Blog

One year ago today, the future of space communications arrived at Earth as a beam of light from a NASA spacecraft nearly 10 million miles away. That’s 40 times farther than our Moon. That’s like using a laser pointer to track a moving dime from a mile away. That’s pretty precise. That laser — transmitted […]

Posted November 14, 2024

Apollo 12

55 Years Ago: Apollo 12 Launches

The Apollo 12 spacecraft launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in this image from Nov. 14, 1969, with astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F. Gordon Jr., and Alan L. Bean aboard. During liftoff, the Saturn V rocket which carried the Apollo capsule was struck twice by lightning. On Nov. 19, 1969, the lunar […]

Posted November 14, 2024

NASA History

Apollo 12

55 Years Ago: Apollo 12 Makes a Pinpoint Landing on the Moon

In November 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, Command Module Pilot (CMP) Richard F. Gordon, and Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) Alan L. Bean completed the second crewed lunar landing mission.

Posted November 14, 2024

Ames Research Center

Airborne Science

Earth Science Division

Flight Opportunities Program

NASA and Forest Service Use Balloon to Help Firefighters Communicate

NASA is participating in a collaborative effort to use high-altitude balloons to improve real-time communications among firefighters battling wildland fires. The rugged and often remote locations where wildland fires burn mean cell phone service is often limited, making communication between firefighters and command posts difficult.

Posted November 14, 2024

EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation)

Earth

Earth Science

Earth Science Division

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA’s EMIT Will Explore Diverse Science Questions on Extended Mission

The imaging spectrometer measures the colors of light reflected from Earth’s surface to study fields such as agriculture, hydrology, and climate science. Observing our planet from the International Space Station since July 2022, NASA’s EMIT (Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation) mission is beginning its next act.

Posted November 14, 2024

Earth Science

The Earth Observer Editor’s Corner: Fall 2024

On September 18, 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shared the first images of the Western Hemisphere from the GOES-19 satellite, its newest geostationary satellite launched on June 25, 2024 onboard a Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Posted November 14, 2024

Earth Science

Summary of Aura 20th Anniversary Event

Snippets from The Earth Observer’s Editor’s Corner The last of NASA’s three EOS Flagships – Aura – marked 20 years in orbit on July 15, 2024, with a celebration on September 18, 2024, at the Goddard Space Flight Center’s (GSFC) Recreational Center. The 120 attendees – including about 40 virtually – reminisced about Aura’s (originally […]

Posted November 14, 2024

Earth Science

Updates on NASA Field Campaigns

Snippets from The Earth Observer’s Editor’s Corner PACE-PAX PACE–PAX had as its primary objective to gather data to validate measurements from NASA’s PACE mission. A secondary objective was validation of observations by the European Space Agency’s recently launched Earth Cloud, Aerosol, and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission.

Posted November 14, 2024

Stennis Space Center

NASA Stennis Secures Grant for Clean Energy Project

NASA’s Stennis Space Center has been awarded a highly competitive U.S. Department of Energy grant to transform its main administration building into a facility that produces as much renewable energy as it uses. Following an Oct. 29 announcement, NASA Stennis, located near Bay St.

Posted November 14, 2024

NASA Headquarters

NASA Centers & Facilities

NASA Seeks Options for Future Headquarters Building

As the agency continues to explore for the benefit of all, NASA is in the process of searching for a new headquarters facility in Washington or the immediate surrounding area. The current NASA Headquarters lease expires in August 2028, and the agency already has evaluated multiple options including leasing or purchasing within the District of […]

Posted November 14, 2024