5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) The Orion Environmental Test Article photographed inside the Thermal Vacuum Chamber on April 11, 2024, in the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Credit: NASA/Quentin Schwinn  Making the voyage 1.4 million miles around the Moon and back — [...]

Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro Community Impacts Science Hubble Science Science Themes Science [...]

At the edge of Las Cruces, New Mexico, surrounded by miles of sunbaked earth, NASA’s White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is quietly shaping the future. There is no flash, no fanfare — the self-contained facility operates as it has since 1962, humbly and in relative obscurity. Yet as New Mexico’s space industry skyrockets amid intensifying [...]

“I love my country. I love serving my country. I think that was ingrained in me in the military, where I grew to realize how lucky we are to live in America and have the freedoms that we have. When I returned from [my first duty station] in Germany, I separated from the Air [...]

Hubble Space Telescope Home Hubble Captures an Edge-On… Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Home Overview About Hubble The History of Hubble Hubble Timeline Why Have a Telescope in Space? Hubble by the Numbers At the Museum FAQs Impact & Benefits Hubble’s Impact & Benefits Science Impacts Cultural Impact Technology Benefits Impact on Human Spaceflight Astro [...]

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Back to ESI Home Computational Materials Engineering for Lunar Metals Welding Azadeh Haghighi University of Illinois, Chicago Weld-ASSIST: Weldability Assessment for In-Space Conditions using a Digital Twin Wei Li University of Texas at Dallas Integrated Computational Materials Modelling Framework for Investigating the Process-Structure-Property Linkage of the Lunar [...]

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) ESI24 Haghighi Quadchart Azadeh Haghighi University of Illinois, Chicago In-space manufacturing and assembly are vital to NASA’s long-term exploration goals, especially for the Moon and Mars missions. Deploying welding technology in space enables the assembly and repair of structures, reducing logistical burdens and supply needs [...]

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) ESI24 Li Quadchart Wei Li University of Texas at Dallas Internal defects are always formed in laser welding process due to the keyhole instability, molten pool collapse, and rapid solidification. The extreme lunar environment complicates the reliable implementation of welding, thereby enhancing the welding defects [...]

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) ESI24 Nam Quadchart SungWoo Nam University of California, Irvine Lunar dust may seem unimposing, but it presents a significant challenge for space missions. Its abrasive and jagged particles can damage equipment, clog devices, and even pose health risks to astronauts. This project addresses such issues [...]

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) ESI24 Chang Quadchart Chih-Hao Chang University of Texas at Austin Establishing a permanent base on the moon is a critical step in the exploration of deep space. One significant challenge observed during the Apollo missions was the adhesion of lunar dust, which can build up [...]