Northrop Grumman’s Post

Ah, launching the Chandra Space Telescope. STS-93. Memories. I was assigned to work the Orbit 3/Planning shift, which is the flight control team on console while the crew is asleep and who replans the next day’s activities. Because this mission was so short, we also worked the Prelaunch shift. About six hours from launch, we handed over to the Ascent team, and I handed over to my colleague Tim North at the EGIL console in Mission Control. At that time Tim was fully unaware of what was about to happen. Five seconds into the flight of STS-93, an electrical short in Columbia’s AC system occurred. There are miles of wiring that run the length of the Shuttle’s payload bay, including long runs of AC power that feed from the AC inverters and buses in the crew module back to the aft (or engine) compartment. Evidently, one of these AC wires was damaged and, during the shock and vibration of liftoff, got close enough to a screw head to arc and short. Tim was on top of it. He made the call for the crew to take AC Bus Sensors to Off, as we had been trained to do over countless simulations. However, the short caused the loss of one of two controllers to two main engines, leaving them zero fault tolerant to another failure which could cause the engine to shut down. If that happened in the mission’s first three and a half minutes—before the Negative Return call—a Return to Launch Site (or RTLS) abort call would be made. There are varying opinions of whether a RTLS was truly survivable. After the twin Solid Rocket Boosters detached, the orbiter would pitch over on an arcing trajectory that would thrust the vehicle back towards the launch pad. In the process, this maneuver could cause the spacecraft to fly through its own supersonic exhaust plume and the structural loads on the vehicle would be immense. I’ve always remained thankful that we got to the end of the Shuttle program without ever having to do an RTLS. But on STS-93, we got close.

Exciting times ahead as India launched its XPoSat satellite today (January 1, 2024), the second polarization-sensitive X-ray space observatory worldwide after NASA's IXPE. This groundbreaking ISRO mission will complement IXPE’s observations by measuring the degree and angle of polarization of high-energy X-ray sources, providing a more comprehensive view of cosmic objects like black holes and neutron stars. With sensitivity in the 8-50 keV range, XPoSat promises to expand our cosmic horizons and make significant contributions to the field of high-energy astrophysics. Read here about the mission: https://lnkd.in/eMn9h9b3 Pic credits: Doordarshan

"Just 10 years ago, a mere thousand or so operational satellites may have orbited our planet, but there will be tens or even hundreds of thousands a decade from now." That's according to a February 2023 article in space.com, which goes on to describe the work of Jonathan McDowell, astronomer and astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Check out Jonathan's Space Report for the details behind these heavenly bodies. And if you'd like to learn more about the the components needed to launch these satellites into orbit, take a look at our blog on the topic. https://lnkd.in/gf7pihYD #space #spaceindustry #spaceinnovation #metalforming #nozzles #satellites

A paper published in the Aug. 30, 2024, issue of the journal Science provides persuasive evidence that the fastest solar winds are powered by magnetic “switchbacks,” or large kinks in the magnetic field, near the Sun. #Science #SolarWinds #NASA

We had the honor of hosting Carlos F. Sopuerta, a leading expert in gravitational waves, at another BSC-Severo Ochoa Research Seminar. 🌌Carlos is deeply involved in the LISA mission 🛰️, a pioneering project by the European Space Agency - ESA and NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration aimed at creating the most precise detector of low-frequency gravitational waves ever constructed. LISA, short for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, represents a monumental leap in space exploration 🚀, scheduled to launch in 2035 following its recent adoption by ESA. This space mission promises to revolutionize #astrophysics 🔭, cosmology 🌌, and fundamental physics ⚛️ by addressing some of the universe's most profound mysteries. During his insightful presentation titled "Computational Challenges of the LISA Mission," Carlos elaborated on the computational challenges crucial to achieving LISA's ambitious scientific goals. His expertise and leadership as the coordinator of the Gravitational Astronomy-LISA Group at Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), underscore his central role in shaping the future of gravitational wave astronomy. #GravitationalWaves #LISAmission #SpaceExploration #Astrophysics #BSC #ESA #NASA

How did planets become places where life can originate and evolve? This is a question Dimitra Atri wants to answer. A planetary scientist and astrobiologist, Atri leads the Mars Research Group at New York University Abu Dhabi’s (NYUAD) Center for Astrophysics and Space Science. In a recent study, Atri investigated on effective materials that could protect astronauts from cosmic radiation on Mars. Read the full interview at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gD9Bn8dC Today I Learned (#TIL)-Living on Mars (1/5) What would it be like to live on Mars?

Zooming to Newly Awakened Black Hole in Galaxy SDSS1335+0728 | ESO FriendsofNASA.org: This video zooms into the galaxy SDSS1335+0728. In late 2019 it suddenly started shining brighter than ever before and was classified as having an active galactic nucleus (AGN). This is the first time the awakening of a massive black hole has been observed in real time. Images shown here were taken with different telescopes at different times. They have been blended together to create this zoom. This research was presented in a paper entitled “SDSS1335+0728: The awakening of a ∼ 106M⊙ black hole” published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (https://lnkd.in/gq9rXZGa). Link: https://lnkd.in/d3NZ4kB9 Credit: ESO/L. Calçada, M. Kornmesser, N. Risinger, SDSS, Space Engine Release Date: June 18, 2024 European Southern Observatory #NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Astrophysics #Galaxies #GalaxySDSS13350728 #BlackHoles #AGN #Virgo #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #VLT #ParanalObservatory #Chile #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

🌌 NASA Telescopes Shed Light on Mysterious Deep Space Signals Using two of NASA's powerful X-ray telescopes, researchers gained unprecedented insights into a fast radio burst emitted by the magnetar SGR 1935+2154. This rare event offered new clues about the behavior of these cosmic phenomena. Fast radio bursts, known for their brief yet intense energy releases, are comparable in intensity to the Sun's output over a year. The unique laserlike beam emitted by these bursts sets them apart from other cosmic explosions. Observing SGR 1935+2154's fast radio burst between rotational "glitches" provided valuable information about magnetar dynamics and burst generation. This discovery highlights NASA's capability to investigate transient cosmic events and deepen our understanding of the universe. Learn more about this discovery and NASA's ongoing missions in high-energy astrophysics! 🚀🔭🌟 #NASA #Space #Discovery #Cosmic #Events #Xray #Telescopes #Astrophysics

What should Astrophysics Data System users know about the NASA SciX expansion of the @adsabs digital library? Hear more from @BartlettAstro & check out our new blog post (https://s.si.edu/3P9J8X4) to learn how user input is informing NASA SciX development.

🌌 Did You Know? 🌌 Quasars are among the most luminous objects in the universe, powered by supermassive black holes at their cores. ✨ These incredible celestial phenomena outshine entire galaxies, demonstrating the immense energy and mysteries that lie within our cosmos. Understanding quasars not only expands our knowledge of the universe but also drives innovation in astrophysics and space exploration. Source: NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Facts Series: 01 Fact No: 0048 Follow For More Interesting Facts True Factuality #Quasars #Astrophysics #SpaceScience #BlackHoles #NASA #SpaceExploration #CosmicWonders #Innovation #ScientificResearch #TrueFactuality #LinkedInLearning