After a lengthy waiting period, we have successfully deployed our instrumentation to make aerosol measurements inside a tropical storm/hurricane. As of our last post, instrumentation was mounted aboard the NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft but we were awaiting installation of an inlet. This is not a trivial task, as any structure mounted to the exterior of […]
The answer to the August puzzler — Nagoya and the south-central coast of Japan — was puzzling even to Earth Observatory staff. When we first posted the image on August 26, even we did not know what we were looking at. We had asked our colleagues at the Crew Earth Observations (CEO) office at NASA Johnson Space Center […]
Mangrove forests are disappearing faster than any other tropical environment. NASA scientists are working to understand how human activities coupled with land use/ land cover change have altered mangrove environments.
Skin-B: Commander (CDR) Swanson conducted his last Skin-B data collection using the Tewameter probe to measure the skin barrier function; the Visioscan Camera to measure skin surface topography; and the Corneometer probe to measure skin hydration. This experiment will improve understanding of skin aging, which is slow on Earth but greatly accelerated in space. It …
A new NASA airborne campaign known as ARISE, or the Arctic Radiation – IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment, will take measurements intended to help researchers better understand the role that clouds play in Arctic warming as sea ice conditions change. From Sep. 3 to Oct. 3, researchers flying aboard NASA’s C-130 research aircraft will measure […]
Since I last posted, AV-6 flew a successful mission over Cristobal. Meanwhile, AV-1 is still stuck in California until crews can figure out the electrical issues that are affecting the aircraft. Those of us on the AV-1 instrument teams, which includes the team I’m on, are starting to get pretty jealous of AV-6’s ability to […]
FLame Extinguishment Experiment (FLEX)-2 Operations: Flight Engineer (FE)-5 Wiseman removed the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) alignment guides which isolated the rack, allowing ground teams to conduct another FLEX-2 test point via ground commanding. A toluene and heptane mixture was used for this test point. FLEX-2 uses small droplets of fuel to study the special burning …
Robonaut Leg Installation: Commander (CDR) Swanson attached Robonaut’s mobility legs to the torso. After the legs were installed, Swanson installed the Inertial Measurement Unit Bracket and Tentacle Board. The Kidney Fan, Backpack, and Cortex Box were reinstalled before replacing the side panels and soft goods. Robonaut is a dexterous humanoid robot designed with the versatility …
Welcome to the HS3 blog! My name is Mary Morris and I am a graduate student studying atmospheric science at the University of Michigan. Over the next few weeks I will be posting about my experiences while I participate in the HS3 mission at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. HS3 is a mission designed to investigate […]
Robonaut Leg Installation: Commander (CDR) Swanson temporarily removed the Robonaut front and side torso panels, backpack, and kidney panel in preparation for tomorrow when he will attach the torso and mobility legs. Robonaut is a dexterous humanoid robot designed with the versatility and dexterity to manipulate hardware, exhibit greater endurance than humans and react safely …
