\n<\/p>\n
By Jessica Barnett<\/em><\/p>\n Sixteen individuals and groups from across NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center were recognized June 27 for going above and beyond in their support of the human space program.<\/p>\n Marshall Deputy Director Rae Ann Meyer presented the awards during a special Space Flight Awareness ceremony in Activities Building 4316.<\/p>\n \u201cI am honored to be part of Marshall\u2019s talented and dedicated workforce, with all we accomplish,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cCelebrating your commitment to keeping our astronauts and our missions safe through your daily work is a true joy. Your ability to innovate, lead, and manage successful teams is inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n Of the 16 awards presented, nine were awarded to SFA Trailblazers. These individuals, each in the early stages of their career, demonstrate a strong work ethic and creative, innovative thinking in support of human spaceflight.<\/p>\n Two Marshall team members received the SFA Management Award, which aims to recognize mid-level managers who consistently demonstrate loyalty, empowerment, accountability, diversity, excellence, respect, sharing, honesty, integrity, and proactivity.<\/p>\n In addition, five teams received the SFA Teams Award in recognition of their exemplary teamwork while accomplishing a particular task or goal in support of the human space program.<\/p>\n The full list of winners is below:<\/p>\n Trailblazers<\/strong><\/p>\n Management<\/strong><\/p>\n Teams<\/strong><\/p>\n The SFA Trailblazer, Management, and Team awards are three of eight awards presented annually by Space Flight Awareness. Additional information, including eligibility criteria, can be found here.<\/p>\n Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n By Wayne Smith<\/em><\/p>\n The Hot Gas Facility at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center can really take the heat \u2013 up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit \u2013 creating a test environment geared for making human space exploration safer.<\/p>\n Mitigating human risk and returning Artemis II astronauts safely to Earth is paramount as NASA prepares for its first crewed mission aboard the Space Launch System to the Moon in more than 50 years. Engineers use the Marshall facility to simulate launch conditions for testing SLS hardware, the TPS (thermal protection system), and other materials in a Mach 4 environment \u2013 four times the speed of sound.<\/p>\n \u201cAt NASA, we live on the idea of \u2018test like you fly,\u2019\u201d said Malik Thompson, Commercial Crew TPS subsystem manager. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to replicate the entirety of space and the environment that gets you there. It\u2019s a unique capability \u2013 and the only one in the entire world.\u201d<\/p>\n The current Hot Gas Facility has been in service for 37-plus years and has completed more than 27,000 hot firings. It was built to develop, characterize, and qualify TPS materials for flight vehicles, but has proven to be invaluable for addressing in-flight anomalies and performing material and instrumentation studies. It has qualified materials for NASA crewed and uncrewed flight vehicles, as well as for Department of Defense and commercial vehicles.\u00a0<\/p>\n During tests, combustion products are expanded from the combustion chamber through a two-dimensional nozzle into a 16\u00d716 inch test section. A Mach 4 flow environment is induced, along with heating rates up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It can induce convective and radiant heating simultaneously to accurately simulate flight conditions during ascent. The facility has 512 channels of instrumentation to support a variety of engineering measurements and test scenarios.<\/p>\n The facility\u2019s flexibility, and its innovative and experienced crew members, means NASA can accomplish testing more quickly and at considerably less cost when compared to large national test facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cConditions and configurations can be adjusted during a test program to address issues as they arise,\u201d said Greg Vinyard, a Marshall engineer who has worked 38 years at the facility. \u201cThis flexibility is valuable for small and large-scale research and development programs. The experienced crew adds to the unique capability, working with customers to provide innovative methods to address the requirements of a test program and maximize the results of the testing.\u201d<\/p>\n The facility served as the benchmark for the recession characteristics of space shuttle TPS materials and historically has been \u201cthe acid test\u201d \u2013 if a material survives the Hot Gas Facility environments, the material will survive flight environments.<\/p>\n \u201cFreeing a launch vehicle from the surface of Earth is a huge part of space travel, and you need a lot of acceleration speed to escape gravity,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cIt\u2019s something you can\u2019t replicate very easily, but the Hot Gas Facility is so much more than a wind tunnel. The high temperature aspect of testing is very important, and the ability to adjust to fit various launch environments.\u201d<\/p>\n The facility\u2019s legacy stretches from the Space Shuttle Program to the International Space Station and now Artemis. Artemis II will carry a crew of four around the Moon to confirm systems operate as designed in the deep space environment. The mission will pave the way to way for lunar surface missions, establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities, and inspire the next generation of explorers.<\/p>\n The Hot Gas Facility validates critical safety measures for the mission, with testing primarily focused on TPS, spray-on foam insulation, and other materials protecting the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the Orion spacecraft.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are crewed missions,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cMitigating and understanding risks as much as possible is part of the job. Getting these materials in these environments to make sure they are capable of withstanding and still performing is important.\u201d<\/p>\n A prime example of the facility\u2019s capability was 2022 testing for the Human Exploration Development and Operations Office for the Commercial Crew Program. A joint test series with SpaceX, proposed by Thompson, was a seven-month campaign with launch vehicles that would carry astronauts to and from the space station, with 185 test runs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe <\/strong>set up a test campaign that would allow us to find a way to test components and materials for multiple flights and have a safe vehicle for a crewed flight,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n Hot Gas Facility, where their motto is \u201chow hot and how long,\u201d has operated at Marshall since 1971, evolving over the years to incorporate lessons learned from previous designs. \u201cTesting here focuses on improving TPS design to make it safer for astronauts,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cAstronauts do the hard work in space. The testing we do on the ground informs the decisions we make to get them there safely. Capabilities like those we have at the Hot Gas Facility are our primary tool for preparing for the unknown.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n NASA\u2019s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum brought 12 university teams from across the United States to Huntsville, near the agency\u2019s\u00a0Marshall Space Flight Center, to showcase their innovative concepts for addressing the complex issue of managing lunar dust. The 12 finalists, selected in March 2024, presented their final presentations to a panel of NASA and industry experts from NASA\u2019s Human Landing Systems Program at the HuLC Forum in Huntsville June 25-27.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s lunar exploration campaign Artemis is working to send the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut to the Moon and establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities. Dust mitigation during landing is one of the key challenges NASA and its Artemis partners will have to address in exploring the lunar South Pole region and establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon. Participants in the 2024 Human Lander Challenge developed\u00a0proposed\u00a0systems-level solutions that could be potentially implemented within the next 3-5 years to manage or prevent clouds of dust \u2013 called lunar plume surface interaction \u2013 that form as a spacecraft touches down on the Moon.<\/p>\n NASA announced the University of Michigan team, with their project titled, \u201cARC-LIGHT: Algorithm for Robust Characterization of Lunar Surface Imaging for Ground Hazards and Trajectory\u201d as the selected overall winner and recipient of a $10,000 award June 27.<\/p>\n The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign took second place and a $5,000 award with their project,\u00a0\u201c<\/em>HINDER: Holistic Integration of Navigational Dynamics for Erosion Reduction,\u201d followed by University of Colorado Boulder for their project, \u201cLunar Surface Assessment Tool (LSAT): A Simulation of Lunar Dust Dynamics for Risk Analysis,\u201d and a $3,000 award.<\/p>\n \u201cManaging and reducing the threat of lunar dust is a formidable challenge to NASA and we are committed to real solutions for our long long-term presence on the Moon\u2019s surface,\u201d said Don Krupp, associate program manager for the HLS Program at Marshall. \u201cA key part of NASA\u2019s mission is to build the next generation of explorers and expand our partnerships across commercial industry and the academic community to advance HLS technologies, concepts, and approaches. The Human Lander Challenge is a great example of our unique partnership with the academic community as they help provide innovative and real solutions to the unique risks and challenges of returning to the Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n Two teams received the excellence in systems engineering award:<\/p>\n \u201cThe caliber of solutions presented by the finalist teams to address the challenges of lunar-plume surface interaction is truly commendable,\u201d said Esther Lee, HuLC judging panel chair and aerospace engineer at NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center. \u201cWitnessing the development of these concepts is an exciting glimpse into the promising future of aerospace leadership. It\u2019s inspiring to see so many brilliant minds coming together to solve the challenges of lunar landings and exploration. We may all come from different educational backgrounds, but our shared passion for space unites us.\u201d<\/p>\n Student and faculty advisor participants had the opportunity to network and interact with NASA and industry subject matter experts who are actively working on NASA\u2019s Human Landing System capabilities giving participants a unique insight to careers and operations that further the Agency\u2019s mission of human space exploration.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by\u00a0Human Landing System Program\u00a0and managed by the\u00a0National Institute of Aerospace.\u00a0<\/p>\n Learn more about NASA Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n As a child learning about basic engineering, you probably tried and failed to join a square-shaped toy with a circular-shaped toy: you needed a third shape to act as an adapter and connect them both together. On a much larger scale, integration of NASA\u2019s powerful\u00a0SLS (Space Launch System) rocket\u00a0and the Orion spacecraft for the agency\u2019s Artemis campaign would not be possible without the adapters being built, tested, and refined at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n Marshall is currently home to six adapters designed to connect SLS\u2019s upper stages with the core stages and propulsion systems for future Artemis flights to the Moon.<\/p>\n The first three Artemis flights use the SLS Block 1 rocket variant, which can send more than 27 metric tons (59,500 pounds) to the Moon in a single launch with the assistance of the interim cryogenic propulsion stage. The propulsion stage is sandwiched between two adapters: the launch vehicle stage adapter and the Orion stage adapter.<\/p>\n The cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter provides structural strength and protects the rocket\u2019s flight computers and other delicate systems from acoustic, thermal, and vibration effects.<\/p>\n \u201cThe inside of the launch vehicle stage adapter for the SLS rocket uses orthogrid machining \u2013 also known as waffle pattern machining,\u201d said Keith Higginbotham, launch vehicle stage adapter hardware manager supporting the SLS Spacecraft\/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at Marshall. \u201cThe aluminum alloy plus the grid pattern is lightweight but also very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n The launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis II is at Marshall and ready for shipment to NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, while engineering teams are completing outfitting and integration work on the\u00a0launch vehicle stage adapter for Artemis III. These cone-shaped adapters differ from their Artemis I counterpart, featuring additional avionics protection for crew safety.<\/p>\n Just a few buildings over, the\u00a0Orion stage adapter for Artemis II, with its unique docking target that mimics the target on the interim cryogenic propulsion stage to test Orion\u2019s handling during the\u00a0piloting demonstration test, is in final outfitting prior to shipment to Kennedy for launch preparations. The five-foot-tall, ring-shaped adapter is small but mighty: in addition to having space to accommodate small secondary payloads, it contains a diaphragm that acts as a barrier to prevent gases generated during launch from entering Orion.<\/p>\n The Artemis III Orion stage adapter\u2019s major structure is complete and its avionics unit and diaphragm will be installed later this year. \u00a0<\/p>\n Beginning with Artemis IV, a new configuration of SLS, the\u00a0SLS Block 1B, will use the new, more powerful exploration upper stage to enable more ambitious missions to deep space. The new stage requires new adapters.<\/p>\n The cone-shaped payload adapter \u2013 containing two aluminum rings and eight composite panels made from a graphite epoxy material \u2013 will be housed inside the universal stage adapter atop the rocket\u2019s exploration upper stage.<\/p>\n The\u00a0payload adapter\u00a0test article is being twisted, shaken, and placed under extreme pressure to check its structural strength as part of testing at Marshall. Engineers are making minor changes to the design of the flight article, such as the removal of certain vent holes, based on the latest analyses.<\/p>\n The sixth adapter at Marshall is a development test article of the\u00a0universal stage adapter, which will be the largest composite structure from human spaceflight missions ever flown at 27.5 feet in diameter and 32 feet long. It is currently undergoing modal and structural testing to ensure it is light, strong, and ready to connect SLS Block 1B\u2019s exploration upper stage to Orion.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery pound of structure is equal to a pound of payload,\u201d says Tom Krivanek, universal stage adapter sub-element project manager at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center. Glenn manages the adapter for the agency. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s so valuable that the universal stage adapter be as light as possible. The universal stage adapter separates after the translunar insertion, so NASA will need to demonstrate the ability to separate cleanly in orbit in very cold conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n With its multipurpose testing equipment, innovative manufacturing processes, and large-scale integration facilities, Marshall facilities and capabilities enable teams to process composite hardware elements for multiple Artemis missions in parallel, providing for cost and schedule savings.<\/p>\n Lessons learned from testing and manufacturing hardware for the first three SLS flights in the Block 1 configuration have aided in designing and integrating the SLS Block 1B configuration.<\/p>\n Both adapters for the SLS Block 1 are manufactured using friction stir welding in Marshall\u2019s Materials and Processes Laboratory, a process that very reliably produces materials that are typically free of flaws. \u00a0<\/p>\n Pioneering techniques such as determinant assembly and digital tooling ensure an efficient and uniform manufacturing process and save NASA and its partners money and time when building Block 1B\u2019s payload adapter. Structured light scanning maps each panel and ring individually to create a digital model informing technicians where holes should be drilled.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce the holes are put in with a hand drill located by structured light, it\u2019s simply a matter of holding the pieces together and dropping fasteners in place,\u201d Gaddes said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like an erector set.\u201d<\/p>\n From erector sets to the Moon and beyond \u2013 the principles of engineering are the same no matter what you are building.<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n New findings from NASA\u2019s Juno probe provide a fuller picture of how widespread the lava lakes are on Jupiter\u2019s moon Io and include first-time insights into the volcanic processes at work there. These results come courtesy of Juno\u2019s Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument, contributed by the Italian Space Agency, which \u201csees\u201d in infrared light. Researchers\u00a0published a paper\u00a0on Juno\u2019s most recent volcanic discoveries on June 20 in the journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment.<\/p>\n Io has intrigued the astronomers since 1610, when Galileo Galilei first discovered the Jovian moon, which is slightly larger than Earth\u2019s Moon. Some 369 years later, NASA\u2019s Voyager 1 spacecraft captured a\u00a0volcanic eruption\u00a0on the moon.\u00a0Subsequent missions to Jupiter, with more Io flybys, discovered additional plumes \u2013 along with\u00a0lava lakes. Scientists now believe Io, which is stretched and squeezed like an accordion by neighboring moons and massive Jupiter itself, is the most\u00a0volcanically active world\u00a0in the solar system. But while there are many theories on the types of volcanic eruptions across the surface of the moon, little supporting data exists.<\/p>\n In both May and October 2023, Juno flew by Io, coming within about 21,700 miles and 8,100 miles, respectively. Among Juno\u2019s instruments getting a good look at the beguiling moon was JIRAM.<\/p>\n Designed to capture the infrared light (which is not visible to the human eye) emerging from deep inside Jupiter, JIRAM probes the weather layer down to 30 to 45 miles below the gas giant\u2019s cloud tops. But during Juno\u2019s extended mission, the mission team has also used the instrument to study the moons\u00a0Io,\u00a0Europa,\u00a0Ganymede, and Callisto. The JIRAM Io imagery showed the presence of bright rings surrounding the floors of numerous hot spots.<\/p>\n \u201cThe high spatial resolution of JIRAM\u2019s infrared images, combined with the favorable position of Juno during the flybys, revealed that the whole surface of Io is covered by lava lakes contained in caldera-like features,\u201d said Alessandro Mura, a Juno co-investigator from the National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome. \u201cIn the region of Io\u2019s surface in which we have the most complete data, we estimate about 3% of it is covered by one of these molten lava lakes.\u201d (A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses.)<\/p>\n JIRAM\u2019s Io flyby data not only highlights the moon\u2019s abundant lava reserves, but also provides a glimpse of what may be going on below the surface. Infrared images of several Io lava lakes show a thin circle of lava at the border, between the central crust that covers most of the lava lake and the lake\u2019s walls. Recycling of melt is implied by the lack of lava flows on and beyond the rim of the lake, indicating that there is a balance between melt that has erupted into the lava lakes and melt that is circulated back into the subsurface system.<\/p>\n \u201cWe now have an idea of what is the most frequent type of volcanism on Io: enormous lakes of lava where magma goes up and down,\u201d Mura said. \u201cThe lava crust is forced to break against the walls of the lake, forming the typical lava ring seen in Hawaiian lava lakes. The walls are likely hundreds of meters high, which explains why magma is generally not observed spilling out of the paterae\u201d \u2013 bowl-shaped features created by volcanism \u2013 \u201cand moving across the moon\u2019s surface.\u201d<\/p>\n JIRAM data suggests that most of the surface of these Io hot spots is composed of a rocky crust that moves up and down cyclically as one contiguous surface due to the central upwelling of magma. In this hypothesis, because the crust touches the lake\u2019s walls, friction keeps it from sliding, causing it to deform and eventually break, exposing lava just below the surface.<\/p>\n An alternative hypothesis remains in play: Magma is welling up in the middle of the lake, spreading out and forming a crust that sinks along the rim of the lake, exposing lava.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are just starting to wade into the JIRAM results from the close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024,\u201d said Scott Bolton, principal investigator for Juno at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. \u201cThe observations show fascinating new information on Io\u2019s volcanic processes. Combining these new results with Juno\u2019s longer-term campaign to monitor and map the volcanoes on Io\u2019s never-before-seen north and south poles, JIRAM is turning out to be one of the most valuable tools to learn how this tortured world works.\u201d<\/p>\n Juno executed its 62nd flyby of Jupiter \u2013 which included an Io flyby at an altitude of about 18,175 miles \u2013 on June 13. The 63rd flyby of the gas giant is scheduled for July 16.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Juno mission for the principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Juno is part of NASA\u2019s New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center for the agency\u2019s Science Mission Directorate. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) funded the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft.<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Scientists have eagerly awaited the opportunity to dig into the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine asteroid Bennu sample collected by NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security \u2013 Regolith Explorer) mission since it was delivered to Earth last fall. They hoped the material would hold secrets of the solar system\u2019s past and the prebiotic chemistry that might have led to the origin of life on Earth. An early analysis of the Bennu sample,\u00a0published June 26 in Meteoritics & Planetary Science, demonstrates this excitement was warranted.<\/p>\n The OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team found that Bennu contains the original ingredients that formed our solar system. The asteroid\u2019s dust is rich in carbon and nitrogen, as well as organic compounds, all of which are essential components for life as we know it. The sample also contains magnesium-sodium phosphate, which was a surprise to the research team, because it wasn\u2019t seen in the remote sensing data collected by the spacecraft at Bennu. Its presence in the sample hints that the asteroid could have splintered off from a long-gone, tiny, primitive ocean world.<\/p>\n Analysis of the Bennu sample unveiled intriguing insights into the asteroid\u2019s composition. Dominated by clay minerals, particularly serpentine, the sample mirrors the type of rock found at mid-ocean ridges on Earth, where material from the mantle, the layer beneath Earth\u2019s crust, encounters water.<\/p>\n This interaction doesn\u2019t just result in clay formation; it also gives rise to a variety of minerals like carbonates, iron oxides, and iron sulfides. But the most unexpected discovery is the presence of water-soluble phosphates. These compounds are components of biochemistry for all known life on Earth today.<\/p>\n While a similar phosphate was found in the asteroid Ryugu sample delivered by JAXA\u2019s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Hayabusa2 mission in 2020, the magnesium-sodium phosphate detected in the Bennu sample stands out for its purity \u2013 that is, the lack of other materials in the mineral \u2013 and the size of its grains, unprecedented in any meteorite sample.<\/p>\n The finding of magnesium-sodium phosphates in the Bennu sample raises questions about the geochemical processes that concentrated these elements and provides valuable clues about Bennu\u2019s historic conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe presence and state of phosphates, along with other elements and compounds on Bennu, suggest a watery past for the asteroid,\u201d said Dante Lauretta, co-lead author of the paper and principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona, Tucson. \u201cBennu potentially could have once been part of a wetter world. Although, this hypothesis requires further investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOSIRIS-REx gave us exactly what we hoped: a large pristine asteroid sample rich in nitrogen and carbon from a formerly wet world,\u201d said\u00a0Jason Dworkin, a co-author on the paper and the OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n Despite its possible history of interaction with water, Bennu remains a chemically primitive asteroid, with elemental proportions closely resembling those of the Sun.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now,\u201d Lauretta said.<\/p>\n This composition offers a glimpse into the early days of our solar system, over 4.5 billion years ago. These rocks have retained their original state, having neither melted nor resolidified since their inception, affirming their ancient origins.<\/p>\n The team has confirmed the asteroid is rich in carbon and nitrogen. These elements are crucial in understanding the environments where Bennu\u2019s materials originated and the chemical processes that transformed simple elements into complex molecules, potentially laying the groundwork for life on Earth.<\/p>\n \u201cThese findings underscore the importance of collecting and studying material from asteroids like Bennu \u2013 especially low-density material that would typically burn up upon entering Earth\u2019s atmosphere,\u201d Lauretta said. \u201cThis material holds the key to unraveling the intricate processes of solar system formation and the prebiotic chemistry that could have contributed to life emerging on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Dozens more labs in the United States and around the world will receive portions of the Bennu sample from NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in the coming months, and many more scientific papers describing analyses of the Bennu sample are expected in the next few years from the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Bennu samples are tantalizingly beautiful extraterrestrial rocks,\u201d said Harold Connolly, co-lead author on the paper and OSIRIS-REx mission sample scientist at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. \u201cEach week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.\u201d<\/p>\n Launched on Sept. 8, 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and collected a sample of rocks and dust from the surface. OSIRIS-REx, the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid, delivered the sample to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center provided overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The university leads the science team and the mission\u2019s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provided flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace were responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Curation for OSIRIS-REx takes place at NASA Johnson. International partnerships on this mission include the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter instrument from CSA (Canadian Space Agency) and asteroid sample science collaboration with JAXA\u2019s Hayabusa2 mission. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA\u2019s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center for the agency\u2019s Science Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n The cosmos seems to come alive with a crackling explosion of pyrotechnics in this new image from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope. Taken with Webb\u2019s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), this fiery hourglass marks the scene of a very young object in the process of becoming a star. A central\u00a0protostar\u00a0grows in the neck of the hourglass, accumulating material from a thin\u00a0protoplanetary disk, seen edge-on as a dark line.<\/p>\n The protostar, a relatively young object of about 100,000 years, is still surrounded by its parent molecular cloud, or large region of gas and dust. Webb\u2019s\u00a0previous observation\u00a0of L1527, with NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), allowed us to peer into this region and revealed this molecular cloud and protostar in opaque, vibrant colors.<\/p>\n Both NIRCam and MIRI show the effects of outflows, which are emitted in opposite directions along the protostar\u2019s rotation axis as the object consumes gas and dust from the surrounding cloud. These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud, which appear as filamentary structures throughout. They are also responsible for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or\u00a0excite, the surrounding matter and cause the regions above and below it to glow. This creates an effect reminiscent of fireworks brightening a cloudy night sky. Unlike NIRCam, however, which mostly shows the light that is reflected off dust, MIRI provides a look into how these outflows affect the region\u2019s thickest dust and gases.<\/p>\n The areas colored here in blue, which encompass most of the hourglass, show mostly carbonaceous molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The protostar itself and the dense blanket of dust and a mixture of gases that surround it are represented in red. (The sparkler-like red extensions are an\u00a0artifact of the telescope\u2019s optics). In between, MIRI reveals a white region directly above and below the protostar, which doesn\u2019t show as strongly in the NIRCam view. This region is a mixture of hydrocarbons, ionized neon, and thick dust, which shows that the protostar propels this matter quite far away from it as it messily consumes material from its disk.<\/p>\n As the protostar continues to age and release energetic jets, it\u2019ll consume, destroy, and push away much of this molecular cloud, and many of the structures we see here will begin to fade. Eventually, once it finishes gathering mass, this impressive display will end, and the star itself will become more apparent, even to our visible-light telescopes.<\/p>\n The combination of analyses from both the near-infrared and mid-infrared views reveal the overall behavior of this system, including how the central protostar is affecting the surrounding region. Other stars in Taurus, the star-forming region where L1527 resides, are forming just like this, which could lead to other molecular clouds being disrupted and either preventing new stars from forming or catalyzing their development.<\/p>\n The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). \u00a0Several NASA centers contributed to the project, including\u00a0NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n By Paola Pinto<\/em><\/p>\n During summer months, lightning-related injuries and fatalities rise mainly because of the increase in outdoor activities. Staying informed and cautious is crucial to ensure safety during these times. That is why making timely decisions and preventing potential hazards using tools like the\u00a0Stoplight Product\u00a0from NASA\u2019s Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center is so important.<\/p>\n For instance, at last year\u2019s Rock the South concert in Cullman, Alabama, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Huntsville used the Stoplight Product to effectively communicate the lightning threat to concert emergency managers, demonstrating its practical application in safeguarding public events.<\/p>\n The popular sayings, \u201cWhen thunder roars, go indoors\u201d and \u201cSee a flash, dash inside,\u201d are common reactive responses to severe weather. According to\u00a0NOAA\u2019s lightning safety protocols, waiting 30 minutes after the last lightning strike is recommended before resuming outdoor activities. However, tools like the Stoplight Product provide real-time lightning activity data, helping individuals and organizations make informed safety choices before weather conditions worsen. Whether for outdoor events, construction sites, or recreational activities, this product enables people to easily determine when lightning was last detected in their area, ensuring better safety and preparedness.<\/p>\n In collaboration with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center\u2019s Emergency Operations Center and the National Weather Service in Huntsville, SPoRT has developed innovative tools like the Stoplight Product to empower communities and organizations to take proactive preventive measures. SPoRT\u2019s tools are part of a broader effort to transition research findings into practical applications that benefit forecasters and communities.<\/p>\n Kelley Murphy, a research associate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, frequently interacts with users to train them on how to use the NASA SPoRT Stoplight Product during convective weather events. She said the tool leverages data from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) on NOAA\u2019s GOES-16 satellite, which continuously monitors lightning over the United States with high resolution. The Stoplight Product visually represents recent lightning activity to help users make informed decisions about outdoor safety.<\/p>\n Murphy said the Stoplight Product uses GLM Flash Extent Density data to determine the age and location of lightning flashes. GLM pixels are colored based on how recently lightning occurred, creating an easy-to-interpret visual aid of lightning within the last 30 minutes. Red indicates lightning within the last 10 minutes, yellow for 10-20 minutes, and green for 20-30 minutes, with the color disappearing after 30 minutes without lightning. There is also an option for color-blind users embedded in the tool.<\/p>\n Kristopher White is the Applications Integration Meteorologist and senior forecaster at the Huntsville NWS office, spending half his time with NASA SPoRT. White plays a key role in transitioning research into operational use, coordinating the use of these tools within the NWS, and ensuring that forecasters are trained and equipped to utilize them effectively.<\/p>\n White said this product has received positive feedback from various NWS offices across the U.S. Forecasters have reported utilizing the tool to monitor storms and make decisions during events, emphasizing its practical value in real-world scenarios.<\/p>\n One forecaster from NWS Raleigh noted that they were able to warn about lightning at a 1000+ attendee event; \u201cWe were able to alert them that lightning was nearby and then gave the all-clear once it moved out of the critical area.\u201d Another forecaster from NWS Sullivan stated, \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of good stuff out there that we\u2019re using to paint the picture for us and the decision-makers, but the GLM Stoplight Product has been one of our \u2018go-to\u2019s\u2019 for assessing how long it\u2019s been since the last flash.\u201d This ability to provide real-time lightning information aids forecasters in relaying crucial data to emergency managers, supporting public safety efforts.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the SPoRT team is working on enhancements to the Stoplight Product, incorporating ground-based lightning detection data to improve accuracy. This new version seeks to address issues such as the parallax effect, where the satellite\u2019s perspective can slightly shift the perceived location of lightning strikes. By combining satellite and ground-based data, the improved product will offer more precise information, enhancing its utility for lightning safety.<\/p>\n As we move through the peak months of the lightning season \u2013 June, July, and August \u2013 tools like these become even more helpful. Murphy and White stress the value of using these resources for professional meteorologists and the public. The Stoplight Product is GPS-enabled and available in a custom viewer that can be accessed on both computers and mobile devices, allowing individuals to make safer choices when engaging in outdoor activities, particularly during the summer weather.<\/p>\n On their seasonal outlook, NOAA\u2019s Climate Prediction Center\u00a0suggests above-normal precipitation for much of the Southeast and Eastern Seaboard\u00a0this year, which could imply increased lightning activity. This emphasizes the need for reliable tools to mitigate lightning-related risks.<\/p>\n Lightning Safety Awareness Week, from June 23-29, highlighted the importance of taking safety measures during peak lightning season. SPoRT\u2019s Stoplight Product and other tools represent significant advancements in lightning detection and decision support, helping forecasters and the public stay informed and safe. As we navigate this season, utilizing these resources will be essential in reducing the impact of lightning-related hazards.<\/p>\n\n
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