NASA Tech Developed for Home Health Monitoring  

Even before we’re aware of heart trouble or related health issues, our bodies give off warning signs in the form of vibrations. Technology to detect these signals has ranged from electrodes and patches to watches. Now, an innovative wall-mounted technology is capable of monitoring vital signs. Advanced TeleSensors Inc. developed the Cardi/o Monitor with an exclusive license from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. 

Over the course of five years, NASA engineers created a small, inexpensive, contactless device to measure vital signs, a challenging task partly because monitoring heart rate requires picking out motions of about one three-thousandth of an inch, which are easily swamped by other movement in the environment.  

By the late 1990s, hardware and computing technology could meet the challenge, and the NASA JPL team created a prototype the size of a thick textbook. It would emit a radio beam toward a stationary person, working similarly to a radar, and algorithms differentiated cardiac and respiratory activity from the “noise” of other movements.  

When Sajol Ghoshal, now CEO of Austin, Texas-based Advanced TeleSensors, participated in a demonstration of the prototype, he saw the potential for in-home monitoring. By then, developing an affordable device was possible due to the miniaturization of sensors and computing technology.  

The Cardi/o Monitor is 3 inches square and mounts to a ceiling or wall. It can detect vital signs from up to 10 feet. Multiple devices can be scattered throughout a house, with a smartphone app controlling settings and displaying all data on a single dashboard. The algorithms NASA developed detect heartbeat and respiration, and the company added heart rate variability detection that indicates stress and sleep apnea.  

If there’s an anomaly, such as a dramatic heart rate increase, an alert in the app calls attention to the situation. Up to six months of data is stored in a secure cloud, making it accessible to healthcare providers. This limits the need for regular in-person visits, which is particularly important for conditions such as infectious diseases, which can put medical professionals and other patients at risk.  

Through the commercialization of this life-preserving technology, NASA is at the heart of advancing health solutions.  

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Sols 4502-4504: Sneaking Past Devil’s Gate

Written by Michelle Minitti, Planetary Geologist at Framework

Earth planning date: Friday, April 4, 2025

We continue to make progress driving up Mount Sharp, each day gaining new perspectives on the spectacular, towering buttes surrounding our path. To get to the next canyon we can ascend, we have to swing around the north end of a small ridgeline, “Devil’s Gate,” which is on the right side of the image above. 

The blocks scattered around the base of Devil’s Gate are ripe with interesting structures, which motivated the acquisition of an RMI mosaic across the ridge. Those blocks are also inconvenient for driving and parking the rover with all six wheels firmly on the ground, the latter of which is needed to be able to unstow the arm for APXS and MAHLI observations. Our last drive ended with our front wheels not quite on solid ground, so we had to forego arm work this weekend. But as you can imagine with the view around us, Devil’s Gate was not the only feature that the team was excited to image. ChemCam added a second RMI mosaic along the base of “Texoli” butte, which you can see the flank of on the left side of the image above. Mastcam planned a mosaic across an expanse of bedrock that looks like rolling waves frozen in place at “Maidenhair Falls.” 

The rocks right in front of the rover were also wonderfully complex in their textures and structures. ChemCam targeted two different textures expressed in the workspace — one across fine layers at “Arroyo Burro” and one across rough, platy, and gray material at “Arroyo Conejo.” Mastcam documented the block containing both these targets with a stereo mosaic that will give us a three-dimensional view of its structures. 

We planned a drive to get us further around the base of Devil’s Gate, after which we will acquire an autonomously-targeted ChemCam LIBS raster and early morning Navcam and Mastcam mosaics looking back on the path we have recently traveled. DAN is scheduled for about seven hours of data collecting across the plan, both during science blocks and our drive. The sky gets a lot of attention in this plan with suites of observations taken at two different times — near midday and early morning — to assess variability across the day. Each window of time had Navcam dust-devil and cloud movies, and measurements of the amount of dust in the atmosphere. The early morning block of observations also had multiple cloud movies cover the full sky. REMS and RAD have regular measurements across the sols. 

See you Monday, when we are a bit farther past Devil’s Gate!

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Connected Learning Ecosystems: Educators Gather to Empower Learners and Themselves

Many educators would agree that despite working and communicating with dozens, even hundreds, of people each year, the role can feel isolating. Learners come and go, leaving educators to question: Was anything retained? Will they take this knowledge home? Will they share it at their after-school activities? How will it ultimately impact their lives and perspectives? What some educators may not fully realize is that they are not alone in their efforts. Their classroom or alternate education space is but one step along a learning pathway that winds through an entire network of educators. Learning pathways take many forms, but are most effective when each stop along the path builds upon what a learner has experienced during previous stops. These networks of educators, known as Connected Learning Ecosystems (CLEs), exist wherever learning takes place. Simply put, CLEs are made up of all the people involved at any point in a youth’s learning journey.

With this in mind, the NASA Science Activation Program’s Learning Ecosystems Northeast (LENE) project has been working to connect and support the regional networks found throughout Maine and the Northeastern United States, with a shared focus on Science, Technology, Education, and Mathematics (STEM) education. This inspiring community includes classroom teachers, librarians, 4-H staff, and land trust educators, to name a few, all collaborating to advance education about our changing planet and improve data literacy across a variety of learning environments.

In support of these regional networks, LENE hosts a Connected Learning Ecosystems Gathering twice each year, a multi-day event designed to unite educators who have these shared STEM education goals. These gatherings provide opportunities to reflect on past successes and plan future projects, ultimately benefiting not just the educators, but every learner they reach. They also help strengthen and amplify the lasting and positive impact these educators have on the lives of the youth they support.

This year’s Gathering took place in late February in Orono, ME at the University of Maine (a LENE project partner). The event featured hands-on science activities adaptable to various learning spaces, dedicated reflection time for educators, and collaborative planning sessions to design cross-context learning opportunities for local youth. Participants engaged with NASA’s Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, supported by Jen Bourgeault (GLOBE US Country Coordinator) and Haley Wicklein (GLOBE Assistant US Country Coordinator), who facilitated field data collection and program exploration. NASA Subject Matter Expert Shawn Laatsch from UMaine’s Versant Planetarium led an immersive evening show on the molecular world inside the human body and also previewed other potential field trip shows for students. One highlight of the Gathering was a presentation on climate science and ice core collection by experts Sean Birkel and Daniel Dixon from UMaine’s Climate Change Institute. Educators also participated in a hands-on activity using model ice cores designed by project partner UMaine 4-H. Rounding out the two-day event were deep-dive sessions into various connected learning projects, where educators shared their insights, from idea formation to project execution and reflection.

One educator shared about their experience: “I just want the leadership team to know how grateful I am to be part of this community. As a veteran teacher of 28 years, this is by far the BEST workshop I have ever attended. The passion for evidence-based science among this group is incredible. I feel seen and connected in ways that other workshops have never made possible. I will definitely be a lifelong member and will be bringing more people to CLE workshops. Thank you for making this meaningful and valuable.”

Another educator shared, “During the gathering, I had the opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and make new connections within [my region]. I engaged in insightful conversations with several individuals, discussing shared interests in environmental education, science literacy, and place-based learning…. From these connections, I hope to foster new collaborations that enhance environmental literacy opportunities for students and communities. By working together, I believe we can create interdisciplinary programs that bridge science, sustainability, and civic engagement in meaningful ways.”

Despite the support of regional groups, feelings of isolation persist, particularly in rural areas. These biannual gatherings serve as powerful reminders that this work is happening statewide, and that Connected Learning Ecosystems help establish and strengthen a network to bridge the distance between educators.

These Gatherings are part of ongoing programming organized by Learning Ecosystems Northeast, based at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, that fosters peer communities across the Northeast through which teachers, librarians, and out-of-school educators can collaborate to expand opportunities for youth to engage in data-driven climate investigations and integrate in- and out-of-school learning.

The Learning Ecosystems Northeast project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB94A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about Learning Ecosystems Northeast: https://www.learningecosystemsnortheast.org/

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Sols 4500-4501: Bedrock With a Side of Sand

Written by Sharon Wilson Purdy, Planetary Geologist at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Earth planning date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Wow, sol 4500. What an impressive number of sols (Martian days) exploring the Red Planet! This delightfully even sol number made me wonder where the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity was at this point in her mission (Opportunity’s twin rover, Spirit, explored Gusev crater on Mars for roughly 2210 sols). As it turns out, Opportunity was driving over fairly smooth terrain on sol 4500 and was approaching a light-toned rounded hill named “Spirit Mound” on the western rim of Endeavour crater in Meridiani Planum. 

I am always so impressed and proud when I stop to think about the incredible fleet of rovers we have safely landed and operated on Mars, and the amazing scientific discoveries that have resulted from these missions!

Today I served on science operations as the “keeper of the plan” for the geology and mineralogy theme group. In this role, I assembled the activities in our team planning software for this two-sol plan. Our small plan becomes part of a much larger set of instructions that will be relayed up to the rover later today. Currently, the Curiosity rover is driving up Mount Sharp over broken-up blocks of bedrock and sand through a small canyon en route to the boxwork structures ahead. This bumpy terrain can sometimes make it hard to pass the “Slip Risk Assessment Process” (SRAP) where all six wheels are required to be stable on the ground before we can unstow our robotic arm to use the contact science instruments. After our successful 8-meter drive (about 26 feet) from yestersol we passed SRAP and got to work selecting targets for contact and remote observations.

The team chose to characterize a bedrock target in front of us called “Chuckwalla” using the dust removal tool (DRT), APXS, and MAHLI.  ChemCam used its LIBS instrument to analyze the chemistry of a nearby bedrock target with a knobby texture, “Pechacho,” and took a long distance RMI image to study the interesting layering in the “Devil’s Gate” butte. Mastcam assembled an impressive portfolio of observations in this two-sol plan. The team imaged variations in bedrock textures at “Jalama” and “Julian” and documented the nature of the “Mishe Mokwa” ridgeline. In addition, Mastcam imaged darker rocks within a previously acquired mosaic of Devil’s Gate and investigated narrow troughs (small depressions) within the sand in the workspace.

The environmental theme group, with their eye on the sky, included activities to measure the optical depth of the atmosphere, constrain aerosol scattering properties, and observe clouds. A very busy day of planning for sols 4500-4501, with many more to come!

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From FIRST Robotics to NASA Rockets: Angel Saenz’s Journey to White Sands

Long before joining NASA’s Test and Evaluation Support Team contract in October 2024, Angel Saenz was already an engineer at heart.

A STEM education program at his high school helped unlock that passion, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The program – FIRST Robotics Competition – is run by global nonprofit, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). It was the brainchild of prolific inventor Dean Kamen, best known for creating the Segway.

In what the organization calls “the ultimate sport for the mind,” teams of students spend six weeks working under adult mentors—and strict rules—to design, program, and build industrial-sized robots before facing off in a themed tournament. Teams earn points for accomplishing various engineering feats, launching, grappling, and climbing their way through the obstacles of a game that’s less football and more American Ninja Warrior.

Competing during the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the White Sands-sponsored Deming Thundercats, Saenz said FIRST was a link between abstract mathematical ideas and real-world applications.

“Before joining FIRST, equations were just something I was told to solve for a grade, but now I was applying them and seeing how they were actually useful,” he said.

By turning education into an extracurricular activity as compelling as video games and as competitive as any varsity sport, FIRST completely reshaped Saenz’s approach to learning.

“There are lots of other things kids can choose to do outside of school, but engineering was always that thing for me,” he said. “I associate it with being a fun activity, I see it more as a hobby.”

That kind of energy—as any engineer knows—cannot be destroyed. Today Saenz channels it into his work, tackling challenges with White Sand’s Composite Pressure group where he tests and analyzes pressure vessel systems, enabling their safe use in space programs.

“Having that foundation really helps ground me,” he said. “When I see a problem, I can look back and say, ‘That’s like what happened in FIRST Robotics and here’s how we solved it.’”

Deming High School teacher and robotics mentor David Wertz recognized Saenz’s aptitude for engineering, even when Saenz could not yet see it in himself.

“He wasn’t aware that we were using the engineering process as we built our robot,” Wertz said, “but he was always looking for ways to iterate and improve our designs.”

Saenz credits those early hands-on experiences for giving him a head start.

“It taught me a lot of concepts that weren’t supposed to be learned until college,” he said.

Armed with that knowledge, Saenz graduated from New Mexico State University in 2019 with a dual degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Now 28 years old, Saenz is already an accomplished professional. He adds White Sands to an impressive resume that includes past experiences with Albuquerque-based global manufacturing company Jabil and Kirtland Airforce Base.

Though only five months into the job, Saenz’s future at White Sands was set into motion more than a decade ago when he took a field trip to the site with Wertz in 2013.

“The kind invitations to present at White Sands or to take a tour of the facility has inspired many of the students to pursue degrees in engineering and STEM,” Wertz said. “The partnership continues to allow students to see the opportunities that are available for them if they are willing to put in the work.”

In a full-circle moment, Saenz and Mr. Wertz recently found themselves together at White Sands once again for the 2024 Environmental, Innovation, Safety, and Health Day event. This time not as student and teacher, but as industry colleagues in a reunion that could not have been better engineered.

The 2025 FIRST Robotics World Competition will take place in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center from April 16 to April 19. NASA will host an exciting robotics exhibit at the event, showcasing the future of technology and spaceflight. As many as 60,000 energetic fans, students, and industry leaders are expected to attend. Read more about NASA’s involvement with FIRST Robotics here.

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