Engineering design and technology development support scientific discovery. Learn about the roles engineers and scientists play when working together on NASA missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and how science and engineering take turns pushing each other to move exploration forward.
Each of us is made from star stuff. But how are stars formed? Take a closer look at the life cycles of stars and learn where stars come from, how they've changed, and what happens to stars when their lives come to an end. Find out about your connection to the cosmos.
What are maps and how are they used? Learn how NASA uses robotic spacecraft to make geologic maps of the topography and composition of places like Saturn, Titan, or Vesta, and how the US Geological Survey helps with this new field of astrogeology.
Learn how NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission, or SMAP, will use new technologies to help answer questions raised in the National Research Councils' Decadal Survey. See what kind of modeling and forecasting applications the data from this mission will provide as it measures the soil moisture that cools Earth's surface and provides water to the atmosphere and plants.
Learn how the second generation of the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite, better known as ICESat-2, is being used to map the ice structures in the world's polar regions. Manipulating the distribution of photons by lasers to create accurate images of these frozen structures allows scientists to study their changes and impact on Earth's climate.
NASA's third generation science instrument, SAGE III, sheds light on how aerosols, water vapor and other gases interact with and affect our atmosphere. See how a unique hexapod helps the instrument stay oriented on the International Space Station and how NASA plans to use moonrise and moonset to double measurement capabilities, helping us truly understand the chemical balance in our atmosphere.
Join astronauts on-board the International Space Station to learn more about Newton's laws. Learn about the inverse relationship between mass and acceleration when calculating force and see what the equation f=ma has to do with rockets.
See how 21 hours, 38 minutes and 21 seconds changed history. Learn more about the challenges of landing on the moon, the science involved in the first moon walk and the artifacts left behind for future explorers.
Join NASA astronauts at Kitt Peak National Observatory in their search for exoplanets. Find out how the two-meter telescope is calibrated to locate giant planets orbiting stars in far off solar systems. Learn about the infrared signature of a transit.
Join the Teaching From Space Team on-orbit to learn about surface tension. Learn why water drops form perfect spheres and how the mutual attraction of water molecules forms a tight skin on water surfaces.
See how scientists are using spectroscopy to identify methane plumes on Mars. Learn about the biological and geological processes that form methane on Earth and the implications for astrobiologists who are looking for life beyond Earth. Since the production of this video, Curiosity is now exploring the surface of Mars.
Discover how scientists use spectroscopy to determine what elements are present in remote objects in space. By studying emission or absorption lines, astronomers can use the light an object emits to learn more about the object.
The Earth can be considered a system of interrelated parts. Learn about Earth Systems Science and the spheres that make up the Earth System. Find out why NASA studies the Earth system.
Are we alone in the universe? Where do we come from? Join NASA in the search for answers to these and many more questions about life in our solar system. Learn how astrobiologists use what we know about Earth to investigate Titan, Europa and other far-off worlds.
Find out why Curiosity is the best name for the largest rover ever sent to another planet. Learn about the challenges of landing on a planet with an atmosphere and the geology and chemistry questions scientists hope to answer with instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory. Since this production, Curiosity was successfully launched to Mars and is sending back data and images. Find out more here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/
NASA uses Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, to convert heat from radioactive decay to electricity, creating predictable, continuous power for long missions in extreme environments. But learn how a next generation Radioisotope Stirling Engine will perform four times more efficiently and help NASA use even less of a precious resource.
With safety designed from inside out and outside in, see how NASA has used Radioisotope Power Systems, or RPS, for more than 20 missions over the last 50 years. Discover the advantages of an RPS that allow spacecraft like Voyager to still do important scientific maneuvers after being in the extreme environment of space for 30 years! Find out where an RPS could take us in the future.
Have you ever seen noctilucent or night-shining clouds in the summer sky? Explore the layers of our atmosphere. Find out why NASA is interested in how these glowing clouds are formed and what they tell us about Earth.
Learn how Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators, or HIAD, use the diameter of an inflatable vehicle to increase drag and land larger payloads on new destinations. See how NASA engineers use design and complex testing to get the inflatable to make and keep the effective blunt-body shape.
Find out how a team at NASA is using Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators, or HIAD, to solve the aerodynamic heating challenges of entering an atmosphere. Learn about HIAD's unique thermal protection system that uses off-the-shelf technology in game changing ways.