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Category Archives: NASA

New Earth-like Planets Discovered By NASA’s Kepler Telescope | TIME – Video

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New Earth-like Planets Discovered By NASA #39;s Kepler Telescope | TIME
NASA #39;s Kepler mission discovers three earth-like planets existing in their star #39;s "Goldilocks zone." Subscribe to TIME - http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=timemagazine With...

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New Earth-like Planets Discovered By NASA's Kepler Telescope | TIME - Video

NASA's dirt-watching satellite in orbit after 'spectacular' launch

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NASA launched its newest Earth-observing mission Saturday (Jan. 31), sending a satellite to the ultimate height to study the dirt below our feet.

The space agency's newSoil Moisture Active Passive satellite(SMAP) satellite successfully launched to space atop an unmanned United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force base in California at 9:22 a.m. EST (1422 GMT). SMAP is designed to map the moisture levels in topsoil around the world to help scientist better predict droughts, floods and other weather factors. The spacecraft soared into space and deployed its solar arrays after a flawless launch, NASA officials said.

"It was spectacular," NASA launch director Tim Dunn said after the spacecraft reached orbit. "We're in contact with SMAP and everything looks great. We couldn't be happier."[See photos from NASA's SMAP satellite launch]

The SMAP satellite measures moisture in the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil on Earth by using two instruments designed to gather more accurate data about Earth's soil than ever before, officials have said. The mission was initially scheduled to launch on Thursday (Jan. 29), but was delayed 24 hours due to unacceptable winds. The need for a minor rocket repair on Friday pushed the launch back another day.

Once deployed,SMAP's giant antennawill help create a global map of topsoil moisture levels every three days through the mission's initial three-year lifespan, NASA officials have said. The huge, rotating antenna which measures close to 20 feet (6 meters) in diameter is the largest of its kind ever flown in space, according to NASA. The satellite should beam back information about soil moisture with unprecedented accuracy.

"SMAP, or the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, this morning is going to be incredibly important because it will be the first space-borne asset that allows us to look at freeze/thaw cycles; to determine the difference between areas of Earth that are frozen and those that are with normal moisture; and it helps in understanding the carbon dioxide cycle also, which we believe contributes to the planet's change," NASA administrator Charles Bolden said during a webcast before launch.

Scientists want to learn more about soil moisture for a variety of reasons. For one, it will give them a more detailed idea of where and when droughts could happen. And on the flip side of that, SMAP data is also designed to help researchers get a better sense of where floods might occur based on soil moisture data.

"SMAP is in a unique position because its measurements impact two distinct domains," Dara Entekhabi, SMAP science team leader, said during a news conference Tuesday (Jan. 27). "One, of course, as a science mission it impacts how we fundamentally understand how the environment works and peer into the metabolism of the environment. And second, it impacts some of the applications that touch our everyday lives."

Scientists will use the global soil moisture data to more fully understand the interconnected nature of three of Earth's major cycles the carbon, water and energy cycles in order to create more accurate weather maps and predictions. Researchers need an instrument like SMAP because there are too few ground-based sensors to create a highly accurate global map of soil moisture right now, Entekhabi added.

The $916 million mission joins the 19 other Earth-gazing satellites currently monitoring the planet from space today. SMAP will be in an orbit that takes it about 426 miles (685 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

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NASA's dirt-watching satellite in orbit after 'spectacular' launch

NASA releases amazing images of space

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Located 30 million light years from Earth, this spiral-shaped galaxy, called Messier 51, has been nicknamed "the whirlpool" for its spiral shape. Data from a host of telescopes, including Chandra (X-ray shown in purple), Hubble (visible light indicated in green), Spitzer (infrared light in red) and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (ultraviolet in blue) have helped create this mesmerizing shot of a galaxy similar in shape to our own.

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When a massive star exploded in one of our neighboring galaxies, known as the Large Magellanic Cloud, an expanding debris field with the catchy name of SNR 0519-69.0 was left in its wake. In this image, you can actually see the edge of the detonation in red surrounding the multimillion-degree gas captured in blue by the Chandra X-ray observatory.

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This jaw-dropping image shows the remains of a supernova explosion witnessed by Chinese astronomers almost 2,000 years ago. Thanks to advances in technology, modern telescopes can observe these remnants in light that would otherwise remain invisible to the human eye.

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We also saw the 100 millionth image of the Sun taken at NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on January 19, 2015. The image's darker regions are areas of less dense gas known as coronal holes, where solar material is moving away from the Sun.

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NASA also released this remarkable bird's-eye panorama of part of the Andromeda galaxy last week. This is clearest image ever taken of our galactic next-door neighbor.

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NASA releases amazing images of space

NASA May Ax Long-Lived Mars Rover Opportunity Mission Next Year

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NASA's long-lived Mars rover Opportunity mission is poised to lose its funding in 2016, but that financial future is not etched in stone, space agency officials say.

The White House unveiled itsproposed federal budget for fiscal year 2016today (Feb. 2), and it does not include money for Opportunity, according to NASA budget documents. That seemingly signals the impending end of a mission that has been exploring Mars for more than 11 years. (Fiscal year 2016 begins on Oct. 1, 2015.)

But NASA has not officially axed Opportunity or the agency's prolificLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which finds itself in the same budgetary situation NASA Chief Financial Officer David Radzanowski told reporters during a conference call today. [Opportunity's Latest Mars Photos]

"We will look at continuing the operation of those activities, and finding ways to fund them, if in fact they actually are operational by 2016, and the science value does make sense," Radzanowski said.

Indeed, neither Opportunity nor LRO were allocated funds in the White House's fiscal year (FY) 2015 budget request, but money has been found to keep both missions going, he added.

It's also worth nothing that the 2016 federal budget proposal is just that a proposal. Final funding for NASA and other federal agencies must still be approved by Congress. For example, the FY 2015 White House request proposed grounding NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a telescope installed inside a 747 jet, but Congress later allocated funding to the project.

Opportunity and LRO got $14 million and $12.4 million, respectively, in FY 2014. It's unclear at the moment exactly how much each mission will get during the current fiscal year, NASA officials said.

Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, touched down on Mars a few weeks apart in January 2004, and were tasked with three-month missions to search for signs of past water activity on the Red Planet. Both rovers found plenty of such evidence, which helped to reshape scientists' understanding of Mars and its history. And the two golf-cart-size rovers just kept rolling along.

Spirit stopped communicating with Earth in March 2010 and was declared dead in 2011. Opportunity remains active; it has been exploring the rim of 14-mile-wide (22 kilometers) Endeavour crater since August 2011.

Opportunity is showing some signs of age, however. The rover's robotic arm has long been a bit arthritic, and Opportunity recently began experiencing problems with its flash memory, which allows the rover to store information even when the power is off.

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NASA May Ax Long-Lived Mars Rover Opportunity Mission Next Year

NASA Launches Revolutionary Earth Science Satellite Measuring Soil Moisture Cycle

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NASAs Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket, is seen after the mobile service tower was rolled back Friday, Jan. 30 at Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls Story updated

At dawn this morning (Jan. 31) NASA launched an advanced Earth science satellite aimed at making measurements of our planets surface soil moisture and freeze/thaw states from space that will revolutionize our understanding of the water, energy, and carbon cycles driving all life on Earth, aid weather forecasting and improve climate change models.

NASAs new Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory thundered off the pad at 6:22 a.m. PST (9:22 a.m. EST) Saturday atop a two stage United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 on Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

The $916 million satellite successfully separated from the rockets second stage some 57 minutes after the flawless liftoff and was injected into an initial 411- by 425-mile (661- by 685-kilometer) orbit. The spacecraft then deployed its solar arrays and telemetry indicated it was in excellent health.

Were in contact with SMAP and everything looks good right now, NASA Launch Manager Tim Dunn said.

Deployment of the solar arrays is underway. We just couldnt be happier.

SMAP separated from the second stage while pointed toward the sun as seen in the video below from a rocket mounted camera:

Video Caption: A camera on the second stage of the Delta II rocket captured this footage as the SMAP spacecraft pushed itself away from the rocket to complete the delivery of the Earth-observing spacecraft to its proper orbit following Jan. 31, 2015 liftoff. Credit: NASA TV/ULA

SMAP is NASAs 1st Earth observing satellite designed to make high resolution global observations of Earths vital surface soil moisture content and freeze/thaw cycle just below your feet. It will aid global forecasting and have broad applications for science and society.

SMAPs combined radar and radiometer instruments will peer into the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil, through clouds and moderate vegetation cover, day and night, to produce the highest-resolution, most accurate soil moisture maps ever obtained from space, says NASA.

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NASA Launches Revolutionary Earth Science Satellite Measuring Soil Moisture Cycle


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