Honored to be selected to join the NASA Artemis science team for the first crewed south polar mission (Artemis IV+)! Meanwhile, ad astra and godspeed to the crew of Artemis II.
https://t.co/MteITKBAtm
The search for ice on the Moon features prominently in NASA's plans for Artemis, and the results of the search may define the near future of human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit.
https://t.co/A7AzikiEgb
En route to the AAS/DPS meeting (with EPSC this year) where I'll be sharing some hot-off-the-presses research on Europa's surface composition and interactions with Jupiter's magnetosphere! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is up to
Check out the first images from the landing of the #OSIRISREx sample return capsule containing rock and dust from asteroid Bennu at the @DeptofDefense's Utah Test and Training Range. More 📷 ➡️ https://t.co/psoX8NcWOB
The @NASAMars Sample Return Mission Independent Review Board (IRB) has released their findings and recommendations for the first mission to return samples from Mars.
As we establish our response to the report, we are eager for the robust Moon to Mars exploration approach. Mars remains a rich destination for scientific discovery and understanding the Red Planet supports the @NASAArtemis program to ultimately send humans to Mars. https://t.co/F0tTB4lXTp
Looking for PhD student for Fall '24 start. Topics include: habitability of early Mars/Venus, Titan, exoplanet habitability, atmospheric-magma ocean evolution, habitable zone design, atmospheric escape...etc. Contact me for details!
@CSInst@SESEASU@NASAAstrobio@nexssinfo
Since so many have asked, here’s my hot take on the spherules Loeb found and the manuscript he’s loudly rushed to the world. These are pretty typical cosmic spherules. Had he done the *obvious*--a control sample 100 km away from the meteor--he’d have found the same thing. 1/20
@soumapriya@isro Not exactly; the Moon absorbs 80-95% of received sunlight. The temperature profile shows that the lunar regolith is a very good insulator, i.e. low thermal conductivity.
Some of the first data coming down from India's @isro Vikram lander show the extreme thermal gradient in the top few centimeters of the lunar soil. Colder temperatures are expected beneath the surface during local daytime. Ice would be stable at -160 C.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Here are the first observations from the ChaSTE payload onboard Vikram Lander.
ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) measures the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole, to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon's surface. It has a temperature probe equipped with a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 cm beneath the surface. The probe is fitted with 10 individual temperature sensors.
The presented graph illustrates the temperature variations of the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths, as recorded during the probe's penetration. This is the first such profile for the lunar south pole. Detailed observations are underway.
The payload is developed by a team led by the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), VSSC https://t.co/qBAOCsr4Vu collaboration with PRL, Ahmedabad https://t.co/7DNjnLiXua
@ThePlanetaryGuy@isro -160°C is the maximum temperature where ice is stable on airless bodies. You can get a few 10's of deg warmer for buried ice, but anything above -130°C leads to rapid sublimation at any depth. A long way of saying, "ice is not stable at this location"!
The future astronauts of the @NASAArtemis III mission to the Moon will perform geology tasks designed by a newly-announced team of 12 lunar scientists led by @JHUAPL: https://t.co/rw9wnovbgl
The team will plan moonwalk activities including sampling, imagery, and taking measurements.
Our new paper, led by recent CU graduate Dr. Andrew Wilcoski, investigates the possibility of ice in caves on the Moon. We find that they make poor cold traps compared to craters at similar latitudes.
Thermal Environments and Volatile Stability Within Lunar Pits and Caves https://t.co/ADXWFVBYzd High-latitude pits make poor cold traps for ice because they lose heat inefficiently and become warmer than craters at similar latitudes.
This is devastating news. An Yin was a bright light on the faculty at UCLA, mentor to some of my best grad-school friends, who adored him. At conferences I enjoyed discussing his "crazy ideas" about Mars tectonics, always presented with earnest good humor. He'll be missed dearly
Saddened by the unexpected loss of UCLA Professor An Yin, a dedicated teacher & renowned geologist. Our thoughts are with his family. Rest in peace, Professor Yin. 🙏 #RIP#InMemoriam@UCLAEPSS
1/3 Our JWST team sees a HUGE plume of water spraying from Saturn's moon Enceladus! Enceladus (Cassini image w/ south-pole jets) fits inside the tiny red box, but EVERY blue point in the JWST image has a corresponding spectrum that shows water! See https://t.co/yea4T8LhdP 1/3
Spectacular display of the opposition effect (the bright reflection centered on the shadow) from the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars!
Also check out the creepy lurker in the background...
We’ve received another incredible photo from the camera onboard our Mission 1 lander!
Seen here is the lunar Earthrise during solar eclipse, captured by the lander-mounted camera at an altitude of about 100 km from the lunar surface. (1/2)