NASA Announces Changes to International Space Station Coverage

In September, NASA will bring its online audience inside the world of human spaceflight as never before, from its Johnson Space Center in Houston -- home to NASA’s astronaut corps, the storied mission control and several human spaceflight programs.

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NASA Orders Second SpaceX Crew Mission to International Space Station

NASA took another important step Friday in returning U.S. astronaut launches from U.S. soil with the order of a second post-certification mission from commercial provider SpaceX in Hawthorne, California.

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CometWatch 24 July

This stunning view along the boundary between Hatmehit and Wosret was captured by Rosetta’s NAVCAM on 24 July from a distance of 9.7 km to the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Enhanced NAVCAM view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, taken from a distance of 9.7 km on 24 July 2016. The image scale is 0.8 m/pixel and the image measures 0.9 km across. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0

 

The field of view includes the CONSERT search ellipse that has guided the search for Rosetta’s lander Philae since it landed unexpectedly in the yet-to-be identified location known as Abydos (check this animation for a reminder of the search area).

The image also captures beautiful details of the cross-cutting fracture patterns that prevail in many locations all over the comet; they are particularly prominent towards the left of this scene.

Numerous boulders cling to the surface, and in some places – notably in the lower left quadrant of the image – cast impressively long shadows across the comet’s surface. To the right and above, long shadows are also cast by local variations in topography.

OSIRIS narrow-angle camera image taken on 20 July 2016, when Rosetta was 9.1 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The scale is 0.16 m/pixel at the comet and the image measures about 330 m. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

 

Meanwhile a close-up view of part of the ‘neck’ region of the comet, Hapi, was released via the OSIRIS Image of the Day site earlier this week (above). It shows hints of the crack snaking through the Hapi region, with some portions apparently infilled by dust.

This image also shows incredible details on the boulders and outcropping material that pockmark the smooth, dust-laden neck, with fractures permeating even at these smaller scales.

OSIRIS wide-angle camera image taken on 23 July 2016, when Rosetta was 9.6 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The scale is 0.16 m/pixel at the comet and the image measures about 330 m. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Fractures of a different kind are seen in the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera image taken 23 July and released yesterday (above), notably the fracture along the cliff edge close to the centre of the image. Fractures like these have been spotted along the edges of numerous cliffs in this region – Seth – and are likely a precursor to collapse, as suggested by the jumbled debris that is typically seen at the base of cliffs.

The original 1024 x 1024 pixel image for today’s NAVCAM image is provided below:

 

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New Vangelis album inspired by ESA’s Rosetta mission

Legendary composer and pioneer of electronic music Vangelis has produced a brand new album, ‘Rosetta’, inspired by ESA’s Rosetta mission.

The release of the album by Decca Records on 23 September coincides with the culmination of Rosetta’s 12-year mission to orbit and land its Philae probe on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta is set to complete its journey in a controlled descent to the surface of the comet on 30 September.

The story of this mission fuelled Vangelis’ long-held passion for space and inspired him to create his first new studio album in 18 years.

Vangelis’ music is often linked to themes of science, history and exploration. Alongside his Academy Award-winning score for ‘Chariots of Fire’, he has written for the films including ‘Antarctica’, ‘1492: Conquest of Paradise’, ‘The Bounty’ and ‘Alexander’.

“Mythology, science and space exploration are subjects that have fascinated me since my early childhood. And they were always connected somehow with the music I write,” said Vangelis.

ESA’s connection with Vangelis goes back several years to when ESA astronaut André Kuipers was on the International Space Station. André is a big fan and he had a lot of Vangelis’ music with him in space.

After sharing stories and experiences with André via video call from the ISS, Vangelis was inspired to write some music for ESA to mark the landing of Philae on the comet in 2014.

To Vangelis, music is a sacred, basic force of the Universe, its purpose to elevate, inspire and to heal humankind. Never has this been more obvious than on ‘Rosetta’, an album that perfectly blends his fascination with the Universe and his ability to compose stirring music.

“With music, you can enhance emotions and create memories: I believe that what Vangelis wanted to do was share a lasting memory of our Rosetta mission through his music,” said Carl Walker, from ESA’s Communication Department.

Vangelis has dedicated this new album to everyone who made the ESA’s ongoing Rosetta mission possible, in particular extending the track called ‘Rosetta’s Waltz’ as an expression of his appreciation to the mission team.

“Rosetta has been an amazing journey for everybody involved, both scientifically and technically, but it has also connected emotionally with so many people around the world,” said ESA’s Prof. Mark McCaughrean, Senior Science Advisor in the Directorate of Science.

“So you can imagine how proud we were when one of the world’s great composers Vangelis made some music for us at the time of landing, and how excited we are that he’s put together a whole album of original music about this astonishing adventure.”

More info
Vangelis' official web site: http://ift.tt/WX9tdD
Vangelis' official Facebook page: http://ift.tt/2avwdeS
Pre-order at the Decca online store: http://ift.tt/2avvVVj

 

Vangelis' music for Philae landing event:
Arrival
Philae's Journey
Rosetta's Waltz

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NASA Awards Protective Services Contract at Kennedy Space Center

NASA has selected Chenega Infinity, LLC of Chantilly, Virginia, to provide protective services at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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How comets are born

This story is mirrored from the ESA Web Portal.

Comet 67P/C-G on 22 March 2015. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0.

Detailed analysis of data collected by Rosetta show that comets are the ancient leftovers of early Solar System formation, and not younger fragments resulting from subsequent collisions between other, larger bodies.

Understanding how and when objects like Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko took shape is of utmost importance in determining how exactly they can be used to interpret the formation and early evolution of our Solar System.

A new study addressing this question led by Björn Davidsson of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (USA), has been published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

If comets are primordial, then they could help reveal the properties of the solar nebula from which the Sun, planets and small bodies condensed 4.6 billion years ago, and the processes that transformed our planetary system into the architecture we see today.

The alternative hypothesis is that they are younger fragments resulting from collisions between older ‘parent’ bodies such as icy trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). They would then provide insight into the interior of such larger bodies, the collisions that disrupted them, and the process of building new bodies from the remains of older ones.

“Either way, comets have been witness to important Solar System evolution events, and this is why we have made these detailed measurements with Rosetta – along with observations of other comets – to find out which scenario is more likely,” says Matt Taylor, ESA’s Rosetta project scientist.

During its two-year sojourn at Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, Rosetta has revealed a picture of the comet as a low-density, high-porosity, double-lobed body with extensive layering, suggesting that the lobes accumulated material over time before they merged.

Evidence that Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is composed of ancient material preserved from the formation of the early Solar System and that came together under low speed. The evidence collected by Rosetta lies in the comet’s structural properties, the gases detected leaving the nucleus, and observations of surface features. Credits: Centre: ESA/Rosetta/NavCam – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0; Insets: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA; ESA/Rosetta/MPS for COSIMA Team MPS/CSNSM/UNIBW/TUORLA/IWF/IAS/ESA/BUW/MPE/LPC2E/LCM/FMI/UTU/LISA/UOFC/vH&S

The unusually high porosity of the interior of the nucleus provides the first indication that this growth cannot have been via violent collisions, as these would have compacted the fragile material. Structures and features on different size scales observed by Rosetta’s cameras provide further information on how this growth may have taken place.

Earlier work showed that the head and body were originally separate objects, but the collision that merged them must have been at low speed in order not to destroy both of them. The fact that both parts have similar layering also tells us that they must have undergone similar evolutionary histories and that survival rates against catastrophic collision must have been high for a significant period of time.

Merging events may also have happened on smaller scales. For example, three spherical ‘caps’ have been identified in the Bastet region on the small comet lobe, and suggestions are that they are remnants of smaller cometesimals that are still partially preserved today.

At even smaller scales of just a few metres across, there are the so-called ‘goosebumps’ and ‘clod’ features, rough textures observed in numerous pits and exposed cliff walls in various locations on the comet.

While it is possible that this morphology might arise from fracturing alone, it is actually thought to represent an intrinsic ‘lumpiness’ of the comet’s constituents. That is, these ‘goosebumps’ could be showing the typical size of the smallest cometesimals that accumulated and merged to build up the comet, made visible again today through erosion due to sunlight.

According to theory, the speeds at which cometesimals collide and merge change during the growth process, with a peak when the lumps have sizes of a few metres. For this reason, metre-sized structures are expected to be the most compact and resilient, and it is particularly interesting that the comet material appears lumpy on that particular size scale.

Further lines of evidence include spectral analysis of the comet’s composition showing that the surface has experienced little or no in situ alteration by liquid water, and analysis of the gases ejected from sublimating ices buried deeper within the surface, which finds the comet to be rich in supervolatiles such as carbon monoxide, oxygen, nitrogen and argon.

The two main scenarios for the formation of comets: collisional (left) vs. primordial (right) rubble pile. Evidence collected by Rosetta strongly favours the primordial rubble pile hypothesis, namely that comets were built up slowly through low-speed accumulation of material into the shapes observed today. Credit: ESA

These observations imply that comets formed in extremely cold conditions and did not experience significant thermal processing during most of their lifetimes. Instead, to explain the low temperatures, survival of certain ices and retention of supervolatiles, they must have accumulated slowly over a significant time period.

“While larger TNOs in the outer reaches of the Solar System appear to have been heated by short-lived radioactive substances, comets don’t seem to show similar signs of thermal processing. We had to resolve this paradox by taking a detailed look at the time line of our current Solar System models, and consider new ideas,” says Björn.

Björn and colleagues propose that the larger members of the TNO population formed rapidly within the first one million years of the solar nebula, aided by turbulent gas streams that rapidly accelerated their growth to sizes of up to 400 km.

Around three million years into the Solar System’s history, gas had disappeared from the solar nebula, only leaving solid material behind. Then, over a much longer period of around 400 million years, the already massive TNOs slowly accreted further material and underwent compaction into layers, their ices melting and refreezing, for example. Some TNOs even grew into Pluto or Triton-sized objects.

Comets took a different path. After the rapid initial growth phase of the TNOs, leftover grains and ‘pebbles’ of icy material in the cold, outer parts of the solar nebula started to come together at low velocity, yielding comets roughly 5 km in size by the time gas has disappeared from the solar nebula. The low speeds at which the material accumulated led to objects with fragile nuclei with high porosity and low density.

This slow growth also allowed comets to preserve some of the oldest, volatile-rich material from the solar nebula, since they were able to release the energy generated by radioactive decay inside them without heating up too much.

The larger TNOs played a further role in the evolution of comets. By ‘stirring’ the cometary orbits, additional material was accreted at somewhat higher speed over the next 25 million years, forming the outer layers of comets. The stirring also made it possible for the few kilometre-sized objects in size to bump gently into each other, leading to the bi-lobed nature of some observed comets.

“Comets do not appear to display the characteristics expected for collisional rubble piles, which result from the smash-up of large objects like TNOs. Rather, we think they grew gently in the shadow of the TNOs, surviving essentially undamaged for 4.6 billion years,” concludes Björn.

“Our new model explains what we see in Rosetta’s detailed observations of its comet, and what had been hinted at by previous comet flyby missions.”

“Comets really are the treasure-troves of the Solar System,” adds Matt.

“They give us unparalleled insight into the processes that were important in the planetary construction yard at these early times and how they relate to the Solar System architecture that we see today.”

 

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Farewell, silent Philae

Tomorrow, 27 July 2016 at 09:00 UTC / 11:00 CEST, the Electrical Support System Processor Unit (ESS) on Rosetta will be switched off. The ESS is the interface used for communications between Rosetta and the lander, Philae, which has remained silent since 9 July 2015.

Switching off the ESS is part of the preparations for Rosetta's end of mission. By the end of July 2016, the spacecraft will be some 520 million km from the Sun, and will start facing a significant loss of power – about 4W per day. In order to continue scientific operations over the next two months and to maximise their return, it became necessary to start reducing the power consumed by the non-essential payload components on board.

No signal has been received by Rosetta from Philae since last July and earlier this year the lander was considered to be in a state of eternal hibernation. In spite of this, the ESS was kept on until now in the unlikely chance that Philae would re-gain contact. Although Rosetta has reached altitudes well below 10 km over the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, however, no signal from the lander was received since July 2015.

The decision was taken by the mission manager and will be implemented by the Rosetta Mission Operations Centre, in coordination with the DLR Lander Control Center and the Rosetta Science Ground Segment.

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CometWatch 18 July

This week's CometWatch entry is an image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta's NAVCAM, taken on 16 July 2016 when the spacecraft was 9.5 km from the centre of the comet nucleus.

Enhanced NAVCAM image of Comet 67P/C-G taken on 16 July 2016, 9.5 km from the centre of the nucleus. The scale is 0.7 m/pixel and the image measures about 700 m. The faint vertical striping effect, especially visible in the upper right part of this view, is an image artifact. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0

The view shows a portion of Ash, on the large comet lobe, in extraordinary detail, displaying the smooth coating of dust that characterises this region. The upper left corner of the frame reveals a small part of the neighbouring Aten region, which, in contrast to Ash, is not covered in dust.

Smooth material covering another region of the comet, Imhotep, also on the large lobe, was featured in another image from Rosetta's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera, published yesterday on the OSIRIS Image of the Day.

OSIRIS narrow-angle camera image taken on 16 July 2016, when Rosetta was 12.8 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 0.22 m/pixel and the image measures about 450 m. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

The image was taken on 16 July, and also reveals boulders of various sizes (top left), rocky terrains (upper and right sides of the frame) and a number of the circular features characteristic of the Imhotep region (lower right).

The original NAVCAM image is provided below.

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Final destination: Ma’at region

The decision has been made for the location of Rosetta’s controlled impact on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 30 September 2016, ending the mission.

The spacecraft will target Ma’at, a region hosting some active pits on the small comet lobe. This region has been chosen for its scientific potential and taking into account key operational constraints involved in executing the descent.

The expected time for Rosetta's contact with the surface of the comet is approximately 12:30 CEST / 10:30 UTC. More details on the timeline and likely data to be taken during the descent will follow shortly.

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NASA Establishes Institute to Explore New Ways to Protect Astronauts

NASA is joining with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston to operate a new institute charged with researching and developing innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans on long-duration exploration missions, including NASA’s Journey to Mars.

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NASA’s Hubble Telescope Makes First Atmospheric Study of Earth-Sized Exoplanets

Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have conducted the first search for atmospheres around temperate, Earth-sized planets beyond our solar system and found indications that increase the chances of habitability on two exoplanets.

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NASA, Industry Boost Opportunities for Small Businesses with Mentor-Protégé Agreement

NASA and Boeing will announce a Small Business Mentor-Protégé Program agreement Tuesday, July 26, at Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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NASA Selects Five Mars Orbiter Concept Studies

NASA has selected five U.S. aerospace companies to conduct concept studies for a potential future Mars orbiter mission. Such a mission would continue key capabilities including telecommunications and global high-resolution imaging in support of the agency’s Journey to Mars.

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NASA Scientists to Discuss 2016 Climate Trends, Impacts

Climate experts from NASA will discuss recent trends in global temperatures and Arctic sea ice, as well as research now underway to better understand their impacts, during a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 19.

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NASA Sends Trailblazing Science, Cargo to International Space Station Aboard SpaceX Resupply Mission

Instruments to perform the first-ever DNA sequencing in space, and the first international docking adapter for commercial spacecraft, are among the cargo scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station after Monday’s launch of the SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services-9 (CRS-9) mission.

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NASA's Next Mars Rover Progresses Toward 2020 Launch

After an extensive review process and passing a major development milestone, NASA is ready to proceed with final design and construction of its next Mars rover, currently targeted to launch in the summer of 2020 and arrive on the Red Planet in February 2021.

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CometWatch 9 July

This week's CometWatch image was taken with Rosetta's NAVCAM on 9 July 2016, when the spacecraft was 11.7 km from the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Enhanced NAVCAM image of Comet 67P/C-G taken on 9 July 2016, 11.7 km from the nucleus. The scale is 1 m/pixel and the image measures about 1 km. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0

This close-up view shows a portion of the Khonsu region on the larger of the two comet lobes. Khonsu is part of the southern hemisphere of 67P/C-G.

The image reveals a variety of fractured and smooth terrains, with a great number of boulders of all sizes, including several large ones. It also includes a three-layered structure with a balancing boulder on top, which was also portrayed in previous images, for example the NAVCAM view featured as CometWatch 13 June, which shows the same region but from a broader perspective.

Meanwhile, a view of Comet 67P/C-G from Rosetta's OSIRIS wide-angle camera was published on the OSIRIS Image of the Day website earlier this week.

OSIRIS wide-angle camera image taken on 4 July 2016, when Rosetta was 13.3 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 1.28 m/pixel and the image measures 2.6 km. To preserve the correct orientation of the comet, the image has been flipped horizontally with respect to the one originally published on the OSIRIS Image of the Day website. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

The image, taken on 4 July from a distance of 13.3 km, shows a large portion of the large comet lobe, highlighting the circular features of the Seth and Ash regions and with hints of the complex terrains of Atum towards the right.

In the top left part of the frame, on the comet's neck, the dust covered landscape of Hapi is portrayed just below the slopes of the rougher Anuket region, while the cliffs of Hathor are cast in shadow on the left.

A similar and somewhat complementing view, also taken with the OSIRIS wide-angle camera but on 11 July, some 15 km from the nucleus, was published earlier today.

OSIRIS wide-angle camera image taken on 11 July 2016, when Rosetta was 14.9 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 1.38 m/pixel and the image measures 2.8 km. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

On the small lobe, in the top part of the image, are portions of Serqet (left) and Ma'at (right), while on the large lobe, in the lower left part of the frame, are views of Seth and Ash. In the central part of the image, the regions on and close to the neck – Hapi, Hathor and Anuket – are cast in dark shadows.

Another view, taken with the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on 10 July from a distance of 9.5 km, provides a detailed view of a different portion of the large comet lobe, with sights of the Khepry and Aker regions.

OSIRIS narrow-angle camera image taken on 10 July 2016, when Rosetta was 9.5 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 0.31 m/pixel and the image measures about 630 m. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

The original NAVCAM image is provided below.

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NASA to Discuss Next Mars Rover on Facebook Live

NASA will host a Facebook Live event at 1 p.m. EDT Friday, July 15, to talk about the science and technology aboard NASA's next Mars rover, Mars 2020, and the significant step the agency is taking on its Journey to Mars, proceeding with final design and construction of the robotic explorer.

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Next Space Station Cargo Launch From Virginia Targeted for August, NASA Opens Media Accreditation

Media accreditation now is open for the launch of the next Orbital ATK Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

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NASA, USAID Open Environmental Monitoring Hub in West Africa

NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have opened a new environmental monitoring program in West Africa that will enhance the role of space-based observations in the management of climate-sensitive issues facing the world today.

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NASA to Televise Prelaunch Briefing, Launch of Next Commercial Resupply Mission to International Space Station

NASA provider SpaceX is scheduled to deliver scientific research, crew supplies and hardware on its ninth Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station Monday, July 18. Coverage of this mission will begin with a prelaunch news briefing at 2 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 16, on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

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NASA Television to Air International Space Station Cargo Ship Launch, Docking

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the launch and docking of a Russian cargo spacecraft delivering three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station beginning at 5:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 16.

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CometWatch 30 June

Today's CometWatch entry, also featured as ESA Space Science Image of the Week, is an image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko taken with Rosetta's navigation camera (NAVCAM) on 30 June 2016, from a distance of 25.8 km.

Enhanced NAVCAM image of Comet 67P/C-G taken on 30 June 2016, 25.8 km from the nucleus. The scale is 2.2 m/pixel and the image measures 2.3 km across. The faint vertical striping effect is an image artifact. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0

Depicted in the lower right part of the image is the region Hathor, a very intriguing portion of the small comet lobe, where the head declines steeply towards the neck and body of the comet.

This view shows a good fraction of the 900-m high cliff that forms Hathor, with marked linear features crossing the region from left to right. Perpendicular to these, additional streaks and even small terraces can be seen. Beyond the cliff of Hathor, on the right, are hints of the Ma'at region.

In the upper right corner, smoother patches of the large comet lobe are visible, covered in dust and boulders. The large lobe casts its shadow on the comet's neck, which separates the two lobes and is hidden from view in this image.

Meanwhile, Rosetta's OSIRIS wide-angle camera obtained this stunning image of a different portion of the comet on 2 July, when the spacecraft was 14.5 km from the nucleus.

OSIRIS wide-angle camera image taken on 2 July 2016, when Rosetta was 14.5 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 1.38 m/pixel and the image measures about 2.8 km. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

The image shows most of the large comet lobe, with the Khonsu, Atum and Anubis regions well in sight, from left to right, and hints of Seth towards the right edge. In the lower right corner, the smooth region of Hapi is visible, on the neck, leading towards the rougher Anuket.

Another striking image, featuring smooth-covered terrains on Babi, on the large comet lobe, was taken with the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on 3 July, when Rosetta was about 11 km from the nucleus.

OSIRIS narrow-angle camera image taken on 3 July 2016, when Rosetta was 11.2 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 0.20 m/pixel and the image measures about 410 m. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Currently, Rosetta is on a 27 km x 9 km elliptical orbit around the nucleus; this weekend, it will move to a less eccentric, 9 km x10 km orbit, ahead of entering the end-of-mission orbit. The mission will continue its close-up investigation of the comet environment until the grand finale, a controlled descent of the spacecraft to the surface of the comet on 30 September.

The original NAVCAM image is provided below.

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NASA Media Day Kicks Off US Airborne Greenhouse Gas Study

NASA will host a media event from 9 to 11 a.m. EDT Friday, July 15 at the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, offering journalists an inside look at a new airborne study over the eastern United States.

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NASA to Discuss Sequencing DNA in Space, Highlight Research Headed to Space Station on Next SpaceX Cargo Launch

NASA will host a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 13, to discuss the groundbreaking research and cargo aboard the next SpaceX commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.

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NASA Highlights Space Station Research Benefits, Opportunities at San Diego Conference

NASA astronauts, engineers and scientists will be joined by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, retired astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, and other special guests, for a three-day, in-depth conversation about the International Space Station (ISS) as a catalyst for discovery during the fifth annual ISS Research & Development Conference July 12-14 in San Diego.

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NASA to Host Media Events Marking Anniversary of First Mars Landing

NASA is celebrating the first successful landing on Mars by a U.S. spacecraft – Viking 1 -- with a history discussion from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, July 19, and a Viking 40th anniversary symposium 8 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, July 20 at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

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New Crew Members, Including NASA Biologist, Launch to Space Station

Three crew members representing the United States, Russia and Japan are on their way to the International Space Station after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:36 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 6 (7:36 a.m. Baikonur time, July 7).

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NASA Flights to Track Greenhouse Gases Across Eastern US

This month, NASA begins an airborne experiment to improve scientists’ understanding of the sources of two powerful greenhouse gases and how they cycle into and out of the atmosphere.

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NASA's Juno Spacecraft in Orbit Around Mighty Jupiter

After an almost five-year journey to the solar system’s largest planet, NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully entered Jupiter’s orbit during a 35-minute engine burn. Confirmation that the burn had completed was received on Earth at 8:53 p.m. PDT (11:53 p.m. EDT) Monday, July 4.

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CometWatch 25 June

This week's CometWatch image was taken with Rosetta's NAVCAM on 25 June 2016, when the spacecraft was 16.7 km from the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Enhanced NAVCAM image of Comet 67P/C-G taken on 25 June 2016, 16.7 km from the nucleus. The scale is 1.4 m/pixel and the image measures 1.5 km across. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0

The image shows a portion of the large comet lobe, with the neck region and a hint of the small lobe on the upper right.

Dominated by the smooth terrains of Anubis, on the large lobe, this scene reveals the many boulders scattered across this region, as well as a number of surface features visible in the dust cover. A similar view of this area, taken from a comparable distance but different perspective, was featured in CometWatch 1 May.

In the central left portion of the image, towards the upper edge of the nucleus, some elevated, shadow-casting structures mark the boundary between Anubis and Seth. Parts of the more complex Atum region are visible in the bottom part of the image, exhibiting a number of linear features especially towards the lower right corner, close to the boundary with the neighbouring Geb region.

On the upper right, along the neck, the smooth region of Hapi, covered in dust and plenty of boulders, guides the eye towards the rougher Anuket, partly cast in shadow.

Another image, taken on the same day with Rosetta's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera, shows a detailed view of an entirely different portion of the large comet lobe, at the meeting point between the regions of Khepry (upper left), Imhotep (right) and Bes (bottom).

OSIRIS narrow-angle camera image taken on 25 June 2016, when Rosetta was 17.9 km from Comet 67P/C-G. The scale is 0.31 m/pixel and the image measures about 630 m. Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

The original NAVCAM image is provided below.

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NASA TV News Conference, Media Availability With Next Space Station Crew

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NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Milestone on Journey to Mars

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NASA Awards Grants to Nine Informal Learning Institutions

NASA has awarded almost $10 million in grants to informal education organizations in seven states to help inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers.

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NASA Television to Air Next International Space Station Crew Launch

The next three crew members bound for the International Space Station are set to launch Wednesday, July 6. Live launch coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency's website.

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Illinois Students Chat Live with NASA Astronaut, Space Station Commander

Students in Elgin, Illinois, will have the opportunity to speak with a NASA astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station at 12:35 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 30. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

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NASA Awards Contract to Increase Water Recovery on Space Station

NASA has selected Paragon Space Development Corporation, a small business headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, to develop a system that will increase the rate of water recovery from the urine of astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

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NASA TV to Air Russian Cargo Ship Movement at Space Station

A Russian cargo ship currently docked to the International Space Station will undock for a short test flight on Friday, July 1. NASA Television coverage will begin at 1:15 a.m. EDT.

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NASA Brings Journey to Mars and Beyond to ESSENCE Festival

Visitors to the 2016 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans will have a chance to explore the universe through a range of activities, including first-ever festival stage presentations, during NASA Week, a celebration of space exploration to be held June 29-July 3, in conjunction with ESSENCE Festival, which begins June 30.

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Transportation Department, NASA, Partners Visit Charlotte to Open Test Lab to Streamline Air Travel

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden today marked the official opening of a new airspace technology demonstration laboratory at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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NASA Extends Hubble Space Telescope Science Operations Contract

NASA is contractually extending science operations for its Hubble Space Telescope an additional five years. The agency awarded a sole source contract extension Thursday to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy for continued Hubble science operations support at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

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NASA Awards Grants to Nine Informal Learning Institutions

NASA has awarded almost $10 million in grants to informal education organizations in seven states to help inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers.

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NASA Television to Air Next International Space Station Crew Launch

The next three crew members bound for the International Space Station are set to launch Wednesday, July 6. Live launch coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency's website.

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