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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
A Swarm of SWIMming Robots
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When Europa Clipper reaches its destination in 2030, the spacecraft will prepare to aim an array of powerful science instruments toward Jupiter’s moon Europa during 49 flybys, looking for signs that the ocean beneath the moon’s icy crust could sustain life.
While the spacecraft, which launched Oct. 14, carries the most advanced science hardware NASA has ever sent to the outer solar system, teams are already developing the next generation of robotic concepts that could potentially plunge into the watery depths of Europa and other ocean worlds, taking the science even further.
SWIM PRACTICE
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Gateway Tops Off
This week Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element—a foundational component of the lunar outpost—received the xenon and liquid fuel tanks for its journey to the Moon. Once fully assembled and launched to lunar orbit, the element’s roll-out solar arrays—together about the size of an American football field end zone—will harness the sun’s energy to energize xenon gas and produce the thrust to get Gateway to the Moon’s orbit, where it will await the arrival of its first crew on the Artemis IV mission.
A DEEP SPACE POWERHOUSE
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THE UNIVERSE
Swift Reaches 20th Anniversary
After two decades in space, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory—a satellite that studies gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe—is performing better than ever thanks to a new operational strategy implemented earlier this year.
STUDYING THE COSMOS
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Making Mars’ Moons
A NASA study using a series of supercomputer simulations reveals a potential new solution to a longstanding Martian mystery: How did Mars get its moons? The first step, the findings say, may have involved the destruction of an asteroid.
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Spiderwebs on Mars
The Curiosity Mars rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey, a months-long trek to a formation called the boxwork, a set of weblike patterns on Mars’ surface that stretches for miles.
LEARN MORE
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Normally found only in heavy metal bands or certain post-apocalyptic films, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope have spotted a “flame-throwing guitar” moving through space. | | |
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Recently recognized as the most prestigious internship program by Vault.com, NASA has empowered countless students and early-career professionals to launch careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. | | |
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In an extraordinary stroke of luck, the outer debris disk surrounding a young, newly discovered planet has been sharply warped, exposing the baby world to extensive transit observations by TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). | | |
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With NASA’s fleet of heliophysics spacecraft, scientists monitor our Sun and investigate its influences throughout the solar system. But sometimes the fleet’s constant watch and often- unique perspectives create opportunities to make discoveries no one expected. | | |
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For the 14th consecutive year, NASA’s fiscal year financial statements have received an unmodified, or “clean,” opinion from an external auditor. The rating is the best possible audit opinion, certifying that NASA’s financial statements conform with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for federal agencies and accurately present the agency’s financial position. The audit opinion reaffirms the agency’s commitment to transparency in the use of American taxpayers’ dollars. | |
In 1973, Thanksgiving fell on Nov. 22, and on that day the crew aboard the Skylab space station became the first astronauts to celebrate Thanksgiving in space. Although they didn’t partake in a special meal for the occasion, the three astronauts had skipped lunch while Ed Gibson and Bill Pogue completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk, and made up for it by enjoying two meals for dinner. | |
| Which one of these foods was not available on Skylab? | | | |
Find out the answer in next week's edition of the NASA newsletter 🤓 | | |
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Last week we asked how far from Surveyor III did Intrepid land. The answer? 535 feet! Astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean demonstrated that a precision lunar landing with the Apollo system was possible, enabling all of the targeted landings that followed. | |
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NASA’s Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium is pleased to announce the 16th Annual First Nations Launch National Rocket Competition! This competition is an opportunity for students attending a Tribal College or University (TCU), a Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution (NASNTI), or who are active members of an American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) collegiate chapter at a non-TCU/NASNTI university/college to design, build, and fly a high-powered rocket to be launched at a competition at the Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Kansasville, WI.
FIRST NATIONS LAUNCH COMPETITION
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.
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