From gabe at educatemotivate.com Mon May 9 22:39:59 2022 From: gabe at educatemotivate.com (Gabe) Date: Mon, 9 May 2022 23:39:59 -0400 Subject: [Spacetalk] https://www.nasa.gov/index.html; https://spaceflightnow.com; Message-ID: <31BE8C87-80B7-44F9-B25B-8CC3FD6220F9@educatemotivate.com> Good evening all?. I know this is late but I still want to wish all the moms around the world a Very Happy Mother's Day. I always say we should all join in each other?s holiday because despite our different country, culture, language, dress?we are all the same?this is especially true with moms...I see it everywhere?moms interact with their kids the same?loving, giving, caring?always protecting them from the time they are born, their whole lives?to all THE TEACHER MOMS?you impact kids in ways that shape their lives, are often their best friend, and give them hope. To all the pet moms you give your love and care from your heart and share a very special love?I hope you had A DAY FILLED WITH LOVE, JOY, HAPPINESS, AND THAT YOU WERE MADE TO FEEL SO VERY SPECIAL? It is so difficult to comprehend we are almost half way through May?many schools in the US only have 2 weeks before summer vacation?it is so beyond my comprehension how fast time is going?I know I say this often but it is so strange?I always enjoy each day, find positives in everything, and I am always so thankful?living in Florida is perfect for me?I love the hot weather, sunshine, beaches?the space program is continuing to go forward?the SLS Rocket an Orion Capsule or back in the VAB for further testing for its first flight this year?.Space X has been launching almost weekly which is awesome as rocket launches are very special?a major step in increasing missions to space will be on May 19th when Boeing will launch a 2nd test flight of Starliner spacecraft for NASA. We have to stay positive and always be thankful? remembering to do our best, enjoy everything we do, believe in ourselves, and let those we care about most know (I always say this, we all need to take it to heart) ?hugs? STAY SAFE, TAKE CARE, Love ya, Gabe NASA?s SpaceX Crew-3 to Discuss Mission After Returning to Earth The four commercial crew astronauts representing the SpaceX Crew-3 mission are pictured in their Dragon spacesuits for a fit check aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module on April 21, 2022. From left, are ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, and NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari, and Kayla Barron. Credits: NASA Astronauts of NASA?s SpaceX Crew-3 mission, including crew members from NASA and ESA (European Space Agency), will answer questions about their recent mission aboard the International Space Station during a post-splashdown news conference at 11:45 a.m. EDT Wednesday, May 11. The event will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency?s website . NASA astronauts Kayla Barron , Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn , as well as ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer , will participate in this first media event following their splashdown. The Crew-3 astronauts also will participate in a Facebook Live on the NASA Astronauts? Facebook page at 10:50 a.m. ahead of the news conference. Reporters who wish to participate must RSVP to the newsroom at NASA?s Johnson Space Center in Houston at: jsccommu at mail.nasa.gov or 281-483-5111 no later than 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 11 to receive dial-in information. To ask questions, reporters must dial into the news conference no later than 11:40 a.m. Those following the briefing on social media may ask questions using #AskNASA. Barron, Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer, returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown in SpaceX?s Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance at 12:43 a.m. Friday, May 6, off the coast of Florida. After returning to shore, the astronauts flew back to Houston, where they were greeted by their families and colleagues. Crew-3 astronauts traveled 75,060,792 miles during their 177 days in orbit (175 of which were spent aboard the International Space Station ). They completed 2,832 orbits around Earth. During their science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory, the Crew-3 astronauts conducted experiments, including a study on concrete hardening in microgravity, research on cotton varieties that could help develop drought-resistant plants, and executed a space archaeology study that could provide information that contributes to the design of future space habitats. They tested new life support technology, installed new combustion research hardware , and talked to thousands of students during dozens of amateur radio contacts. Working in pairs, the astronauts also completed four spacewalks to prepare the station for upcoming solar array upgrades by assembling and installing modification kits and successfully replacing a faulty antenna on the Port-1 truss structure. This was the third flight of a NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft flown as part of the agency?s Commercial Crew Program , and the fourth crewed flight to the space station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Follow Barron , Chari , Marshburn , and Maurer on social media, learn more about their scientific journey, and download images and video on NASA?s website .Get the latest NASA space station news, images and features on Instagram , Facebook , and Twitter .Follow updates on NASA?s Commercial Crew Program: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html Night sky fans, on May 15-16 look up to see the blood-red spectacle that is a total lunar eclipse. NASA Science Live: Watch a Total Lunar Eclipse: https://trib.al/REnV2rb https://www.space.com/super-blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-webcasts-may-2022 Japanese Lantern Effect; Larry Johnson, CC license A lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon slips into the Earth?s shadow?and those watching from South America and the eastern side of North America are in for quite the show If you?re an eclipse hunter living in North America?s west, or in Africa or Europe ? you?ll also get to experience real beauty in the shape of not a total, but a partial lunar eclipse. Such an eclipse can be a wonder to see, as it gives viewers the chance to witness the Japanese Lantern Effect?according to Farmer?s Almanac, in such moments the surface of the moon appears the color of glowing copper, gradating down to a beautiful ?uneclipsed yellow sliver.? To get precise times for the eclipse spectacular where you are, TimeandDate.com has you covered. Of course, as this is a lunar rather than a solar eclipse, you don?t need to worry about damaging your eyes by looking up. And if you miss this one? Not to worry. The next will occur on November 7th-8th, 2022. We?ll be sure to remind you of that event in advance. Boeing to launch 2nd test flight of Starliner spacecraft for NASA on May 19 By Elizabeth Howell? published 12 days ago The company will take a second try to reach the International Space Station during an uncrewed mission. Boeing's Starliner OFT-2 spacecraftis mated to a new service module on March 2022 ahead of its planned test flight on May 19, 2022. (Image credit: Boeing) Boeing is finally ready to test Starliner again in space. The commercial crew spacecraft is set for a test launch, dubbed OFT-2 (Orbital Flight Test-2) no earlier than May 19 as Boeing seeks to certify its Starliner vehicle for future NASA astronaut flights. Liftoff will take place from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, NASA said in a recent release . Liftoff is scheduled for 6:54 p.m. EDT (2254 GMT), according to SpaceFlightNow . The test will be an opportunity for Boeing to once again simulate a mission to the International Space Station . Starliner will ride atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as Boeing seeks to ready the spacecraft for launch, docking and return-to-Earth operations. This mission will be the second attempt for Starliner after a flawed OFT-1 mission in December 2019 and numerous technical problems with OFT-2's development. James Webb Space Telescope enters commissioning 'homestretch' with stunning image (NASA/JPL-Caltech (left), NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI (right)) The Large Magellanic Cloud is sharper than ever in the infrared eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope. As the $10 billion observatory enters the "homestretch" of its commissioning work, according to officials, Webb's latest image showed off the telescope's literally stellar performance using its coldest instrument, the Mid-Infrared Instrument. Cameras caught a 'space jellyfish' fly over Georgia. Here's what it really was. (Virtual Railfan / Twitter) In the wee morning hours of Thursday (May 5), a camera in Waycross, Georgia witnessed a mysterious object streaking through the sky. Bright, fast and trailed by a glowing oblong aura, the object looked a bit like a space jellyfish, as Chris Combs, a professor of aerodynamics and mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio put it on Twitter. Of course, as Combs pointed out, this space jelly was no UFO ? it was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, roughly 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of the camera. Dozens of rockets leave the launchpad at Kennedy every year, but few of them could rightly be mistaken for a bioluminescent invertebrate in the sky. NASA?s Swift Tracks Potential Magnetic Flip of Monster Black Hole https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-swift-tracks-potential-magnetic-flip-of-monster-black-hole A rare and enigmatic outburst from a galaxy 236 million light-years away may have been sparked by a magnetic reversal, a spontaneous flip of the magnetic field surrounding its central black hole. In a comprehensive new study, an international science team links the eruption?s unusual characteristics to changes in the black hole?s environment that likely would be triggered by such a magnetic switch. https://youtu.be/cHmXuo39qz4 Black Holes Are Hard to Find Black holes are hard to find. They have such strong gravity that light can?t escape them, so scientists must rely on clues from their surroundings to find them. When a star weighing more than 20 times the Sun runs out of fuel, it collapses into a black hole . Scientists estimate that there are tens of millions of these black holes dotted around the Milky Way, but so far we?ve only identified a few dozen. This image from 2001 is an artist's impression of a black hole accretion disk . Around many black holes is an accretion disk of material emitting energy as it falls into the black hole. Learn more about black holes . Image Credit: XMM-Newton, ESA, NASA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: iss067e022576.jpeg Type: image/jpeg Size: 152274 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Watching the news of the horrific mass shooting of kids in an elementary is beyond comprehension?there are no words, there is only mind numbing disbelief and so many unanswered questions?such innocent lives, in school?how could anyone do this? Why? What can be done to prevent it in the future? Thinking of the families affected, the sadness and anguish, lives changed forever? Everything seems so insignificant, it is challenging to even think of anything else but will try to pass on some updates? > We have to stay positive and always be thankful? remembering to do our best, enjoy everything we do, believe in ourselves, and let those we care about most know (I always say this, we all need to take it to heart) ?hugs? STAY SAFE, TAKE CARE, Love ya, Gabe > Starliner Launches to Space Station on Uncrewed Flight Test for NASA A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing?s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Thursday, May 19, 2022, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Boeing?s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is Starliner?s second uncrewed flight test and will dock to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2 launched at 6:54 p.m. ET, and will serve as an end-to-end test of the system's capabilities. Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky Boeing?s CST-100 Starliner is in orbit, heading for the International Space Station following launch Thursday of the next-generation spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on a mission designed to test the end-to-end capabilities of the crew-capable system as part of NASA?s Commercial Crew Program. Starliner lifted off on NASA?s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at 6:54 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Following an orbital insertion burn 31 minutes later, Starliner was on its way for a rendezvous and docking with the space station. Coverage Set for NASA?s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 Return to Earth The uncrewed Boeing CST-100 Starliner approaches the forward port of the International Space Station ahead of docking at 8:28 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 20 for the first time during NASA's Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2. Credits: NASA NASA will provide live coverage of the upcoming return activities for the agency?s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). As part of the uncrewed flight test, Boeing?s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will depart from the International Space Station for a landing in the western United States. The spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station to begin the journey home at 2:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday, May 25. NASA and Boeing are targeting 6:49 p.m. for the landing and conclusion of OFT-2, wrapping up a six-day mission testing the end-to-end capabilities of the Starliner system. The return and related activities will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency?s website . In advance of Starliner?s return, commercial crew astronauts at the space station will speak with NASA leadership and make farewell remarks prior to closing the hatch to the uncrewed spacecraft. Teams are targeting White Sands Space Harbor at the U.S. Army?s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico as the primary landing site, with a backup White Sands opportunity Friday, May 27. The spacecraft will return with more than 600 pounds of cargo, including Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System reusable tanks that provide breathable air to station crew members. The tanks will be refilled on Earth and sent back to station on a future flight. NASA?s Boeing OFT-2 return coverage on NASA TV is as follows and all times are subject to change based on mission operations (all times are Eastern): Wednesday, May 25 2 p.m. ? TV coverage begins for the 2:36 p.m. undocking. NASA will break coverage after the spacecraft exits joint operations with the space station. 5:45 p.m. ? Coverage begins for 6:05 p.m. deorbit burn and 6:49 p.m. landing in the western United States. 9 p.m. ? Return to Earth news conference on NASA TV from NASA?s Johnson Space Center in Houston: Learn more about space station activities by following @space_station , and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts and the space station blog . See full mission coverage, NASA's commercial crew blog, and more information about the mission at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew InSight's Final Selfie NASA's InSight Mars lander took this final selfie on April 24, 2022, the 1,211th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The lander is covered with far more dust than it was in its first selfie, taken in December 2018, not long after landing ? or in its second selfie, composed of images taken in March and April 2019. The arm now needs to move several times in order to capture a full selfie. Because InSight's dusty solar panels are producing less power, the team will soon put the lander's robotic arm in its resting position (called the "retirement pose") for the last time in May 2022. Learn More . Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Last Updated: May 24, 2022 Editor: Yvette Smith NASA to Discuss Webb Telescope Alignment, Instrument Setup This illustration depicts NASA?s James Webb Space Telescope, fully deployed in space. Credits: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez, NASA Animator NASA will hold a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 9, to discuss progress toward preparing the James Webb Space Telescope for science operations. The agency will livestream audio of the teleconference on its website . Webb will explore every phase of cosmic history ? from within the solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between. Participants will discuss the recent completion of mirror alignment and preview what to expect for Webb?s final months of science instrument preparations. In early February, the Webb team successfully captured starlight through each of Webb?s 18 mirror segments. Over the following months, as Webb?s science instruments cooled to their operating temperatures, the team progressed through the seven stages of mirror alignment. With the successful completion of the final stage in late April, all four of Webb?s science instruments can now capture sharp, focused images. Now, the team will take about two months to prepare and test the science instruments ? a process known as instrument commissioning ? before Webb?s first science images and spectra debut in the summer. NASA has a digital media kit as well as image and video galleries online. The public also can follow Webb?s progress via a ?Where is Webb? ? interactive tracker. Webb, an international partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency, launched Dec. 25 from Europe?s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. After unfolding into its final form in space and successfully reaching its destination 1 million miles from Earth, the observatory is now in the months-long process of preparing for science operations. For more information about the Webb mission, visit: https://nasa.govwebb President Biden: NASA to Welcome Japanese Astronaut Aboard Gateway Illustration of Gateway in lunar orbit with contributions from international partners. Credits: NASA President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in Tokyo Monday where they announced progress on collaboration for human and robotic lunar missions. They confirmed their commitment to include a Japanese astronaut aboard the lunar Gateway outpost and their shared ambition to see a future Japanese astronaut land on the Moon as part of NASA?s Artemis program. ?In recent years, the alliance between Japan and the United States has grown stronger, deeper, and more capable as we work together to take on new challenges ? just as important as the opportunities ? of a rapidly changing world,? said President Biden. ?A great example of this: We viewed Japan's lunar rover... a symbol of how our space cooperation is taking off, looking towards the Moon and to Mars. And I'm excited about the work we'll do together on the Gateway station around the Moon and look forward to the first Japanese astronaut joining us in the mission to the lunar surface under the Artemis program.? The United States and Japan are working to formalize the Japanese astronaut?s inclusion on Gateway through an Implementing Arrangement later this year. ?Our shared ambition to see Japanese and American astronauts walk on the Moon together reflects our nations? shared values to explore space responsibly and transparently for the benefit of humanity here on Earth,? said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. ?With this historic announcement, President Biden is once again showing nations throughout the world that America will not go alone but with like-minded partners. Under Artemis, it?s our intention to invest in and explore the cosmos with countries that promote science, economic opportunity, and a common set of shared values.? As part of ongoing collaborations on space and Earth science missions, President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida reaffirmed the United States and Japan?s continued cooperation on Earth science data sharing to improve scientific understanding of the Earth?s changing climate. In addition, the president confirmed the United States? intention to provide Japan with a sample from the asteroid Bennu in 2023, collected from NASA?s OSIRIS-REx mission. Japan provided the United States with an asteroid sample collected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency?s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return mission in 2021. JAXA also is critical partner to NASA in helping the agency achieve its goals in science and human exploration, including on the International Space Station and through the Artemis. In 2020, Japan became an original signatory of the Artemis Accords and?finalized an agreement ?with NASA to provide several?capabilities for Gateway?s I-HAB, which will provide the heart of Gateway life support capabilities and additional space where crew will live, work, and conduct research during Artemis missions. JAXA?s planned contributions include I-HAB?s environmental control and life support system, batteries, thermal control,?and?imagery?components, which will be integrated into the module by ESA (European Space Agency) prior to launch. These capabilities are critical for sustained Gateway operations during crewed and uncrewed time periods . To read more about NASA?s Artemis missions, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis Japan will send an astronaut to the moon with NASA, Biden says (Toyota) Japanese astronauts will ride on NASA Artemis missions to the moon, and potentially even reach the surface, amid an interagency push to expand lunar exploration. NASA to Discuss Status of Artemis I Test, Launch NASA?s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen through the windows of Firing Room One in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center atop a mobile launcher as it rolls out of High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for the first time to Launch Complex 39B, Thursday, March 17, 2022, at NASA?s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ahead of NASA?s Artemis I flight test, the rocket and spacecraft will undergo a wet dress rehearsal at Launch Complex 39B to verify systems and practice countdown procedures for the first launch. Credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky The agency plans to conduct another attempt of the wet dress rehearsal in early June to demonstrate the ability to load propellant into the tanks and conduct a full launch countdown ahead of the Artemis I launch this summer. NASA?s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft arrived back at Kennedy?s Vehicle Assembly Building April 26 after a 10-hour journey from launch pad 39B. Since their arrival, teams have worked to replace a faulty upper stage check valve and repair a small leak? within the tail service mast umbilical ground plate housing. The teams also have been performing additional checkouts while the spaceport?s supplier of gaseous nitrogen makes upgrades to their pipeline configuration to support Artemis I activities. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars. For updates, follow along on NASA?s Artemis blog at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis BLACK HOLES ARE HARD TO FIND?. Black holes are hard to find. They have such strong gravity that light can?t escape them, so scientists must rely on clues from their surroundings to find them. 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