NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

New NASA Space Propulsion System Can Operate in Two Different Modes NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is working on a new space propulsion system that combines the high efficiency of electric thrusters with the high performance of chemical thrusters. Marshall's Green Propulsion Dual Mode (GPDM) project has built and tested a small-scale combined electric and chemical propulsion system that relies on a single type of fuel, called ASCENT. Developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory, this fuel is made of an ionic liquid and is 50% more efficient, more environmentally friendly, and safer to handle than many conventional rocket fuels. Future spacecraft using this dual-mode propulsion technology could switch between high thrust and high efficiency at any given time during a mission, depending on its needs. Recent testing in NASA labs has proven this technology at small scales with low thrust levels. In late 2025, this technology will be tested in space on a small satellite mission developed by Marshall and its partners. Read more about this project, its NASA centers, and key partners on our TechPort database: https://lnkd.in/evEYGB_F

It’s important to exercise your right to vote – even in space! In our latest episode of "Houston We Have a Podcast," we explain how NASA astronauts vote from the International Space Station: https://lnkd.in/eppnR3Rq

We're proud that NASA has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Tech Workers for 2024! Learn more about our technology, data science and cyber roles here: https://lnkd.in/ewT9Dsuk 

Every November, we observe Native American Heritage Month by celebrating our Native American colleagues at NASA. Join us as we uplift and support their voices and work to foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace. https://lnkd.in/eg79qwe5

Our team will be at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Conference and Career Fair this week! Visit us at the #SHPE Career Fair booth #566 from Nov. 1-2 to learn how you can launch your career at NASA! We'll also be participating in panel and speaking engagements. We hope to see you there! Learn more about careers at NASA: nasa.gov/careers  

New NASA Coating Could Allow Spacecraft to Fly Closer to the Sun NASA’s Ames Research Center has demonstrated a new protective coating that could protect spacecraft components during close flybys of the Sun. By running computer simulations, the team at Ames found that existing solar shield coatings lose oxygen when heated to high temperatures. This causes them to darken, which reduces their heat-reflecting properties. To overcome this, Ames worked with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to develop a new coating that slows down the loss of oxygen, keeping solar shields brighter and more heat-reflective for longer. The new coating, made of a "binary phase oxide,” works by donating its own oxygen to the underlying solar shield material as it is heated up. Future spacecraft using this coating could take advantage of the Sun’s gravity and heat to speed up trips into deep space. Using a method called solar thermal propulsion, a satellite would fire its engines during a close flyby of the Sun, using its heat to give the burning rocket fuel an extra kick. Learn more about this project, its key partners, and its NASA centers on our TechPort database: https://lnkd.in/eVxRhHkM

“I knew I wanted to be an astronomer, and so I just kind of went that route with my education and everything, but maybe not really knowing what it meant. So I think those small steps that maybe led to the giant leap to planetary defense, I would say, are just all the people along the way who maybe nudged me or advised me or pushed me.” Career paths can seem to meander, but that can be a really good thing. Hear from NASA’s acting planetary defense officer, Dr. Kelly Fast, who tracks asteroids and contemplates deflection methods like the one tested with our recent DART mission. Learn more about her journey in the most recent episode of the "Small Steps, Giant Leaps" podcast: https://lnkd.in/egcNfA5R

Our Europa Clipper, Deep Space Optical Communications, and Advanced Composites Solar Sail System are named among the #TIMEBestInventions of 2024! Learn more about how our work is helping build the future: https://lnkd.in/eg3EVYGS

Our #Artemis III astronauts will land on the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Where on the Moon are they landing? We are refining a list of nine areas near the lunar South Pole, a place we’ve never set foot on before: https://lnkd.in/e4PCMKJ4

New NASA Quantum Sensors Open Possibilities in Air Travel, Space Exploration NASA’s Glenn Research Center recently designed and tested a new quantum sensor used to identify materials and their chemical structure. Made of silicon carbide, this sensor uses quantum mechanics to measure the electric and magnetic fields of atoms. This “quantum sensing” approach allows for new types of sensors that are more accurate, and over 10 times smaller, than what is currently available. These improvements could open new possibilities in areas from air travel to space exploration. The sensors are small enough that they could be mounted on airplane wings, for example, to measure the build-up of dangerous ice along its surface. Future rovers and satellites could also carry these sensors to distant planets and moons to accurately measure their chemical and structural makeup. Learn more about the project, its key partners, and its NASA centers on our TechPort database: https://lnkd.in/e7xGVMSV