Exploring the Mysteries of Deep Space | NASAExplore

One of the biggest questions in planetary science is whether life ever arose on Mars, and NASA is sending a cutting-edge instrument to the Red Planet to find out. The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, or MOMA, is a sophisticated suite of technologies that squeezes a lab full of chemistry equipment into a package the size of a toaster. In 2020, MOMA will be launched to Mars aboard the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover, on a mission to scour rocks and soil from the Martian surface and subsurface for evidence of life. MOMA will not only search for organic molecules, which make up all life on Earth, it will also analyze their structure using its linear ion trap – the first use of this technology on Mars. Doing so will help scientists to determine whether the molecules could be of biological origin, marking a significant leap forward in the search for life beyond Earth.

Hygiene, eating, sleeping — life operates a tad differently when you're in space. Join NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir as she answers some of our popular questions about living aboard the International Space Station. Jessica explains how the lack of gravity makes everyday activities not so ordinary, from washing your hair in zero gravity to using the bathroom in space. Jessica details how astronauts handle the tricky tasks and offer a sneak peek at the new space toilet planned for NASA's Artemis program. Celebrating her most notable achievement, Jessica shares her thoughts about her first spacewalk and highlights her role in the first all-woman spacewalk.

Earth views from the International Space Station. City lights, auroras, sunsets, oceans, moon on the horizon an other beauty shots of our planet from space.

#ScienceSoars: Northrop Grumman's CRS-18 Mission to Space Station" Embark on the 18th Northrop Grumman CRS mission, transporting groundbreaking scientific inquiries to the International Space Station. Topics include 3D knee cartilage printing, plant mutations, and mudflow analysis. Demonstrations encompass innovative camera technology and small satellites from Japan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The Cygnus spacecraft, housing these investigations, is set to launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, no earlier than Nov. 6, 2022. Delve into the remarkable scientific journey of CRS-18. #SpaceScience #ResearchInnovation #InternationalSpaceStation #ScientificAdvancements

NASA's Lucy mission is embarking on a voyage towards the Jupiter Trojans – clusters of primordial asteroids ensnared in Jupiter's orbit, holding vital clues to planetary genesis. Launched on October 16, 2021, Lucy orbits the Sun for a year, then marks its launch anniversary with a unique event: three Earth gravity assists. On October 16, 2022, Lucy dances past Earth in a celestial waltz, enhancing its velocity and extending its solar orbit. At 7:04 am ET, Lucy's closest approach, merely 219 miles above Earth – lower than the International Space Station – intensifies its speed by 4.5 miles per second, propelling Lucy for an even swifter encounter during its second Earth gravity assist in December 2024.

NASA ID: jcs2023m000035_Space to Ground_485_230811 NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Date Created:2023-08-10

NASA ID: iss069m262231429_Expedition_69_InFlight_Good_Morning_America_081123 Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview August 11 with ABC’s “Good Morning America”. Rubio is in the midst of a record breaking long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars. When Rubio returns to Earth on September 27 he will have spent a total of 371 days in space—the longest single spaceflight by a US astronaut.

NASA ID: KSC-20230801-MH-CSH01-0001-Cygnus_PCM_Arrival_SSPF-WON_3335115 Inside an environmentally controlled shipping container, the Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft's pressurized cargo module (PCM) for the company's 20th commercial resupplky mission for NASA arrives at the Kennedy Space Center Date Created:2023-08-01 Center:KSC