There has been a lot of talk lately of self-driving cars, but farmers have already been making good use of self-driving tractors for more than a decade—in part due to a partnership between John Deere and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on GPS receivers. The story starts with GPS, which was still new in the […]
New Atmosphere Wind/Temperature Sensor To Improve Space Weather Prediction
Global wind and temperature measurements in the lower thermosphere (100-150 km above Earth) are the two most important variables needed to accurately predict space weather and climate change. An innovative technique is being developed jointly by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, GSFC, and JPL to make these measurements using the atomic oxygen emission […]
Kilopower: What’s Next?
When astronauts someday venture to the Moon, Mars and other destinations, one of the first and most important resources they will need is power. A reliable and efficient power system will be essential for day-to-day necessities, such as lighting, water and oxygen, and for mission objectives, like running experiments and producing fuel for the long […]
NASA Fosters STEM Education Through CubeSat Class In Tennessee
NASA is on a mission to inspire young minds to become the next generation of critical thinkers. By engaging students in space exploration at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, NASA encourages learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a way that fosters hands-on learning and discovery. “As more states […]
Prototype Space Sensors Take Test Ride On NASA ER-2
Scientists recently completed test flights with prototypes of potential satellite sensors over the Western United States probing basic science questions about aerosols, clouds, air quality and global ocean ecosystems. The flight campaign called Aerosol Characterization from Polarimeter and Lidar (ACEPOL) sought to test capabilities of several proposed instruments for the Aerosol-Cloud-Ecosystem (ACE) pre-formulation study. Aerosols are small solid […]
Next Mars Rover Will Have 23 ‘Eyes’
When NASA’s Mars Pathfinder touched down in 1997, it had five cameras: two on a mast that popped up from the lander, and three on NASA’s first rover, Sojourner. Since then, camera technology has taken a quantum leap. Photo sensors that were improved by the space program have become commercially ubiquitous. Cameras have shrunk in […]
Take A Walk On Mars — In Your Own Living Room
When NASA scientists want to follow the path of the Curiosity rover on Mars, they can don a mixed-reality headset and virtually explore the Martian landscape. Starting today, everyone can get a taste of what that feels like. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, collaborated with Google to produce Access Mars, a free immersive experience. It’s […]
Two For The Crew 3-D Design Challenge Seeks Students To Invent Multi-Use Tools
This fall, NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Foundation are challenging students to use their ingenuity to create a helpful tool that combines the functions of two objects being used by crew aboard the International Space Station. The national Future Engineers Two for the Crew Challenge provides an exciting opportunity for K-12 students […]
NASA Shake Testing Helps Make Safer Cars
When handling a multi-billion-dollar space telescope, you want to be pretty careful not to jostle it — unless it’s your job to shake it with 100,000 pounds of force, that is. In order to ensure the James Webb Space Telescope can survive its rocket launch — before it gets to its destination a million miles away, […]
An Algorithm Helps Protect Mars Curiosity’s Wheels
There are no mechanics on Mars, so the next best thing for NASA’s Curiosity rover is careful driving. A new algorithm is helping the rover do just that. The software, referred to as traction control, adjusts the speed of Curiosity’s wheels depending on the rocks it’s climbing. After 18 months of testing at NASA’s Jet […]