Reviewing Design for Future NASA Missions
NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Program recently completed its preliminary design review, commonly referred to as "PDR." But what exactly is PDR, when you're talking about building the world's most powerful rocket - evolving from a 70 metric-ton version standing 321 feet tall, into a 130 metric-ton configuration that will lift more than 286,000 pounds?
Cassini Reveals Forces Controlling Saturn Moon Jets
The intensity of the jets of water ice and organic particles that shoot out from Saturn's moon Enceladus depends on the moon's proximity to the ringed planet, according to data obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The finding adds to evidence that a liquid water reservoir or ocean lurks under the icy surface of the moon.
Spitzer Space Telescope Finds Developing Star System
Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have spotted a young stellar system that "blinks" every 93 days. Called YLW 16A, the system likely consists of three developing stars, two of which are surrounded by a disk of material left over from the star-formation process. As the two inner stars whirl around each other, they periodically peek out from the disk that girds them like a hula hoop.
Upgraded Control Center for Space Station Research
The newly upgraded Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. manages all the science conducted aboard the International Space Station, operating around the clock, 365 days a year. The new capabilities enhance collaboration and enable the ground team to help the space station crew and researchers around the world perform science more efficiently.
