#interstellar mapping and acceleration probe

[mindblowingscience]

In May next year, NASA plans to launch a spacecraft to capture minuscule dust particles streaming into our solar system from interstellar space, in hopes of studying the very building blocks of our cosmic backyard. The primary goal of the mission, called the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), is to study the huge, sun-created bubble known as the heliosphere that surrounds our solar system. The heliosphere shields Earth and other planets from cosmic radiation entering our solar system from the outside.

Continue Reading.

[michaelgabrill]

Testing NASAs IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe)

NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) is loaded into the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility (XRCF) thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in this photo from March 20, 2025. There, the spacecraft will undergo testing such as dramatic temperature changes to simulate the harsh environment of space. The IMAP […] from NASA https://ift.tt/1xOg670

[spacenutspod]

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E239 Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest in space exploration and astronomical discoveries. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an exciting lineup of stories that range from NASA's mission delays to innovative scientific theories about our universe. Highlights: - NASA Mission Delays: Discover the reasons behind NASA's decision to postpone the launch of three critical missions, including the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe. Learn about the impacts on other missions sharing the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the importance of these solar studies. - Orion's Heat Shield Challenge: Explore the unexpected issues encountered with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield following its Artemis 1 mission. Understand the engineering challenges and solutions being developed to ensure astronaut safety in future missions. - Parker Solar Probe's Daring Journey: Get the latest updates on the Parker Solar Probe as it prepares for its closest approach to the Sun. Discover the groundbreaking data it's collecting and its significance for understanding solar phenomena. - Apollo Instruments' Moonwatch: Dive into the innovative creation of a wearable timepiece replicating the Apollo Guidance Computer's interface. Learn how this fusion of history and technology offers an educational tool for space enthusiasts. - China's Sea-Based Launch Success: Follow the achievements of Galactic Energy, a Beijing-based private rocket manufacturer, as it successfully launches satellites from a sea-based platform, marking a milestone in China's space sector. - Testing the Anthropic Principle: Delve into the groundbreaking research proposing an experimental framework to test the anthropic principle. Understand the potential implications for our understanding of the universe's conditions for life. For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, Tumblr, YouTube, YouTubeMusic, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts. Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe. 00:00 - NASA announces significant delays in three important missions aimed at studying our Sun 01:44 - Orion's heat shield suffered significant damage during its Artemis 1 mission 03:37 - NASA's Parker Solar Probe is preparing for its closest ever approach to sun 05:25 - British startup Apollo Instruments has created a fully functional Apollo Guidance Computer watch 07:08 - Beijing based private rocket manufacturer Galactic Energy has successfully launched four satellites 08:41 - The anthropic principle suggests that our universe is fine tuned to support life 11:35 - Astronomy Daily brings you the latest developments in space exploration and astronomy ✍️ Episode References NASA https://www.nasa.gov/ SpaceX Falcon 9 https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/ Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory https://www.jhuapl.edu/ Apollo Instruments https://www.apolloinstruments.com/ Rosco https://www.rosco.com/ Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/ 7516 7--- Lightbird satellite https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/en/missions/spacecraft/future/lightbird.html Galactic Energy http://www.galactic-energy.com/ Guodian Gaoki https://www.guodiangaoki.com/ Astronomy Daily https://astronomydaily.io/

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

IMAP arrives at NASA Marshall for testing in XRCF

On March 18, NASA's IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) arrived at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for thermal vacuum testing at the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility, which simulates the harsh conditions of space.

The IMAP mission is a modern-day celestial cartographer that will map the solar system by studying the heliosphere, a giant bubble created by the sun's solar wind that surrounds our solar system and protects it from harmful interstellar radiation.

Testing performed in the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility will help to assess the spacecraft before its journey toward the sun. The IMAP mission will orbit the sun at a location called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is about 1 million miles from Earth toward the sun.

From this location, IMAP can measure the local solar wind and scan the distant heliosphere without background from planets and their magnetic fields. The mission will use its suite of 10 instruments to map the boundary of the heliosphere, analyze the composition of interstellar particles that make it through, and investigate how particles change as they move through the solar system.

Furthermore, IMAP will maintain a continuous broadcast of near-real-time space weather data from five instruments aboard IMAP that will be used to test new space weather prediction models and improve our understanding of effects impacting our human exploration of space.

While inside the Marshall facility, the spacecraft will undergo dramatic temperature changes to simulate the environment during launch, on the journey toward the sun, and at its final orbiting point.

The testing facility has multiple capabilities including a large thermal vacuum chamber which simulates the harsh conditions of space such as extreme temperatures and the near-total absence of an atmosphere. Simulating these conditions before launch allows scientists and engineers to identify successes and potential failures in the design of the spacecraft.

"The X-ray and Cryogenic Facility was an ideal testing location for IMAP given the chamber's size, availability, and ability to meet or exceed the required test parameters including strict contamination control, shroud temperature, and vacuum level," said Jeff Kegley, chief of Marshall's Science Test Branch.

The facility's main chamber is 20 feet in diameter and 60 feet long, making it the 5th largest thermal vacuum chamber at NASA. It's the only chamber that is adjoined to an ISO 6 cleanroom—a controlled environment that limits the number and size of airborne particles to minimize contamination.

The IMAP mission will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, no earlier than September.

IMAGE: NASA’s IMAP mission was loaded into NASA Marshall’s XRCF thermal vacuum chamber where the spacecraft will undergo testing such as dramatic temperature changes to simulate the harsh environment of space. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Princeton/Ed Whitman

[monterplant]

Testing NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe)

NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) is loaded into the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility (XRCF) thermal vacuum chamber at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in this photo from March 20, 2025. There, the spacecraft will undergo testing such as dramatic temperature changes to simulate the harsh environment of space. The IMAP […] Continue reading Testing…

[thxnews]

Exploring the Sun's Vast Domain: IMAP's Mission Unveiled

The UK Space Agency and NASA are embarking on an ambitious journey to demystify the heliosphere, the vast bubble surrounding the Sun, through the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission. This pioneering venture is set to launch in 2025, aiming to observe and map the dynamic interactions within this expansive region, filled with the solar wind's charged particles.  

A Partnership Spanning the Atlantic

The UK's Pivotal Role The IMAP mission benefits significantly from the UK's expertise, with Imperial College London at the helm of developing one of the probe's critical instruments, the magnetometer (MAG). This instrument is crucial for measuring the magnetic field around the spacecraft, offering insights into how the solar wind interacts with space. This collaboration underlines the UK's commitment and contribution of £4.2 million, showcasing its leading role in advancing space weather monitoring capabilities.   Bridging Space and Science Furthermore, Imperial College London's involvement highlights the strength of the UK's space science community. The MAG instrument, already shipped to the US for integration into IMAP, exemplifies the collaborative spirit between the UK Space Agency and NASA, promising to elevate our understanding of space phenomena and protect future space missions from the adverse effects of solar activity.  

Artist's impression of IMAP. Photo by John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The Science Behind the Mission

Mapping the Unknown Positioned at the Lagrange 1 point, a million miles from Earth, IMAP acts as a sentinel, ready to explore the complexities of the heliosphere. Through studying the solar wind and cosmic rays, IMAP will improve our capacity to predict space weather, ensuring vital satellite services remain protected from potentially harmful solar flares.   Safeguarding Future Explorers Moreover, IMAP's investigation into cosmic rays is vital for the safety of astronauts in future space missions. Understanding the heliosphere's shielding effects against these high-energy particles can lead to better protection measures for human explorers venturing beyond our planet.  

The Broader Impact

Strengthening Global Ties This US-led mission, with substantial UK involvement, not only propels scientific discovery but also strengthens international cooperation in space exploration. The partnership between the UK Space Agency and NASA serves as a model for future collaborations, uniting expertise across borders to tackle the challenges of space science.   A Beacon for Future Missions The knowledge acquired from the IMAP mission will play a crucial role in planning future missions, offering a clearer understanding of the solar system's outer reaches. As we teeter on the edge of interstellar exploration, missions such as IMAP pave the way, guaranteeing that humanity's voyage into the cosmos is guided, secure, and limitless.  

A Leap Towards Understanding

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission signifies a significant leap forward in our quest to understand the universe. Through the collaborative efforts of the UK Space Agency, NASA, and Imperial College London, we are poised to unlock the secrets of the heliosphere, thereby enhancing our capability to predict space weather and safeguard future space explorers. Moreover, as we await the launch of IMAP in 2025, the anticipation grows for the discoveries that lie ahead, promising to expand our horizons and deepen our connection to the cosmos.   Sources: THX News, UKATC, Imperial College London, NASA & UK Space Agency. Read the full article

[dipsiven]

NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe passes system integration review – The Lifestyle Insider

[astronauticalaspirations]

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe is a recently-announced NASA mission that will study the boundary of the heliosphere. It will use 10 different instruments to measure the composition and distribution of energized particles arriving in the Solar System from interstellar space.

IMAP will launch in 2024 and reside in the Earth-Sun L1 point, joining the four other spacecraft currently operating there. IMAP is the fifth mission in the Solar Terrestrial Probes program.

NASA Press Release

[spaceexp]

NASA awards launch services contract for IMAP mission

Washington DC (SPX) Sep 30, 2020 NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for the agency's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission, which includes four secondary payloads. IMAP will help researchers better understand the boundary of the heliosphere, a magnetic barrier surrounding our solar system. This region is where the constant flo Full article>>

[mysticstronomy]

NASA sounding rocket finds helium structures in the sun’s atmosphere.

Blog #9                                                       Wednesday, August 11, 2020

Welcome back,

Thank you all so much for showing love in my last post……

Today we are going to talk about NASA’s rocket that finds helium structure in the sun’s atmosphere. But first let’s get comfy with helium………

Helium is second lightest element in the known universe. It is also the second most abundant……. If you look at space the majority of helium is in stars and the interstellar medium. This is due to the fusion reaction that powers most of the star’s fusion single hydrogen atoms to create helium atoms.

So, how much does helium is present in the sun??

The sun is a typical star, and is also the star that is nearest to the earth. It is composed of a mixture of 73% hydrogen, 23% helium, and 2% other elements by weight.

What happens to helium in sun??

The structure of the sun contains the following layers:  Hydrogen fuses into helium (which cannot currently be fused at this point in the sun’s life). The fusion process releases energy, and the helium gradually accumulates to form an inner core of helium within the core itself.

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen. But scientists aren’t sure just how much there actually is in the sun’s atmosphere, where it is hard to measure. Knowing the amount of helium in the solar atmosphere is important to understanding the origin and acceleration of the solar wind – the constant stream of charged particles from sun.

Now we know the platforms of helium we can see what NASA has found in the sun’s atmosphere by its rocket.

In 2009, NASA launched a sounding rocket investigation to measure helium in the extended solar atmosphere – the first time we’ve gathered a full global map. The results, recently published in nature astronomy, are helping us better understand our space environment.

Previously, when measuring ratios of helium to hydrogen in the solar wind as it reaches earth, observations have found much lower ratios than expected. Scientists suspected the missing helium might have been left behind the sun’s outermost atmospheric layer – the corona – or perhaps in a deeper layer. Discovering how this happens is key to understanding how the solar wind is accelerated.

HERSCHEL sounding rocket launches from the white sands missile range, New Mexico. To measure the amount of atmospheric helium and hydrogen, NASA’s helium resonance scattering in the corona and heliosphere, or HERSCHEL, sounding rocket took images of the solar corona.

HERSCHEL’s observation showed that helium wasn’t evenly distributed around the corona. The equatorial region had almost no helium while the areas at mid latitudes had the most. Comparing with images from ESA\NASA’s solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the scientists were able to show the abundance at the mid latitudes overlaps with where sun’s magnetic field lines open out into the solar system.

This shows that the ratio of helium to hydrogen is strongly connected with the magnetic field and the speed of the solar wind in the corona. The equatorial regions, which had low helium abundance measurements from the solar wind near Earth. This points to the solar atmosphere being more dynamic than scientists thought.

The HERSCHEL sounding rocket investigation adds to a body of word seeking to understand the origin of the slow component of the solar wind. HERSCHEL remotely investigates the element composition of the region where the solar wind is accelerated, which can be analyzed in tandem with in situ measurements of the inner solar system, such as those of the Parker Solar Probe.

While the heat of the sun is enough to power the lightest element – ionized hydrogen protons to escape the sun as a supersonic wind, other physics must help power the acceleration of heavier elements such as helium. Thus, understanding element abundance in the sun’s atmosphere, provides additional information as we attempt to learn the full story of how the solar wind is accelerated.

In the future, scientists plan to take more observations to explain the difference in abundance. Two new instruments – Metis and EUI on board ESA/NASA’s solar orbiter – are able to make similar global abundance measurements and will to help provide new information about the helium ratio in the corona.

FUN FACT !!!

The sun currently fuses about 600 million tons of hydrogen into helium every second, converting 4 million tons of matter into energy every second as a result.

COMING UP!!!!

(Saturday, August 15, 2020)

DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE. 

[sciencespies]

Astronomers have mapped stars to the very anticentre of the Milky Way

https://sciencespies.com/space/astronomers-have-mapped-stars-to-the-very-anticentre-of-the-milky-way/

Astronomers have mapped stars to the very anticentre of the Milky Way

The most accurate three-dimensional map yet of the Milky Way is revealing our galaxy’s secrets. Peering deep into the anticentre – the opposite direction of the galactic centre – is helping astronomers piece together the Milky Way’s wild past.

The European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite, launched in 2013, has been working for years to map the galaxy with the most detail and highest precision achievable. Its new data release, the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3), is a vast improvement on the existing data, as demonstrated in a series of new papers published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

As well as probing the galaxy’s anticentre, astronomers have described the orbit of the Solar System around the galactic centre, taken a closer look at the Magellanic Clouds that orbit the Milky Way, and performed the largest census yet of Milky Way stars and their motion in the sky.

“The new Gaia data promise to be a treasure trove for astronomers,” said astronomer Jos de Bruijne of the ESA.

Gaia orbits the Sun with Earth, in a looping orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrangian point, a gravitationally stable pocket of space created by the interactions between the two bodies. From there, it carefully studies stars in the Milky Way over an extended period, watching to see how the positions of stars seem to change against more distant stars. This provides a parallax, which can be used to calculate the distances to the stars.

That can be done from here on Earth, but atmospheric effects can interfere with the measurements. From its position in space, Gaia has an advantage, which it has been using to great effect.

To date, it has mapped in detail 1.8 billion sources, and collected colour information on 1.5 billion sources. According to the ESA, that’s an increase of 100 million and 200 million sources from Data Release 2 in 2018.

Of particular interest is the anticentre of the Milky Way. This region isn’t as densely populated as the galactic centre, nor is it as obscured by interstellar clouds of thick dust, giving a clearer view of the stars at the edge of the Milky Way.

(ESA/Hubble, Sketch: ESA/Gaia/DPAC)

This region shows more clearly the disturbances inflicted upon the Milky Way throughout its history and, studying the new data, astronomers concluded that the galaxy’s disc used to be smaller than it is today.

Interestingly, older stars – the original population of the Milky Way – don’t extend out as far as stars from the Gaia Sausage, a galaxy that merged with the Milky Way 8 to 10 billion years ago.

When looking above and below the galactic plane, a different picture emerges. A group of stars above the plane is moving downwards, and stars below are moving up. This, according to analysis, could be the result of a slow, ongoing collision with the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, ruffling up the outer edge of the Milky Way’s disc.

The Sagittarius galaxy, according to a paper released earlier this year based on Gaia DR2, is likely causing a warp in the Milky Way’s disc as it moves around. Its last close encounter is difficult to narrow down, but it took place between 300 and 900 million years ago, producing some strong perturbations.

Although unexpected, the odd motions of stars spotted in EDR3 could be more evidence of the ongoing interaction between the two galaxies, as determined by simulations that match the observations.

Gaia’s view of the Magellanic Clouds. (ESA/Gaia/DPAC; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)

That’s not the only violence Gaia has confirmed. The Milky Way has two companions, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, orbiting each other as they also move around the Milky Way. Eventually, these too will merge into the Milky Way, but they’re also engaged in interactions with each other.

In the Gaia data, astronomers observed in greater detail a stream of stars called the Magellanic Bridge being pulled out of the Small Magellanic Cloud towards the Large Magellanic Cloud. They also clearly observed the spiral structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and found tantalising hints of previously unseen structures at the outer edges of both Clouds.

The Solar System’s motion, too, got a slight revision. By observing the motions of distant galaxies, astronomers were able to calculate the acceleration of the Solar System against the rest frame of the Universe. This has given us the first measurement of the curvature of the Solar System’s orbit around the Milky Way’s centre.

And a new census of stars within 100 parsecs (326 light-years) of the Solar System is the most complete yet. It contains 331,312 stars – an estimated 92 percent of all stars within that distance. The Gaia Catalogue of Nearby Stars should provide an invaluable benchmark for astronomy.

Based on previous Gaia data releases, we’ve learnt a great deal about our home galaxy, including some fascinating surprises, such as the largest gaseous structure in the Milky Way, hidden stellar streams from ancient collisions, and a new estimate of the size of the Milky Way (it was much bigger than we thought!).

EDR3 will expand on that knowledge, and Gaia, although nearing the end of its mission, is not yet done. EDR3 is only the first part of the data release. The second part is coming sometime in 2022.

The satellite will retire in 2022, too. But it will do so having irrevocably changed astronomy, and our understanding of the space around us.

The papers have been published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and the data release can be found here.

#Space

[michaelgabrill]

NASAs IMAP Arrives at NASA Marshall For Testing in XRCF

On March 18, NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) arrived at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for thermal vacuum testing at the X-ray and Cryogenic Facility, which simulates the harsh conditions of space. The IMAP mission is a modern-day celestial cartographer that will map the solar system by studying the heliosphere, a […] from NASA https://ift.tt/fswuBL9

[spacenutspod]

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 23, 2024 NASA and SpaceX have announced a revised target of September 2025 for the launch of the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft. The updated schedule allows for additional time to complete final preparations for the IMAP flight systems ahead of its launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. IMAP's primary mission is to study the heliosphere, a protective magnetic bubble

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA's IMAP instrument installations complete

With the installation of a charged particle detector on Dec. 3, 2024, all 10 of NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) science instruments have been fully integrated on the spacecraft.

Slated to launch no earlier than September 2025, IMAP will map the boundaries of the heliosphere—the protective bubble surrounding the sun and planets that is inflated by the constant stream of particles from the sun called the solar wind.

As a modern-day celestial cartographer, IMAP will also explore and chart the vast range of particles in interplanetary space, helping to investigate two of the most important overarching issues in heliophysics: the energization of charged particles from the sun and the interaction of the solar wind with interstellar space.

IMAP plans to provide near real-time information about the solar wind to provide advanced space weather warnings from its location at Lagrange point 1, one million miles from Earth toward the sun.

To achieve these goals, IMAP will use 10 science instruments built by multiple organizations and integrated at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. The instruments, listed in order by when they were integrated, are:

Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX): a mass spectrometer studying interstellar dust and interplanetary dust particles, designed and built by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.

IMAP Magnetometer (MAG): a pair of identical magnetometers that measure the magnetic field near the spacecraft, designed and built by Imperial College London.

IMAP-Ultra: two high-energy-range energetic neutral atom (ENA) imagers designed and built at APL.

High-energy Ion Telescope (HIT): a high-energy ion imager designed and built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Solar Wind Electron (SWE) instrument: maps electrons from the solar wind in three dimensions, designed and built by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in collaboration with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).

GLObal Solar Wind Structure (GLOWS) instrument: a Lyman-alpha photometer that measures the ultraviolet glow from interstellar hydrogen and helium to investigate the solar wind and studies its evolution over time, designed and built by the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, Poland.

Solar Wind and Pickup Ion (SWAPI) instrument: measures ions from the solar wind and particles from beyond the solar system, designed and built by Princeton University.

IMAP-Hi: two medium-energy-range ENA imagers to help advance our understanding of the evolution of the outer heliosphere, designed and built by LANL in collaboration with SwRI, the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and the University of Bern in Switzerland.

IMAP-Lo: a low-energy-range ENA imager mounted on a pivot platform to help advance our understanding of the evolution of the outer heliosphere, designed and built by UNH in collaboration with SwRI, APL, and the University of Bern.

Compact Dual Ion Composition Experiment (CoDICE): measures the distributions and composition of interstellar pickup ions (charged particles that make it through the boundary of the heliosphere), designed and built by SwRI.

The integrated spacecraft is now running through a series of operations simulating the launch and postlaunch environments to ensure the spacecraft can withstand the rigors of space. While at APL, IMAP will also undergo a vibration and separation shock test, which replicates the launch vehicle separating from the spacecraft after takeoff.

IMAGE: IMAP will use 10 instruments to explore and chart the vast range of particles in interplanetary space. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Princeton/Ed Whitman

[nasa]

13 Reasons to Have an Out-of-This-World Friday (the 13th)

1. Not all of humanity is bound to the ground

Since 2000, the International Space Station has been continuously occupied by humans. There, crew members live and work while conducting important research that benefits life on Earth and will even help us eventually travel to deep space destinations, like Mars.

2. We’re working to develop quieter supersonic aircraft that would allow you to travel from New York to Los Angeles in 2 hours

We are working hard to make flight greener, safer and quieter – all while developing aircraft that travel faster, and building an aviation system that operates more efficiently. Seventy years after Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 aircraft, we’re continuing that supersonic X-plane legacy by working to create a quieter supersonic jet with an aim toward passenger flight.

3. The spacecraft, rockets and systems developed to send astronauts to low-Earth orbit as part of our Commercial Crew Program is also helping us get to Mars

Changes to the human body during long-duration spaceflight are significant challenges to solve ahead of a mission to Mars and back. The space station allows us to perform long duration missions without leaving Earth’s orbit.

Although they are orbiting Earth, space station astronauts spend months at a time in near-zero gravity, which allows scientists to study several physiological changes and test potential solutions. The more time they spend in space, the more helpful the station crew members can be to those on Earth assembling the plans to go to Mars.

4. We’re launching a spacecraft in 2018 that will go “touch the Sun”

In the summer of 2018, we’re launching Parker Solar Probe, a spacecraft that will get closer to the Sun than any other in human history. Parker Solar Probe will fly directly through the Sun’s atmosphere, called the corona. Getting better measurements of this region is key to understanding our Sun. 

For instance, the Sun releases a constant outflow of solar material, called the solar wind. We think the corona is where this solar wind is accelerated out into the solar system, and Parker Solar Probe’s measurements should help us pinpoint how that happens.  

5. You can digitally fly along with spacecraft…that are actually in space…in real-time!

NASA’s Eyes are immersive, 3D simulations of real events, spacecraft locations and trajectories. Through this interactive app, you can experience Earth and our solar system, the universe and the spacecraft exploring them. Want to watch as our Juno spacecraft makes its next orbit around Juno? You can! Or relive all of the Voyager mission highlights in real-time? You can do that too! Download the free app HERE to start exploring.

6. When you feel far away from home, you can think of the New Horizons spacecraft as it heads toward the Kuiper Belt, and the Voyager spacecraft are beyond the influence of our sun…billions of miles away

Our New Horizons spacecraft completed its Pluto flyby in July 2015 and has continued on its way toward the Kuiper Belt. The spacecraft continues to send back important data as it travels toward deeper space at more than 32,000 miles per hour, and is ~3.2 billion miles from Earth.

In addition to New Horizons, our twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. Continuing on their more-than-37-year journey since their 1977 launches, they are each much farther away from Earth and the sun than Pluto. In August 2012, Voyager 1 made the historic entry into interstellar space, the region between the stars, filled with material ejected by the death of nearby stars millions of years ago.

7. There are humans brave enough to not only travel in space, but venture outside space station to perform important repairs and updates during spacewalks

Just this month (October 2017) we’ve already had two spacewalks on the International Space Station...with another scheduled on Oct. 20. 

Spacewalks are important events where crew members repair, maintain and upgrade parts of the International Space Station. These activities can also be referred to as EVAs – Extravehicular Activities. Not only do spacewalks require an enormous amount of work to prepare for, but they are physically demanding on the astronauts. They are working in the vacuum of space in only their spacewalking suit. 

8. Smart people are up all night working in control rooms all over NASA to ensure that data keeps flowing from our satellites and spacecraft

Our satellites and spacecraft help scientists study Earth and space. Missions looking toward Earth provide information about clouds, oceans, land and ice. They also measure gases in the atmosphere, such as ozone and carbon dioxide and the amount of energy that Earth absorbs and emits. And satellites monitor wildfires, volcanoes and their smoke.

9. A lot of NASA-developed tech has been transferred for use to the public

Our Technology Transfer Program highlights technologies that were originally designed for our mission needs, but have since been introduced to the public market. HERE are a few spinoff technologies that you might not know about.

10. We have a spacecraft currently traveling  to an asteroid to collect a sample and bring it back to Earth

OSIRIS-REx is our first-ever mission that will travel to an asteroid and bring a sample of it back to Earth. Currently, the spacecraft is on its way to asteroid Bennu where it will survey and map the object before it “high-fives” the asteroid with its robotic arm to collect a sample, which it will send to Earth.

If everything goes according to plan, on Sept. 24, 2023, the capsule containing the asteroid sample will make a soft landing in the Utah desert.

11. There are Earth-sized planets outside our solar system that may be habitable

To date, we have confirmed 3,000+ exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system that orbit a Sun-like star. Of these 3,000, some are in the habitable zone – where the temperature is just right for liquid water to exist on the surface.  

Recently, our Spitzer Space Telescope revealed the first known system of SEVEN Earth-size planets around a single star. Three of these plants are firmly in the habitable zone, and could have liquid water on the surface, which is key to life as we know it.

12. Earth looks like art from space

In 1960, the United States put its first Earth-observing environmental satellite into orbit around the planet. Over the decades, these satellites have provided invaluable information, and the vantage point of space has provided new perspectives on Earth.

The beauty of Earth is clear, and the artistry ranges from the surreal to the sublime.

13. We’re building a telescope that will be able to see the first stars ever formed in the universe

Wouldn’t it be neat to see a period of the universe’s history that we’ve never seen before? That’s exactly what the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be able to do…plus more!

Specifically, Webb will see the first objects that formed as the universe cooled down after the Big Bang. We don’t know exactly when the universe made the first stars and galaxies – or how for that matter. That is what we are building Webb to help answer.

Happy Friday the 13th! We hope it’s out-of-this-world!

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.