The NASA Parker Solar Probe, a mission led by Principal Investigator Justin Kasper of the University of Michigan Department of Climate and Space, is making headlines in its “mission to touch the Sun.” The probe was featured in the article “Touching a star; NASA probe set to make record-setting solar approach!” by FOX
Tag: NASA
A New Look at Voyager 2 Data Explains One of Uranus’s Long-Standing Mysteries
The new analysis of the Voyager 2 data revealed that the odd magnetic field was caused by a rare event. Just before the spacecraft reached Uranus, the planet’s magnetic field had likely been squashed by a jet of unusually dense solar wind, as evidenced by a steady increase in solar wind pressure leading up to Voyager 2’s encounter with Uranus.
Seeing a Black Hole’s Jet in a New Light
By Matt Davenport, Originally published by VP for Communications-Michigan News
Research led by the University of Michigan has pored over more than two decades’ worth of data from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory to show there’s new knotty science to discover around black holes.
In particular, the study looks at the high-energy jet of particles being Continue Reading »
“NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle”
Elsayed Talaat, director of space weather operations at NOAA and a U-M Climate and Space alumnus, was featured in “NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle” for the NASA Newsroom. Representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun Continue Reading »
Could One of Jupiter’s Moons Support Alien Life? U-M Scientists Are on the Case
NASA’s Europa Clipper, the organization’s latest mission to Jupiter’s system of moons, launched from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. It’s the start of a grand journey to Europa, a moon that scientists believe has a salty ocean of water beneath its icy outer surface. When the spacecraft reaches its target in 2031, it will start collecting the data necessary for University of Michigan researchers to help determine whether the ocean could support life.
CLAWS Student Member Shares Lessons from the NASA Suits Challenge
The University of Michigan Collaborative Lab for Advancing Work in Space (CLAWS), a multidisciplinary student group that designs technology for human space exploration, participated in the NASA SUITS Challenge in May at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Matthew Hart, a Michigan student and member of CLAWS, participated in this year’s NASA Suits Challenge.
“Awaiting their Return from Space”
Dr. Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, an assistant research scientist at U-M Climate and Space, discussed the challenges of a “space rescue” for stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, as well as the risks involved with the Boeing Crew Flight Test in the episode “Awaiting their Return from Space” published on The Continue Reading »
NASA Selects U-M Team to Develop Technologies to Enhance Artemis Missions
NASA and the National Space Grant Foundation have selected several university teams to develop advanced and innovative design ideas that will help solve Artemis mission challenges, including the BLISS (Bioastronautics and Life Support System) team at the University of Michigan. The selections are part of the 2023-2024 Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge sponsored by NASA’s Artemis Campaign Development Division.
Enduring the Fireball of Spacecraft Re-entry through Improved Radiative Heating Prediction
When we think about space missions, our minds often drift to unforgettable moments from the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttle Orbiter, or blockbuster movies. Among the many lasting memories from these endeavors, the image of the spacecraft engulfed in fiery plasma before safely landing back on Earth may be the most significant, as it symbolizes a successful mission. At the University of Michigan Department of Aerospace Engineering, researchers are working to better understand the complex scientific and engineering efforts behind these awe-inspiring scenes to ensure our astronauts continue to get home safely.
NASA Announces Winners of Inaugural Human Lander Challenge
On June 27, 2024, NASA announced the University of Michigan team to be the winner of the inaugural Human Lander Challenge, a challenge designed to provide solutions for landing humans on the moon.
NASA’s 2024 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Forum brought 12 university teams from across the United States to Huntsville, Alabama, near the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, to showcase their innovative concepts for addressing the complex issue of managing lunar dust.