Tag: NASA

  • NASA’s First Live Twitch Stream from the ISS

    NASA’s First Live Twitch Stream from the ISS

    NASA has been on Twitch since 2019, showcasing events such as the Starliner Crew Flight Test and building a follower count of over 1.3 million. However, they have never done a live broadcast from the International Space Station (ISS) until now. On February 12, 2025, at 5:45 PM CET (11:45 AM EST), NASA will conduct its very first Twitch livestream from the ISS. This was revealed on February 5 on the agency’s official website.

    Engaging a New Audience

    In addition to Twitch, NASA also streams live events on its own service, NASA+. The purpose of the ISS livestream on Twitch is to connect with a younger, more tech-savvy audience and inspire interest in space exploration. This effort is a part of NASA’s larger plan to enhance its digital footprint. Moving forward, the agency intends to provide unique content on the platform more frequently. Brittany Brown, who is the Director of the Digital Communications and Technology Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, expressed her views on the project:

    “This Twitch event from space is just the beginning. We had discussions with digital creators at TwitchCon about what they want from streams made for their communities, and we listened. Besides our spacewalks, launches, and landings, more Twitch-exclusive streams will be offered, like this one. Twitch is one of many digital platforms we utilize to connect with new audiences and ignite their excitement about everything space-related.”

    The Hosts and Content

    The livestream will be hosted by astronaut Don Pettit, who will transmit directly from the ISS. A seasoned veteran of multiple ISS missions, he is famous for his experiments involving liquids in zero gravity. He will be accompanied by NASA astronaut Matt Dominick, who will assist from a studio on Earth. Viewers will have the opportunity to ask questions and discover more about life and research aboard the space station. The stream will also highlight citizen science projects and initiatives focused on STEM funding.

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  • Parker Solar Probe Reaches Record 3.8 Million Miles from Sun

    Parker Solar Probe Reaches Record 3.8 Million Miles from Sun

    NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is getting ready for a close visit to the Sun, coming as near as 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) to its surface on December 24. This mission will take the spacecraft directly into the Sun’s corona, allowing us to explore deeper into the Sun’s atmosphere than ever before.

    Extreme Conditions Ahead

    During this close approach, the probe’s heat shield will be exposed to intense conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 2,500°F (1,371°C). The goal is to understand the origin of the solar wind—a phenomenon first theorized by physicist Eugene Parker in the 1950s and later validated by the Mariner 2 mission in 1962.

    “Simply put, we are looking to discover where the solar wind is born,” stated NASA’s Chief Scientist Nicky Fox, who previously served as the project scientist for the Parker Solar Probe. The solar wind is a constant stream of charged particles that erupts from the Sun’s corona, significantly affecting events like Earth’s auroras and other occurrences across the solar system.

    A Small but Mighty Spacecraft

    The spacecraft is not very large—it weighs under a metric ton and carries roughly 110 pounds (50 kg) of scientific instruments. Nevertheless, it has already set records as the fastest human-made object, racing along at speeds of 430,000 miles per hour, which is more than one-sixth of the speed of light.

    Preparing the probe for this mission proved challenging. Engineers had to devise materials capable of withstanding extreme temperature shifts as the probe transitioned from the scorching corona to the frigid vacuum of space. The Faraday cup, designed to measure solar wind particles, is made from sheets of titanium-zirconium-molybdenum that can endure temperatures as high as 4,260°F (2,349°C). Even the wiring was specially designed, using sapphire crystal tube insulation and niobium conductors to prevent melting.

    A Historical Launch

    Launched in August 2018, the Parker Solar Probe is notable for being the first NASA spacecraft named after a living person—Eugene Parker, who was 91 at the time of the launch. This upcoming close approach on Christmas Eve is the result of years of intellect, advanced technology, and engineering prowess, and it is anticipated to provide fresh insights into solar enigmas that have puzzled scientists for many years.

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  • NASA’s $3M Challenge: Recycling Lunar Trash into Treasure

    NASA’s $3M Challenge: Recycling Lunar Trash into Treasure

    The concept of having humans live permanently on the moon is becoming more realistic. Still, NASA has several hurdles to overcome. Alongside the challenges of energy supply and habitat maintenance, waste management also plays a crucial part.

    Innovative Recycling Solutions

    NASA is on the lookout for creative ideas to recycle inorganic waste effectively. This includes items like food packaging, clothing, and materials from scientific research. The LunaRecycle Challenge is a competition where inventors can compete for a total of 3 million US dollars in prizes.

    Focus on Sustainability

    This contest targets those who can create energy-efficient, lightweight, and sustainable technologies that transform moon waste into valuable products. NASA is open to both hardware and software innovations, so the competition is split into two categories.

    Prizes will be given out in two phases. The first phase will award up to one million US dollars, while the second phase will have two million US dollars available. In each phase, up to eight winners can be recognized, with prize amounts set at 50,000 US dollars for the Digital Twin Track and 75,000 US dollars for the Prototype Build Track.

    Registration Details

    Individuals wanting to enter the NASA competition must register by March 31, 2025, at 4 p.m. (EDT). They can do this through a registration form and must submit all necessary materials.

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  • Hurricane Milton Delays NASA Europa Clipper Launch to October 14

    Hurricane Milton Delays NASA Europa Clipper Launch to October 14

    NASA is nearly ready to launch the eagerly awaited Europa Clipper mission, which was pushed back because of Hurricane Milton. The new launch date is October 14, 2024, at 12:06 p.m. EDT, and it will use a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The mission’s main goal is to investigate Jupiter’s moon, Europa, and its ability to support life by examining if the ocean beneath its thick ice shell might have conditions suitable for living organisms.

    Mission Overview

    The Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft that NASA has designed for planetary exploration. It will embark on an incredible journey of 1.8 billion miles over the course of six years, aiming to reach Jupiter in April 2030. Once it arrives in orbit, the spacecraft will perform 49 flybys of Europa, employing a set of nine sophisticated instruments to collect data about the moon’s icy exterior, subsurface ocean, and any potential signs of organic material.

    Advanced Instruments

    Among the key instruments on board, the MISE (Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa) will focus on analyzing salts, ices, and organic compounds. Meanwhile, the E-THEMIS (Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System) will search for hot spots on the surface where plumes of ocean material could rise. This is just one of many steps to determine if Europa can indeed support life.

    NASA will stream live coverage of the prelaunch briefings and the actual launch on NASA+, starting from October 13. Additionally, the launch will be available in Spanish.

    Scientific Significance

    This mission could reveal vital information about Europa’s environment, especially its immense subsurface ocean, which scientists think holds twice the volume of Earth’s oceans. This ocean, which is concealed under an ice layer that might be up to 15 miles thick, will be examined for potential hydrothermal activity, similar to what is found in Earth’s deep-sea vents. Understanding these factors will not only enhance our knowledge of the moon’s ability to harbor life but will also lay the groundwork for future missions, potentially including landers or probes aimed at directly sampling Europa’s ocean.

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  • NASA Job: New Astronauts $152,000 Salary & Mars Opportunity

    NASA Job: New Astronauts $152,000 Salary & Mars Opportunity

    If you're not a student, chances are you're either employed or on the hunt for a job. Following years of education, completing university, and potentially earning an advanced degree, you might be contemplating what career path would truly bring you fulfillment. For those with a passion for technology, the allure could be found within industry giants like Apple, Microsoft, or the thriving tech hubs in China. However, for individuals with even grander aspirations, an extraordinary opportunity awaits—NASA is in search of potential Mars astronauts! Here's a breakdown of the details…

    NASA's Call for Mars Astronauts and Future Exploration

    NASA has unveiled a thrilling new career prospect for those envisioning themselves as astronauts. On the application portal, the space agency notes, "For over sixty years, NASA astronauts have journeyed into space, maintaining a continuous presence since 2000."

    Moreover, the organization underscores its ambitious forthcoming endeavors: "Presently, NASA's Artemis program is gearing up to land the first woman and the next man on the moon. The Orion spacecraft, perched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, is set to propel humans farther into space than ever before, for missions to the moon and eventually to Mars."

    NASA has also divulged the compensation for astronauts. As per the agency's announcement, space explorers will be entitled to an annual salary of $152,000. While this figure represents a substantial income, for many, the appeal lies not in the monetary aspect but rather in the unique experience the job provides. Nonetheless, if you possess a passion for both, there's every reason to submit an application, provided you fulfill the necessary requirements, naturally.

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  • First Ultra-HD Cat Video Beamed from Space by NASA Utilizing Advanced Laser Technology

    First Ultra-HD Cat Video Beamed from Space by NASA Utilizing Advanced Laser Technology

    NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Transmits Ultra-High Definition Video from Deep Space

    NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched in October, has achieved a groundbreaking feat in space communication. Situated 19 million miles from Earth, the spacecraft successfully transmitted a 15-second ultra-high definition (UHD) video of an orange cat named Taters playfully chasing a laser dot. This marks the first time a UHD streaming video has been sent from deep space to Earth using laser technology.

    A Leap in Space Communication Technology

    The Psyche spacecraft is currently on its way to study a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. While the transmission of the video may seem like a whimsical event, it signifies a significant advancement in space communication technology.

    The video was uploaded to the spacecraft prior to its departure and was then beamed back to Earth on December 11. Utilizing a flight laser transceiver aboard the spacecraft, the transmission reached Earth in a mere 101 seconds. To put this into perspective, at the time of transmission, Psyche was approximately 80 times farther from Earth than the moon. The data transfer rate achieved during this process was an impressive 267 Mbps.

    Efficiency and Speed in Data Transfer

    One of the notable aspects of this achievement is the efficiency and speed of the data transfer. Ryan Rogalin, the receiver electronics lead for the project at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighted that the video was sent back to Earth faster than most broadband internet connections. In fact, the relay of the video from the Palomar Observatory to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory over the internet was slower than the laser signal from deep space.

    This successful demonstration of laser communications from deep space opens up new possibilities for future space missions. It not only provides a faster way to transmit data across vast distances but also emphasizes the potential for more efficient communication in space exploration. As humanity continues to venture further into the cosmos, advancements like these pave the way for more robust and reliable communication systems, which are essential for the success of long-duration space missions.

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