NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

July 18, 2024

Messier 24: Sagittarius Star Cloud

Unlike most entries in Charles Messier's famous catalog of deep sky objects, M24 is not a bright galaxy, star cluster, or nebula. It's a gap in nearby, obscuring interstellar dust clouds that allows a view of the distant stars in the Sagittarius spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy. Direct your gaze through this gap with binoculars or small telescope and you are looking through a window over 300 light-years wide at stars some 10,000 light-years or more from Earth. Sometimes called the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, M24's luminous stars are left of center in this gorgeous starscape. Covering over 6 degrees or the width of 12 full moons in the constellation Sagittarius, the telescopic field of view includes dark markings B92 and B93 near the center of M24, along with other clouds of dust and glowing nebulae toward the center of the Milky Way.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?

NASA scraps its VIPER project that aimed to look for ice on the moon

Thu, Jul 18, 2024, 4:00 AM PDT

NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover or VIPER was going to look for water ice at the moon's south pole.

The agency was hoping that it could help answer important questions, such as where water is on the moon and how much there is for future spacefarers to use.

But now NASA has decided to cancel the project and discontinue the rover's development, citing "cost increases, delays to the launch date and the risks of future cost growth."

The agency has already spent $450 million developing VIPER, according to The New York Times — it's even done assembling the rover and installing its scientific instruments.

That said, it still has to subject the rover to a series of tests to ensure that it can endure a rocket launch and the harsh conditions of outer space. Joel Kearns, NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration, told the publication that the cancelation would save the agency at least $84 million, because it would no longer have to pay for those tests and for the rover's operations.

Kearns added that the agency was also worried about additional expenses if the rover's launch gets delayed.

NASA first announced the VIPER mission back in 2019, with plans to launch it in late 2022.

However, due to supply chain issues during the height of the COVID pandemic, among other problems, its launch was pushed back to late 2024.

More problems forced NASA to move its launch again to September 2025 at the earliest, so additional delays aren't outside the realm of possibility.

NASA has several projects lined up that will help it verify the presence of water ice on the moon.

They just won't be focused on that goal and will most likely need more time to achieve what NASA was hoping VIPER would.

The agency is planning to disassemble the rover and use its instruments and components for future missions.

It will, however, consider proposals from American and international companies that may want to use the rover, as long as it doesn't cost the US government more money.

While the project itself has already been canceled, the flight that was supposed to ferry VIPER to the moon will still push through.

NASA chose Astrobotic to launch the rover and to develop a lander called Griffin to safely get VIPER to its destination.

The mission will fly with a non-functional item simulating the VIPER's mass.

As Kearns explains, a successful demonstration of the Griffin lander would still be valuable for future missions, whether or not it's carrying a real rover.

https://www.engadget.com/nasa-scraps-its-viper-project-that-aimed-to-look-for-ice-on-the-moon-110005343.html

The Marshall Star for July 17, 2024

CONTENTS

NASA Ships Moon Rocket Stage Ahead of First Crewed Artemis Flight

NASA Barge Preparations for Artemis II Rocket Stage Delivery

Michoud Marks Artemis II Milestone with Employee Event Featuring NASA Astronaut Victor Glover

Tawnya Laughinghouse Named Director of Marshall’s Materials and Processes Laboratory

Marshall Engineers Unveil Versatile, Low-cost Hybrid Engine Testbed

NASA Honors 25 Years of Chandra at July National Space Club Breakfast

Take a Summer Cosmic Road Trip with NASA’s Chandra and Webb

https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/marshall/the-marshall-star-for-july-17-2024/

Experience the Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Mission

JUL 17, 2024

Digital content creators are invited to register to attend the launch of the ninth SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket that will carry astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission is targeted for no earlier than mid-August from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The launch will carry NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, commander; Nick Hague, pilot; and Stephanie Wilson, mission specialist; along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, mission specialist.

If your passion is to communicate and engage the world online, then this is the event for you! Seize the opportunity to see and share the #Crew9 mission launch.

A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend this two-day event and will be given access similar to news media.

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

View a crewed launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft

Tour NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center

Meet and interact with Crew-9 subject matter experts

Meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media

Registration for this event opens on Wednesday, July 17, and the deadline to apply is at 10 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 22. All social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

https://www.nasa.gov/general/experience-the-launch-of-nasas-spacex-crew-9-mission/