Following a launch on Feb. 15, Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander touched down in the Moon’s south polar region on Feb. 22 and has since transmitted valuable scientific data back to Earth. Odysseus took six NASA payloads along for the ride and their data will prepare us for future human exploration of the Moon under Artemis.
This landing marked the United States’ first lunar landing since Apollo 17, as well as the first landing as part of our Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which aims to expand the lunar economy to support future crewed Artemis missions.
NASA Signs Agreement with Nikon to Develop Lunar Artemis Camera
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
When NASA sends astronauts to the South Pole region of the Moon for the first time with its Artemis campaign, they will capture photos with a handheld camera to help advance scientific research and discovery for the benefit of all. NASA and Nikon Inc. recently signed a Space Act Agreement that outlines how they will work together to develop a handheld camera that can operate in the harsh lunar environment for use beginning with Artemis III.
Photographing the lunar South Pole region requires a modern camera with specialized capabilities to manage the extreme lighting conditions and temperatures unique to the area. The agreement enables NASA to have a space-rated camera ready for use on the lunar surface without needing to develop one from scratch.
Prior to the agreement, NASA performed initial testing on a standard Nikon Z 9 camera to determine the specifications a camera would need to operate on the lunar surface. With the agreement in place, teams at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, along with Nikon, have started working to implement the necessary adjustments and develop the HULC (Handheld Universal Lunar Camera), the agency’s next-generation camera astronauts will use on the Moon.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Drew Feustel practice using an early design of the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera during the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team (JETT) Field Test 3 in Arizona.
NASA / Bill Stafford
The resulting design consists of a modified Nikon Z 9 camera and Nikkor lenses, NASA’s thermal blanket, which will protect the camera from dust and extreme temperatures, and a custom grip with modified buttons developed by NASA engineers for easier handling by suited crewmembers wearing thick gloves during a moonwalk. In addition, the camera will incorporate the latest imagery technology and will have modified electrical components to minimize issues caused by radiation, ensuring the camera operates as intended on the Moon.
The camera will be the first mirrorless handheld camera used on the Moon, designed for capturing imagery in low-light environments. Prior to Artemis missions, the camera will be used at the International Space Station to demonstrate its capabilities.
For over 50 years, NASA has used a variety of cameras in space, including the cameras crewmembers currently use at the International Space Station to take photos of science experiments, day-to-day operations, and during spacewalks while they orbit about 250 miles above Earth.
NASA astronaut Jessica Wittner uses an early design of the Artemis lunar camera to take photos during planetary geological field training in Lanzarote, Spain.
European Space Agency / A. Romero
During the Apollo program, crewmembers took over 18,000 photos using modified large-format, handheld cameras. However, those cameras didn’t have viewfinders, so astronauts were trained to aim the camera from chest-level where it attached to the front of the spacesuit. In addition, Apollo crewmembers had to use separate cameras for photos and video. The new lunar camera will have a viewfinder and video capabilities to capture both still imagery and video on a single device.
To ensure camera performance on the lunar surface, NASA has begun thermal, vacuum, and radiation testing on the lunar camera to see how it behaves in a space-like environment. Suited NASA crewmembers have used the camera to capture imagery of geology tasks during simulated moonwalks in Arizona, and an international crew of astronauts from NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) used it during geology training in Lanzarote, Spain.
NASA crewmembers will use the camera during the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team Field Test #5, an upcoming analog mission in Arizona where teams will conduct simulated moonwalks in the desert to practice lunar operations.
Through NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will land the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send the first astronauts to Mars.
Instruments on the exterior of the International Space Station provide data on astrophysical phenomena that are helping scientists better understand our universe and its origins. Crew members install and maintain these instruments robotically and scientific teams operate them remotely.
One of the instruments, the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), measures X-rays emitted by neutron stars and other cosmic objects to help answer questions about matter and gravity. Neutron stars, the densest measurable objects in the universe, are the remains of massive stars that exploded into supernovae. Some are called pulsars because they spin, sweeping bright X-ray beams across the sky like lighthouse beacons. NICER is located on the space station because the X-rays emitted by neutron stars do not penetrate Earth’s atmosphere.
A view of NICER on the exterior of the International Space Station.
NASA
In May 2023, NICER developed a “light leak,” with unwanted sunlight entering the instrument. As a result, the team limits daytime observations to objects far from the Sun’s position in the sky and lowers NICER’s sensitivity during the orbital day. Nighttime observations are not affected. Even with these limitations, NICER’s recent observations continue to generate results and papers, many published in top-tier journals.
Neutron Star Cores
Scientists suspect that neutron stars grow denser toward their cores, but the form of matter in their centers remains unknown. NICER’s precise measurements of the size and mass of these stars are providing more insight.
In 2021, two teams used different approaches to model the size of PSR J0740+6620, the heaviest known pulsar at 2.1 times the Sun’s mass, and produced measurements that are essentially in agreement.1,2 This star is almost 50% more massive than a previous pulsar measured by NICER, J0030+0451, but is essentially the same diameter.3,4 Scientists are investigating how this finding might change popular models of neutron star core composition.
X-ray Binaries
NICER has advanced understanding of X-ray binaries, systems where superdense objects such as neutron stars are paired with normal stars. X-ray binaries produce gravitational waves, invisible ripples in space-time also produced by exploding stars and merging black holes. Data from gravitational wave signals are being used to map the galaxy’s binaries.
Joint observations by NICER and NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) revealed specific properties of an X-Ray binary, 4U 0614+091, that increase understanding of these phenomena.5 A joint NICER and NuSTAR observation of an ultra-compact X-ray binary (UCXB), 4U 1543-624, is helping scientists fine tune models of gravitational waves from these sources.6 The behavior of UCXBs suggests that the superdense object of the pair takes material from its companion star.
Analysis of NICER observations of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039 found its X-ray emissions vary, perhaps because of winds from its companion.7 Gamma-ray binaries include a normal and a collapsed star. This observation helps astronomers study the nature of these stars and some of the most extreme conditions in the universe.
Pulsar Outbursts
Similar behaviors in outbursts from the pulsar PSR J1846-0258 monitored by NICER in 2020 and 2006 suggest there is a continuum of neutron star types.8 At one end of the continuum are rotation-powered pulsars (RPPs), which shine from energy generated by a slowing rotation, and at the other, magnetars, which have magnetic fields up to a thousand times stronger than typical neutron stars.
Astrophysicists also compared NICER data on X-ray outbursts in 2021 and 2006 from RS Ophiuchi.9 This system is a recurrent nova, a binary system with a white dwarf that is taking material from its companion star. This collected material eventually undergoes a thermonuclear explosion, blasting out a mushroom cloud. Scientists used NICER data to probe the chemical content of the cloud and the white dwarf’s hot surface.
Animation of a spinning pulsar.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
More Astrophysics Tools
CALET, an instrument developed by JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), measures the electron spectrum of cosmic rays to search for signatures of dark matter. Data from CALET validated a method for measuring changes in the solar magnetic field, which affects weather and radio communications on Earth.10
JAXA’s Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) investigation scans 95% of the sky for X-ray sources with each orbit of the space station. MAXI has observed hundreds of outbursts, including five between 2016 and 2020 from the X-ray binary Aquila X-1.11 Observing such systems reveals the dynamics of the high-energy processes fueled by the transfer of matter between stars. MAXI also observed, for the first time, a massive black hole swallowing a star in the center of a galaxy 3.9 billion light years away.12
Multiple instruments attached to the Kibo module of the International Space Station. MAXI is barely visible behind the end of the robot arm.
NASA
When MAXI detects an object that brightens suddenly, the Orbiting High-energy Monitor Alert Network (OHMAN) alerts NICER so it can observe the object. By directly connecting the two instruments, OHMAN cut the response time from hours or days to minutes and could enable new discoveries about the physics behind some of the most powerful events in the universe.
View of the AMS-02 on the exterior of the International Space Station.
NASA
Crew members traveling to the Moon or Mars need protection from cosmic rays, high energy particles from distant stars. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) detects cosmic ray particles and determines their charge. Among the many papers using AMS-02 data is one reporting distinct differences in duration and strength of daily electron and proton flows in cosmic rays.13 These data help scientists better understand cosmic rays and could help protect astronauts on future missions.
John Love, ISS Research Planning Integration Scientist Expedition 70
Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above.
Citations:
1 Miller MC, Lamb FK, Dittmann AJ, Bogdanov S, Arzoumanian Z, Gendreau KC, et al. The Radius of PSR J0740+6620 from NICER and XMM-Newton Data. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2021 September; 918(2). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac089b.
2 Riley TE, Watts AL, Ray PS, Bogdanov S, Guillot S, et al. A NICER View of the Massive Pulsar PSR J0740+6620 Informed by Radio Timing and XMM-Newton Spectroscopy. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2021 September. 918(2). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac0a81
3 Miller MC, Lamb FK, Pittman AJ, Bogdanov S, Arzoumanian Z, et al. PSR J0030+0451 Mass and Radius from NICER Data and Implications for the Properties of Neutron Star Matter. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2019 December. 887(1). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab50c5.
4 Riley TE, Watts AL, Bogdanov S, Ray PS, Ludlam RM, et al. A NICER View of PSR J0030+0451: Millisecond Pulsar Parameter Estimation. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 2019 December. 887(1). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab481c.
5 Moutard DL, Ludlam RM, Garcia JA, Altamirano D, Buisson DJ, et al. Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations of the ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 0614+091. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 November; 957(1): 27. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acf4f3.
6 Ludlam RM, Jaodand AD, Garcia JA, Degenaar N, Tomsick JA, et al. Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations of the ultracompact X-Ray binary 4U 1543–624. The Astrophysical Journal. 2021 April; 911(2): 123. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abedb0.
7 Yoneda H, Bosch-Ramon V, Enoto T, Khangulyan D, Ray PS, et al. Unveiling properties of the nonthermal X-ray production in the gamma-ray binary LS 5039 using the long-term pattern of its fast X-ray variability. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 May; 948(2): 77. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acc175.
8 Hu C, Kuiper LM, Harding AK, Younes GA, Blumer H, et al. A NICER view on the 2020 magnetar-like outburst of PSR J1846−0258. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 August; 952(2): 120. DOI 10.3847/1538-4357/acd850.
9 Orio M, Gendreau KC, Giese M, Luna GJ, Magdolen J, et al. The RS Oph outburst of 2021 monitored in X-Rays with NICER. The Astrophysical Journal. 2023 September; 955(1): 37. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ace9bd.
10 Adriani O, Akaike Y, Asano K, Asaoka Y, Berti E, et al, CALET Collaboration. Charge-sign dependent cosmic-ray modulation observed with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station. Physical Review Letters. 2023 May 25; 130(21): 211001. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.211001.
11 Niwano M, Murata KL, Ito N, Yatsu Y, Kawai N. Optical and X-ray variations during five outbursts of Aql X-1 in 3.6 yr from 2016. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2023 November 1; 525(3): 4358-4366. DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad2561.
12 Burrows DN, Kennea JA, Ghisellini G, Mangano V, Zhang BB, et al. Relativistic jet activity from the tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole. Nature. 2011 August 25; 476421-424. DOI: 10.1038/nature10374.
13 Aguilar-Benitez M, Ambrosi G, Anderson H, Arruda MF, Attig N, et a;. Temporal structures in positron spectra and charge-sign effects in galactic cosmic rays. Physical Review Letters. 2023 October 13; 131(15): 151002. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.151002.
NASA Honors Life of Former Administrator, Astronaut Richard Truly
Former NASA Administrator and astronaut, Richard Truly.
NASA
The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on former NASA Administrator and astronaut Richard Truly, who passed away Feb. 27, 2024, at his home in Genesee, Colorado, at the age of 86.
“NASA is the place it is today because of people of character, vision, and a spirit of service – people like the great man we lost Feb. 27, former NASA administrator, associate administrator, and astronaut Richard Truly.
“In his decades of service – to the Navy, to NASA, to his country – Richard lifted ever higher humanity’s quest to know the unknown and to achieve the impossible dream.
“Across his 30 years in the Navy, Richard served as a test pilot and naval aviator, making more than 300 aircraft carrier landings. Richard rose from the role of ensign to vice admiral.
“As an astronaut, Richard was part of the crew for the Approach and Landing Tests of the space shuttle Enterprise. He piloted space shuttle Columbia during STS-2, the first piloted spacecraft reflown in space, and commanded space shuttle Challenger during STS-8 – the first night launch and landing of its era.
“As associate administrator, after the Challenger crisis, Richard brought NASA to its first liftoff and return to flight. He led the Space Shuttle Program to once again take to the skies and reach for the stars. He understood no matter what difficulties we endure, there is only one direction for humanity and NASA: forward.
“As NASA administrator, it also was under Richard’s leadership and judgment that Voyager 1turned Earthward and took a final picture of our beautiful planet as it floated 3.7 billion miles away. It was the picture that became known as the “Pale Blue Dot.” This is to say that as administrator, Richard’s vision was bold and broad. Humanity is all the better for that vision.
“Woven through these accolades, tests, and triumphs was Richard’s poise as a leader and vision as a pioneer.
“Richard had the makings of someone who understood that we choose to do great things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. He was a personal friend and a mentor to so many of us. I share my deep condolences with Richard’s wife, Cody, and their three children. I invite all those who care for humanity’s quest to reach ever higher to join me in saying farewell to a great public servant.”
For more information about Truly’s NASA career, and his agency biography, visit:
Space-Caused Eye, Head Pressure Research as Crew-8 Preps for Launch
The seven-member Expedition 70 crew gathers for a dinner time portrait inside the International Space Station’s Unity module.
Eye checks and “anti-gravity” suits were the main human research topics for the Expedition 70 crew on Wednesday. The International Space Station residents also worked on standard maintenance tasks while getting ready for the next Commercial Crew swap.
Doctors are constantly monitoring astronauts’ health to ensure long-term mission success and ease their return to Earth’s gravity after months or years in space. Vision is a critical parameter as researchers explore space-caused pressure on the eyes due to fluids shifting toward the head. The same fluid shifts quickly reverse when an astronaut reenters Earth’s atmosphere causing blood pressure and stability issues. Doctors are studying methods to offset these symptoms and reduce the time it takes for crews to adapt to gravity.
NASA Flight Engineer Loral O’Hara had her optical nerve, retina, and cornea scanned on Wednesday using standard medical imaging hardware. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa led the eye exams operating the optical gear in the Harmony module with assistance from doctors and technicians on the ground.
Earlier in the day, O’Hara wore a sensor-packed vest and headband, the Bio-Monitor gear from the Canadian Space Agency, being evaluated for their ability to comfortably monitor an astronaut’s health data. Furukawa continued setting up biology hardware for upcoming research inside the Kibo laboratory module.
Two cosmonauts, Nikolai Chub and Konstantin Borisov, tried on the lower body negative pressure suit again in the middle of the week exploring its potential to decrease fluid pressure in the head triggered by weightlessness. Doctors theorize the downward fluid shifts may help maintain a crew member’s heart rate and blood pressure when returning to Earth.
Meanwhile, astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli from NASA and Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency) joined forces and spent the day inside the Quest airlock replacing advanced air conditioning equipment. The duo swapped hoses, seals, and a heat exchanger on the Common Cabin Air Assembly, a life support device that circulates, cools, and dehumidifies the station’s air.
Moghbeli and Mogensen, Commander and Pilot of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission, also continued packing gear for their return to Earth inside the SpaceX Dragon “Endurance” spacecraft. The duo along with Furukawa and Borisov are scheduled to depart the station ending their mission about one week after the SpaceX Crew-8 mission arrives.
Crew-8, led by Commander Matthew Dominick with Pilot Michael Barratt and Mission Specialists Jeanette and Alexander Grebenkin, have been given the go to launch to the station at 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday aboard the SpaceX Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft. The Commercial Crew quartet will take an automated ride aboard Dragon for a docking to Harmony’s forward port at 7 a.m. on Saturday.
NASA and SpaceX are also targeting no earlier than mid-March for launch of the company’s 30th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo spacecraft is scheduled from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
During the NASA Administrator’s Briefing from Kennedy Space Center today, NASA’s International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano discussed the upcoming crew and cargo missions.
