﻿The countdown to our Artemis I Moon mission … A Moon-observing small satellite
hitching a ride on Artemis I … And some other tiny satellites that could help
us better prepare for space weather … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
We are targeting Thursday, Aug. 18 for the rollout of the Space Launch System or SLS rocket and Orion
spacecraft to Launch Pad 39B at our Kennedy Space Center. We will provide a live stream of the move
on the NASA Kennedy You Tube channel. The SLS and Orion are targeted for a no earlier than Monday,
Aug. 29 liftoff on the uncrewed Artemis I test flight around the Moon and back.
The test flight is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to help
us establish a long-term presence on the Moon in preparation for sending astronauts on to Mars.
NASA’s Lunar IceCube, a water-scouting CubeSat, is preparing to hitch a ride to the Moon as part
of our uncrewed Artemis I mission. The small lunar-orbiting satellite will use a spectrometer
to investigate lunar ice on the surface of the Moon. Scientists are interested in the absorption
and release of water from the Moon’s rocky and dusty surface – or regolith. Lunar IceCube
will also study the exosphere — a very thin atmosphere-like volume surrounding the Moon. By
understanding the dynamics of water and other substances on the Moon, scientists will be able
to predict seasonal changes for lunar ice that could impact its use as a resource in the future.
The first of six toaster-size satellites for our Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment or
SunRISE has been completed. The tiny satellites will combine to form a 6-mile-wide telescope in
space capable of detecting bursts of radio waves from the Sun’s superheated atmosphere,
known as the corona. SunRISE will help scientists better understand explosive space weather events.
These phenomena generate particle radiation that can jeopardize
astronauts and technology in space and adversely affect communications and power grids on Earth.
SunRISE is targeted for launch in 2024. On Aug. 11, we transferred ownership and
operational control of the Earth-observing Landsat 9 satellite to the U.S. Geological Survey or USGS.
Landsat 9 is the most recent in the Landsat series of remote-sensing satellites, which provide global
coverage of landscape changes on our home planet. The Landsat program – a joint effort
between NASA and USGS – recently marked 50 years of continuous service observing Earth from space.
Seeing Earth from space with your own eyes is a unique experience. But this recently
released ultra-high-definition video might just be the next best thing. Imagery in the video was
captured between April and October 2021 during the Expedition 65 crew’s time aboard the International
Space Station. Check it out for yourself and download if you like at go.nasa.gov/earthviews4k.
A quick note about an upcoming change for NASA Television. NASA TV programming on the Galaxy
13 domestic satellite is moving from transponder 11 to transponder 15.
Currently, both transponders are active, but distribution of NASA TV programming on transponder
11 will end on Monday, Aug. 29. For complete details, please visit go.nasa.gov/transponder.
That’s what’s up this week @NASA … For more on these and other stories,
follow us on the web at nasa.gov/twan.