TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
Feb 22, 2024
A View Toward M106
Big, bright, beautiful spiral, Messier 106 dominates this cosmic vista. The nearly two degree wide telescopic field of view looks toward the well-trained constellation Canes Venatici, near the handle of the Big Dipper. Also known as NGC 4258, M106 is about 80,000 light-years across and 23.5 million light-years away, the largest member of the Canes II galaxy group. For a far far away galaxy, the distance to M106 is well-known in part because it can be directly measured by tracking this galaxy's remarkable maser, or microwave laser emission. Very rare but naturally occurring, the maser emission is produced by water molecules in molecular clouds orbiting its active galactic nucleus. Another prominent spiral galaxy on the scene, viewed nearly edge-on, is NGC 4217 below and right of M106. The distance to NGC 4217 is much less well-known, estimated to be about 60 million light-years, but the bright spiky stars are in the foreground, well inside our own Milky Way galaxy.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
Intuitive Machines, NASA Science Progress Toward Moon Landing
February 21, 2024 5:08 pm
Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander has completed lunar orbit insertion successfully and is currently orbiting the Moon. Odysseus continues to be in excellent health and is approximately 60 miles (92km) from the Moon.
The spacecraft will orbit the Moon for approximately one day before beginning its descent toward the lunar surface. The landing opportunity is targeted for Thursday, Feb. 22, at 5:30 p.m. EST.
All powered NASA science instruments on board have completed their transit checkouts, received data, and are operating as expected, including: LN-1 (Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator), NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing), RFMG (Radio Frequency Mass Gauge), ROLSES (Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the Photoelectron Sheath), SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies). Since the LRA (Laser Retroreflector Array) instrument is a passive experiment designed for the lunar surface, it cannot conduct any operations in transit.
LN-1 has made three successful passes with NASA’s Deep Space Network, establishing real-time communications with ground stations on Earth. Upon lunar touchdown, the LN-1 team will conduct a full systems checkout and begin continuous operations within 24 hours of landing. NASA’s Deep Space Network will receive its transmissions, capturing telemetry, Doppler tracking, and other data and relaying it back to Earth.
A SCALPSS checkout was completed during transit, confirming the cameras are operating as expected and the instrument is in good health. Using four tiny cameras, SCALPSS will collect imagery of how the surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume as the lander descends toward the Moon.
RFMG continues to gauge the cryogenic propellants on Odysseus throughout the mission, including propellant loading, transit, lunar orbit insertion burn, and low lunar orbit. Data collection and analysis will continue through landing on the Moon and could provide insights on how to measure fuel in microgravity.
NDL and ROLSES have been operated, and flight controllers will continue to monitor the instruments and collect data to inform preparations for landing.
Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission is the company’s first mission through the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which aims to gain new insights into the lunar environment and expand the lunar economy to support future crewed missions under NASA’s Artemis campaign.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2024/02/21/intuitive-machines-nasa-science-progress-toward-moon-landing/
Intuitive Machines-1 Lunar Landing
Live Coverage of Intuitive Machines-1 lunar landing. Landing scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/intuitive-machines-1-lunar-landing/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg2ffigGcYM
Sun Releases Two Strong Flares
Feb 22, 2024
The Sun emitted two strong solar flares, the first one peaking at 6:07 p.m. EST on Feb. 21, 2024, and the second peaking at 1:32 a.m. EST on Feb. 22, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.
The first flare is classified as an X1.8 flare. The second flare is classified as an X1.7 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.
To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/solarcycle25/2024/02/22/sun-releases-two-strong-flares/
The Marshall Star for February 21, 2024
FEB 21, 2024
CONTENTS
Marshall Center Director Holds First Media Event
Pelfrey Hosts First 2024 All-Hands at Marshall
Black History Month Profile: Evolving with Leslie Smith
Deputy Director of NASA Safety Center Speaker for Feb. 22 Mission Success Forum
NASA Science Aboard Intuitive Machines Continues Journey to Moon, Landing Coverage set for Feb. 22
Rocket Propellant Tanks for NASA’s Artemis III Mission Take Shape
Artemis II Mission Manager: Matthew Ramsey
Teams Add Iconic NASA ‘Worm’ Logo to Artemis II Rocket, Spacecraft
Chandra: Black Hole Fashions Stellar Beads on A String
New Horizons Detects Dusty Hints of Extended Kuiper Belt
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/marshall/the-marshall-star-for-february-21-2024/
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/university-teams-to-explore-aero-research/
NASA Selects University Teams to Explore Innovative Aeronautical Research
FEB 21, 2024
NASA has selected another five university teams to participate in real-world aviation research challenges that could help transform flight in the skies above our communities.
Research topics range from safeguarding automated aircraft from cyberattacks to finding ways to help aircraft operations across the nation more quickly recover from delays due to major storms or technical problems.
“The idea is to give students, faculty and their partners the chance to conduct research – both physical and digital – that helps us realize our vision for 21st century aviation that is sustainable and offers more diverse air travel options,” said Koushik Datta, University Innovation project manager for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.
The University Innovation project includes two efforts through which universities are invited to submit research proposals and from which teams are then selected: the University Leadership Initiative (ULI) and the University Student Research Challenge (USRC).
A key ULI goal is for faculty-led student teams to gain experience by participating in aeronautics research on a multidisciplinary team made up of partners from other universities and industry, including faculty and student populations who are underrepresented or have not applied their skills to aviation problems.
Meanwhile, in addition to conducting technical research, student-led USRC teams help them develop skills in entrepreneurship and public communication. Each team of students selected receives a USRC grant from NASA – and the additional challenge of raising funds from the public through student-led crowdfunding.
ULI makes selections once a year, while USRC manages multiple selection cycles each year, with proposals for the next selection cycle due by 5 p.m. EDT on March 21. Visit the NASA Aeronautics Solicitations page for more information.
For ULI, three teams were selected resulting in a total of $18 million in awards during the next three years. For each team, the proposing university will serve as lead. The new ULI selections are:
1/2
University of California, Berkeley
The team will test ideas for improving the ability of the National Airspace System to become more resilient to reduce the disruptive impact major storms, facility outages, and other technical issues can have on airline flight operations. Team members include University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Morgan State University, University of Pennsylvania, Elizabeth City State University, United Airlines, Patty Clark Aviation Advisors, ATAC Corporation, Mead and Hunt, American Airlines, Vaughan College of Aeronautics and Technology, The Federal Aviation Administration, Lansing Community College, Community College of Philadelphia, and City College of San Francisco.
Ohio University
The team will seek to solve technical challenges associated with the ability of large drones to safely taxi, take off, and land at airports using automated navigation systems. Team members include Illinois Institute of Technology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Tufts University, Stanford University, Veth Research Associates LLC, Reliable Robotics Corporation, Boeing, and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
The George Washington University
The team will investigate measures that can be taken to safeguard autonomous aircraft flying in high-density urban airspace from cyberattacks that could disrupt safe operations. Team members include Vanderbilt University, Purdue University, Tennessee State University, University of California, Irvine, The University of Texas at Austin, Collins Aerospace, Northern Virginia Community College, Cyber Security and Privacy Research Institute at The George Washington University, Skygrid (a Boeing Company), and the Secure Resilient Systems and Technology Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
For USRC, NASA selected two new university student teams to participate in this cycle with a USRC grant that can be up to $80,000. The new USRC selections are:
Cornell University
The team’s project is titled “Learning Cooperative Policies for Adaptive Human-Drone Teaming in Shared Airspace” and will work to enable new coordination and communication models for smoother, more efficient and robust air traffic flow. The student team members are: Mehrnaz Sabet (lead), Aaron Babu, Marcus Lee, Joshua Park, Francis Pham, Owen Sorber, Roopak Srinivasan, and Austin Zhao. Faculty mentors are Sanjiban Choudhury and Susan Fussell.
University of Washington, Seattle
The team’s project is titled “Investigation on Cryogenic Fluid Chill-Down Time for Supersonic Transport Usage” and will investigate using vortex generators to reduce the boil-off of cryogenic fluids in pipes. Student team members are Ryan Fidelis (lead), Alexander Ala, and Robert Breidenthal. The faculty mentor is Fiona Spencer.
2/2
Former U.S. Space Force chief Jay Raymond joins board of directors of Impulse Space
February 21, 2024
Impulse Space, a startup focused on space transportation and exploration, announced Feb. 21 that retired Space Force general John “Jay” Raymond has joined its board of directors.
Based in Redondo Beach, California, Impulse Space was founded in 2021 by Tom Mueller, a founding member of SpaceX who helped design the Merlin rocket engine that powers the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles.
Impulse Space develops orbital maneuvering vehicles for last-mile payload delivery in low Earth orbit and beyond.
Raymond was the Space Force’s first chief of space operations from 2019 to 2022. His appointment “comes amid a period of strong momentum for Impulse in the government sector,” the company said in a news release.
Impulse Space recently won two Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) contracts under the SpaceWERX Tactically Responsive Space challenge. About 232 companies submitted 302 proposals for this project. Impulse Space was one of 19 awardees.
As a board member, Raymond will “support and advise the Impulse team in its work with government partners and customers,” the company said.
Raymond in a statement described Impulse Space as “an innovative company led by our nation’s leading propulsion experts, focused on responsive space mobility.”
Impulse Space in November launched Mira, a small transfer vehicle flying a mission called LEO Express-1, which successfully deployed a cubesat. The company earlier this year unveiled a new larger vehicle called Helios, designed to serve as a transfer stage for transporting satellites from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit in less than a day.
“With the two awards from SpaceWERX and the guidance from General Raymond, Impulse can help bring the government closer to its goal of unlocking a more responsive space profile,” said Mueller.
One of the SBIR contracts is to demonstrate rapid refueling operations with the Mira vehicle. The other focuses on the development of the Helios engine to enable access to high-energy orbits beyond LEO.
“We believe that enabling tactical responsiveness in space — especially in orbits like MEO [medium Earth orbit] and GEO [geostationary Earth orbit] — is the next major frontier for our national space program, which is why we’re thrilled to have General Raymond join our board,” Mueller said.
After retiring from active duty in October 2022, Raymond joined the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management as senior managing director. He oversees supply chain and strategic opportunities, and provides strategic guidance on investments in the space domain. Cerberus is said to be among the potential buyers interested in acquiring the Boeing-Lockheed joint venture United Launch Alliance.
https://spacenews.com/former-u-s-space-force-chief-jay-raymond-joins-board-of-directors-of-impulse-space/
Hughes’ networking software selected for Air Force satellite internet experiment
February 21, 2024
Hughes Network Systems announced Feb. 21 it will supply modems and other ground-based technology to SES Space & Defense for a military experiment aimed at establishing a multi-vendor mobile communications network.
SES is planning a demonstration under the U.S. Air Force’s DEUCSI (Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet) program,
SES and Hughes will attempt to establish a hybrid network supported by the SES-15 and SES-17 geostationary satellites, SES’ O3b medium orbit satellites, and SpaceX’s Starlink low Earth orbit satellites.
Mobile network tests in this demonstration will include ground- and air platforms.
Multiple experiments funded by DEUCSI
This experiment is one of several ongoing initiatives under the DEUCSI program. The Air Force Research Laboratory started the project in 2017 to explore the potential of using commercial satellite internet constellations to provide connectivity for military platforms.
Hughes’ network management software for the experiment is based on technology developed under the Air Force’s Enterprise Management and Control (EM&C) program. The military intends to use EM&C software to enable users to switch networks if the system they’re on gets disrupted by electronic jamming or cyber attacks.
Hughes’ modems and network orchestration software “will enable resilient broadband connectivity using both Ku- and Ka-band GEO, MEO and LEO satellite constellations for various communications on-the-move test scenarios,” said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes Defense and Government Systems Division.
“Whether users need connectivity on the ground or in the air, resilient communications must be available using the frequency band and satellite system that is most effective for the application and location,” Lober said.
https://spacenews.com/hughes-networking-software-selected-for-air-force-satellite-internet-experiment/
Boston Pilot Reports Seeing UFO ‘In a Blink’ On Flight to Pennsylvania
February 21, 2024
It seems that with every passing year, UFO sightings are heating up.
Just a few days ago on an American Airlines flight from Logan Airport in Boston to Pennsylvania, a pilot asked his fellow pilots in the air whether or not they saw what he saw. It wasn't the first time this has happened, either, as another sighting in 2023 also made headlines.
Now, to be fair, we can't be 100% sure of the validity of the audio, but it does come from a valid page for pilot transmissions.
"You're going to think I'm crazy, but there's something that just went from right to left to right in a blink and then flashed his lights three or four times and then vanished," the American Airlines pilot said in the clip, shared on Instagram. He described the UFO as "orangey" with flashing lights. In other words, unlike a plane.
His colleague in another plane offered a level-headed explanation of having spotted another plane in the air that had just crossed over and suggested that might be what the original pilot was seeing.
"This thing went 180 degrees in less than a second," declared the American Airlines pilot.
The other pilot, stunned, said to let him know if he saw anything again and they'd file a report.
"It's flashed us like three or four times since we last spoke, and we're looking at it now," the pilot responded.
Well, alrighty.
It's hard to know what this pilot was seeing, but it's also hard not to be shaken when we hear the shock and awe in the voices of those pilots. There is probably very little that they haven't witnessed while in the air. So, what they were seeing was extraordinary
Interestingly enough, for some reason, this story has not received widespread coverage.
https://fun107.com/boston-ufo-sighting-pilot-aliens/
Over 100 alien-looking species discovered in underwater mountains
Feb 22, 2024
More than 100 new species of alien-looking marine life have been discovered living amid huge underwater mountains off the coast of Chile.
An international team of scientists visited previously unexplored seamounts - towering at up to 3,530 meters - and found dozens of never-before-seen species.
Experts impressively mapped more than 52,777 square kilometers of the seafloor at depths of up to 4,500 meters, identifying deep-sea corals, sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, squat lobsters and other species they believe to be new to science.
The research team, led by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI), used a remote-controlled underwater robot to explore the marine life at the looming seamounts.
On their ambitious expedition, the team explored the Nazca and Salas y Gómez Ridge, located both inside and outside of Chile's jurisdiction, to collect data that could be used to support the designation of an international high-seas marine protected area.
Countless companies are pining to mine mountain ranges across our planet's oceans for their natural minerals, such as cobalt, they harbor.
However, previous tests have already shown how this mining would desecrate the lively communities of mostly undiscovered marine life the seamounts play host to.
The Salas y Gómez Ridge is a 2,900-kilometre-long underwater mountain chain comprised of more than 200 seamounts that stretch from off the coastline of Chile to the southeastern Pacific Ocean island of Rapa Nui - better known as Easter Island.
The majority of the underwater mountain ridge exists outside any nation's jurisdiction.
The researchers also explored two of Chile’s protected marine areas: the Juan Fernandez and Nazca-Desventuradas marine parks.
During their expedition, the scientists used the underwater robot SuBastian, which is capable of descending to depths of up to 4,500 meters - 14.5 times the height of the London landmark The Shard - to collect data from ten seamounts.
All ten of the seamounts are to be used to advance Chile’s marine protection efforts.
https://www.hazard-herald.com/news/national/over-100-alien-looking-species-discovered-in-underwater-mountains/article_1781e25c-79d0-5420-bbb2-0399f6cac01a.html