Anticipation Builds for 2024 Solar Eclipse Across the United States
The 2024 solar eclipse is set to cross a wide swath of the United States on April 8, 2024, with an estimated 34 million Americans expected to witness the celestial event. Unlike the 2017 eclipse, this one is projected to last longer, offering a captivating display for sky gazers. The path of totality spans from Mexico, through the U.S., and extends across Texas and North America to the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. States in the path of totality include Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The solar eclipse is scheduled for Monday, April 8, 2024, with the path of totality projected to cross the United States from approximately 2:27 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. Eastern time. As the event draws near, it’s essential for individuals to equip themselves with the necessary tools, such as eclipse glasses, to safely observe the phenomenon.
ESA and NASA Collaborate to Study Solar Wind with Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe
ESA and NASA collaborate as Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe reach closest approach to the Sun, allowing for simultaneous observation of the solar wind. This unique alignment provides valuable data for scientists to enhance their understanding of the Sun’s impact on the solar system and Earth.
Rare Asteroid Sample on Display at University of Arizona Museum
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has brought a small piece of an asteroid to the University of Arizona’s Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum. This rare extraterrestrial rock sample is now available for public viewing, making it one of only three such samples in the world. After a seven-year journey, the pebble from asteroid Bennu landed in a remote area of the Utah desert and is now on display at the museum in Arizona.
SpaceX Launches Doubleheader Falcon 9 Rocket Mission
SpaceX successfully launched a doubleheader Falcon 9 rocket mission to deploy satellites and expand its Starlink constellation, with one launch carrying the Eutelsat 36D satellite and the other launching 23 Starlink satellites. Weather conditions forced the postponement of a third SpaceX launch in California. Despite the challenges, SpaceX’s ambitious launch schedule and successful missions demonstrate the company’s commitment to advancing satellite deployment and space exploration.
NASA Conducts Successful Test Drives for Mini Autonomous Rovers Bound for the Moon in 2025
NASA’s mini autonomous rovers, part of the CADRE technology demonstration, underwent successful test drives at JPL in preparation for their 2025 moon mission. Equipped with solar panels and sensors, the rovers will map the lunar surface in 3D, showcasing the potential of autonomous robotic exploration in space.
Space Coast Sets New Record for Orbital Missions in 2023
The Space Coast in Florida has set a new record for orbital missions in 2023, with a total of 72 launches from both Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The pace of launches is expected to increase significantly by the end of 2024, potentially reaching a rate of nearly twice weekly, with as many as 111 missions being possible. As of March 30, 2024, there have been 22 Space Coast launches, with 15 from Cape Canaveral and 7 from KSC. Of these, 21 were conducted by SpaceX (comprising 21 Falcon 9s) and 1 by ULA (utilizing 1 Vulcan). Additionally, there have been 2 human spaceflight missions: Ax-3 and Crew-8.
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Makes Groundbreaking Discovery on Small Asteroid System
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has made a groundbreaking discovery during its mission, revealing unexpected findings during its encounter with the asteroid Dinkinesh. The mission’s success in capturing detailed insights into the asteroid system’s composition and history marks a significant milestone in space exploration, providing valuable data for scientists to unravel the mysteries of celestial bodies.
NASA and SpaceX Announce New Launch Date for GOES-U Satellite
NASA and SpaceX have announced a new launch date for the GOES-U satellite, the fourth and final satellite in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R Series. The launch is now scheduled for Tuesday, June 25, following the identification of a liquid oxygen leak during routine testing in February, which required repairs and testing of the Falcon Heavy core booster. The GOES-R Series Program, overseen by NOAA, is managed through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center handling the acquisition of the spacecraft and instruments.
UC Berkeley to manage $300 million NASA mission to conduct first all-sky survey of ultraviolet sources in the cosmos
UC Berkeley has been selected to manage a $300 million NASA mission called UVEX (UltraViolet EXplorer) that is set to launch in 2030. The mission, led by the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at UC Berkeley, will conduct the first all-sky survey of ultraviolet (UV) sources in the cosmos. The UVEX mission, headed by Fiona Harrison, a UC Berkeley Ph.D. recipient and professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, aims to provide valuable insights into the evolution of galaxies and stars, both in the present and the distant past. This initiative is expected to complement other ongoing or planned surveys by other missions, including the optical and infrared Euclid mission led by the European Space Agency with NASA contributions, and NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. According to Daniel Weisz, a science team leader for the UVEX mission and a UC Berkeley associate professor of astronomy, the launch of UVEX will mark the first time that the entire sky will be covered from the UV all the way through the infrared. This comprehensive coverage is considered groundbreaking, as ultraviolet emissions, which come from hot objects, are typically blocked by Earth’s atmosphere and must be studied from space. The survey will specifically focus on hot, massive blue stars, many of which are believed to be members of binary star systems, as well as exploding stars. UVEX will map the distribution of these ‘stripped’ stars in galaxies around the Milky Way. Additionally, the telescope will carry a UV spectrograph, jointly built by UC Berkeley and Caltech, to record detailed information about the UV wavelengths. With the ability to capture ultraviolet coverage of the entire sky, the UVEX mission is poised to provide groundbreaking insights into our understanding of galaxies, stars, and stellar explosions.
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