appeared first on Breitbart.

The UK government's chief legal advisor warns populism is one of the "most profound challenges of our age" and must be confronted.

The post Populism a ‘Profound’ Challenge and ‘Full Panoply of Measures’ Needed to Confront It, Says Leftist UK Attorney General appeared first on Breitbart.

NASA is collaborating with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force to offer a set of hands-on learning engagements that will help higher education institutions, faculty, and students learn more about what it takes to build small satellites and enhance the potential to be selected for flight opportunities. 

Teams selected for the University Nanosatellite Program Mission Concept 2025 Summer Series will receive systems engineering training that prepares them for the industrial workforce while developing small satellite expertise at U.S. universities. The program, which runs from May through August 2025, also enhances students’ potential to be selected for flights to space as part of NASA’s CSLI (CubeSat Launch Initiative) and the U.S. Air Force University Nanosatellite Program. 

“Part of NASA’s mission is to inspire the next generation,” said Liam Cheney, CSLI mission manager at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “The CubeSat Launch Initiative is providing opportunities for students and educators to experiment with technology and send their missions to space.”

The program allows faculty and students to form teams for the summer program without using university resources, and includes travel funding for kickoff, final event, and any in-person reviews, among other benefits. 

All U.S colleges and universities are eligible, and teams at minority-serving institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities are strongly encouraged to apply for the Mission Concepts 2025 Summer Series in accordance with the criteria in the request for proposal. The solicitation opened on Jan. 6, with a deadline to apply by Monday, Feb. 3. 

The agency’s collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force helps broaden access to space and strengthen the capabilities and knowledge of higher education institutions, faculty, and students. 

NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative provides opportunities for CubeSats built by U.S. educational institutions, and non-profit organizations, including informal educational institutions such as museums and science centers to fly on upcoming launches. Through innovative technology partnerships NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware design, development, and build experience.

For more information, visit: Solicitation – UNP