Monday, 15 June 2026

Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope 

8 Min Read

Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope 

Are you ready for a new view of the universe? The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will reveal distant worlds, dark energy, and the structure of the cosmos, and we want you to be a part of it!  

Digital creators and social media users are invited to register to our NASA Social for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch. Roman is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission, designed to explore everything from our outer solar system to the edge of the observable universe. This mission is scheduled to launch on Aug. 30, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

Are you passionate about social media and communications? Do you love to create content for an audience? Are you a fan of new, unique experiences? If you said yes, this NASA Social event is for you! This is your opportunity to be on the front lines of this historic mission. 

The NASA Social event will take place over two days, including the day of launch. A maximum of 50 digital creators will be selected to attend this two-day event and will be given access similar to news media. 

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to: 

  • Tour NASA’s Kennedy Space Center 
  • Learn directly from astrophysics subject matter experts 
  • Meet fellow digital creators and social media users 
  • Spend time with members of NASA’s social media team 
  • View the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope  

NASA Social events are intended for members of the public. Current or former NASA civil servants, NASA contractors, NASA interns, and individuals or organizations currently under contract to provide products or services to NASA are not eligible to apply or participate in NASA Social events.

NASA Social registration for the Roman launch opens on this page on Monday, June 15 and the deadline to apply is at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28. All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY NOW 

Do I need to have a social media account to register? 

Yes. This event is designed for people who: 

  • Actively use multiple social networking platforms and tools to disseminate information to a unique audience. 
  • Regularly produce new content that features multimedia elements. 
  • Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms. 
  • Reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media and/or NASA audiences. 
  • Must have an established history of posting content on social media platforms. 
  • Have previous postings that are highly visible, respected, and widely recognized. 

Users are encouraged to follow @NASARoman for Roman updates on XFacebook, and @NASAGoddard and @NASAUniverse on Instagram. Updates and information about the event will be shared on X via @NASA_Events

How do I register? 

Registration for this event opens Monday, June 15 and closes at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen? 

Yes, this event is open for all to apply. 

When will I know if I am selected? 

After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the first notifications on XX and waitlist notifications on XX. 

What are NASA Social credentials? 

All NASA social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process they meet specific engagement criteria. 

If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch off site and participate in the conversation online. Find out about ways to experience a launch at https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/see-a-launch-up-close/.

What are the registration requirements? 

Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASA Kennedy and attend the two-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodation, food, and other amenities. 

The schedule of events and special guest appearances are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is canceled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly. 

Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected may need to complete additional steps to receive clearance to enter the secure areas. 

IMPORTANTThose without proper identification cannot be admitted

For United States Citizens: 

You will be required to present a REAL ID compliant identification or valid U.S. passport PLUS one of the following:

Acceptable documents to accompany federal or state identification: 

  • U.S. Passport 
  • Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (Form I-688A) 
  • Unexpired Employment Authorization Document issued by DHS that contains a photograph (Form I-688B) 
  • Driver’s license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address 
  • ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address 
  • School ID card with a photograph 
  • Voter’s Registration Card 
  • Military Dependent’s ID Card 
  • U.S. Military card or draft record 
  • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card 
  • Native American Tribal Document 
  • U.S. Social Security Card issued by the Social Security Administration (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment) 
  • Original or Certified copy of birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or outlying possessions of the United States bearing an official seal 
  • U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197) 
  • ID Card for use of Resident Citizens of the United States (Form I-179) 
  • Unexpired employment authorization document issued by DHS (other than those listed previously) 

For Foreign Nationals: 

  • Same items required of U.S. Citizens (SSN only when applicable) 
  • Unexpired foreign passport, with I-551 stamp or attached Form I-94 indicating unexpired employment authorization 
  • Passport number and registration date 
  • Citizenship 
  • Driver’s license issued by a Canadian Government authority 

For Legal Resident Aliens: 

  • Same items required of U.S. Citizens, and: 
  • Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card with photograph (Form I-551) 
  • Unexpired Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688) 
  • Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350) 

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. 

All registrants must be at least 18 years old. 

What if the launch date changes? 

Hundreds of different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. The launch date will not be official until after the Flight Readiness Review. If the launch date changes prior to the review, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date, and will notify registrants of any changes via email. 

If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. If the launch is postponed beyond 72 hours, the NASA Social event may be canceled. 

NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible. 

What if I cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center? 

If you cannot come to NASA Kennedy and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. Join the conversation by following @NASARoman on X and Facebook, and @NASAGoddard and @NASAUniverse on Instagram. You can watch the launch at nasa.gov/live. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA

If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t worry; NASA is planning many other NASA Social events in the near future at various locations! Check for updates on NASA Socials



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Pumice Rafts Encroach on Admiralty Islands

Bands of tan-colored pumice float on the Bismarck Sea near several islands and bright-blue shallow areas. The material lines the southern coast of the largest island.
June 4, 2026

On May 8, 2026, satellites detected signs of an unexpected submarine volcanic eruption in the Bismarck Sea near the islands of Papua New Guinea. Over the next several weeks, plumes of steam and ash streamed over the sea, and areas of discolored water surrounded the eruption site. Relatively little is known about the ocean floor in this area or the volcanic feature that is presently erupting. But experts think the new activity, ongoing as of mid-June, might be occurring along the Titan Ridge and has the potential to form an ephemeral new island.

Despite the unknowns, the effects of the eruption became unmistakable for some communities in Papua New Guinea’s Admiralty Islands. In early June, rafts of pumice drifted northwest from the eruption site and clogged up coastlines on several of the islands. Bands of the buoyant volcanic material are visible in this image, acquired with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 on June 4, as they drifted with surface currents on the Bismarck Sea.  

Several days after the image, news outlets reported acute impacts from thick masses of pumice reaching coastal areas. Communities on Lou Island and Baluan Island, to the south, were described by officials as among the worst affected, according to reports from local media. Outlets reported that a layer of pumice up to several meters thick blanketed the shore, cutting off access to the water. The volcanic fragments similarly choked the coast and key waterways around the much larger Manus Island, about 125 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of the volcano and out of frame.

A bright-white volcanic plume and an area of greenish water extend to the northwest from an underwater eruption.
A submarine volcano produces a plume of discolored water and vents steam into the air in an image acquired on June 4, 2026, with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8. Pumice is visible near the base of the plume and exhibits a thermal signature in infrared imagery.
NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin

Studies of past pumice raft events have found that the material can remain afloat for months to years before sinking out of satellite view. Larger rafts can form with the help of ash, which serves to “weld” together fragments of the porous rock, said Jim Garvin, the chief scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, noting this process occurred during the 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai. “These masses can pile up around erupting vents to protect the eruption centers and produce ephemeral new lands in some cases,” he said. When adrift, such pumice platforms can act as floating homes for marine organisms—from microalgae to bryozoans to barnacles—and enable them to disperse over long distances.

Though beneficial to life in some ways, the rafts can pose serious threats to humans and other species. Some of the larger fragments of pumice stack up to form ridges when they reach the coastlines of islands. Reports from Papua New Guinea highlight the disruptions to fishing, the transport of goods, and access to critical services that can occur when pumice accumulates along the coast.

Communities have expressed concerns over the pumice’s effects on marine ecosystems, as well. Researchers have noted that the sustained presence of pumice can block sunlight and may inhibit photosynthesis in seagrass and corals below, and the rocks may physically damage reef structures. In a review of the ecological effects of pumice reaching Japan’s coast in 2021, researchers noted the die-off of filter-feeding fish in fishery cages from ingesting pumice, warning that other wildlife may be harmed by mistakenly consuming the rocks.

New studies using an ensemble of orbital remote sensing platforms—including Landsat, hyperspectral instruments, and imaging radars—are tracking developments in this Bismarck Sea region, Garvin said. These observations can provide new perspectives on hazards as well as unique scientific opportunities for improved understanding of submarine eruptions.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

Downloads

Bands of tan-colored pumice float on the Bismarck Sea near several islands and bright-blue shallow areas. The material lines the southern coast of the largest island. A bright-white volcanic plume and an area of greenish water extend to the northwest from an underwater eruption.

June 4, 2026

JPEG (7.36 MB)

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Friday, 12 June 2026

NASA’s Chandra Discovers Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center

5 Min Read

NASA’s Chandra Discovers Possible Supernova Remnant in Galactic Center

Astronomers may have uncovered a new supernova remnant in a star-forming region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy using data from Chandra and XMM-Newton. If confirmed, this would be one of the closest supernova remnants to the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center. This image shows the region where the evidence was found, which contains X-rays from Chandra and XMM-Newton, radio data from the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa, and an optical image from the Pan-STARRS telescopes in Hawaii.

Using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers may have found a supernova remnant in an intriguing neighborhood in the middle of our galaxy. A paper describing these new findings published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Supernova remnants are the expanding remains of exploded stars and provide elements – like iron, oxygen, and silicon – that are critical for the formation of planets and for life as we know it to form and flourish.

This new supernova remnant, if confirmed, would be one of the closest ever discovered to the supermassive black hole at the central region of the Milky Way galaxy, an exotic region crammed with massive stars, long threads of magnetic fields and dense clouds of gas orbiting rapidly around the Galactic Center.

Astronomers may have uncovered a new supernova remnant in a star-forming region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy using data from Chandra and XMM-Newton. If confirmed, this would be one of the closest supernova remnants to the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center. This image shows the region where the evidence was found, which contains X-rays from Chandra and XMM-Newton, radio data from the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa, and an optical image from the Pan-STARRS telescopes in Hawaii.
Astronomers may have uncovered a new supernova remnant in a star-forming region near the center of the Milky Way galaxy using data from Chandra and XMM-Newton. If confirmed, this would be one of the closest supernova remnants to the supermassive black hole in the Galactic Center. This image shows the region where the evidence was found, which contains X-rays from Chandra and XMM-Newton, radio data from the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa, and an optical image from the Pan-STARRS telescopes in Hawaii.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/UCLA/Z. Zhu et al.; ESA/XMM-Newton; Optical: PanSTARRS; Radio: MeerKAT; Infrared (JWST): NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and P. Edmonds

A new composite image of this region contains X-rays from Chandra and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) XMM-Newton mission (shown in blue) as well as radio data from the MeerKAT telescope (shown in red) in South Africa. These have been combined with an optical image from the Pan-STARRS telescopes in Hawaii (red, green, and blue). The plane of the galaxy runs horizontally from left to right in the image, and the central black hole is off to the left of the image.

The evidence for the new supernova remnant, located about 26,000 light-years from Earth, comes from X-ray data from Chandra and XMM-Newton. The X-ray data reveals a “blob” of X-ray emission that may come from the remains of a massive star that self-destructed as a supernova, buried within the larger cloud of expanding gas.

The location of this suspected supernova remnant in the image is labeled with a circle.

It is in a bubble of gas that has had electrons stripped away from hydrogen – called an “H II region” – surrounding a massive, young star. This bubble is a bright source of radio emission called Sagittarius C.

If this is indeed a supernova remnant, then it is expanding at about two million miles per hour and is at least about 1,700 years old. Previously, observations with NASA’s now-retired SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) mission had shown evidence for an expanding shell of gas surrounding Sagittarius C. This gave astronomers a hint that a stellar explosion had occurred in the same spot.

The long filaments seen in the radio image are caused by energetic particles travelling along magnetic fields that are mostly directed perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy.

The nuclear fusion engines of stars create elements from hydrogen and helium that were abundant at the beginning of the universe. When stars explode at the end of their lives as supernovae, they send these newly synthesized elements into interstellar space and provide material for the next generation of stars and planets.

The team of astronomers searched the X-ray data for signs of increased amounts of key elements in the remnant, which would have been caused by the stellar explosion blasting them into space. While they did not see an enhancement, this could imply that the stellar debris has already mixed with the surrounding gas.

An alternative explanation for the X-ray blob is that the hot gas comes from a collection of massive stars in the region. The authors of the recent study don’t think this explanation is likely, because the X-ray emission from the blob is more than ten times brighter than the X-ray emission of large, known stellar clusters with bright, massive stars.

An additional image shows data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope added to the X-ray and radio data. The light blue color represents infrared light from gas in the H II region, and the darker blue depicts X-rays from the supernova remnant candidate, on the right side of the image. X-rays near the center of the image are associated with the H II region, possibly caused by material blown away by massive stars that has heated gas to millions of degrees, producing X-rays.

Sagittarius C, close-up image adding NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope data to the X-ray and radio data.
Sagittarius C, close-up image adding NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope data to the X-ray and radio data.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/UCLA/Z. Zhu et al.; ESA/XMM-Newton; Optical: PanSTARRS; Radio: MeerKAT; Infrared (JWST): NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and P. EdmondsX-ray: NASA/CXC/UCLA/Z. Zhu et al.; ESA/XMM-Newton; Optical: PanSTARRS; Radio: MeerKAT; Infrared (JWST): NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and P. Edmonds

The study’s authors are Zhenlin Zhu and Mark Morris of the University of California, Los Angeles; Gabriele Ponti of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics; and Ping Zhou of Nanjing University in China.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

Visual Description

This release features a composite image of colorful, overlapping clouds, which suggests to astronomers that a supernova remnant may be buried in gas near the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

Set against a backdrop packed with distant stars and other specks of light are two distinct, overlapping clouds. The larger, visually dominant cloud, is red and multifaceted. It has an irregular shape, and features patches of different textures, including pockets that resemble wispy smoke, tangles of faint red veins, and clear streaking lines. This large cloud of expanding gas represents radio data from the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa.

Overlapping with that red cloud is a cloudy blue blob representing X-ray data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton. Astronomers suggest that this blue blob of X-ray emissions is the remains of a massive star destroyed by a supernova.

Read more from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory

To learn more about NASA’s Chandra mission, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/chandra

https://chandra.si.edu

News Media Contact

Megan Watzke
Chandra X-ray Center
Cambridge, Mass.
617-496-7998
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu

Joel Wallace
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
256-544-0034
joel.w.wallace@nasa.gov

About the Author

Lee Mohon

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Last Updated
Jun 11, 2026
Editor
Lee Mohon
Contact
Joel Wallace
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Marshall Space Flight Center


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I Am Artemis: Elkin Norena

3 Min Read

I Am Artemis: Elkin Norena

Elkin Norena, who serves as an SLS resident management officer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stands in front of an RS-25 engine.

Listen to this audio excerpt from Elkin Norena, resident management officer, NASA’s Space Launch System Program:

0:00 / 0:00

NASA’s Elkin Norena has helped the agency launch more than a dozen space shuttle missions – that’s more than a dozen crews to low Earth orbit and more than a dozen historic missions. They were missions that helped build the International Space Station, that provided a final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, and that performed critical science experiments that improved life right here on Earth.

Today, he continues that work as the manager of the Resident Management Office for SLS at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, helping launch America’s rocket – the SLS (Space Launch System) – and the Orion spacecraft with its international quartet of astronauts  on the Artemis II mission to fly by the Moon and return home.

Elkin Norena, who serves as an SLS resident management officer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stands in front of an RS-25 engine.
Elkin Norena, who serves as an SLS resident management officer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stands in front of an RS-25 engine.
NASA

As resident manager, Norena provides onsite SLS support for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems team that is responsible for preparing, stacking, testing, and launching SLS and Orion. He is also the eyes and ears for the SLS Program, providing an avenue of communications back to the program, which is managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

It is the continuation of a childhood dream to be part of space exploration.

“When I was a kid in New Jersey, I watched a space shuttle launch in class one day,” said Norena. “When I watched the power of launch and the brave astronauts going to explore, I knew I had to be a part of that one day. I wanted to become an astronaut.”

The dream to join the space program led the Colombia native to the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where he majored in computer engineering, just miles from the Space Coast and in view of space shuttle launches like the ones he once watched on TV.

When that clock ticks down to T-10 minutes, everybody’s just waiting. You wait for the automated system to kick in. You hold your breath and watch the clock go down to T-0. Then BOOM, launch happens, and you know it was all worth it.

Elkin Norena

Elkin Norena

Resident management officer, NASA Space Launch System Program

Following college, he joined NASA contractor United Space Alliance at NASA Kennedy, and in 2008 he joined the NASA Kennedy team as a civil servant, working on the same spacecraft that inspired him to pursue the space program as a child.

“I started off in the Space Shuttle Program as an electrical engineer. Then I moved into the firing room for 17 different shuttle missions as a flight termination engineer. It was exciting to be part of all those missions and build the International Space Station,” Norena said.

The Milky Way stretches above Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida.
The Milky Way stretches above Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida.
Elkin Norena

Using those experiences, he became one of the original SLS team members. He was a part of the teams that successfully launched Artemis I and II and is now critical to the upcoming Artemis III mission.

Away from the launch pad, Norena’s hobbies orbit around his teenage daughters, participating in their activities. He also keeps a keen eye on space and is an avid astrophotographer.

“I love capturing the Milky Way! I’ve traveled to Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and all across the western United States,” he said. “A great spot that’s closer for me is Dry Tortugas National Park beyond Key West.”

No matter how he explores space, Norena believes Artemis II is more than just a mission.

“This is historic. I grew up watching the shuttle missions, learning about Apollo, and wanting to be part of those Moon missions. We built the space station. The space shuttle explored space and technology on many levels,” he said. “Now, it’s our turn with Artemis to get back to the Moon, and this time to stay there. I’m excited to be part of the generation that does that.”

About the Author

William Bryan

Communication Strategist

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NASA Robotic Tech Demo Will Advance Prototype Gamma-Ray Detectors

4 min read

NASA Robotic Tech Demo Will Advance Prototype Gamma-Ray Detectors

A new type of gamma-ray sensor developed by NASA, called AstroPix, will take part in a robotic arm demonstration on the agency’s upcoming Fly Foundational Robots mission, set to launch in late 2027.

Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light. Scientists observe them coming from events like lightning in Earth’s atmosphere, powerful solar flares from our Sun, and cosmic collisions in distant galaxies. The sensors on the AstroPix technology demonstration are designed to measure gamma rays between 20,000 and 700,000 electron volts. For comparison, visible light’s energy falls between 2 and 3 electron volts.

Current NASA missions, including the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, also observe gamma rays, including those with even higher energies.

But for energies between 500,000 to 1 million electron volts, existing detectors are less sensitive. This range is where many powerful explosions called gamma-ray bursts shine the brightest. It’s also where astronomers expect to see the strongest glow from the most massive and distant active galaxies powered by black holes. By stacking AstroPix detectors in future missions, scientists could bridge this gap and improve observations of these cosmic objects to better understand the processes that create and drive them.

“The Fly Foundational Robots spacecraft is also a technology demonstration, so the projects were a good fit for each other,” said Dan Violette, an AstroPix team member and post-doctoral fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We need to thoroughly test AstroPix’s performance before we can use the sensors in future science missions. We’ve flown comparable technologies on a scientific balloon mission, and the current prototype eventually will be part of a sounding rocket payload. Many of those flight opportunities only reach near space, though. It’s not often that technology demonstrations like ours can find a ride into orbit.”

A gloved hand holds a detector square
Each AstroPix chip has four silicon pixel gamma-ray detectors. Each of these detectors incorporates 1,225 pixels. AstroPix detectors, which are developed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., function similarly to the sensors in cellphone cameras except they are sensitive to gamma-ray light.
Image courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

Each AstroPix chip contains four silicon pixel gamma-ray detectors, and each detector incorporates 1,225 pixels. The chips function similarly to the sensors in cell phone cameras.

The AstroPix Satellite Technology dEmonstration Payload, also known as A-STEP, will be hosted within the Fly Foundational Robots mission’s Orbital Replacement Unit, a movable module built by Rocket Lab Robotics. Rocket Lab Robotics also will provide a robotic arm that will pick up and reposition the unit during flight and perform in-orbit operations as part of a robotic servicing demonstration. The A-STEP payload will collect its data following the repositioning. Astro Digital will provide the spacecraft.

The Orbital Replacement Unit was designed to support power and data interfaces for a payload, but the original plan called for the robotic arm to reposition the module without one. As mission development progressed, however, the Fly Foundational Robots team identified an opportunity to further maximize the mission’s value by integrating an additional technology demonstration that could fit within the 11.8-inch (30-centimeter) cube.

“The unit already had the volume, power, and data needed to support the AstroPix team’s design,” said Bo Naasz, senior technical lead, In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing in the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “One of our major goals with Fly Foundational Robots is to demonstrate robotic changeout of payloads in orbit, enabling upgrades or improvements to satellites and space instruments at a fraction of the cost of a full mission. Allowing AstroPix to complete its own technology demonstration in orbit is a bonus.”

A satellite in space with Earth in the background
NASA’s Fly Foundational Robots mission will be hosted aboard a spacecraft provided by Astro Digital of Littleton, Colo., as shown in this artist’s concept. The robotic arm, provided by Motiv Space Systems in Pasadena, Calif., will perform a technology demonstration in orbit, including picking up and moving a small box containing the agency’s AstroPix gamma-ray sensors.
Rocket Lab Robotics

The AstroPix team is working to deliver their hardware this September, and it will be integrated into the Fly Foundational Robots payload before final integration onto the spacecraft. The Orbital Replacement Unit will hold the chips and all the associated electronics needed to provide power, and collect and transmit data during flight.

NASA’s Fly Foundational Robots mission is funded through the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s ISAM portfolio, managed at NASA Goddard. Rocket Lab Robotics will supply the mission’s robotic arm system through a NASA Small Business Innovation Research Phase III award. Astro Digital will host the orbital flight test of the arm through NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, managed at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The development of AstroPix was supported by NASA’s Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, through the agency’s Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program, and funded through the Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship.

To learn more, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/3R28tWE

By Jeanette Kazmierczak
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.



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Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope 

8 Min Read Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope  Are you ready for a new view of the universe? The...