Science-enabling Technology

Of the approximately 5,500 exoplanets discovered to date, many have been found to orbit very close to their parent stars. These close-in planets provide a unique opportunity to observe in detail the phenomena critical to the development and evolution of our own solar system, including atmospheric mass loss and interactions with the host star.

Posted February 27, 2024

Earth Science

Science-enabling Technology

Technology Highlights

Mighty MURI brings the heat to test new longwave infrared radiometer

NASA’s new Multiband Uncooled Radiometer Instrument (MURI) features a novel bolometer that detects infrared radiation without a cryogenic cooler, greatly reducing the cost and complexity of dispatching infrared radiometers into low-Earth orbit.

Posted December 19, 2023

Planetary Science

Science-enabling Technology

Technology Highlights

Digging Deeper to Find Life on Ocean Worlds

In February 2023, researchers from around the country gathered at a NASA-sponsored workshop to discuss the latest developments and a roadmap for a cryobot mission concept to drill through the icy crusts of Europa and Enceladus and search for life.

Posted December 5, 2023

Astrophysics

Science-enabling Technology

Technology Highlights

Deformable Mirrors in Space: Key Technology to Directly Image Earth Twins

Finding and studying Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars is critical to understand whether we are alone in the universe. To study such planets and assess if they can sustain life, it is necessary to directly image them. However, these planets are difficult to observe, since light from the host star hides them with its glare.

Posted November 21, 2023

Lunar Science

Science-enabling Technology

Deploying and Demonstrating Navigation Aids on the Lunar Surface

NASA is developing lunar navigation beacons to be deployed on spacecraft or the lunar surface to aid in localization and help future space vehicles determine position, velocity, and time to high accuracy.

Posted November 7, 2023

Technology

Goddard Space Flight Center

Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy (OTPS)

Science & Research

Science-enabling Technology

Technology for Space Travel

Technology Research

Goddard Engineers Improve NASA Lidar Tech for Exploration

Lidar technology improvements will help NASA scientists and explorers with remote sensing and surveying, mapping, 3D-image scanning, hazard detection and avoidance, and navigation.

Posted October 24, 2023

Earth Science

Science-enabling Technology

Technology Highlights

New Software Enables Atmospheric Modeling with Greater Resolution

Next-generation software is making it easier for researchers, policy makers, and citizen scientists to model air quality and greenhouse gases using NASA meteorological data.

Posted October 24, 2023

Heliophysics

Science-enabling Technology

Technology Highlights

Tracing the Origin and Energization of Plasma inthe Heliosphere

PROJECT: Solar Wind Pickup Ion Composition Energy Spectrometer (SPICES) SNAPSHOT: SPICES is a new sensor that will help scientists discover where matter originates and how it is energized throughout the solar system Imagine that you have a secret decoder ring that you can use to decipher a secret message with important clues about things around […]

Posted October 10, 2023