NASA Archives - Texas43

NASA Inspector General’s Report Ignites Concerns Over Orion Heat Shield Readiness

2May

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA Inspector General’s Report Ignites Concerns Over Orion Heat Shield Readiness

NASA gears up for the highly anticipated Artemis II mission, a recent report from the agency's independent inspector general has cast a spotlight on the unresolved issues surrounding the Orion spacecraft's heat shield. The assessment, released on Wednesday, delves into NASA's preparedness for the forthcoming deep space endeavor, slated for September 2025. While the findings don't unveil groundbreaking revelations, they underscore the gravity of the heat shield conundrum – a hurdle that could potentially derail the ambitious timeline. During the uncrewed Artemis I mission in late 2022, the Orion capsule's heat shield exhibited unexpected damage and charring upon its fiery re-entry into Earth's atmosphere at a blistering speed exceeding 25,000 mph. Initially downplayed by NASA, this anoma...

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Unveils New Insights on Horsehead Nebula

29Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Unveils New Insights on Horsehead Nebula

The Horsehead Nebula, a small dark nebula in the constellation Orion, is recognized for its distinctive equine shape and its role as a stellar nursery. This term refers to regions in space where new stars are born, attributing significant astronomical importance to the Horsehead Nebula. Scottish astronomer Williamina Fleming was the first to discover the Horsehead Nebula in 1888. Since then, it has been a favorite subject among both amateur and professional astronomers and has been featured in countless astronomy books for over a century. The James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) image of the Horsehead Nebula is the most detailed to date. The captured image focuses on a part of the nebula known as the horse's "mane," which spans about 0.8 light-years and is approximately 1,300 light-ye...

NASA Astronauts Gear Up for Boeing’s Maiden Human Spaceflight

25Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA Astronauts Gear Up for Boeing’s Maiden Human Spaceflight

NASA has long been a symbol of human ingenuity and our collective quest to explore the cosmos. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the chosen pilots for Boeing's Starliner capsule, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This arrival marks a vital step in the preparation for the scheduled liftoff on May 6. The Starliner is set to take the astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for a week-long test run. The astronauts' arrival in Florida is not the beginning of their journey. They have been preparing for this mission for years. Training for space travel involves rigorous physical and mental conditioning. It also includes familiarization with the spacecraft, in this case, the Starliner capsule. This mission is not just a regular spaceflight; it is a te...

Ingenuity is The Final Flight of NASA’s Mars Helicopter

19Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

Ingenuity is The Final Flight of NASA’s Mars Helicopter

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has been a shining testament to human innovation and the boundless possibilities of space exploration. After completing its 72nd and last flight mission, the spacecraft has transitioned into a stationary testbed. On April 16th, 2024, NASA announced the end of an era for Ingenuity as it completed its final flight mission. The Mars Helicopter has been a trailblazer, capturing the fascination of space enthusiasts worldwide. The last flight was not without its challenges. It ended with a rough landing which significantly damaged the helicopter's blades, effectively grounding the once-flying device. Now, it stands on the Martian surface, its wings clipped but its mission far from over. Despite its grounding, Ingenuity continues to serve a critical funct...

NASA Says A Piece of Space Station Debris Lands in Florida Home

16Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA Says A Piece of Space Station Debris Lands in Florida Home

In March, a Florida homeowner reported a peculiar incident. A small, hand-sized chunk of metal had crashed into his property. Weighing less than two pounds, the object had a cylindrical shape and was made of a metal alloy. Its origins remained uncertain until NASA stepped in to investigate. NASA, upon hearing about the incident, quickly arranged to have the object brought to Kennedy Space Center for examination. NASA's experts performed a materials analysis and compared the object's dimensions and features to hardware released from the ISS. Based on these examinations, NASA concluded that the debris was a stanchion from the NASA flight support equipment used to mount the batteries on the cargo pallet. The object was made of Inconel, a metal alloy, and measured 4 inches in height and ...

Hunters of Loch Ness Creature Calls for NASA’s Expertise

12Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

Hunters of Loch Ness Creature Calls for NASA’s Expertise

The pursuit for the elusive Loch Ness creature, popularly known as Nessie, takes a new turn as the Loch Ness Centre in Scotland reaches out to an unexpected potential ally -- NASA. "We are determined to uncover the secrets of Loch Ness. Our ongoing quest for answers leads us to seek NASA's expert guidance." - Aimee Todd, Marketing Manager, Loch Ness Centre For over nine decades, reports of Nessie sightings have circulated without substantial evidence to validate their authenticity. The first organized surveillance of Loch Ness took place on its 90th anniversary, marking the beginning of the Loch Ness monster hunt, per the Independent. In an unprecedented move, the Loch Ness Centre has decided to leverage the power of social media to engage Nessie enthusiasts worldwide in reaching ...

NASA photos caught mysterious ‘surfboard’ orbiting the Moon

9Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA photos caught mysterious ‘surfboard’ orbiting the Moon

NASA, the space administration renowned for its explorations, recently captured an intriguing sight near the moon's surface. Is it a bird, is it a plane, or is it Superman? The recent images released by NASA would make anyone ponder. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), NASA's space probe, captured something unusual on the moon's surface. From afar, it looked like a thin horizontal line, much like a surfboard. Fans of Marvel Comics quickly related it to the Silver Surfer's board, but the truth was far from fiction. In a surprising revelation, the surfboard-like object did not belong to the realm of comics or superheroes. Nor was it a UFO. The entity belonged to South Korea. It was none other than the Danuri lunar orbiter, launched by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. The ...

NASA launches three sounding rockets into moon’s shadow during Solar Eclipse

8Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA launches three sounding rockets into moon’s shadow during Solar Eclipse

In a recent venture, NASA launched three sounding rockets into the moon's shadow during a solar eclipse. In a bid to understand how such celestial events impact Earth's atmosphere, the rockets were launched at different stages of the eclipse. NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia was the launch site for these rockets. The first Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) sounding rocket was launched 45 minutes before the eclipse. The second rocket took off at the peak of the eclipse, while the third was set off a few minutes later, according to the agency. NASA's mission aimed to study potential disturbances in Earth's ionosphere during a total solar eclipse. These disturbances could potentially impact radio and satellite communications, making this study crucial for ou...

Two Airplane-Sized Asteroids to Skirt Past Earth, Reports NASA

7Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

Two Airplane-Sized Asteroids to Skirt Past Earth, Reports NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that two asteroids, each comparable in size to an aircraft, are set to swoosh past our planet. NASA's website recently revealed that a duo of airplane-sized asteroids will perform a close flyby of Earth today. Intriguingly, a building-sized asteroid is also expected to approach our planet on the same day. Following this, two more asteroids will draw near to Earth on Monday. The three asteroids set to come close to Earth have an average size of around 73 meters. Any celestial object larger than approximately 150 meters and capable of approaching Earth within a certain distance is termed a potentially hazardous object by NASA. According to NASA's data, the asteroid 2024 FG will approach Earth up to a distance of ...

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Captures Rare Encounter with Korea’s Danuri Moon Orbiter

6Apr

By Varun KumarNo Comments

Science

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Captures Rare Encounter with Korea’s Danuri Moon Orbiter

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been orbiting and studying the Moon for the past 15 years. And yet, it's not every day that the LRO manages to capture images of another spacecraft in lunar orbit. During the period of March 5 and 6, 2024, the LRO, travelling in a nearly parallel orbit, managed to capture a series of images of Danuri. This was no simple task. The two spacecraft were moving in opposite directions, making the timing of the images crucial. To capture these images, the LRO operations team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, had to ensure that the LRO's camera was pointing to the right place at the right time. The relative velocities between the two spacecraft were approximately 7,200 miles (or 1,500 kilometers) per hour. Despite the ...