NASA Seeks Student Missions to Send to Space in 2026, Beyond
Science & Technology

NASA Seeks Student Missions to Send to Space in 2026, Beyond

NASA Space Technology NASA announced a new round of opportunities for CubeSat, developers to build spacecrafts on that will fly on upcoming launches through the agency’s CSLI (CubeSat Launch Initiative). CubeSats are a class of small spacecraft called nanosatellites.The initiative provides space access to U.S. educational institutions, certain non-profit organizations, and informal educational institutions such as museums and science centers, as well as NASA centers focused on workforce development, including the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in southern California. It also encourages participation by minority serving institutions.“Working with CubeSats is a way to get students interested in launching a career in the space industry,” said Jeanie Hall, CSLI program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA reviews applications for CubeSat missions every year and selects projects with an educational component that also can benefit the agency in better understanding education, science, exploration,...
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Disaster Response Coordination System (DRCS) Formally Launches
Science & Technology

Disaster Response Coordination System (DRCS) Formally Launches

NASA Space Technology Elizabeth BlackwellAug 05, 2024The NASA Disasters Response Coordination System (DRCS) formally launched on 6/13/24 during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters with Administrator Nelson as the keynote speaker. The DRCS is a revamped one NASA approach in how the agency responds to natural hazards and disasters domestically and internationally to support partners and stakeholders The DRCS will be organized by the Program Office located at LaRC. MSFC and Earth Science Branch Disasters team will continue to support the DRCS and events that agency respond too by tapping into expertise and subject matter expertise here at MSFC. MSFC was represented at the DRCS launch by Center Response Coordinators Jordan Bell (ST11), Ronan Lucey (ST11/UAH) and Earth Action Associate Disasters Program Manager Lori Schultz (ST11). Additional information about the DRCS launch can be found here:...
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Coming in Hot – NASA’s Chandra Checks Habitability of Exoplanets
Science & Technology

Coming in Hot – NASA’s Chandra Checks Habitability of Exoplanets

NASA Space Technology Elizabeth BlackwellAug 05, 2024This graphic shows a three-dimensional map of stars near the Sun. The blue haloes represent stars observed with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton. Astronomers are using these X-ray data to determine how habitable exoplanets may be based on whether they receive lethal radiation from the stars they orbit. This research will help guide observations with the next generation of telescopes aiming to make the first images of planets like Earth. Researchers used almost 10 days of Chandra observations and 26 days of XMM observations to examine the X-ray behavior of 57 nearby stars, some of them with known planets. Results were presented at the 244th meeting of the American Astronomical Society meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, by Breanna Binder (California State Polytechnic University in Pomona). To view the...
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NASA Finds Mars Rock That Might Reveal Evidence of Ancient Life
Science & Technology

NASA Finds Mars Rock That Might Reveal Evidence of Ancient Life

NASA Space Technology NASA scientists have now discovered a single place on Mars with signs it once hosted all three of life’s main ingredients: liquid water, energy, and organic molecules.On July 21, NASA’s Perseverance rover spotted a strange rock partially buried in a dry riverbed. White streaks hinted water once flowed through the stone, and Perseverance detected organic molecules — the building blocks of life — within. But what really stood out was a smattering of black and white spots along the rock’s surface. On Earth, such “leopard spots” are mainly known to form in two ways: from microbes, or through chemical reactions that can provide fuel for life. Above – Leopard spots on Cheyava Falls A close-up of the Mars rock, nicknamed “Cheyava Falls”, showing its distinctive spots. These “leopard spots” are related to...
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