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OSTM arrives on aircraft
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, C …
6/12/08
Description VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. 'Ú__…__ After being offloaded from the cargo plane, the shipping container holding the OSTM/Jason-2 satellite is moved away from the plane. The satellite will be taken to the Astrotech processing facility. The OSTM, or Ocean Topography Mission, on the Jason-2 satellite is a follow-on to Jason-1. It will take oceanographic studies of sea surface height into an operational mode for continued climate forecasting research and science and industrial applications. April 29, 2008 Photo credit: NASA/Steve Greenberg, JPL
Date 6/12/08
OSTM Taken Off Plane
The shipping container with …
5/21/08
Description The shipping container with the OSTM/Jason-2 spacecraft inside is offloaded from the aircraft at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The OSTM, or Ocean Topography Mission, on the Jason-2 satellite is a follow-on to Jason-1. It will take oceanographic studies of sea surface height into an operational mode for continued climate forecasting research and science and industrial applications. This satellite altimetry data will help determine ocean circulation, climate change and sea-level rise. OSTM is a joint effort by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and the European Meteorological Satellite Organisation. OSTM/Jason-2 will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320 from Vandenberg on June 15. April 29, 2008 Photo credit: NASA/Steve Greenberg, JPL
Date 5/21/08
Hot New Rover Wheels!
NASA's next rover to Mars, u …
07/13/10
Description NASA's next rover to Mars, under construction at JPL, turns its new set of wheels.
Date 07/13/10
Mercury Exploration of a Pla …
MERCURY: EXPLORATION OF A PL …
1976
Description MERCURY: EXPLORATION OF A PLANET (EPISODE 2) HQ 282 - (1976) - 28 Minutes The flight of the Mariner 10 spacecraft to Venus and Mercury is detailed in animation and photography. Views of Mercury are featured. Included is animation on the origin of the solar system. Dr. Bruce C. Murray, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, comments on the mission.
Date 1976
More Los Angeles Fire Images
Triple-digit temperatures, e …
9/1/09
Description Triple-digit temperatures, extremely low relative humidities, dense vegetation that has not burned in decades, and years of extended drought are all contributing to the explosive growth of wildfires throughout Southern California. The Station fire, which began Aug. 26, 2009, in La Canada/Flintridge, not far from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, had reportedly burned 105,000 acres (164 square miles) of the Angeles National Forest by mid-day Aug. 31, destroying at least 21 homes and threatening more than 12,000 others. It is one of four major fires burning in Southern California at the present time. This image was acquired mid-morning on Aug. 30 by the backward (northward)-viewing camera of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite. The image is shown in an approximate perspective view at an angle of 46 degrees off of vertical. The area covered by the image is 245 kilometers (152 miles) wide. Several pyrocumulus clouds, created by the Station Fire, are visible above the smoke plumes rising from the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles in the left-center of the image. Smoke from the Station fire is seen covering the interior valleys along the south side of the San Gabriel Mountains, along with parts of the City of Los Angeles and Orange County, and can be seen drifting for hundreds of kilometers to the east over the Mojave Desert. The accompanying plots are histograms that display the heights of the smoke plumes and wind speeds. In this data set, the plume is injecting smoke more than 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) above sea level. MISR observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. This image was generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 51601. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. The MISR data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team
Date 9/1/09
Extent of Station Fire Burn
On September 6, 2009, the Ad …
9/9/09
Description On September 6, 2009, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured this simulated natural color image of the Station fire, burning in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. The fire started on August 26 in La Canada/Flintridge near NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena (seen at the bottom of the image), and soon grew to become the largest fire in Los Angeles County's history. Ten days after its start, the fire had consumed more than 160,000 acres (251 square miles) of forest, leaving behind a charred, blackened landscape, as it spread eastward. Smoke from the actively burning area can be seen on the right side of the image, the large dark gray area dominating the image is the evidence of forest and chaparral destruction. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats, monitoring potentially active volcanoes, identifying crop stress, determining cloud morphology and physical properties, wetlands evaluation, thermal pollution monitoring, coral reef degradation, surface temperature mapping of soils and geology, and measuring surface heat balance. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Image credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team Text credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date 9/9/09
NASA TV's This Week @NASA, M …
** STS-131 UPDATE -- JSC/KSC …
03/05/2010
Description ** STS-131 UPDATE -- JSC/KSC The STS-131 Crew and space shuttle Discovery continues their progress toward an April 5 launch to the International Space Station. Discovery has been rolled out to Launch Pad 39A, while the seven STS-131 astronauts participated in launch countdown dress rehearsal activities and other prelaunch training. ** AMES CREATES A WINNER -- ARC The World Wind Java computer program developed at the Ames Research Center has earned NASA's 2009 Software of the Year Award. World-Wind is an open-source platform used to display NASA and U.S. Geological Survey data on virtual 3-D globes of Earth and other planets. ** DEEP SPACE DOWN UNDER - JPL NASA is replacing an aging fleet of 230-foot-wide antennas used in the Deep Space Network with new ''beam wave guide'' antennas that enable the network to operate on several different frequency bands within the same antenna. The replacement antennas are approximately half the size of the originals. The NASA Deep Space Network - or DSN - is an international network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. The network also supports selected Earth-orbiting missions. ** 2009 QASAR AWARD -- GRC Christopher DellaCorte, of the Glenn Research Center's Tribology & Mechanical Components branch has received the 2009 Quality and Safety Achievement or Qasar Award for figuring out what caused severe degradation of a starboard solar array alpha rotary joint on the International Space Station. ** STEM EDUCATORS WORKSHOP -- LARC Teachers became students while participating in the second annual NASA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics -- STEM -- Educators, Workshops held this year in Charlotte, N.C. The 40-session workshop provided elementary, middle and high school teachers with creative hands-on ways to incorporate NASA content into their classrooms. The workshops are specifically designed to give teachers tangible resources for immediate use in classrooms. ** FIRST ROBOTICS KICKOFF -- HQ The NASA supported ''For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology'' Robotics program began its 19th year with regional competitions like this one held in Washington, D.C. FIRST is a nationwide competition that teams young people with professionals to solve engineering design problems in a competitive way.
Date 03/05/2010
Vice President Dick Cheney V …
Vice President Dick Cheney a …
1/14/04
The Mars Show
A collection of pans and zoo …
5/15/04
NASA's New Mars Orbiter Will …
NASA's next mission to Mars …
7/18/05
Dr. Jim Garvin -- HD B-roll …
Edited raw footage compilati …
11/5/06
NASA's Mars Team Teaches Old …
Animated route of Spirit's e …
1/2/07
Phoenix Mars Lander Operatio …
Footage compilation of Phoen …
3/21/08
Phoenix L-3 Press Briefing
Presenters: Fuk Li, Manager, …
5/22/08
Free Spirit - A Second Rover …
JPL engineers are using a se …
8/27/09
Title Free Spirit - A Second Rover Rolls in Test Area
Date 8/27/09
Description JPL engineers are using a second, lighter rover to test maneuvers to free Spirit.
My (High School) Summer at J …
This summer JPL hosted over …
9/14/09
Title My (High School) Summer at JPL
Date 9/14/09
Description This summer JPL hosted over 300 students through NASA/JPL education programs. Three high school students share their experiences.
Axel Rover
In January, JPL will celebra …
2/4/09
Title Axel Rover
Date 2/4/09
Description In January, JPL will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Spirit and Opportunity landing on Mars, and the twin rovers will continue with their newest adventures.
Rover Undergrad
Internships at JPL helped on …
3/5/09
Title Rover Undergrad
Date 3/5/09
Description Internships at JPL helped one woman build her career as a software engineer working on robotics.
Cruising Over California
Looking for an inexpensive s …
6/29/09
Title Cruising Over California
Date 6/29/09
Description Looking for an inexpensive stay-cation? Join JPL scientist Mike Abrams for a space-based flyover tour of California.
Mars Science Laboratory
The parachute for NASA's Mar …
4/15/09
Description The parachute for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) passed flight-qualification after testing in March and April 2009 inside the world's largest wind tunnel at NASA's Ames Research Center. In this image, an engineer is dwarfed by the parachute, the largest ever built to fly on an extraterrestrial flight. It is designed to survive deployment at Mach 2.2 in the Martian atmosphere, where it will generate up to 65,000 lb of drag force. The parachute, built by Pioneer Aerospace, has 80 suspension lines, measures more than 165 feet in length, and opens to a diameter of nearly 51 feet. The wind tunnel itself is 80 feet tall and 120 feet wide -- large enough to house a Boeing 737. JPL is building and testing the MSL spacecraft, which is slated to launch in 2011. The mission will land a roving analytical laboratory on the surface of Mars in 2012. Image Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/JPL
Date 4/15/09
Happy Halloween
The Cassini team sends "bats …
10/30/09
Description The Cassini team sends "bats wishes" for a happy, healthy and fun Halloween. 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 mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Image Credit: NASA
Date 10/30/09
Spirit Stuck in Soft Soil on …
This view from the panoramic …
11/2/09
Description This view from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the terrain surrounding the location called "Troy," where Spirit became embedded in soft soil during the spring of 2009. The hundreds of images combined into this view were taken beginning on the 1,906th Martian day (or sol) of Spirit's mission on Mars (May 14, 2009) and ending on Sol 1943 (June 20, 2009). Near the center of the image, in the distance, lies Husband Hill, where Spirit recorded views from the summit in 2005. For scale, the parallel tracks are about 1 meter (39 inches) apart. The track on the right is more evident because Spirit was driving backwards, dragging its right-front wheel, which no longer rotates. The bright soil in the center foreground is soft material in which Spirit became embedded after the wheels on that side cut through a darker top layer. The composition of different layers in the soil at the site became the subject of intense investigation by tools on Spirit's robotic arm. In recent weeks, Engineers have been using test rovers on Earth to prepare for extracting the sand-trapped Spirit rover. While amnesia-like symptoms in recent days might delay the start of planned drives by Spirit geared towards extricating it, the Mars Exploration Rover team remains hopeful. "If they are intermittent and infrequent, they are a nuisance that would set us back a day or two when they occur. If the condition becomes persistent or frequent, we will need to go to an alternate strategy that avoids depending on flash memory, " said Project Manager John Callas of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In these amnesia events, Spirit fails to record data from the day's activities onto the type of computer memory -- non-volatile "flash" memory -- that can retain the data when the rover powers down for its energy-conserving periods of "sleep." Spirit has worked on Mars for more than 69 months in what was originally planned as a three-month mission.
Date 11/2/09
Pretty as a Picture
The Hubble community bids fa …
5/11/09
Description The Hubble community bids farewell to the soon-to-be decommissioned Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. In tribute to Hubble's longest-running optical camera, a planetary nebula has been imaged as WFPC2's final "pretty picture." This planetary nebula is known as Kohoutek 4-55 (or K 4-55). It is one of a series of planetary nebulae that were named after their discoverer, Czech astronomer Lubos Kohoutek. A planetary nebula contains the outer layers of a red giant star that were expelled into interstellar space when the star was in the late stages of its life. Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the remaining hot core of the star ionizes the ejected gas shells, causing them to glow. In the case of K 4-55, a bright inner ring is surrounded by a bipolar structure. The entire system is then surrounded by a faint red halo, seen in the emission by nitrogen gas. This multi-shell structure is fairly uncommon in planetary nebulae. This Hubble image was taken by WFPC2 on May 4, 2009. The colors represent the makeup of the various emission clouds in the nebula: red represents nitrogen, green represents hydrogen, and blue represents oxygen. K 4-55 is nearly 4,600 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. The WFPC2 instrument, which was installed in 1993 to replace the original Wide Field/Planetary Camera, will be removed to make room for Wide Field Camera 3 during the STS-125 mission. During the camera's amazing, nearly 16-year run, WFPC2 provided outstanding science and spectacular images of the cosmos. Some of its best-remembered images are of the Eagle Nebula pillars, Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9's impacts on Jupiter's atmosphere, and the 1995 Hubble Deep Field -- the longest and deepest Hubble optical image of its time. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and R. Sahai and J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Date 5/11/09
Happy New Year!
Wishing all a joyful new yea …
12/31/09
Description Wishing all a joyful new year, members of the Cassini-Huygens team offer us their views of Saturn and the Cassini spacecraft. Cassini-Huygens, a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, for NASA. The Cassini orbiter (pictured at the top right of this image) and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. Image Credit: NASA/JPL
Date 12/31/09
G-III
Project Description NASA's m …
6/24/08
Description Project Description NASA's modified Gulfstream G-III aircraft provides a platform to test and evaluate a variety of new technologies, and can also be used to gather scientific data for geological studies or earthquake prediction. The G-III airframe has been structurally modified to incorporate a MAU-12 ejector rack on the bottom of the fuselage on which a variety of experiments can be mounted. As a Multi-Role Cooperative Research Platform, the heavily instrumented twin-turbofan aircraft provides long-term capability for efficient testing of subsonic flight experiments for NASA, the U.S. Air Force, other government agencies, academia, and private industry. Originally designated a C-20A by the Air Force, the aircraft was declared excess by that service and transferred to NASA Dryden at Edwards AFB, Calif., in September 2002. Unmanned Air Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) The Unmanned Air Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) is an Earth Science Capabilities Demonstration project jointly developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in which a synthetic aperture radar is being flight-validated on a Grumman Gulfstream G-III in a specially designed pod that will be interoperable with both manned and unmanned aircraft. The modified G-III provides a platform to not only test and evaluate the new radar, but can also be used to gather scientific data for geological studies on earthquake prediction. In order to support the installation of the UAVSAR pod, the G-III airframe has been structurally modified to incorporate a MAU-12 ejector rack on the bottom of the fuselage. This unique G-III modification will remain available for use by future research projects. As a Multi-Role Cooperative Research Platform, the heavily instrumented twin-turbofan aircraft provides long-term capability for efficient testing of subsonic flight experiments for NASA, the U.S. Air Force, other government agencies, academia, and private industry. Originally designated a C-20A by the Air Force, the aircraft was declared excess by that service and transferred to NASA Dryden at Edwards AFB, Calif., in September 2002. The joint use of this aircraft is a result of the NASA Dryden/Edwards Air Force Base Alliance, which shares some resources as cost-cutting measures. Photo Description NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed lifts off the Edwards AFB runway on an envelope-expansion flight test with the UAV synthetic aperture radar pod. February 26, 2007 NASA Photo / Tom Tschida ED07-0027-39
Date 6/24/08
Gulfstream G-III
The synthetic aperture radar …
6/24/08
Description The synthetic aperture radar pod developed by JPL is slung beneath NASA's Gulfstream-III research testbed during flight tests. February 26, 2007 NASA Photo / Tom Tschida ED07-0027-45
Date 6/24/08
ER-2
News Release 06-25P ER-2 Alo …
7/1/08
Description News Release 06-25P ER-2 Aloft Again After a lengthy downtime for a major overhaul, NASA 806, one of NASA's two high-flying ER-2 Earth resources aircraft, took to the skies recently from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on its first science mission in over two years. The flight checked out the functionality of sensitive instruments that will calibrate and validate data from sensors installed on the recently launched CALIPSO and CloudSat weather, climate and air quality monitoring satellites during a series of missions led by NASA's Langley Research Center with support from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in late July and August. CALIPSO, an acronym for Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations, combines an active lidar instrument with passive infrared and visible-light imagers to probe the vertical structure and properties of thin clouds and aerosols (airborne particles). The complimentary CloudSat satellite carries a cloud profiling radar system that uses microwave energy to observe cloud particles and determine the mass of water and ice within clouds. The mission will provide the first global survey of cloud properties that are critical for understanding their effects on both weather and climate. Flying in formation with three other satellites, CALIPSO and CloudSat are expected to provide scientists and meteorologists with a greater understanding of our climate system. Photo Description NASA Dryden life support technician Jim Sokolik assists pressure-suited pilot Dee Porter into the cockpit of NASA's ER-2 Earth resources aircraft. July 13, 2006 NASA Photo / Jim Ross ED06-0117-13
Date 7/1/08
Smoke over Lake Toba, Indone …
KidSat Images - Fires in Ind …
10/1/97
Date 10/1/97
Description KidSat Images - Fires in Indonesia As the Space Shuttle Atlantis flew over the Indonesian archipelago on Saturday, September 27, middle school students across the country used the Kidsat camera to photograph the fires and smoke that blanket the island of Sumatra . A joint effort between 23 of the 52 schools participating in this mission, the KidSat camera was used to image a 140 km wide, 1950 km long strip that starts in the northwest (5.24 degrees N, 97.11 degrees E), and follows the Pegunungan Barisan range across the equator to the southern tip of Sumatra (7.44S, 106.1E). [Mission Elaspsed Time (MET) 00215343 - 00215750] Smoldering underground fires have raged uncontrolled for the past few weeks in Southeast Asia. Originally set to clear land for agriculture, the fires are usually extinguished by the annual monsoon rains. However, this year, the rains had not come due to El Nino which produces dry conditions in the Indonesia region. Due to the lack of trade winds, the seasonal warm waters in the eastern Pacific have spread over to South America. Consequently, the water temperature in Indonesia has dropped significantly. This decrease in temperature has not produced enough warm water vapor to produce the normal seasonal showers that usually encompass the area. The effects of the fires have been astronomical. So far the fire has been blamed for two fatal accidents and countless health hazards. At one point, the pollution index of the region reached 839. To put a relative point to this number, a pollution index of 300 is a equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The smoke, during one time, blanketed an area that was larger than the continental United States. Currently, the fire's rage has been quelled by winds and rain which have lifted the smog and dampened the fires. However it is estimated that 100,000 fire fighters are needed to stop the fire. This KidSat image (MET 00215424) of the northern regions of Sumatra was captured on September 27, 1997 during the Shuttle flight STS-86. It is centered at 3.1 degrees S 98.6 degrees E and is 140 km wide and 205 km long. Smoke from the fires completely covers the land. The only indication of surface features is from the clouds that rise above the smoke over Danau Toba, the largest lake in Sumatra. The KidSat camera that photographed these fires is mounted in the overhead starboard window of the Shuttle Atlantis and operates before and after docking with Mir when the Shuttle's windows face the Earth. Students on the ground are linked to the camera through the Internet and a series of satellites. Commands are sent from middle schools through a Mission Operations Gateway at the University of California, San Diego, to a Thinkpad on the Shuttle flight deck. Images are transmitted back to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where they are immediately placed on the Internet for the KidSat students and the rest of the world to view and use. High school and undergraduate students work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop and operate the KidSat systems. Curriculum developed by The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth is used in the middle school classrooms to encourage scientific inquiry based on the images. The photographs from the three missions of the KidSat pilot program can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kidsat The KidSat program was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth, and The University of California, San Diego, with support from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project is supported by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education with support from NASA's Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Space Flight, and Space Science. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). #####
Map of northern Sumatra, Ind …
This map corresponds to KidS …
10/1/97
Date 10/1/97
Description This map corresponds to KidSat image MET 00215424 of the northern regions of Sumatra that was captured on September 27, 1997 during the Shuttle flight STS-86. It is centered at 3.1 degrees S 98.6 degrees E. As the Space Shuttle Atlantis flew over the Indonesian archipelago last Friday, middle school students across the country photographed the fires and smoke that blanket Sumatra. A joint effort between 23 of the 52 schools participating in this mission, the KidSat camera was used to image a 140 km wide, 1950 km long strip that starts in the northwest (5.24 degrees N, 97.11 degrees E), and follows the Pegunungan Barisan range across the equator to the southern tip of Sumatra (7.44S, 106.1E). Smoldering underground fires have raged uncontrolled for the past few weeks in Southeast Asia. Originally set to clear land for agriculture, the fires are usually extinguished by the annual monsoon rains. However, this year, the rains had not come due to El Nino which produces dry conditions in the Indonesia region. The KidSat camera that photographed these fires is mounted in the overhead starboard window of the Shuttle Atlantis and operates before and after docking with Mir when the Shuttle's windows face the Earth. Students on the ground are linked to the camera through the Internet and a series of satellites. Commands are sent from middle schools through a Mission Operations Gateway at the University of California, San Diego, to a Thinkpad on the Shuttle flight deck. Images are transmitted back to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory where they are immediately placed on the Internet for the KidSat students and the rest of the world to view and use. High school and undergraduate students work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop and operate the KidSat systems. Curriculum developed by The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth is used in the middle school classrooms to encourage scientific inquiry based on the images. The photographs from the three missions of the KidSat pilot program can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kidsat The KidSat program was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth, and The University of California, San Diego, with support from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project is supported by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education with support from NASA's Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Space Flight, and Space Science. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). #####
Southern tip of Sumatra, Ind …
KidSat Images - Fires in Ind …
10/1/97
Date 10/1/97
Description KidSat Images - Fires in Indonesia Middle school students across the country photographed the fires and smoke over southern Sumatra from a camera aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis Saturday, September 2. A joint effort between 23 of the 52 schools participating in this mission, the KidSat camera was used to image a 140 km wide, 1950 km long strip that starts in the northwest (5.24 degrees N, 97.11 degrees E), and follows the Pegunungan Barisan range across the equator to the southern tip of Sumatra (7.44S, 106.1E). [MET 00215343 - 00215750]. Smoldering underground fires have raged uncontrolled for the past few weeks in Southeast Asia. Originally set to clear land for agriculture, the fires are usually extinguished by the annual monsoon rains. However, this year, the rains had not come due to El Nino which produces dry conditions in the Indonesia region. Due to the lack of trade winds, the seasonal warm waters in the eastern Pacific have spread over to South America. Consequently, the water temperature in Indonesia has dropped significantly. This decrease in temperature has not produced enough warm water vapor to produce the normal seasonal showers that usually encompass the area. The fire has now been blamed for two fatal accidents and countless health hazards. At one point, the pollution index of the region reached 839. To put a relative point to this number, a pollution index of 300 is a equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The smoke, during one time, blanketed an area that was larger than the continental United States. Currently, the fire's rage has been quelled by winds and rain which have lifted the smog and dampened the fires. However it is estimated that 100,000 fire fighters are needed to stop the fire. This KidSat image (MET 00215624) of the southern tip of Sumatra was captured on September 27, 1997 during Space Shuttle flight STS-86. It is centered at 3.0 degrees S, 102.9 degrees E and is 140 km wide and 205 km long. A clear view is visible of the southern tip of Sumatra with the volcanoes that make up the backbone of the island appearing darker than the surrounding land. Travelling northwest, the first smoke plumes are visible in the rain forests east of the mountains where land is being cleared for palm plantations. The prevailing winds are from the southeast and are blowing most of the smoke to the northwest of this image (see image 00215637 and 00215701). The KidSat camera that photographed these fires is mounted in the overhead starboard window of the Shuttle Atlantis and operates before and after docking with Mir when the Shuttle's windows face the Earth. Students on the ground are linked to the camera through the Internet and a series of satellites. High school and undergraduate students work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop and operate the KidSat systems. Curriculum developed by The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth is used in the middle school classrooms to encourage scientific inquiry based on the images. The photographs from the three missions of the KidSat pilot program can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kidsat The KidSat program was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth, and The University of California, San Diego, with support from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project is supported by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education with support from NASA's Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Space Flight, and Space Science. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). #####
Southern Sumatra, Indonesia
KidSat Images - Fires in Ind …
10/1/97
Date 10/1/97
Description KidSat Images - Fires in Indonesia Middle school students across the country photographed the fires and smoke over southern Sumatra from a camera aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis September 2. A joint effort between 23 of the 52 schools participating in this mission, the KidSat camera was used to image a 140 km wide, 1950 km long strip that starts in the northwest (5.24 degrees N, 97.11 degrees E), and follows the Pegunungan Barisan range across the equator to the southern tip of Sumatra (7.44S, 106.1E). [MET 00215343 - 00215750]. Smoldering underground fires have raged uncontrolled for the past few weeks in Southeast Asia. Originally set to clear land for agriculture, the fires are usually extinguished by the annual monsoon rains. However, this year, the rains had not come due to El Nino which produces dry conditions in the Indonesia region. Due to the lack of trade winds, the seasonal warm waters in the eastern Pacific have spread over to South America. Consequently, the water temperature in Indonesia has dropped significantly. This decrease in temperature has not produced enough warm water vapor to produce the normal seasonal showers that usually encompass the area. The fire has now been blamed for two fatal accidents and countless health hazards. At one point, the pollution index of the region reached 839. To put a relative point to this number, a pollution index of 300 is a equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The smoke, during one time, blanketed an area that was larger than the continental United States. Currently, the fire's rage has been quelled by winds and rain which have lifted the smog and dampened the fires. However it is estimated that 100,000 fire fighters are needed to stop the fire. This KidSat image (MET 00215637) of the southern region of Sumatra was captured on September 27, 1997 during the Shuttle flight STS-86. It is centered at 3.7 degrees S 103.4 degrees E and is 140 km wide and 205 km long. The smoke plumes appear in the rain forests east of the mountains where land is being cleared for palm plantations, the plumes indicate a prevailing wind to the northwest and rise above the continuous layer of smoke. Within a short distance, the region becomes completely blanketed in smoke with only the peaks of the volcanoes rising above the gray haze layer. The KidSat camera that photographed these fires is mounted in the overhead starboard window of the Shuttle Atlantis and operates before and after docking with Mir when the Shuttle's windows face the Earth. Students on the ground are linked to the camera through the Internet and a series of satellites. High school and undergraduate students work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop and operate the KidSat systems. Curriculum developed by The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth is used in the middle school classrooms to encourage scientific inquiry based on the images. The photographs from the three missions of the KidSat pilot program can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kidsat The KidSat program was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth, and The University of California, San Diego, with support from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project is supported by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education with support from NASA's Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Space Flight, and Space Science. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). #####
Sumatra, Indonesia
KidSat Images - Fires in Ind …
10/1/97
Date 10/1/97
Description KidSat Images - Fires in Indonesia Middle school students across the country photographed the fires and smoke over southern Sumatra from a camera aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on September 27. A joint effort between 23 of the 52 schools participating in this mission, the KidSat camera was used to image a 140 km wide, 1950 km long strip that starts in the northwest (5.24 degrees N, 97.11 degrees E), and follows the Pegunungan Barisan range across the equator to the southern tip of Sumatra (7.44S, 106.1E) [MET 00215343 - 00215750]. Smoldering underground fires have raged uncontrolled for the past few weeks in Southeast Asia. Originally set to clear land for agriculture, the fires are usually extinguished by the annual monsoon rains. However, this year, the rains had not come due to El Nino which produces dry conditions in the Indonesia region. Due to the lack of trade winds, the seasonal warm waters in the eastern Pacific have spread over to South America. Consequently, the water temperature in Indonesia has dropped significantly. This decrease in temperature has not produced enough warm water vapor to produce the normal seasonal showers that usually encompass the area. The fire has now been blamed for two fatal accidents and countless health hazards. At one point, the pollution index of the region reached 839. To put a relative point to this number, a pollution index of 300 is a equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The smoke, during one time, blanketed an area that was larger than the continental United States. Currently, the fire's rage has been quelled by winds and rain which have lifted the smog and dampened the fires. However it is estimated that 100,000 fire fighters are needed to stop the fire. This KidSat image (MET 00215701) of Sumatra was captured on September 27, 1997 during the Shuttle flight STS-86. It is centered at 4.9 degrees S 104.3 degrees E and is 140 km wide and 205 km long. The smoke plumes appear in the rain forests east of the mountains where land is being cleared for palm plantations, the plumes indicate a prevailing wind to the northwest and rise above the continuous layer of smoke. For a geographic reference, see image #00215701_img_map. The KidSat camera that photographed these fires is mounted in the overhead starboard window of the Shuttle Atlantis and operates before and after docking with Mir when the Shuttle's windows face the Earth. Students on the ground are linked to the camera through the Internet and a series of satellites. High school and undergraduate students work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop and operate the KidSat systems. Curriculum developed by The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth is used in the middle school classrooms to encourage scientific inquiry based on the images. The photographs from the three missions of the KidSat pilot program can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kidsat The KidSat program was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth, and The University of California, San Diego, with support from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project is supported by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education with support from NASA's Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Space Flight, and Space Science. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). #####
Kidsat image of Sumatra, Ind …
Middle school students acros …
10/1/97
Date 10/1/97
Description Middle school students across the country photographed the fires and smoke over southern Sumatra from a camera aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis last Friday, September 26. A joint effort between 23 of the 52 schools participating in this mission, the KidSat camera was used to image a 140 km wide, 1950 km long strip that starts in the northwest (5.24 degrees N, 97.11 degrees E), and follows the Pegunungan Barisan range across the equator to the southern tip of Sumatra (7.44S, 106.1E) [MET 00215343 - 00215750]. Smoldering underground fires have raged uncontrolled for the past few weeks in Southeast Asia. Originally set to clear land for agriculture, the fires are usually extinguished by the annual monsoon rains. However, this year, the rains had not come due to El Nino which produces dry conditions in the Indonesia region. Due to the lack of trade winds, the seasonal warm waters in the eastern Pacific have spread over to South America. Consequently, the water temperature in Indonesia has dropped significantly. This decrease in temperature has not produced enough warm water vapor to produce the normal seasonal showers that usually encompass the area. The fire has now been blamed for two fatal accidents and countless health hazards. At one point, the pollution index of the region reached 839. To put a relative point to this number, a pollution index of 300 is a equivalent of smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The smoke, during one time, blanketed an area that was larger than the continental United States. Currently, the fire's rage has been quelled by winds and rain which have lifted the smog and dampened the fires. However it is estimated that 100,000 fire fighters are needed to stop the fire. This KidSat image (MET 00215701) of Sumatra was captured on September 27, 1997 during the Shuttle flight STS-86. It is centered at 4.9 degrees S 104.3 degrees E and is 140 km wide and 205 km long. The smoke plumes appear in the rain forests east of the mountains where land is being cleared for palm plantations, the plumes indicate a prevailing wind to the northwest and rise above the continuous layer of smoke.The image is shown on a map of the region for geographic reference. Smoke from the fires completely covers the land. The KidSat camera that photographed these fires is mounted in the overhead starboard window of the Shuttle Atlantis and operates before and after docking with Mir when the Shuttle's windows face the Earth. Students on the ground are linked to the camera through the Internet and a series of satellites. High school and undergraduate students work in collaboration with scientists and engineers to develop and operate the KidSat systems. Curriculum developed by The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth is used in the middle school classrooms to encourage scientific inquiry based on the images. The photographs from the three missions of the KidSat pilot program can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kidsat The KidSat program was developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth, and The University of California, San Diego, with support from NASA's Johnson Space Center. The project is supported by NASA's Office of Human Resources and Education with support from NASA's Offices of Mission to Planet Earth, Space Flight, and Space Science. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). #####
Mars 2003 Rover
This artist's rendering show …
7/27/00
Date 7/27/00
Description This artist's rendering shows a view of NASA's Mars 2003 Rover as it sets off roam the surface of the red planet. The rover is scheduled for launch in June 2003 and will arrive in January 2004, shielded in its landing by an airbag shell. The airbag/lander structure, which has no scientific instruments of its own, is shown to the right in this image, behind the rover. The rover will carry five scientific instruments and rock abrading device. The Panoramic Camera and the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer are located on the large mast shown on the front of the rover. The camera will be supplied by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the spectrometer will be supplied by Arizona State University in Tempe. The payload also includes magnetic targets, provided by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, that will collect magnetic dust for further study by the science instruments. The Rock Abrasion Tool is located on a robotic arm that can be deployed to study rocks and soil.(In this view, the robotic arm is tucked under the front of the rover.) The tool, provided by Honeybee Robotics Ltd., New York, N.Y., will grind away the outer surfaces of rocks, which may be dusty and weathered, allowing the science instruments to determine the nature of rock interiors. The three instruments that will study the abraded rocks are a Mossbauer Spectrometer, provided by the Johannes Gutenberg- University Mainz, Germany, an Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer provided by Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, also in Mainz, Germany, and a Microscopic Imager, supplied by JPL. The payload also includes magnetic targets, provided by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, that will collect magnetic dust for further study by the science instruments. In a landing similar to that of the 1997 Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, a parachute will deploy to slow the spacecraft down and airbags will inflate to cushion the landing. Petals of the landing structure will unfold to release the rover, which will drive off to begin its exploration. JPL manages the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload. #####
Dr. Edward C. Stone
Dr. Stone was appointed Dire …
Description Dr. Stone was appointed Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on January 1, 1991. In this capacity he also serves as a Vice President of Caltech. Dr. Stone earned his associate of arts degree in 1956 from Burlington Junior College before continuing his studies at the University of Chicago. After receiving his master of science (1959) and Ph.D. (1964) degrees in physics, he joined Caltech as a research fellow in physics. Stone was subsequently appointed senior research fellow and assistant professor (1967), associate professor (1971), professor of physics (1976), chairman of Caltech's Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy (1983 - 1988), and Vice President for Astronomical Facilities (1988 - 1990). Since his first cosmic-ray experiments on Discoverer satellites in 1961, Stone has been a principal investigator on nine NASA spacecraft missions and a co- investigator on five other NASA missions for which he developed high resolution instruments for measuring the isotopic and elemental composition of energetic cosmic-ray nuclei. Using these instruments, Stone and his colleagues undertook some of the first studies of the isotopic composition of three distinct samples of matter. The matter arrives at Earth as cosmic rays from nearby regions in our galaxy, as solar energetic particles from the Sun, and as the anomalous component from the local interstellar medium. These instruments also have been used for studies of planetary magnetospheres, including the discovery of energetic sulfur and oxygen ions from Jupiter's satellite, Io. Stone also jointly developed a large-area electronic satellite instrument for measuring the abundance of very rare heavy galactic cosmic-ray nuclei, such as lead and platinum, and collaborated in the development of an imaging gamma-ray telescope. Since 1972, Dr. Stone has served as the project scientist for the Voyager Mission, participating in both hardware development and mission operations. Following launch in 1977 of the twin Voyager spacecraft, he coordinated the efforts of 11 teams of scientists in their studies of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Among his many scientific awards and honors, Stone was a Sloan Foundation fellow and has received the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Dryden Medal and Space Science Award, and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. He is the recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Aviation Week and Space Technology Aerospace Laurels Award, the National Space Club Science Award, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems National Award for Operations, the National Medal of Science, the American Philosophical Society Magellanic Award, the American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award and the COSPAR Award for Outstanding Contribution to Space Science. He has received honorary degrees from Washington University, St. Louis, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago. Stone is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is also a member of the American Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union and an honorary member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. #####
Mars 2003 Rover
This artist's rendering show …
7/27/00
Date 7/27/00
Description This artist's rendering shows a side view of NASA's Mars 2003 Rover as it sets off on its exploration of the red planet. The rover is scheduled for launch in June 2003 and will arrive at Mars in January 2004 with an airbag-shielded landing shell. The Mars 2003 Rover will carry five scientific instruments and a rock abrading tool. The instruments include a Panoramic Camera and a Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer, both on the large mast shown on the front of the rover. A Mossbauer Spectrometer, an Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer, and a Microscopic Imager are located on a robotic arm that is tucked under the front of the rover, as is a Rock Abrasion Tool that will grind away the outer surfaces of rocks to determine the nature of rock interiors. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload. #####
Mars 2003 Rover
This is a close-up view of t …
7/27/00
Date 7/27/00
Description This is a close-up view of the arm on NASA's Mars 2003 Rover that contains several of the scientific instruments. The Microscopic Imager is being extended toward the rock, the Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is pointing back toward the rover body, the Mossbauer spectrometer is pointing away from the viewer (i.e., toward the rover's left front wheel), and the Rock Abrasion Tool is pointing toward the viewer. The rover is set for launch in June 2003 and will arrive at Mars in January 2004. JPL will manage the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload.
Lambert Glacier and Amery Ic …
The Lambert Glacier, seen in …
2/20/01
Date 2/20/01
Description The Lambert Glacier, seen in the center of this image, is one of the largest and longest of Antarctica's glaciers. It drains about 900,000 square kilometers (560,000 square miles) of East Antarctica. On the southern half of the image, several smaller ice streams, channeled by numerous exposed mountains including the Mawson Escarpment to the east, merge into the Lambert, which broadens as it eventually flows into the ocean and forms the Amery Ice Shelf. The Lambert has clearly visible surface flowlines, which extend hundreds of kilometers into the interior. In the center section, isolated features on the ice shelf that appear bright in the radar image are likely due to past occurrences of surface meltwater accumulating into small lakes and troughs. This mosaic was derived from RADARSAT imagery obtained during the 1997 Antarctic Mapping Mission and shows an area approximately 900 kilometers by 675 kilometers (560 by 415 miles). The Lambert Glacier is centered at approximately 72 degrees south latitude and 67.5 degrees east longitude. The Antarctic Mapping Mission is a joint project between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. The project is led by Ohio State University in Columbus in partnership with the Alaska Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Facility at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the Vexcel Corporation, Boulder, Colo. The Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT-1 satellite carries a synthetic aperture radar, an imaging radar sensor that operates at C-band (5.3 GHz frequency) with horizontal transmit-horizontal receive polarization from an orbital altitude of about 800 kilometers (500 miles). The 1997 Antarctic Mapping Mission took place between Sept. 19 and Oct. 14 and mapped the entire Antarctic continent. The 2000 Antarctic Mapping Mission lasted from Sept. 3 to Nov. 4 and obtained complete coverage of Antarctica north of 82 degrees south latitude. Photo Credit: Canadian Space Agency/NASA/Ohio State University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Alaska SAR facility # # # # #
Radar images of newly discov …
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. #####
Weddell Sea/ScanSAR
Two radar images are shown i …
10/26/95
Date 10/26/95
Description Two radar images are shown in this composite to compare the size of a standard spaceborne radar image (small inset) to the image that is created when the radar instrument is used in the ScanSAR mode (large image). The predominant image shows two large ocean circulation features, called eddies, at the northernmost edge of the sea ice pack in the Weddell Sea, off Antarctica. The eddy processes in this region play an important role in the circulation of the global ocean and the transportation of heat toward the pole. The large image is the first wide-swath, multi- frequency, multi-polarization radar image ever processed. To date, no other spaceborne radar sensors have obtained swaths exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles) in width. This developmental image was produced at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory by the Alaska SAR Facility's ScanSAR processor system, using radar data obtained on October 5, 1994, during the second flight of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR- C/X-SAR) onboard the space shuttle Endeavour. The image is oriented approximately east-west, with a center location of around 56.6 degrees south latitude and 6.5 degrees west longitude. Image dimensions are 240 km by 350 km (149 miles by 218 miles). The smaller image inset (upper right edge) was obtained by SIR-C/X-SAR on October 6, 1994, and covers a portion of the same ice features that are shown in the large image. The inset image dimensions are 18 km by 50 km (11 miles by 31 miles). The ocean eddies have a clockwise (or cyclonic) rotation and are roughly 40 km to 60 km (25 miles to 37 miles) in diameter. The dark areas are new ice and the lighter green areas are small sea- ice floes that are swept along by surface currents, both of these areas are shown within the eddies and to the south of the eddies. First year seasonal ice, typically 0.5 meter to 0.8 meter (1.5 feet to 2.5 feet) thick, is shown in the darker green area in the lower right corner. The open ocean to the north is uniformly bright and appears blue, due to high winds making the surface rough. The colors in both images were obtained using the following radar channels: red is C-band vertically transmitted and vertically received, green is L-band horizontally transmitted and vertically received, and blue is L-band vertically transmitted and vertically received. The ScanSAR processor is being designed for implementation in 1996 at NASA's Alaska SAR Facility, located at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and will produce digital images from the forthcoming Canadian RADARSAT satellite, since its C-band horizontally transmitted, horizontally received polarization radar routinely obtains data over a considerable range of swath-widths and resolutions, including the important wide-swath (300 km to 500 km/186 miles to 310 miles) mode. #####
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
8/22/97
Date 8/22/97
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), the Cassini spacecraft is being lifted for placement on a transporter which will move it to Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS). Cassini is an international mission conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The two-story-tall spacecraft, scheduled for launch on Oct. 6, is destined to arrive at Saturn in July 2004, where it will study the planet, its rings, moons and magnetic environment in detail over a four-year period. The Cassini mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology.
Active Pixel Sensor in the P …
Complementary metal-oxide se …
Description Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor Active Pixel Sensors (CMOS APS). Recognizing the continuing need for lightweight imaging systems especially for interplanetary spacecraft applications, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory began research on a second-generation solid state image sensor technology. The realization of that research occurred in late 1992 with the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor Active Pixel Sensors (CMOS APS). By consolidating functions and reading images more efficiently, the CMOS APS requires one-hundredth the power of a CCD system. The APS also provides JPL with a chip that not only requires less power, but is lighter and less susceptible to radiation damage in space, thereby achieving the goal of smaller, cheaper fabrications enabling affordability of future missions and good science return. Read More About It: Success Story: http://techtransfer.jpl.nasa.gov/success/success.html Ongoing Technology Development: http://csmt.jpl.nasa.gov/csmtpages/APS/index.html
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
10/15/97
Date 10/15/97
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. This spectacular streak shot was taken from Hangar AF on Cape Canaveral Air Station, with a solid rocket booster retrieval ship in the foreground. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT, Oct. 15, from Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station. After a 2.2-billion mile journey that will include two swingbys of Venus and one of Earth to gain additional velocity, the two-story tall spacecraft will arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The orbiter will circle the planet for four years, its complement of 12 scientific instruments gathering data about Saturn's atmosphere, rings and magnetosphere and conducting closeup observations of the Saturnian moons. Huygens, with a separate suite of six science instruments, will separate from Cassini to fly on a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the only celestial body besides Earth to have an atmosphere rich in nitrogen. Scientists are eager to study further this chemical similarity in hopes of learning more about the origins of our own planet Earth. Huygens will provide the first direct sampling of Titan's atmospheric chemistry and the first detailed photographs of its surface. The Cassini mission is an international effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. contribution to the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science. The major U.S. contractor is Lockheed Martin, which provided the launch vehicle and upper stage, spacecraft propulsion module and radioisotope thermoelectric generators that will provide power for the spacecraft. The Titan IV/Centaur is a U.S. Air Force launch vehicle, and launch operations were managed by the 45th Space Wing.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
10/15/97
Date 10/15/97
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT, Oct. 15, from Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station. After a 2.2-billion mile journey that will include two swingbys of Venus and one of Earth to gain additional velocity, the two-story tall spacecraft will arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The orbiter will circle the planet for four years, its complement of 12 scientific instruments gathering data about Saturn's atmosphere, rings and magnetosphere and conducting closeup observations of the Saturnian moons. Huygens, with a separate suite of six science instruments, will separate from Cassini to fly on a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the only celestial body besides Earth to have an atmosphere rich in nitrogen. Scientists are eager to study further this chemical similarity in hopes of learning more about the origins of our own planet Earth. Huygens will provide the first direct sampling of Titan's atmospheric chemistry and the first detailed photographs of its surface. The Cassini mission is an international effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. contribution to the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science. The major U.S. contractor is Lockheed Martin, which provided the launch vehicle and upper stage, spacecraft propulsion module and radioisotope thermoelectric generators that will provide power for the spacecraft. The Titan IV/Centaur is a U.S. Air Force launch vehicle, and launch operations were managed by the 45th Space Wing.
As it arrived at Jupiter on …
Description As it arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995, NASA's Galileo orbiter received a stream of data transmissions -- represented by the blue dots in this artist's depiction -- from the atmospheric probe that was descending through Jupiter's clouds. The orbiter had released the probe five months earlier. The wok-shaped probe sent information to the orbiter for 57.6 minutes as it dropped about 200 kilometers (125 miles) through the atmosphere, before succumbing to atmospheric pressure about 23 times greater than the average at Earth's sea level. The probe returned data about sunlight, heat flux, pressure, temperature, winds, lightning and atmospheric composition. About one hour after the end of the probe's transmissions, the orbiter fired its main engine to brake into orbit around Jupiter. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
10/15/97
Date 10/15/97
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT, Oct. 15, from Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station. After a 2.2-billion mile journey that will include two swingbys of Venus and one of Earth to gain additional velocity, the two-story tall spacecraft will arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The orbiter will circle the planet for four years, its complement of 12 scientific instruments gathering data about Saturn's atmosphere, rings and magnetosphere and conducting closeup observations of the Saturnian moons. Huygens, with a separate suite of six science instruments, will separate from Cassini to fly on a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the only celestial body besides Earth to have an atmosphere rich in nitrogen. Scientists are eager to study further this chemical similarity in hopes of learning more about the origins of our own planet Earth. Huygens will provide the first direct sampling of Titan's atmospheric chemistry and the first detailed photographs of its surface. The Cassini mission is an international effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. contribution to the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science. The major U.S. contractor is Lockheed Martin, which provided the launch vehicle and upper stage, spacecraft propulsion module and radioisotope thermoelectric generators that will provide power for the spacecraft. The Titan IV/Centaur is a U.S. Air Force launch vehicle, and launch operations were managed by the 45th Space Wing.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
10/15/97
Date 10/15/97
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT, Oct. 15, from Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station. After a 2.2-billion mile journey that will include two swingbys of Venus and one of Earth to gain additional velocity, the two-story tall spacecraft will arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The orbiter will circle the planet for four years, its complement of 12 scientific instruments gathering data about Saturn's atmosphere, rings and magnetosphere and conducting closeup observations of the Saturnian moons. Huygens, with a separate suite of six science instruments, will separate from Cassini to fly on a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the only celestial body besides Earth to have an atmosphere rich in nitrogen. Scientists are eager to study further this chemical similarity in hopes of learning more about the origins of our own planet Earth. Huygens will provide the first direct sampling of Titan's atmospheric chemistry and the first detailed photographs of its surface. The Cassini mission is an international effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. contribution to the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science. The major U.S. contractor is Lockheed Martin, which provided the launch vehicle and upper stage, spacecraft propulsion module and radioisotope thermoelectric generators that will provide power for the spacecraft. The Titan IV/Centaur is a U.S. Air Force launch vehicle, and launch operations were managed by the 45th Space Wing.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
10/15/97
Date 10/15/97
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A seven-year journey to the ringed planet Saturn begins with the liftoff of a Titan IVB/Centaur carrying the Cassini orbiter and its attached Huygens probe. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT, Oct. 15, from Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Station. After a 2.2-billion mile journey that will include two swingbys of Venus and one of Earth to gain additional velocity, the two-story tall spacecraft will arrive at Saturn in July 2004. The orbiter will circle the planet for four years, its complement of 12 scientific instruments gathering data about Saturn's atmosphere, rings and magnetosphere and conducting closeup observations of the Saturnian moons. Huygens, with a separate suite of six science instruments, will separate from Cassini to fly on a ballistic trajectory toward Titan, the only celestial body besides Earth to have an atmosphere rich in nitrogen. Scientists are eager to study further this chemical similarity in hopes of learning more about the origins of our own planet Earth. Huygens will provide the first direct sampling of Titan's atmospheric chemistry and the first detailed photographs of its surface. The Cassini mission is an international effort involving NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the U.S. contribution to the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science. The major U.S. contractor is Lockheed Martin, which provided the launch vehicle and upper stage, spacecraft propulsion module and radioisotope thermoelectric generators that will provide power for the spacecraft. The Titan IV/Centaur is a U.S. Air Force launch vehicle, and launch operations were managed by the 45th Space Wing.
Mars Polar Lander
A bottom view of the Mars Po …
Description A bottom view of the Mars Polar Lander spacecraft. The spacecraft will travel 10 months from Earth to Mars to land near the southern polar cap in December 1999 and carry out a three- month mission to search for traces of subsurface water in this frozen, layered terrain. The lander carries three scientific packages: the Mars descent imager, furnished by Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., which will view the landing site at increasingly higher resolution, the atmospheric lidar experiment, provided by Russia's Space Research Institute, which will measure the presence and height of atmospheric hazes, along with a miniature microphone provided by The Planetary Society, to record the sounds of Mars, and the Mars Volatile and Climate Surveyor science package. The mission is 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 is NASA's industrial partner in the mission. #####
Mars Polar Lander
A top view of the Mars Polar …
Description A top view of the Mars Polar Lander spacecraft. The spacecraft will travel 10 months from Earth to Mars to land near the southern polar cap in December 1999 and carry out a three- month mission to search for traces of subsurface water in this frozen, layered terrain. The lander carries three scientific packages: the Mars descent imager, furnished by Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., which will view the landing site at increasingly higher resolution, the atmospheric lidar experiment, provided by Russia's Space Research Institute, which will measure the presence and height of atmospheric hazes, along with a miniature microphone provided by The Planetary Society, to record the sounds of Mars, and the Mars Volatile and Climate Surveyor science package. The mission is 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 is NASA's industrial partner in the mission. #####
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