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Radar images of newly discov
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8/26/99
| Date |
8/26/99 |
| Description |
Radar images of newly discovered 1999 JM8, an unusually large asteroid with a slow rotation rate, reveal the object's bizarre shape as it streaked past Earth in late July and early August at a close approach of 8.5 million kilometers (5.3 million miles), about 22 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. The object, thought to be several miles wide, was captured by a radar team led by Dr. Lance Benner of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, after its discovery on May 13, 1999, using NASA's Goldstone radar facility in California and the Arecibo Observatory's radar in Puerto Rico. The images, clockwise from the top left, were taken on August 5, July 28, August 2 and August 1. Radar illumination is from the top and the asteroid's rotation is clockwise. The Goldstone images taken on July 28 have a vertical resolution of 38 meters per pixel and those taken on August 1 have a vertical resolution of 19 meters per pixel. The images taken by the Arecibo Observatory on August 2 and 5 have a vertical resolution of 15 meters per pixel. 1999 JM8 resembles Toutatis, a similarly sized, slowly rotating asteroid that also crosses Earth's orbit and that last flew past the planet on November 29, 1996, at a close approach of 5.3 million kilometers (3.3 million miles). Discovery of a second large Earth-crosser with a similarly slow spin rate suggests that slowly tumbling asteroids are fairly common among near-Earth objects. However, although collisions are thought to be the primary process determining asteroid spin states, astronomers do not know how these slow, complex rotation states come about. 1999 JM8 was discovered with a U. S. Air Force telescope in New Mexico that is part of MIT's Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research project. Radar observations by Ostro, Benner and their team were supported by NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. The Goldstone Solar System Radar is part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The Arecibo Observatory, in Puerto Rico, is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, which is operated by the Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation and with support from NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
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The Saturn-bound Cassini spa
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8/16/99
| Date |
8/16/99 |
| Description |
The Saturn-bound Cassini spacecraft will fly past the Earth Tuesday, August 17, at 8:28 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (August 18 at 03:28 Universal Time). Launched in October 1997, Cassini will gain a boost in speed during its Earth flyby, which occurs at an altitude of 1,166 kilometers (725 miles) over the eastern South Pacific at -23.5 degrees latitude and 231.5 degrees longitude. Two successful flybys of Venus, next week's flyby of Earth, and a flyby of Jupiter in December 2000 all give Cassini the additional speed it needs to reach Saturn in 2004. Cassini is a joint endeavor of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, and is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. [Image for NASA-JPL was created by John Aiello of JPL.] |
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Sulfuric Acid on Europa
Frozen sulfuric acid on Jupi
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9/1/99
| Date |
9/1/99 |
| Description |
Frozen sulfuric acid on Jupiter's moon Europa is depicted in this image produced from data gathered by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The brightest areas, where the yellow is most intense, represent regions of high frozen sulfuric acid concentration. Sulfuric acid is found in battery acid and in Earth's acid rain. This image is based on data gathered by Galileo's near infrared mapping spectrometer. Europa's leading hemisphere is toward the bottom right, and there are enhanced concentrations of sulfuric acid in the trailing side of Europa (the upper left side of the image). This is the face of Europa that is struck by sulfur ions coming from Jupiter's innermost moon, Io. The long, narrow features that crisscross Europa also show sulfuric acid that may be from sulfurous material extruded in cracks. Galileo, launched in 1989, has been orbiting Jupiter and its moons since December 1995. JPL manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
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Airborne images of the Willo
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9/3/99
| Date |
9/3/99 |
| Description |
Airborne images of the Willow fire in Southern California's San Bernardino County, taken September 1 from a NASA ER-2 airplane, show the blaze in wavelengths that are not visible to the naked eye and would vastly improve firefighters' ability to contain them. Whereas the human eye can only see in the visible portion of the light spectrum, from 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers, NASA's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer, known as AVIRIS, measures the full spectrum of light from 400 nanometers to 2,500 nanometers. (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.) The color portion of the first set of images, beginning at the left, shows the Willow fire as it was seen from an aircraft on September 1. Vegetation is dark green and smoke can be seen rising from the fire. To the left of the color image is the first infrared image taken at a wavelength of 500 nanometers. The light is diffused by smoke particles and vegetation appears dark due to the absorption of chlorophyll molecules. In the next spectral image, taken at 1,000 nanometers, less of the light is scattered by the smoke and the surface near the fire is seen more clearly. At this wavelength of light, healthy vegetation appears bright because of the light scattering of leaves, while scorched vegetation appears dark. At the still longer wavelength of 1,500 nanometers, the smoke is nearly transparent. At this wavelength, AVIRIS began to clearly measure the actual light coming from the burning fire. At 2,000 nanometers, only light from the burning fires can be seen. In this image the major fires and many small hotspots can be seen. In the future, AVIRIS will continue to be used to gather valuable information on forest fire risk in both wilderness and urban areas. Currently, important research is being pursued by Drs. Dar Roberts of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Susan Ustin of the University of California, Davis and John Gamon of California State University, Los Angeles, as well as many others. AVIRIS was designed, built and is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. With full spectral coverage, AVIRIS data are used to carry out a range of research activities and applications covering ecology, geology, coastal and inland water studies, snow and ice studies, wild fires, environmental contamination and urban studies. Data collection is made possible by NASA's ER-2 aircraft, which is housed at the Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
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Airborne images of the Willo
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9/3/99
| Date |
9/3/99 |
| Description |
Airborne images of the Willow fire in Southern California's San Bernardino County, taken September 1 from a NASA ER-2 airplane, show the blaze in wavelengths that are not visible to the naked eye. This set of infrared snapshots, taken by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer, represents all of the infrared camera's 224 spectral channels, stacked in the image-cube format to depict the full AVIRIS measurement. The top and right panels show the full spectrum measured for each spatial element along the along the edge of the image. Spectroscopic or color analysis enables scientists to determine temperature variations, adjacent vegetation type and biomass, as well as the water content of leaves in the vegetation. These are important factors for understanding, controlling and extinguishing fires. AVIRIS was designed, built and is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. Data collection are made possible by NASA's ER-2 aircraft, which is housed at the Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
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TOPEX/La Nina
The cold pool of water in th
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3/10/99
| Date |
3/10/99 |
| Description |
The cold pool of water in the Pacific known as "La Nina" still persists, although it is slowly weakening, according to scientists studying new data from the U.S.-French TOPEX/Poseidon satellite. A new image, produced using sea-surface height measurements taken by the satellite, is available on the Internet at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/elnino/ . It shows sea-surface height on February 27, 1999 relative to normal ocean conditions, reflecting the heat content of the ocean. The low sea level or cold pool of water along the equator (shown in purple and blue), commonly referred to as La Nina, still dominates the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This La Nina, which first appeared in May through June 1998, still persists, although it is slowly weakening, scientists say. Given its persistence and present strength, the ocean cooling trend is expected to continue to exert a strong influence on global climate systems throughout the spring and into the early summer. This situation is similar to the 1997-1998 El Nino, which extended into late summer 1998. The world's oceans are the great reservoirs of heat that influence global climate because they can cool or heat the atmosphere above. This transfer of heat drives weather patterns across both land and sea. La Nina provides a physical link connecting the large, slow changes in the ocean with predictable changes in day-to-day weather. "La Nina shifts the high-altitude weather highway known as the 'jet stream,'" said Dr. William Patzert, an oceanographer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "It funnels storm tracks to the Pacific Northwest, which has resulted in heavy rainfall and lots of snow in that region so far, as well as the upper Midwest. Much of the Southwest, by contrast, has been shielded from stormy weather and, as a result, has received significantly less precipitation than normal to date. "This year's La Nina was average in its intensity, but at its peak, it was associated with a 15- to- 20-centimeter deep trough (6 to 8 inches) in the central tropical Pacific," Patzert said. "The depression was correlated with a 2- to- 3-degree Centigrade (about 3.5 to 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit) dip in normal ocean surface temperatures." The image also shows that the very large, unusual area of higher or warmer water (shown here in red and white) in the western Pacific Ocean, from the tropics to the Gulf of Alaska, continues to expand. Although the appearance of this feature is not fully understood, it is recognized as influential to overall weather and climate. The white areas in the image indicate that the sea-surface height is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal, in the red areas, sea-surface height is about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal. The green areas indicate normal conditions. The purple areas are between 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal, and the blue areas are between 5 to 13 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) below normal. The TOPEX/Poseidon mission is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. ##### |
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Saturn's Ring Shadow, Then a
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| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
The image on the left was taken on Nov. 1, 1980, by NASA's Voyager spacecraft from a distance of 5.3 million kilometers (3.3 million miles). It shows a very strong narrow shadow cast on the equatorial region of Saturn's atmosphere by the rings. During the Voyager encounters, the Sun was close to the plane of the rings so that the ring shadow was very deep and localized to low latitudes. Radio signals detected by Voyager were interpreted as lightning coming from a persistent, extended storm system at low latitudes. It is possible that the ring shadow was partly responsible for generating this storm by promoting strong convection at the boundary of the colder shadowed atmosphere and the adjoining sunlit atmosphere. This image was previously released on June 19, 1999. For original caption see PIA00335. The image on the right was acquired by the Cassini spacecraft on May 10, 2004, from a distance of 27.2 million kilometers (16.9 million miles) and shows the complex set of ring shadows cast over a large region of Saturn's northern hemisphere. This shadow pattern is due to the Sun being well below the ring plane during Cassini's approach to Saturn. This image was previously release on May 25, 2004. For original caption see PIA05394. Unlike the situation when NASA's Voyager spacecraft flew by Saturn, these ring shadows are not as deep and are not localized at a very narrow range of latitudes. Should these shadows drive convection in Saturn's atmosphere, the location would likely be very much different than the near-equatorial shadow observed by the Voyagers in the early 1980s. It is possible that this very different ring shadow geometry is one reason for different morphologies of thunderstorms observed by Cassini and Voyager. Voyager observed lightning apparently from one persistent, low-latitude storm system, whereas Cassini observes lightning from storms which seem to come and go on time scales of a day or so, and perhaps from more than one storm system at a time. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The radio and plasma wave science team is based at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/plasma-wave/cassini/home.html . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Iowa |
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Olympus Mons, 1998
| title |
Olympus Mons, 1998 |
| date |
04.25.1998 |
| description |
Olympus Mons is a mountain of mystery. Taller than three Mount Everests and about as wide as the entire Hawaiian Island chain, this giant volcano is nearly as flat as a pancake. That is, its flanks typically only slope 20 to 50. The Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) obtained this spectacular wide-angle view of Olympus Mons on Mars Global Surveyor's 263rd orbit, around 10:40 p.m. PDT on April 25, 1998. In the view presented here, north is to the left and east is up. The spacecraft was traveling from north to south (left to right). Although the camera looks straight down (towards the nadir) and cannot be pointed to the side, the wide angle camera has such a large field of view (it sees from horizon to horizon) that, in effect, it provides side looking views. Unlike some other MOC images, that have had to be warped to provide a view as if seen from a certain direction and altitude, this image shows what the camera saw without additional processing. It is easy to imagine that you are looking out a window at the surface of Mars from about 900 km (560 miles) up. The image was taken on a cool, crisp winter morning. The west side of the volcano (lower portion of view, above) was clear and details on the surface appear very sharp. The skies above the plains to the east of Olympus Mons (upper portion of view) were cloudy. Clouds were lapping against the lower east flanks of this 26 kilometers (16 miles) high volcano, but the summit skies were clear. When Mars Global Surveyor attains its Mapping Orbit in March 1999, the MOC wide angle camera system will be used to make daily, global maps of martian clouds and weather systems. The wide angle images will resemble weather satellite pictures of Earth, and will help the Mars science teams plan their observations and test computer-driven Mars weather prediction models. Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. Image Note: This color picture was made using MOC red wide angle image 26301 and blue wide angle image 26302. The green channel was synthesized by averaging the red and blue bands. Color is not the true color of Mars as it would appear to the human eye (the actual colors would be more pale and contrast more subdued) *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
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Borrelly's Rugged Surface
| title |
Borrelly's Rugged Surface |
| date |
09.22.2001 |
| description |
In this highest resolution view of the icy, rocky nucleus of comet Borrelly, (about 45 meters or 150 feet per pixel) a variety of terrains and surface textures, mountains and fault structures, and darkened material are visible over the nucleus's surface. This was the final image of the nucleus of comet Borrelly, taken just 160 seconds before Deep Space 1's closest approach to it. This image shows the 8-km (5-mile) long nucleus about 3417 kilometers (over 2,000 miles) away. Smooth, rolling plains containing brighter regions are present in the middle of the nucleus and seem to be the source of dust jets seen in the coma. The rugged land found at both ends of the nucleus has many high ridges along the jagged line between day and night on the comet. This rough terrain contains very dark patches that appear to be elevated compared to surrounding areas. In some places the dark material accentuates grooves and apparent faults. Stereo analysis shows the smaller end of the nucleus (lower right) is tipped toward the viewer (out of frame). Sunlight is coming from the bottom of the frame. Deep Space 1 completed its primary mission testing ion propulsion and 11 other advanced, high-risk technologies in September 1999. NASA extended the mission, taking advantage of the ion propulsion and other systems to undertake this chancy but exciting, and ultimately successful, encounter with the comet. More information can be found on the Deep Space 1 home page at http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds1/. Deep Space 1 was launched in October 1998 as part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The California Institute of Technology manages JPL for NASA. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL |
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Comet Borrelly Composite
| title |
Comet Borrelly Composite |
| date |
09.22.2001 |
| description |
A composite of images from NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft shows features of comet Borrelly's nucleus, dust jets escaping the nucleus and the cloud-like "coma" of dust and gases surrounding the nucleus. False color is used to reveal details of the jets and coma. The images were taken when Deep Space 1 was about 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) from Borrelly during a Sept. 22, 2001, flyby. Borrelly's nucleus is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from end to end, so the field of view is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) across. The Sun shines from the bottom of the image. The main dust jet, seen extending toward the bottom left, heads away from the comet in a direction that is about 30 degrees off the direction straight toward the Sun from the comet. The colors show about three orders of magnitude in the brightness of the dust jets and coma. Red indicates about one-tenth the brightness as the brightness of the nucleus, blue one-one-hundredth, purple one-one-thousandth. The red bumps near the nucleus indicate where the jet resolves into three distinct, narrow jets, which likely come from discrete source points on the surface. Deep Space 1 completed its primary mission testing ion propulsion and 11 other advanced, high-risk technologies in September 1999. NASA extended the mission, taking advantage of the ion propulsion and other systems to undertake this encounter with the comet. More information can be found on the Deep Space 1 home page. Deep Space 1 was launched Oct. 24, 1998, as part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The California Institute of Technology manages JPL for NASA. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL |
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Mars Climate Orbiter
| Title |
Mars Climate Orbiter |
| Full Description |
The Mars Surveyor '98 Climate Orbiter is shown here during acoustic tests that simulate launch conditions. The orbiter was to conduct a two year primary mission to profile the Martian atmosphere and map the surface. To carry out these scientific objectives, the spacecraft carried a rebuilt version of the pressure modulated infrared radiometer, lost with the Mars Observer spacecraft, and a miniaturized dual camera system the size of a pair of binoculars, provided by Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, California. During its primary mission, the orbiter was to monitor Mars atmosphere and surface globally on a daily basis for one Martian year (two Earth years), observing the appearance and movement of atmospheric dust and water vapor, as well as characterizing seasonal changes of the planet's surface. Imaging of the surface morphology would also provide important clues about the planet's climate in its early history. The mission was part of NASA's Mars Surveyor program, a sustained program of robotic exploration of the red planet, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. Lockheed Martin Astronautics was NASA's industrial partner in the mission. Unfortunately, Mars Climate Orbiter burned up in the Martian atmosphere on September 23, 1999, due to a metric conversion error that caused the spacecraft to be off course. |
| Date |
05/27/1998 |
| NASA Center |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
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Future Flight Central
| Title |
Future Flight Central |
| Full Description |
NASA "Future Flight Central," the world's first full-scale virtual airport control tower, opened December 13, 1999 at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. Constructed at a cost of $10 million, the two story facility was jointly funded by NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The facility is designed to test ways to solve potential air and ground traffic problems at commercial airports under realistic airport conditions and configurations. The facility provides an opportunity for airlines and airports to mitigate passenger delays by fine tuning airport hub operations, gate management, ramp movement procedures, and various other airport improvements. Twelve rear projection screens provide a seamless 360 degree high- resolution view of the airport or other screens being depicted. The imaging system, powered by supercomputers, provides a realistic view of weather conditions, enviromental and seasonal effects and the movement of up to 200 active aircraft and ground vehicles. |
| Date |
12/13/1999 |
| NASA Center |
Ames Research Center |
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Global Image of Io
| Title |
Global Image of Io |
| Full Description |
NASA's Galileo spacecraft acquired its highest resolution images of Jupiter's moon Io on July 3, 1999 during its closest pass to Io since orbit insertion in late 1995. This color mosaic uses the near-infrared, green and violet filters (slightly more than the visible range) of the spacecraft's camera and approximates what the human eye would see. Most of Io's surface has pastel colors, punctuated by black, brown, green, orange, and red units near the active volcanic centers. A false color version of the mosaic has been created to enhance the contrast of the color variations. The improved resolution reveals small-scale color units which had not been recognized previously and which suggest that the lavas and sulfurous deposits are composed of complex mixtures. Some of the bright (whitish), high-latitude (near the top and bottom) deposits have an ethereal quality like a transparent covering of frost. Bright red areas were seen previously only as diffuse deposits. However, they are now seen to exist as both diffuse deposits and sharp linear features like fissures. Some volcanic centers have bright and colorful flows, perhaps due to flows of sulfur rather than silicate lava. In this region bright, white material can also be seen to emanate from linear rifts and cliffs. Comparison of this image to previous Galileo images reveals many changes due to the ongoing volcanic activity. North is towards the top of the picture and the sun illuminates the surface from almost directly behind the spacecraft. This illumination geometry is good for imaging color variations, but poor for imaging topographic shading. However, some topographic shading can be seen here due to the combination of relatively high resolution (1.3 kilometers or 0.8 miles per picture element) and the rugged topography over parts of Io. The image is centered at 0.3 degrees north latitude and 137.5 degrees west longitude. The resolution is 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) per picture element. The images were taken on July 3, 1999 at a range of about 130,000 kilometers (81,000 miles) by the Solid State Imaging (SSI) system on NASA's Galileo spacecraft during its twenty-first orbit. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. |
| Date |
08/27/1999 |
| NASA Center |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
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Ion Engine Test Firing
| Title |
Ion Engine Test Firing |
| Full Description |
This image of a xenon ion engine, photographed through a port of the vacuum chamber where it was being tested at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shows the faint blue glow of charged atoms being emitted from the engine. The ion propulsion engine is the first non-chemical propulsion to be used as the primary means of propelling a spacecraft. The first flight in NASA's New Millennium Program, Deep Space 1 is designed to validate 12 new technologies for scientific space missions of the next century. Ion propulsion was first proposed in the 1950s and NASA performed experiments on this highly efficient propulsion system in the 1960s, but it was not used aboard an American spacecraft until the 1990s. Deep Space 1 was launched in October 1998 as part of NASA's New Millennium Program, which is managed by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA. The almost imperceptible thrust from the ion propulsion system is equivalent to the pressure exerted by a sheet of paper held in the palm of your hand. The ion engine is very slow to pick up speed, but over the long haul it can deliver 10 times as much thrust per pound of fuel as more traditional rockets. Unlike the fireworks of most chemical rockets using solid or liquid fuels, the ion drive emits only an eerie blue glow as ionized (electrically charged) atoms of xenon are pushed out of the engine. Xenon is the same gas found in photo flash tubes and many lighthouse bulbs. |
| Date |
01/01/1999 |
| NASA Center |
Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
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X-34 at NASA Dryden Flight R
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| Title |
X-34 at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center |
| Full Description |
This is the X-34 Technology Testbed Demonstrator being delivered to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The X-34 will demonstrate key vehicle and operational technologies applicable to future low-cost resuable launch vehicles. |
| Date |
04/16/1999 |
| NASA Center |
Dryden Flight Research Center |
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X-38 Ship #2 in Free Flight
| Title |
X-38 Ship #2 in Free Flight |
| Full Description |
The X-38, a research vehicle built to help develop technology for an emergency Crew Return Vehicle (CRV), descends under its steerable parachute during a July 1999 test flight at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. It was the fourth free flight of the test vehicles in the X-38 program, and the second free flight test of Vehicle 132 or Ship 2. The goal of this flight was to release the vehicle from a higher altitude (31,500 feet) and to fly the vehicle longer (31 seconds) than any previous X-38 vehicle had yet flown. The project team also conducted aerodynamic verification maneuvers and checked improvements made to the drogue parachute. The X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) research project is designed to develop the technology for a prototype emergency crew return vehicle, or lifeboat, for the International Space Station. The project is also intended to develop a crew return vehicle design that could be modified for other uses, such as a joint U.S. and international human spacecraft that could be launched on the French Ariane-5 Booster. The X-38 project is using available technology and off-the- shelf equipment to significantly decrease development costs. |
| Date |
07/01/1999 |
| NASA Center |
Dryden Flight Research Center |
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Hubble Captures a Grand View
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| Title |
Hubble Captures a Grand View of the Birth of "Hefty" Stars |
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The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A P
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| Title |
The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A Planetary Nebula in the Making |
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The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A P
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| Title |
The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A Planetary Nebula in the Making |
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The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A P
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| Title |
The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A Planetary Nebula in the Making |
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The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A P
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| Title |
The "Rotten Egg" Nebula: A Planetary Nebula in the Making |
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Hubble Finds More Evidence o
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| Title |
Hubble Finds More Evidence of Galactic Cannibalism |
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Hubble Completes Eight-Year
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| Title |
Hubble Completes Eight-Year Effort to Measure Expanding Universe |
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Hubble Captures a Grand View
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| Title |
Hubble Captures a Grand View of the Birth of "Hefty" Stars |
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Hubble Unveils a Galaxy in L
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| Title |
Hubble Unveils a Galaxy in Living Color |
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Dying Star Sculpts Rungs of
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| Title |
Dying Star Sculpts Rungs of Gas and Dust |
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Hubble's Largest Galaxy Port
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| Title |
Hubble's Largest Galaxy Portrait Offers a New High-Definition View |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Giant galaxies weren?t assembled in a day. Neither was this Hubble Space Telescope image of the face-on spiral galaxy Messier 101 (M101). It is the largest and most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy that has ever been released from Hubble. The galaxy?s portrait is actually composed of 51 individual exposures taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in March 1994, September 1994, June 1999, November 2002, and January 2003. The newly composed image also includes elements from images from ground-based photos. |
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Hubble's Largest Galaxy Port
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| Title |
Hubble's Largest Galaxy Portrait Offers a New High-Definition View |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Giant galaxies weren?t assembled in a day. Neither was this Hubble Space Telescope image of the face-on spiral galaxy Messier 101 (M101). It is the largest and most detailed photo of a spiral galaxy that has ever been released from Hubble. The galaxy?s portrait is actually composed of 51 individual exposures taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in March 1994, September 1994, June 1999, November 2002, and January 2003. The newly composed image also includes elements from images from ground-based photos. |
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Dying Star Sculpts Rungs of
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| Title |
Dying Star Sculpts Rungs of Gas and Dust |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Stellar Survivor from 1572 A
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| Title |
Stellar Survivor from 1572 A.D. Explosion Supports Supernova Theory |
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Hubble Zooms In on Heart of
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| Title |
Hubble Zooms In on Heart of Mystery Comet |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Finds that Earth is S
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| Title |
Hubble Finds that Earth is Safe from One Class of Gamma-ray Burst |
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Hubble Yields Direct Proof o
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| Title |
Hubble Yields Direct Proof of Stellar Sorting in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Yields Direct Proof o
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| Title |
Hubble Yields Direct Proof of Stellar Sorting in a Globular Cluster |
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Hubble Yields Direct Proof o
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| Title |
Hubble Yields Direct Proof of Stellar Sorting in a Globular Cluster |
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Planet Hunter Geoff Marcy to
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| Title |
Planet Hunter Geoff Marcy to Give Annual John N. Bahcall Public Lecture Dec. 11 |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. Dr. Geoffrey Marcy, professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, will deliver the annual John N. Bahcall Public Lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Tues., Dec. 11, 2007 at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater in Washington, D.C. Dr. Marcy will discuss conditions that would need to be present for life to exist on other planets in a talk titled "New Worlds, Yellowstone, and Life in the Universe." Guests attending this free lecture will learn how extreme forms of life found at Yellowstone National Park can teach of the harsh conditions in which life can exist on other planets. Read more: * The Full Story [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/43/full/ ] |
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Great Zoom out of Channel Is
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| Title |
Great Zoom out of Channel Islands, CA (Anacapa Island) |
| Abstract |
Using data from different spacecraft and some powerful computer technology, visualizers at the Goddard Space Flight Center present you with a collection of American cities in a way you have never seen them before. Starting with our camera high above the Earth, we rush in towards the surface at what would be an impossible speed for any known vehicle. Passing though layers of atmosphere, the colors of our destinations shimmer with their own unique characteristics, and suddenly we find ourselves floating in virtual space just above the ground. This particular zoom was created in support of a JASON project video for NASA/GSFC/Code 935. |
| Completed |
2003-01-08 |
|
Great Zoom into Channel Isla
…
| Title |
Great Zoom into Channel Islands, CA (Anacapa Island) |
| Abstract |
Using data from different spacecraft and some powerful computer technology, visualizers at the Goddard Space Flight Center present you with a collection of American cities in a way you have never seen them before. Starting with our camera high above the Earth, we rush in towards the surface at what would be an impossible speed for any known vehicle. Passing though layers of atmosphere, the colors of our destinations shimmer with their own unique characteristics, and suddenly we find ourselves floating in virtual space just above the ground. This particular zoom was created in support of a JASON project video for NASA/GSFC/Code 935. |
| Completed |
2003-01-08 |
|
Full Flyover Santa Barbara
| Title |
Full Flyover Santa Barbara |
| Abstract |
Flying over the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, Ca. |
| Completed |
1999-11-01 |
|
SR-71 Pilot Rogers E. Smith
| Photo Description |
Research pilot Rogers E. Smith is shown here in front of the SR-71 Blackbird he flew for NASA. Rogers was one of the two original NASA research pilots assigned to the SR-71 high speed research program at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Smith has been a NASA research pilot at Dryden since 1982. Data from the SR-71 program will be used to aid designers of future supersonic aircraft and propulsion systems. The SR-71 is capable of flying more than 2200 mph (Mach 3+) and at altitudes of over 80,000 feet. |
| Project Description |
Two SR-71 aircraft have been used by NASA as testbeds for high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research. The aircraft, an SR-71A and an SR-71B pilot trainer aircraft, have been based here at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. They were transferred to NASA after the U.S. Air Force program was cancelled. As research platforms, the aircraft can cruise at Mach 3 for more than one hour. For thermal experiments, this can produce heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees Fahrenheit (F). This operating environment makes these aircraft excellent platforms to carry out research and experiments in a variety of areas -- aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, high-speed and high-temperature instrumentation, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization. The SR-71 was used in a program to study ways of reducing sonic booms or over pressures that are heard on the ground, much like sharp thunderclaps, when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Data from this Sonic Boom Mitigation Study could eventually lead to aircraft designs that would reduce the "peak" overpressures of sonic booms and minimize the startling affect they produce on the ground. One of the first major experiments to be flown in the NASA SR-71 program was a laser air data collection system. It used laser light instead of air pressure to produce airspeed and attitude reference data, such as angle of attack and sideslip, which are normally obtained with small tubes and vanes extending into the airstream. One of Dryden's SR-71s was used for the Linear Aerospike Rocket Engine, or LASRE Experiment. Another earlier project consisted of a series of flights using the SR-71 as a science camera platform for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. An upward-looking ultraviolet video camera placed in the SR-71?s nosebay studied a variety of celestial objects in wavelengths that are blocked to ground-based astronomers. Earlier in its history, Dryden had a decade of past experience at sustained speeds above Mach 3. Two YF-12A aircraft and an SR-71 designated as a YF-12C were flown at the center between December 1969 and November 1979 in a joint NASA/USAF program to learn more about the capabilities and limitations of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The YF-12As were prototypes of a planned interceptor aircraft based on a design that later evolved into the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Dave Lux was the NASA SR-71 project manger for much of the decade of the 1990s, followed by Steve Schmidt. Developed for the USAF as reconnaissance aircraft more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. The aircraft can fly at speeds of more than 2,200 miles per hour (Mach 3+, or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet. The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. Each aircraft is 107.4 feet long, has a, wingspan of 55.6 feet, and is 18.5 feet high (from the ground to the top of the rudders, when parked). Gross takeoff weight is about 140,000 pounds, including a possible fuel weight of 80,280 pounds. The airframes are built almost entirely of titanium and titanium alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained Mach 3 flight. Aerodynamic control surfaces consist of all-moving vertical tail surfaces, ailerons on the outer wings, and elevators on the trailing edges between the engine exhaust nozzles. The two SR-71s at Dryden have been assigned the following NASA tail numbers: NASA 844 (A model), military serial 61-7980 and NASA 831 (B model), military serial 61-7956. From 1990 through 1994, Dryden also had another "A" model, NASA 832, military serial 61-7971. This aircraft was returned to the USAF inventory and was the first aircraft reactivated for USAF reconnaissance purposes in 1995. It has since returned to Dryden along with SR-71A 61-7967. The last SR-71 flight was made on Saturday October 9, 1999, at the Edwards AFB air show. The aircraft used was NASA 844. The aircraft was also scheduled to make a flight the following day, but a fuel leak grounded the aircraft and prevented it from flying again. The NASA SR-71s were then put in flyable storage, where they remained until 2002. They were then sent to museums. |
| Photo Date |
1992 |
|
SR-71 on Ramp
| Photo Description |
NASA's SR-71A, used for high-speed, high-altitude aeronautical research, is seen here on the ramp outside its main building hangar at the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later, Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. NASA operated two of these unique aircraft, an SR-71A and an SR-71B pilot trainer during the decade of the 1990s. The SR-71 was designed and built by the Lockheed Skunk Works, now Lockheed Martin. Studies have shown that less than 20 percent of the total thrust used to fly at Mach 3 is produced by the basic engine itself. The balance of the total thrust is produced by the unique design of the engine inlet and "moveable spike" system at the front of the engine nacelles, and by the ejector nozzles at the exhaust. Data from the SR-71 high speed research program will be used to aid designers of future supersonic/hypersonic aircraft and propulsion systems. |
| Project Description |
Two SR-71 aircraft have been used by NASA as testbeds for high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research. The aircraft, an SR-71A and an SR-71B pilot trainer aircraft, have been based here at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. They were transferred to NASA after the U.S. Air Force program was cancelled. As research platforms, the aircraft can cruise at Mach 3 for more than one hour. For thermal experiments, this can produce heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees Fahrenheit (F). This operating environment makes these aircraft excellent platforms to carry out research and experiments in a variety of areas -- aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, thermal protection materials, high-speed and high-temperature instrumentation, atmospheric studies, and sonic boom characterization. The SR-71 was used in a program to study ways of reducing sonic booms or over pressures that are heard on the ground, much like sharp thunderclaps, when an aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. Data from this Sonic Boom Mitigation Study could eventually lead to aircraft designs that would reduce the "peak" overpressures of sonic booms and minimize the startling affect they produce on the ground. One of the first major experiments to be flown in the NASA SR-71 program was a laser air data collection system. It used laser light instead of air pressure to produce airspeed and attitude reference data, such as angle of attack and sideslip, which are normally obtained with small tubes and vanes extending into the airstream. One of Dryden's SR-71s was used for the Linear Aerospike Rocket Engine, or LASRE Experiment. Another earlier project consisted of a series of flights using the SR-71 as a science camera platform for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. An upward-looking ultraviolet video camera placed in the SR-71?s nosebay studied a variety of celestial objects in wavelengths that are blocked to ground-based astronomers. Earlier in its history, Dryden had a decade of past experience at sustained speeds above Mach 3. Two YF-12A aircraft and an SR-71 designated as a YF-12C were flown at the center between December 1969 and November 1979 in a joint NASA/USAF program to learn more about the capabilities and limitations of high-speed, high-altitude flight. The YF-12As were prototypes of a planned interceptor aircraft based on a design that later evolved into the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. Dave Lux was the NASA SR-71 project manger for much of the decade of the 1990s, followed by Steve Schmidt. Developed for the USAF as reconnaissance aircraft more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. The aircraft can fly at speeds of more than 2,200 miles per hour (Mach 3+, or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet. The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. Each aircraft is 107.4 feet long, has a, wingspan of 55.6 feet, and is 18.5 feet high (from the ground to the top of the rudders, when parked). Gross takeoff weight is about 140,000 pounds, including a possible fuel weight of 80,280 pounds. The airframes are built almost entirely of titanium and titanium alloys to withstand heat generated by sustained Mach 3 flight. Aerodynamic control surfaces consist of all-moving vertical tail surfaces, ailerons on the outer wings, and elevators on the trailing edges between the engine exhaust nozzles. The two SR-71s at Dryden have been assigned the following NASA tail numbers: NASA 844 (A model), military serial 61-7980 and NASA 831 (B model), military serial 61-7956. From 1990 through 1994, Dryden also had another "A" model, NASA 832, military serial 61-7971. This aircraft was returned to the USAF inventory and was the first aircraft reactivated for USAF reconnaissance purposes in 1995. It has since returned to Dryden along with SR-71A 61-7967. The last SR-71 flight was made on Saturday October 9, 1999, at the Edwards AFB air show. The aircraft used was NASA 844. The aircraft was also scheduled to make a flight the following day, but a fuel leak grounded the aircraft and prevented it from flying again. The NASA SR-71s were then put in flyable storage, where they remained until 2002. They were then sent to museums. |
| Photo Date |
1990 |
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