Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Earth

Methane ‘hot spots’ in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are more likely to be found where recent wildfires burned into the tundra, altering carbon emissions from the land. In Alaska’s largest river delta, tundra that has been scorched by wildfire is emitting more methane than the rest of the landscape long after the flames died, scientists have […]

Posted November 1, 2023

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JPL Engineers Put Their Skills to the Test With Halloween Pumpkins

Pumpkin carving reaches new heights during the annual competition, where spacecraft-building engineers mix ingenuity and creativity for some spectacular results. When mechanical engineers accustomed to building one-of-a-kind spacecraft turn that focus to pumpkins, the results can be hauntingly good.

Posted November 1, 2023

Lucy

Asteroids

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA)

NEO Surveyor (Near-Earth Object Surveyor Space Telescope)

NEOWISE

Planetary Defense

Trojan Asteroids

WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)

Data From NASA’s WISE Used to Preview Lucy Mission’s Asteroid Dinkinesh

Researchers have utilized infrared survey data to refine the asteroid’s size and surface brightness in support of the Nov. 1 encounter by NASA’s Lucy mission. NASA’s Lucy mission will soon have its first asteroid encounter as the spacecraft travels through deep space en route to Jupiter’s orbit. But before the spacecraft passes 265 miles (425 […]

Posted October 30, 2023

SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography)

Climate Change

Earth

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Oceans

Water on Earth

See SWOT Mission’s Unprecedented View of Global Sea Levels

Data on sea surface heights around the world from the international Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission yields a mesmerizing view of the planet’s ocean. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite is sending down tantalizing views of Earth’s water, including a global composite of sea surface heights.

Posted October 30, 2023

Mars

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The Solar System

NASA Is Locating Ice on Mars With This New Map

The map could help the agency decide where the first astronauts to the Red Planet should land. The more available water, the less missions will need to bring. Buried ice will be a vital resource for the first people to set foot on Mars, serving as drinking water and a key ingredient for rocket fuel. […]

Posted October 26, 2023

Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Readying a Little Rover

An engineer prepares a small rover for testing in a thermal vacuum chamber on Oct. 24, 2023, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

Posted October 25, 2023

Europa Clipper

Europa

General

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Jupiter Moons

Small Bodies of the Solar System

The Solar System

How NASA Is Protecting Europa Clipper From Space Radiation

To explore the mysterious ice-encrusted moon Europa, the mission will need to endure bombardment by radiation and high-energy particles surrounding Jupiter.

Posted October 24, 2023

Voyager Program

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The Solar System

Voyager 1

Voyager 2

NASA’s Voyager Team Focuses on Software Patch, Thrusters

The efforts should help extend the lifetimes of the agency’s interstellar explorers. Engineers for NASA’s Voyager mission are taking steps to help make sure both spacecraft, launched in 1977, continue to explore interstellar space for years to come.

Posted October 20, 2023

Psyche Mission

Asteroids

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Psyche Asteroid

The Solar System

Journey to a Metal-Rich World: NASA’s Psyche Is Ready to Launch

The spacecraft is targeting an Oct. 12 liftoff atop a Falcon Heavy rocket. Its destination, a metal-rich asteroid, may tell us more about how planets form. In less than 24 hours, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is slated to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With its sights set on a mysterious asteroid of […]

Posted October 11, 2023

Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Space Technology Mission Directorate

Technology Demonstration Missions Program

5 Things to Know About NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications

Slated to launch on Oct. 12 with the Psyche mission, DSOC will demonstrate technologies enabling the agency to transmit higher data rates from deep space. NASA’s pioneering Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment will be the first demonstration of laser, or optical, communications from as far away as Mars.

Posted October 10, 2023