Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Meet the crew launching on Boeing's 1st Starliner astronaut flight

Meet the astronauts launching on Boeing's 1st Starliner | Space Quiz! What percentage of stars are thought to be part of a binary system, or more? | Hubble Space Telescope pauses science for gyroscope issue

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April 30, 2024

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The Launchpad

Meet the astronauts launching on Boeing's 1st Starliner

(NASA/JSC)

Two NASA astronauts will soon make history as the first to launch into space aboard a Boeing spaceship. Commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 6, representing the first Crew Flight Test, or CFT, of Boeing's Starliner capsule.

Full Story: Space (4/29)

Space Quiz! What percentage of stars are thought to be part of a binary system, or more?

Learn the answer here!

20%

65%

85%

Hubble Space Telescope pauses science for gyroscope issue

(NASA)

The space telescope, which has been delivering stunning views of the cosmos since its launch in 1990, was placed into safe mode on Tuesday (April 23) while it awaits further instructions from the ground. NASA reported that, despite the misfiring gyro, Hubble's instruments are stable and that the telescope is, overall, in good health.

Full Story: Space (4/29)

Skywatching

Horsehead Nebula rears its head in new JWST images

(ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS))

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured incredibly sharp images of the Horsehead Nebula, one of the most iconic celestial bodies in the sky over Earth. The new images show the Horsehead Nebula as turbulent waves of gas rising from the western side of Orion B, a star-forming molecular cloud located 1,300 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Orion.

Full Story: Space (4/29)

Spaceflight

Boeing Starliner astronauts conduct dress rehearsal

(Mike Fincke/NASA)

NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams finished a big dress rehearsal on Friday (April 26) for their mission aboard Boeing Starliner, known as Crew Flight Test (CFT). Training continues for their scheduled May 6 liftoff to the International Space Station. With backup astronaut Mike Fincke nearby, the duo did a simulated launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) near Orlando, Florida. This included donning spacesuits, driving in a new Airstream Astrovan II to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, and climbing into their spacecraft.

Full Story: Space (4/29)

Science & Astronomy

Stars from the same cloud aren't identical twins. Here's why.

(NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva (Spaceengine)/M. Zamani)

Oddly enough, binary stars born from the same parental cloud of collapsing gas and dust aren't always identical twins. It's possible they even possess different kinds of orbiting planets. But, why would that be? Well, astronomers may finally have an answer.

Full Story: Space (4/29)

SpaceX

Starship could help start-up beam clean energy from space

(Victus Solis)

SpaceX's Starship will be a game changer for space-based solar power generation and will make orbiting power plants not only affordable, but cheaper than many other methods of generating electricity on Earth, according to Michigan-based start-up Virtus Solis.

Full Story: Space (4/30)

Technology

NASA's Viper moon rover gets its 'neck' and 'head'

(NASA/Daniel Rutter)

The rover's design will aid the team of scientists controlling it as they face the challenges of the lunar surface. For instance, VIPER will need to navigate around big rocks, dip in and out of craters and meander through dead zones where communication could temporarily cease for extended periods of time. On board VIPER will be dual stereo navigation cameras, low- and high-gain antennas to connect with Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas on Earth, and a set of headlights - the first to ever sit on a planetary rover.

Full Story: Space (4/29)

Search for Life

Ice moon mission will contain a message between worlds

(NASA/JPL-Caltech)

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft, headed to Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa in October 2024, will carry a laser-etched message that celebrates humanity's connection to water. The message pays homage to past NASA missions that carried similar messages.

Full Story: Space (4/28)

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JPL News - Day in Review

Missions __ News __ Galleries __ Events

Mars

NASA Scientists Gear Up for Solar Storms at Mars

The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on the Red Planet. Read More

Stars and Galaxies

Webb Captures Top of Iconic Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Detail

The mid-infrared instrument (MIRI), managed through launch by NASA-JPL, helped reveal for the first time the small-scale structures of the nebula's edge. Read More

Climate Change

Launch Date Set for NASA's PREFIRE Mission to Study Polar Energy Loss

Data from the mission will improve our understanding of how the Arctic and Antarctic help to regulate Earth's climate, the mechanisms of polar ice loss, and related issues of sea level rise and sea ice loss. Read More

FEATURED IMAGE

Voyager 1 to Madrid

In a historic first, all six radio frequency antennas at the Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex carried out a test to receive data from Voyager 1 at the same time.

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