“INNOVATION IS NOT OPTIONAL,” SAYS DOUGLAS TERRIER, NASA CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST, DURING A TALK ABOUT INNOVATION AT THE AGENCY DEC. 3 IN MORRIS AUDITORIUM AT NASA’S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER. TERRIER SAID THAT NASA MUST CONTINUE TO BE INNOVATIVE TO ACHIEVE THE AGENCY’S MISSIONS AND GOALS FOR THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS, INCLUDING THE 2024 ARTEMIS II MOON LANDING.
Philip Lubin from H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from The University of California gives their presentation. NASA has awarded a total of $1.5 million to two U.S. teams for their novel technology solutions addressing energy distribution, management, and storage as part of the agency’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. The innovations from this challenge aim to support NASA’s Artemis missions, which will establish long-term human presence on the Moon. This two-phase competition has challenged U.S. innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals. The final phase of the challenge concluded with a technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony on September 11, 2024 at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from The University of California, Santa Barbara won the $1 million grand prize in NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. Their team developed a low-mass, high efficiency cable and featured energy storage batteries on both ends of their power transmission and energy storage system. Second prize ($500,000): Orbital Mining Corporation of Golden, Colorado. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
Philip Lubin from Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) explains his project to Mary Wadel and Stephen Bowen. NASA has awarded a total of $1.5 million to two U.S. teams for their novel technology solutions addressing energy distribution, management, and storage as part of the agency’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. The innovations from this challenge aim to support NASA’s Artemis missions, which will establish long-term human presence on the Moon. This two-phase competition has challenged U.S. innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals. The final phase of the challenge concluded with a technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony on September 20, 2024 at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from The University of California, Santa Barbara won the $1 million grand prize in NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. Their team developed a low-mass, high efficiency cable and featured energy storage batteries on both ends of their power transmission and energy storage system. Second prize ($500,000): Orbital Mining Corporation of Golden, Colorado. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
Science instruments and other hardware for NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will come together in the mission's final phase before launching to Jupiter's icy moon Europa in 2024. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25125
NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Director Bob Cabana, at the podium, speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. At left is NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Director Bob Cabana, at left, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, speak to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Director Bob Cabana, at the podium, speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. At left is NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. At left is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at the podium, speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. At left is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at the podium, speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. Behind him is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at the podium, speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. At left is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, at the podium, speaks to members of the news media at the NASA News Center on May 23, 2019. At far right is Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. News media were at the center for an Apollo 11 Media Day. They toured several facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly and Launch Complex 39B for a look back at the Apollo missions and a look ahead to NASA’s new Moon 2024 initiative, the Artemis 1 mission and the Gateway lunar outpost.
Images of Io captured in 2024 by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft show surface changes that occurred near the fiery Jovian moon's south pole. The arrow annotation highlights the location on Io's surface where these significant and visible surface changes took place between the 66th and 68th perijove, or the point during Juno's orbit when the spacecraft was closest to the gas giant. The resolution of each of the three Io images varies because it is dependent on the altitude at which the data was acquired. While the images from the 68th perijove are of lower resolution – since Juno was farther away – the relative changes in surface coloring around a newly discovered hot spot are clear. Such changes in Io's surface are known in the planetary science community to be associated with hot spots and volcanic activity. The leftmost image is the highest resolution of this area of Io, acquired during Perijove 60 on April 9, 2024, when the spacecraft came as close as about 10,250 miles (16,500 kilometers) from the moon. The center image was acquired at a distance of about 37,310 miles (60,050 kilometers) during Perijove 66 on Oct. 22, 2024. The image at right was acquired on Dec. 27, 2024, during Perijove 68, in which the spacecraft's flyby distance from Io was about 46,200 miles (74,400 kilometers). The JunoCam images were processed by citizen scientist Jason Perry. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26526
Philip Lubin from Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) explains his project to Mary Wadel, Lisa Ferguson, Kirsten Ellenbogen and Stephen Bowen. NASA has awarded a total of $1.5 million to two U.S. teams for their novel technology solutions addressing energy distribution, management, and storage as part of the agency’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. The innovations from this challenge aim to support NASA’s Artemis missions, which will establish long-term human presence on the Moon. This two-phase competition has challenged U.S. innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions to advance the nation’s lunar exploration goals. The final phase of the challenge concluded with a technology showcase and winners’ announcement ceremony on September 20, 2024 at Great Lakes Science Center, home of the visitor center for NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Team H.E.L.P.S. (High Efficiency Long-Range Power Solution) from The University of California, Santa Barbara won the $1 million grand prize in NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. Their team developed a low-mass, high efficiency cable and featured energy storage batteries on both ends of their power transmission and energy storage system. Second prize ($500,000): Orbital Mining Corporation of Golden, Colorado. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this view of Jupiter's moon Io – the first-ever image of the moon's south polar region – during Juno's 60th flyby of Jupiter on Apr. 9, 2024. Citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos made this image by applying further processing to an image created from raw JunoCam data by another citizen scientist, Gerald Eichstädt. At the time the raw image was taken, Juno was about 10,250 miles (16,500 kilometers) above the surface of Io. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25697
The Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024 in Cleveland, OH. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon.
The Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024 in Cleveland, OH. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon.
The Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024 in Cleveland, OH. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon.
The Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024 in Cleveland, OH. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon.
The Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024 in Cleveland, OH. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon.
With its solar panels open, a small rover that is bound for the Moon sits in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Jan. 26, 2024. This is one of three rovers – each about the size of a carry-on suitcase – that are part of the agency's CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) technology demonstration. CADRE is designed to show that a group of robotic spacecraft can work together as a team to accomplish tasks and record data autonomously – without explicit commands from mission controllers on Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26169
Members of the media viewed NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft in High Bay 1 in the historic Spacecraft Assembly Facility at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on April 11, 2024. The largest spacecraft NASA has ever built for a planetary mission, Europa Clipper is expected to launch in October 2024 on a six-year journey to the Jupiter system, where it will orbit the gas giant and study the ice-encased moon Europa. Europa Clipper's main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission's three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon's icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission's detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26291
iss071e675220 (Sept. 18, 2024) -- September's full moon, known as the "Harvest Moon," is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above Beijing.
Guardians of Traffic Statue in Cleveland, OH in front of the Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon.
This Full Moon that occurred on September 17, 2024 in Cleveland, OH was a Partial Lunar Eclipse; a Supermoon; the Corn Moon; and a harvest moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
Created using data collected by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft, this animation is an artist's concept that shows a view of a mountain on the Jovian moon Io. The data was recorded during close flybys of the moon in December 2023 and February 2024. The mountain, which the Juno science team has nicknamed "Steeple Mountain," is between 3 and 4.3 miles (5 and 7 kilometers) in height. One side of Steeple Mountain is in shade in the animation because only one side of the mountain was illuminated when imaged by JunoCam. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26294
Three small rovers bound for the Moon – part of NASA's CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) technology demonstration – are arrayed in a clean room at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California on Jan. 26, 2024. CADRE is designed to show that a group of robotic spacecraft can work together autonomously as a team to accomplish tasks and record data without constant direction from mission controllers on Earth. Each about the size of a carry-on suitcase, the rovers will ride to the Moon's surface aboard a lander equipped with the hardware elements that sit behind them in this image: from left, the situational awareness camera assembly, one of the deployers that will lower the rovers onto the lunar surface, and the base station with which the rovers will communicate via mesh network radios. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26346
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture the silhouette of Phobos, one of the two Martian moons, as it passed in front of the Sun on Sept. 30, 2024, the 1,285th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Perseverance has captured several Phobos transits since its landing at Mars' Jezero Crater in February 2021. By comparing the various recordings, scientists can refine their understanding of the potato-shaped moon's orbit, learning how it is changing. Eons from now, Phobos' orbit is expected to eventually send the moon toward the Red Planet's surface. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Video available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26380
While photographing the Supermoon on September 17, 2024 for a NASA GRC Aerospace Frontiers article on the 2024 Supermoon, a plane departing Cleveland Hopkins Airport flew right through the middle of the moon. The photographer used a portion of the rocket garden’s Ares 1 rocket and a corner of the NASA GRC hangar building to frame the photograph of the moon. When the plane was seen approaching, the photographer used continuous shutter speed in hopes of capturing the plane and the moon together
While photographing the Supermoon on September 17, 2024 for a NASA GRC Aerospace Frontiers article on the 2024 Supermoon, a plane departing Cleveland Hopkins Airport flew right through the middle of the moon. The photographer used a portion of the rocket garden’s Ares 1 rocket and a corner of the NASA GRC hangar building to frame the photograph of the moon. When the plane was seen approaching, the photographer used continuous shutter speed in hopes of capturing the plane and the moon together.
Guardians of Traffic Statue in Cleveland, OH watches over the Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024. On this day, the full moon was a partial Lunar Eclipse; a Supermoon; and a Harvest Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
Guardians of Traffic Statue in Cleveland, OH in front of the Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
Guardians of Traffic Statue in Cleveland, OH in front of the Supermoon that was visible on September 17th, 2024. On this day, the full moon was a partial lunar eclipse; a supermoon; and a harvest moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna)
iss072e068280 (Oct. 18, 2024) -- October's full moon, known as "The Hunter's Moon," is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 273 miles above the South Pacific Ocean.
iss072e188790 (Nov. 15, 2024) -- November's full moon, also known as the "Beaver Moon" is pictured against the black of space from the International Space Station as it orbited 270 miles above Earth.
The JunoCam instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft captured two volcanic plumes rising above the horizon of Jupiter's moon Io on Feb. 3, 2024. Mission scientists think the plumes were emitted either by two vents from one giant volcano, or two volcanoes near each other. The JunoCam instrument imaged the plumes from a distance of about 2,400 miles (3,800 kilometers). Citizen scientist Andrea Luck made this image from raw JunoCam data. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26340
Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program in NASA’s Explorations Systems Development Mission Directorate, moderates an Artemis Program progress update panel during the 2024 Artemis Suppliers Conference, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program in NASA’s Explorations Systems Development Mission Directorate, moderates an Artemis Program progress update panel during the 2024 Artemis Suppliers Conference, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
jsc2024e055753 (July 25, 2024) -- Dionne Hernandez-Lugo of the Gateway Program speaks about the pivotal role Gateway will play in the Artemis missions during the "Exploring the Moon: The Artemis Generation" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo Credit: NASA
jsc2024e055754 (July 25, 2024) -- Dionne Hernandez-Lugo of the Gateway Program speaks about the pivotal role Gateway will play in the Artemis missions during the "Exploring the Moon: The Artemis Generation" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo Credit: NASA
jsc2024e055757 (July 25, 2024) -- Jackelynne Silva-Martinez of NASA Human Health and Performance shares insights on the health and safety measures for astronauts in the Artemis missions during the "Exploring the Moon: The Artemis Generation" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Photo Credit: NASA
jsc2024e055761 (July 26, 2024) -- A display of Gateway patches at the NASA Pavilion during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024. Gateway highlights at NASA’s exhibition space include a detailed 1:100th scale model of Gateway, a selfie station for Moon photos, and exclusive Gateway stickers, pins, and patches. Photo Credit: NASA/Andrew Carlsen
iss071e113312 (May 25, 2024) -- A waning gibbous moon illuminates against the black of space as the International Space Station orbited 256 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.
iss072e186908 (Nov. 14, 2024) -- A golden waxing gibbous moon is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above Earth.
iss071e206291 (June 20, 2024) -- A waxing gibbous moon rises over the Indian Ocean as the International Space Station orbited 266 miles above.
iss071e256627 (June 30, 2024) -- A waning crescent moon hangs against the black of space as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above Italy.
iss071e092177 (May 19, 2024) -- An illuminated waxing gibbous moon is pictured from the International Space Station as it soared 258 miles above the Indian Ocean.
iss071e184156 (June 14, 2024) -- A waxing gibbous moon is illuminated against the black of space as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above the Indian Ocean.
iss071e081873 (May 16, 2024) --- The First Quarter Moon is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 255 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians encapsulated NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside payload fairings on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The fairings will protect the spacecraft during launch as it begins its journey to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The mission will help scientists determine if the moon could support life. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch at 12:31 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
Technicians prepare to install the nearly 10 feet (3 meters) wide dish-shaped high-gain antenna to NASA’s Europa Clipper, a spacecraft to study Jupiter’s icy moon, at the agency’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, June 17, 2024. The spacecraft will perform a series of flybys of the Jupiter moon Europa to gather data on its atmosphere, icy crust, and the ocean underneath, and the high-gain antenna will send the research data to scientists on Earth to determine if the moon can support habitable condition. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A no earlier than October 2024.
The Earth’s Moon appears with NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft encapsulated in a payload fairing atop SpaceX’s Heavy rocket at Launch Complex 39A on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Europa Clipper spacecraft will travel to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to determine if there are conditions suitable for life beyond Earth.
iss071e456772 (July 18, 2024) --- The Moon's glint beams off the Pacific Ocean as stars glitter in the background above the Earth's airglow. The Moon is obscured behind a solar array in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 264 miles above.
The Earth’s Moon appears with NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft encapsulated in a payload fairing atop SpaceX’s Heavy rocket at Launch Complex 39A on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Europa Clipper spacecraft will travel to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa to determine if there are conditions suitable for life beyond Earth.
An American Sweetgum sapling grown from a seed that was flown around the Moon during the Artemis I mission is seen before a Moon tree dedication ceremony, Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at the United States Capitol in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
The leaves of an American Sweetgum sapling grown from a seed that was flown around the Moon during the Artemis I mission is seen before a Moon tree dedication ceremony, Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at the United States Capitol in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
An American Sweetgum sapling grown from a seed that was flown around the Moon during the Artemis I mission is seen before a Moon tree dedication ceremony, Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at the United States Capitol in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
A super blue Moon rises above Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 18, 2024. Although not actually appearing blue, as the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons, this is called a “blue” Moon. The Moon at or near its closest point to Earth is a “super” Moon and can appear up to 14% bigger and brighter than normal full Moons. About 25% of all full Moons are super, but only 3% of full Moons are blue, with the next super blue Moons occurring as a pair in January and March 2037.
A super blue Moon rises above Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 18, 2024. Although not actually appearing blue, as the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons, this is called a “blue” Moon. The Moon at or near its closest point to Earth is a “super” Moon and can appear up to 14% bigger and brighter than normal full Moons. About 25% of all full Moons are super, but only 3% of full Moons are blue, with the next super blue Moons occurring as a pair in January and March 2037.
A super blue Moon rises above Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 18, 2024. Although not actually appearing blue, as the third full Moon in a season with four full Moons, this is called a “blue” Moon. The Moon at or near its closest point to Earth is a “super” Moon and can appear up to 14% bigger and brighter than normal full Moons. About 25% of all full Moons are super, but only 3% of full Moons are blue, with the next super blue Moons occurring as a pair in January and March 2037.
The JIRAM (Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper) instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft captured this view of the south polar region of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io during a flyby on Dec. 27, 2024. JIRAM "sees" infrared light not visible to the human eye. This animation shows actual data from JIRAM, with minimal processing. The bright spots indicate locations with higher temperatures caused by volcanic activity, including an area with such a strong signal that it saturated the sensor. The gray areas resulted when Io left JIRAM's field of view during the observation. Animation available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26594
A prototype of a robot designed to explore the subsurface oceans of icy moons glides through a pool at Caltech in September 2024, its reflection visible below the water's surface. The prototype was built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California to demonstrate the feasibility of a mission concept called SWIM, short for Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers. SWIM envisions a swarm of dozens of self-propelled, cellphone-size robots exploring the waters of icy moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus. Delivered to the subsurface ocean by an ice-melting cryobot, the tiny robots would zoom away to look for chemical and temperature signals that could point to life. The prototype used in most of the pool tests was about 16.5 inches (42 centimeters) long, weighing 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). As conceived for spaceflight, the robots would have dimensions about three times smaller – tiny compared to existing remotely operated and autonomous underwater scientific vehicles. In this image, commercial acoustic modules are mounted to the robot for testing: on top, one for communication, and on the bottom, one for underwater GPS. These devices were used during pool testing as stand-ins for what would be a novel wireless underwater acoustic communication system used both to transmit data between the cryobot and the swarm and to help each robot determine its position without the benefit of GPS. Led by JPL, work on SWIM took place from spring 2021 to fall 2024. The project was supported by Phase I and II funding from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program under the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. JPL is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26423
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
iss072e116495 (Oct. 26, 2024) -- A waning crescent moon hangs against the deep black of space as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above the North Pacific Ocean.
iss071e406275 (July 27, 2024) -- The third quarter moon rises just above Earth's blue horizon as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above the Red Sea.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
iss071e046097 (April 27, 2024) --- The waning gibbous Moon begins setting below Earth's horizon in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 258 miles above China.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.
iss071e407666 (July 29, 2024) -- A waning crescent moon hangs in the deep black of space as the International Space Station orbited 270 miles above the South Pacific Ocean.
iss071e485735 (Aug. 12, 2024) --- The First Quarter Moon is pictured above Earth's horizon from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above the English Channel in between France and England.
The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.