Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Building on the successful launch and deployment of its first two CubeSat Networked Communications Experiment (CNCE) Block 1 space vehicles last June, the Missile Defense Agency launched two CNCE Block 2 CubeSats May 25, 2022 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Successful communications with both CubeSats was confirmed on May 31, 2022. The new mission is a planned follow-on to the Block 1 suc

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
The delightful view of all five naked-eye planets will greet early risers throughout the month of June. While seeing two or three planets close together (in what's known as a conjunction) is a rather common occurrence, seeing five is somewhat more rare. And what's even more remarkable about this month's lineup is that the planets are arranged in their natural order from the Sun. Throughout

Geneva, Switzerland (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
All was amiss with the Sun! In the early 2000s, a new set of data brought down the chemical abundances at the surface of the Sun, contradicting the values predicted by the standard models used by astrophysicists. Often challenged, these new abundances made it through several new analyses. As they seemed to prove correct, it was thus up to the solar models to adapt, especially since they serve as

Washington DC (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Astronomers may now understand why the similar planets Uranus and Neptune are different colors. Using observations from the Gemini North telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, and the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have developed a single atmospheric model that matches observations of both planets. The model reveals that excess haze on Uranus builds up in the planet's stagnant, sl

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2022
Today in tactical planning I was staffed as Surface Properties Scientist, which means I get to put my geology field experience hat on and work with the rover drivers to assess the terrain we'll cross in our upcoming drive. We'll crest onto a plateau in today's drive, but before we do, we have to finish climbing a small but steep slope. The topography today actually reminds me a little bit

Moffett Field CA (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
Once it arrives at the Moon's South Pole, NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will need to perform one of the trickiest parts of its 100-day mission: driving off the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander and onto the Moon's surface. After another successful round of testing this "egress" activity, VIPER is one step closer to being ready for launch. VIPER has already co

San Francisco CO (SPX) Jun 01, 2022
The Asteroid Institute, a program of B612 Foundation, has announced it is using a groundbreaking computational technique running on its Asteroid Discovery Analysis and Mapping (ADAM) cloud-based astrodynamics platform to discover and track asteroids. The Minor Planet Center has confirmed and added the first 104 of these newly discovered asteroids to its registry, thus opening the door for Astero

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2022
Perseverance has continued into Hawksbill Gap, making remote sensing observations of small portions of outcropping rock layers in search of a good place to collect a sample. Since Perseverance is in the Shenandoah quadrangle, we are using target names from Shenandoah National Park. Some of the names this past week included "Bald_Face_Mountain," "Little_Devil_Stairs," "Sunset_Hill," "Luck_H

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2022
Watching the skies for large asteroids that could pose a hazard to the Earth is a global endeavor. So, to test their operational readiness, the international planetary defense community will sometimes use a real asteroid's close approach as a mock encounter with a "new" potentially hazardous asteroid. The lessons learned could limit, or even prevent, global devastation should the scenario play o

Image: Plato’s cave: vacuum test for exoplanet detection