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  • NASA’s PREFIRE Mission: Small Satellites, Big Science

    NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) CubeSats are encapsulated inside Rocket Lab Electron rocket payload fairings on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at the company’s facility in New Zealand. The agency’s PREFIRE mission to study heat loss to space in Earth’s polar regions will launch two CubeSats on two different flights aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rockets from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand.

    NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission will fly a pair of CubeSat satellites to probe a little-studied portion of the radiant energy emitted by Earth’s polar regions for clues about Arctic warming, sea ice loss, and ice sheet melting. The Arctic and Antarctica help regulate Earth’s overall temperature by radiating back …

  • Live Coverage of NASA’s PREFIRE Launch Now Underway

    Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket called "PREFIRE and Ice” is vertical on the pad in Mahia, New Zealand ahead of launching the second of two PREFIRE CubeSats for NASA on May 29, 2024.

    Live coverage is underway for the second and final launch of NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission. Rocket Lab is targeting Saturday, June 1, 3:13 p.m. NZST (11:13 p.m. EDT Friday, May 31). for the launch of “PREFIRE and Ice,” which will send the agency’s CubeSat to low Earth orbit. Watch …

  • NASA’s Second PREFIRE Mission: Weather 70% Favorable for Launch

    Weather officials with Rocket Lab predict a 70% chance of favorable weather for launch of NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission. The launch team is monitoring the space weather as there has been a coronal mass ejection partially directed toward Earth that may induce a geomagnetic storm, though predictions are that …

  • NASA’s New Climate Mission to Launch Second Satellite

    Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket called “Ready, Aim, PREFIRE” is vertical on the pad in Mahia, New Zealand ahead of launching the first of two PREFIRE CubeSats on May 25, 2024.

    Launch day is here for NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission. After the first PREFIRE CubeSat launched from Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand on May 25, a second satellite about the size of a shoebox waits on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket for liftoff on the mission’s second and …

  • Strong Solar Flare Erupts from Sun

    The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 6:03 p.m. ET on May 31, 2024. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to …

  • ISS Daily Summary Report – 5/31/2024

    Payloads: Astrobee/Integrated System for Autonomous and Adaptive Caretaking-15 (ISAAC-15): The crew assisted with the Astrobee ISAAC mapping activities in the US Lab. These maps support vision-based navigation used by the Astrobee free-fliers. More information on ISAAC can be found here. Cardiobreath: The crew performed a Cardiobreath science session using the Bio-Monitor wearable garment and Cycle …

  • NASA, Mission Partners Ready for Starliner Launch

    Image of NASA and mission partners conducting a prelaunch briefing at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Friday, May 31, 2024 ahead of NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test

    In less than 24 hours, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be the first to launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are ready for the Saturday, June 1, launch of the agency’s Boeing Crew …

  • NASA, Mission Partners Ready for Starliner Launch

    Image of NASA and mission partners conducting a prelaunch briefing at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Friday, May 31, 2024 ahead of NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test

    In less than 24 hours, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be the first to launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are ready for the Saturday, June 1, launch of the agency’s Boeing Crew …

  • NASA Examines Electrical Switches on Europa Clipper Spacecraft

    As NASA’s Europa Clipper continues preparations in advance of its launch period — opening Oct. 10 — the mission team is assessing whether transistors on the spacecraft can withstand the intense radiation the probe will encounter at Jupiter. These transistors are used as electrical switches in many digital electronics. The particular versions used by Europa …

  • NASA, Partners Host Boeing Crew Flight Test Prelaunch Media Briefing

    Prelaunch operations continue ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test launch. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are ready, and the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, attached on the ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket, rolled out to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May …