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Images of NASA Headquarters and California and Washington
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Spare Ion Engine Being Check
…
| title |
Spare Ion Engine Being Checked |
| date |
07.21.2003 |
| description |
An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done following almost five years of testing. Engineers John Anderson and Keith Goodfellow, from left, are part of JPL's Advanced Propulsion Technology Group. The thruster, a spare engine from NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, ran for a record 30,352 hours, giving researchers the ability to observe its performance and wear at different power levels throughout the test. This information will be vital to future missions that use ion propulsion. Ion propulsion systems can be very lightweight, running on just a few grams of xenon gas a day. This fuel efficiency can lower launch vehicle costs. Xenon is the same gas that is found in photo flash bulbs. The very successful Deep Space 1 mission featured the first use of an ion engine as the primary means of propulsion on a NASA spacecraft. NASA's next-generation ion propulsion efforts are led by the In-Space Propulsion Program, managed by the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.. The program seeks to develop advanced propulsion technologies that will help near and mid-term NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass or travel times. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/Caltech |
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Pilot Neil Armstrong with X-
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| Photo Description |
NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight. Neil A. Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (later NASA?s Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and today the Glenn Research Center) in 1955. Later that year, he transferred to the NACA?s High-Speed Flight Station (today, NASA?s Dryden Flight Research Center) at Edwards Air Force Base in California as an aeronautical research scientist and then as a pilot, a position he held until becoming an astronaut in 1962. He was one of nine NASA astronauts in the second class to be chosen. As a research pilot Armstrong served as project pilot on the F-100A and F-100C aircraft, F-101, and the F-104A. He also flew the X-1B, X-5, F-105, F-106, B-47, KC-135, and Paresev. He left Dryden with a total of over 2450 flying hours. He was a member of the USAF-NASA Dyna-Soar Pilot Consultant Group before the Dyna-Soar project was cancelled, and studied X-20 Dyna-Soar approaches and abort maneuvers through use of the F-102A and F5D jet aircraft. Armstrong was actively engaged in both piloting and engineering aspects of the X-15 program from its inception. He completed the first flight in the aircraft equipped with a new flow-direction sensor (ball nose) and the initial flight in an X-15 equipped with a self-adaptive flight control system. He worked closely with designers and engineers in development of the adaptive system, and made seven flights in the rocket plane from December 1960 until July 1962. During those fights he reached a peak altitude of 207,500 feet in the X-15-3, and a speed of 3,989 mph (Mach 5.74) in the X-15-1. Armstrong was born August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. He attended Purdue University, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. During the Korean War, which interrupted his engineering studies, he flew 78 combat missions in F9F-2 jet fighters. He was awarded the Air Medal and two Gold Stars. He later earned a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. Armstrong has a total of 8 days and 14 hours in space, including 2 hours and 48 minutes walking on the Moon. In March 1966 he was commander of the Gemini 8 orbital space flight with David Scott as pilot?the first successful docking of two vehicles in orbit. On July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 lunar mission, he became the first human to set foot on the Moon. From 1969 to 1971 he was Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA Headquarters, and resigned from NASA in August 1971 to become Professor of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, a post he held until 1979. He became Chairman of the Board of Cardwell International, Ltd., in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1980 and served in that capacity until 1982. During the years 1982-1992, Armstrong was chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc., in Charlottesville,, Virginia. From 1981 to 1999, he served on the board of directors for Eaton Corp. He served as chairman of the board of AIL Systems, Inc. of Deer Park, New York, until 1999 and in 2000 was elected chairman of the board of EDO Corp., a manaufacturer of electronic and mechanical systems for the aerospace, defense and industrial markets, based in New York City. From 1985 to 1986, Armstrong served on the National Commission on Space, a presidential committee to develop goals for a national space program into the 21st century. He was also Vice Chairman of the committee investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. During the early 1990s he hosted an aviation documentary series for television entitled First Flights. |
| Project Description |
The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 ft long with a wingspan of 22 ft. It was a missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. The X-15 weighed about 14,000 lb empty and approximately 34,000 lb at launch. The XLR-99 rocket engine, manufactured by Thiokol Chemical Corp., was pilot controlled and was capable of developing 57,000 lb of rated thrust (actual thrust reportedly climbed to 60,000 lb). North American Aviation built three X-15 aircraft for the program. The X-15 research aircraft was developed to provide in-flight information and data on aerodynamics, structures, flight controls, and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight. A follow-on program used the aircraft as a testbed to carry various scientific experiments beyond the Earth's atmosphere on a repeated basis. For flight in the dense air of the usable atmosphere, the X-15 used conventional aerodynamic controls such as rudder surfaces on the vertical stabilizers to control yaw and canted horizontal surfaces on the tail to control pitch when moving in synchronization or roll when moved differentially. For flight in the thin air outside of the appreciable Earth's atmosphere, the X-15 used a reaction control system. Hydrogen peroxide thrust rockets located on the nose of the aircraft provided pitch and yaw control. Those on the wings provided roll control. Because of the large fuel consumption, the X-15 was air launched from a B-52 aircraft at 45,000 ft and a speed of about 500 mph. Depending on the mission, the rocket engine provided thrust for the first 80 to 120 sec of flight. The remainder of the normal 10 to 11 min. flight was powerless and ended with a 200-mph glide landing. Generally, one of two types of X-15 flight profiles was used: a high-altitude flight plan that called for the pilot to maintain a steep rate of climb, or a speed profile that called for the pilot to push over and maintain a level altitude. The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years--June 1959 to Oct. 1968--and set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 ft (over 67 mi) in a program to investigate all aspects of piloted hypersonic flight. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program. The X-15s made a total of 199 flights and were manufactured by North American Aviation. X-15-1, serial number 56-6670, is now located at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. North American X-15A-2, serial number 56-6671, is at the United States Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The X-15-3, serial number 56-6672, crashed on 15 November 1967, resulting in the death of Maj. Michael J. Adams. |
| Photo Date |
1960s |
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Deep Impact Spacecraft Colli
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| Name of Image |
Deep Impact Spacecraft Collides With Comet Tempel 1 (Video) |
| Date of Image |
2005-07-04 |
| Full Description |
After 172 days and 268 million miles of deep space travel, the NASA Deep Impact spacecraft successfully reached out and touched comet Tempel 1. The collision between the coffee table-sized space probe and city-sized comet occurred July 4, 2005 at 12:52 a.m. CDT. Comprised of images taken by the targeting sensor aboard the impactor probe, this movie shows the spacecraft approaching the comet up to just seconds before impact. Mission scientists expect Deep Impact to provide answers to basic questions about the formation of the solar system. Principal investigator for Deep Impact, Dr. Michael A?Hearn of the University of Maryland in College Park, is responsible for the mission, and project management is handled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The program office at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama assisted the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington with program management, technology planning, systems assessment, flight assurance and public outreach. The spacecraft was built for NASA by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation of Boulder, Colorado. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD) |
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Deep Impact Spacecraft Colli
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| Name of Image |
Deep Impact Spacecraft Collides With Comet Tempel 1-Video |
| Date of Image |
2005-07-04 |
| Full Description |
After 172 days and 268 million miles of deep space travel, the NASA Deep Impact spacecraft successfully reached out and touched comet Tempel 1. The collision between the coffee table-sized space probe and city-sized comet occurred July 4, 2005 at 12:52 a.m. CDT. The objects met at 23,000 miles per hour. The heat produced by the impact was at least several thousand degrees Kelvin and at that extreme temperature, just about any material begins to glow. This movie, made up of images taken by the medium resolution camera aboard the spacecraft, from May 1 to July 2, shows the Deep Impact approach to comet Tempel 1. The spacecraft detected 3 outbursts during this time period, on June 14th, June 22nd, and July 2nd. The movie ends during the final outburst. Mission scientists expect Deep Impact to provide answers to basic questions about the formation of the solar system. Principal investigator, Dr. Michael A?Hearn of the University of Maryland in College Park, is responsible for the mission, and project management is handled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The program office at Marshall Space Flight Center MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, assisted the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington with program management, technology planning, systems assessment, flight assurance and public outreach. The spacecraft was built for NASA by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation of Boulder, Colorado. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD) |
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Spare Ion Engine Being Check
…
| Title |
Spare Ion Engine Being Checked |
| Description |
July 21, 2003 An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done following almost five years of testing. Engineers John Anderson and Keith Goodfellow, from left, are part of JPL's Advanced Propulsion Technology Group. The thruster, a spare engine from NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, ran for a record 30,352 hours, giving researchers the ability to observe its performance and wear at different power levels throughout the test. This information will be vital to future missions that use ion propulsion. Ion propulsion systems can be very lightweight, running on just a few grams of xenon gas a day. This fuel efficiency can lower launch vehicle costs. Xenon is the same gas that is found in photo flash bulbs. The very successful Deep Space 1 mission featured the first use of an ion engine as the primary means of propulsion on a NASA spacecraft. NASA's next-generation ion propulsion efforts are led by the In-Space Propulsion Program, managed by the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.. The program seeks to develop advanced propulsion technologies that will help near and mid-term NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass or travel times. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA. |
| Date |
07.30.2003 |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Eric Lindstrom, left, Aquari
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5730756011_eaf6757e2a_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5730756011_eaf6757e2a_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Gary Lagerloef, Aquarius Pri
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5731306842_763318ecd5_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731306842_763318ecd5_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Gary Lagerloef, left, Aquari
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5731306978_3d8d68be26_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731306978_3d8d68be26_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Amit Sen, Aquarius Project M
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5731307266_d10d2ffbe6_o
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IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731307266_d10d2ffbe6_o |
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Mars Science Laboratory Pres
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Michael Watkins (third from
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5964838992_da607400dd_b
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-07-22 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5964838992_da607400dd_b |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Gary Lagerloef, right, Aquar
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5731308340_df4f8bbb9c_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731308340_df4f8bbb9c_o |
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Astrobiology Press Conferenc
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Steven Benner, a distinguish
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5226840599_b88b76a112_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5226840599_b88b76a112_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Seated from left, Eric Linds
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5731307090_0281f263eb_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731307090_0281f263eb_o |
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Astrobiology Press Conferenc
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a lead r
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5226840469_af9178b246_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5226840469_af9178b246_o |
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Astrobiology Press Conferenc
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a lead r
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5226840827_9db0093f68_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5226840827_9db0093f68_o |
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Astrobiology Press Conferenc
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Pamela Conrad, an astrobiolo
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5226840519_a0074a025a_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5226840519_a0074a025a_o |
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Astrobiology Press Conferenc
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a lead r
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5226840745_f80da49ccb_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5226840745_f80da49ccb_o |
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Astrobiology Press Conferenc
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Steven Benner, a distinguish
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5226840681_2307502b18_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2010-12-02 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5226840681_2307502b18_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Brian Cairns, from NASA's Go
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5388293424_62b1a21fc4_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5388293424_62b1a21fc4_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Michael Mischenko, from NASA
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5387687609_70175d9c21_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5387687609_70175d9c21_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Joy Bretthauer, Glory Progra
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5388293660_b037cef54f_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5388293660_b037cef54f_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Joy Bretthauer, Glory Progra
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5387687471_defd3ca509_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5387687471_defd3ca509_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Greg Kopp, from the Universi
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5387687675_f45d01686f_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5387687675_f45d01686f_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Bryan Fafaul, Glory Project
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5387687967_e0e543472d_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5387687967_e0e543472d_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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A small model of the Glory e
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5387687853_8b389971e2_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5387687853_8b389971e2_o |
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GLORY Mission Press Conferen
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Joy Bretthauer, Glory Progra
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5388293962_51d63a240f_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-01-25 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5388293962_51d63a240f_o |
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NASA Science Update - Voyage
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Ed Stone, Voyager Project Sc
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5666098140_676ab961b8_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-04-28 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5666098140_676ab961b8_o |
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NASA Science Update - Voyage
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Voyager Project Scientist an
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5665528551_49daeaa501_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-04-28 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5665528551_49daeaa501_o |
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NASA Science Update - Voyage
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Suzanne Dodd (second from le
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5666096918_22c86c156d_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-04-28 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5666096918_22c86c156d_o |
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NASA Science Update - Voyage
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Voyager Project Scientist an
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5666096436_99ca72cbc8_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-04-28 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5666096436_99ca72cbc8_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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A reporter asks a question t
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5730757683_7a546c4edd_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5730757683_7a546c4edd_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Daniel Caruso, SAC-D Project
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5730757461_068b7ef561_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5730757461_068b7ef561_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Daniel Caruso, SAC-D Project
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5731307564_a5bf9f24a0_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731307564_a5bf9f24a0_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Eric Ianson, Aquarius Progra
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5731306638_387ee2df82_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731306638_387ee2df82_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Eric Lindstrom, left, Aquari
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5731308180_a4689baa97_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731308180_a4689baa97_o |
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NASA's Aquarius/SAC-D Missio
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nasa, nasaheadquartersflickr
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Amit Sen, center, Aquarius P
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5731307398_37d53e50bc_o
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2011-05-17 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
5731307398_37d53e50bc_o |
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Pacific Dictates Droughts an
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PIA05071
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Pacific Dictates Droughts and Drenchings |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The latest remote sensing data from NASA's Jason satellite show that the equatorial Pacific sea surface levels are higher, indicating warmer sea surface temperatures in the central and west Pacific Ocean. This pattern has the appearance of La Niña rather than El Niño. This contrasts with the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and U.S. West Coast where lower-than-normal sea surface levels and cool ocean temperatures continue (indicated by blue and purple areas). The image above is a global map of sea surface height, accurate to within 30 millimeters. The image represents data collected and composited over a 10-day period, ending on Jan 23, 2004. The height of the water relates to the temperature of the water. As the ocean warms, its level rises, and as it cools, its level falls. Yellow and red areas indicate where the waters are relatively warmer and have expanded above sea level, green indicates near normal sea level, and blue and purple areas show where the waters are relatively colder and the surface is lower than sea level. The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) below normal, whereas the purple areas range from 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. (For more details, visit the Jason Website [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov. |
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NASA Data Helps Track Heat P
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PIA06342
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
NASA Data Helps Track Heat Potential Fueling Rita |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential (TCHP) field in the Gulf of Mexico during September 22, 2005. The path of Hurricane Rita is indicated with circles spaced every 3 hours with their size and color representing intensity (see legend). This hurricane intensified to category 5 as it traveled over the Loop Current and a warm core ring (the finger of red and yellow). Rita diminished to category 3 as its path went over a region of lower TCHP (and cooler waters) outside the Loop Current and ring. The diamonds indicate the National Hurricane Center predicted track and intensity as it makes landfall, and are spaced by 24 hours. Altimeter data on NASA's Jason-1, the US Navy's GFO, and the European Envisat satellites provide sea surface height data used in generating the TCHP fields. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
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Rita Roars Through a Warm Gu
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PIA06428
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Rita Roars Through a Warm Gulf (September 21, 2005) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida peninsula on the right and the Texas-Mexico Gulf Coast on the left, is based on altimeter data from four satellites including NASA?s Topex/Poseidon and Jason. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 60 centimeters (about 13 to 23 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf. The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. Eddies are currents of water that run contrary to the direction of the main current. According to the forecasted track through the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Rita will continue crossing the warm waters of a Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current and then pass near a warm-water eddy called the Eddy Vortex, located in the north central Gulf, south of Louisiana. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
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Rita Roars Through a Warm Gu
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PIA06427
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Rita Roars Through a Warm Gulf (September 22, 2005) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico, with the Florida peninsula on the right and the Texas-Mexico Gulf Coast on the left, is based on altimeter data from four satellites including NASA?s Topex/Poseidon and Jason. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 60 centimeters (about 13 to 23 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf. The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. Eddies are currents of water that run contrary to the direction of the main current. According to the forecasted track through the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Rita will continue crossing the warm waters of a Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current and then pass near a warm-water eddy called the Eddy Vortex, located in the north central Gulf, south of Louisiana. The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
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Wilma's Trek Through Warm Ca
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PIA03055
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Wilma's Trek Through Warm Caribbean/Gulf Waters |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This sea surface height map of the Gulf of Mexico and the northwestern Caribbean Sea, with the Florida peninsula on the upper right, is based on altimeter data from three satellites including NASA's Jason-1. Red indicates a strong circulation of much warmer waters, which can feed energy to a hurricane. This area stands 35 to 45 centimeters (about 13 to 17 inches) higher than the surrounding waters of the Gulf. The actual track of a hurricane is primarily dependent upon steering winds, which are forecasted through the use of atmospheric models. However, the interaction of the hurricane with the upper ocean is the primary source of energy for the storm. Hurricane intensity is therefore greatly affected by the upper ocean temperature structure and can exhibit explosive growth over warm ocean currents and eddies. According to the forecasted track through the Yucatan Channel, Hurricane Wilma will cross the Yucatan Peninsula and then turn sharply to the northeast, passing over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico circulation feature called the Loop Current on its way towards southeast Florida. The storm may intensify as it passes over the warm water of the Loop Current. The Jason-1 satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Jason-1 mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason-1 and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Jason-1, see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov ].) |
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Jason Satellite Observes Mil
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PIA01939
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Jason Satellite Observes Mild El Nino in 2006 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
In September 2006, NASA satellite data indicated that El Niño had returned to the tropical Pacific Ocean, although it was relatively weak. As of early October, scientists were not sure if the event would persist, and it was much less intense than the last major El Niño episode, which happened in 1997-1998. That event brought devastating floods to California that cost millions of dollars in damage while severe drought struck Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. Among the ocean characteristics that signal developing El Niño events is a change in average sea surface height compared to normal sea level. When water warms, it expands a little, which changes its volume slightly. When heat begins to build up in the Pacific during an El Niño event, the sea surface height begins to creep up. NASA observes changes in average sea surface height using its Jason satellite. The image is based on the average of 10 days of data centered on September 15, 2006, compared to the long-term average of observations from 1993-2005. In this image, places where the Pacific sea surface height is higher (warmer) than normal are yellow, orange, and red, and places where the sea surface is lower (cooler) than normal are blue and purple. Green shows where conditions are near normal. The swath of red in the center of the scene reveals that an El Niño was in progress when Jason observed the Pacific. El Niño is a cyclical warming of the ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that generally occurs every 3 to 7 years. It is linked with changes in air pressure and high-level winds that can affect weather worldwide. Typically peaking during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation. It alternates with La Niña, the cooling of ocean waters in the same region of the Pacific. According to Bill Patzert, oceanographer and climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "The present conditions indicate that the intensity of this El Niño is too weak to have a major influence on current weather patterns. But, if the ocean waters continue to warm and spread eastward, this event would likely strengthen, perhaps bringing much-needed rainfall to the southwestern and southeastern United States this winter." The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other, space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Science Mission Directorate to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on NASA's ocean surface topography missions, see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] or to view the latest Jason data see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/ [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/ ]. |
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Pacific Decadal Oscillation
PIA03460
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Pacific Decadal Oscillation |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Like fall and winter of 2000, this year's Topex/Poseidon satellite data shows that the Pacific ocean continues to be dominated by the strong Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which is larger than the El Niño/La Niña pattern. The data, taken during a ten-day collection cycle ending Oct. 29,2001, show that the near-equatorial ocean has been very quiet in the past year, and sea levels and sea surface temperatures are near normal. Above-normal sea surface heights and warmer ocean temperatures, indicated by the red and white areas, still blanket the far western tropical Pacific and much of the north mid-Pacific. Red areas are about 10 centimeters (4inches) above normal, white areas show the sea surface height is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal. In the western Pacific, the buildup of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation pattern, first noted by Topex/Poseidon oceanographers more than three years ago, has outlasted both the El Niño and La Niña of the past few years. This warmth contrasts with the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and the west coast of the United States, where lower than normal sea surface levels and cool ocean temperatures continue, as indicated by the blue areas. The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) below normal, while the purple areas range from 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal. According to oceanographer Dr. William Patzert of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., the striking similarity between data taken in 2000 and the same time period in 2001 indicates that winter weather forecasts for this year will be similar to last year. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see the Topex/Poseidon Web Site [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ]. |
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Where is La Niña?
PIA04622
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Where is La Niña? |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Since the weak El Niño event of last winter, the equatorial Pacific has cooled and oceanographers have been on a La Niña "watch." Thus far, equatorial waters have seesawed between cooling and the present slight warming. Elsewhere, the northern and northeastern Pacific Ocean remains quite cool and sea levels are much lower than normal. These cooler ocean waters off the U.S. West Coast have driven a cooler and foggier spring and early summer along the coast, and guided the North Pacific Jet Stream north, keeping the West and Southwest in the grip of a 5-year drought. Sea-surface heights are a measure of how much heat is stored in the ocean below to influence future planetary climate events. Jason scientists will continue to monitor the Pacific closely for further signs of La Niña formation and intensity, or not. These Jason data were taken during a 10-day collection cycle ending July 3, 2003. The near-equatorial ocean has been very quiet, although sea levels and sea-surface temperatures are near normal or slightly warmer throughout the far western and central equatorial Pacific. Red areas are about 10 centimeters (4 inches) above normal, white areas show the sea-surface height is between 14 and 32 centimeters (6 to 13 inches) above normal. This slight rise in sea levels (warming) contrasts with the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and U.S. West Coast, where lower-than-normal sea-surface levels (blue areas) and cool ocean temperatures continue. The blue areas are between 5 and 13 centimeters (2 and 5 inches) below normal, and the purple areas range from 14 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) below normal. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Earth Science Enterprise to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on Topex/Poseidon, see http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov ]. |
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Spare Ion Engine Being Check
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PIA04668
Ion Engine
| Title |
Spare Ion Engine Being Checked |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
July 21, 2003 An ion thruster is removed from a vacuum chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., its job done following almost five years of testing. Engineers John Anderson and Keith Goodfellow, from left, are part of JPL's Advanced Propulsion Technology Group. The thruster, a spare engine from NASA's Deep Space 1 mission, ran for a record 30,352 hours, giving researchers the ability to observe its performance and wear at different power levels throughout the test. This information will be vital to future missions that use ion propulsion. Ion propulsion systems can be very lightweight, running on just a few grams of xenon gas a day. This fuel efficiency can lower launch vehicle costs. Xenon is the same gas that is found in photo flash bulbs. The very successful Deep Space 1 mission featured the first use of an ion engine as the primary means of propulsion on a NASA spacecraft. NASA's next-generation ion propulsion efforts are led by the In-Space Propulsion Program, managed by the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.. The program seeks to develop advanced propulsion technologies that will help near and mid-term NASA science missions by significantly reducing cost, mass or travel times. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA. |
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