National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Volume 61 Number 4 May 2019 Molecule is found Long search for the universe’s first type of molecule is over

By Kassandra Bell and Alison Hawkes USRA and NASA Ames Public Affairs The first type of molecule that ever formed in the universe has been detected in space for the first time, after decades of searching. Scientists discovered its signature in the Milky Way Galaxy using the world’s largest airborne observatory, NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, as the aircraft flew high above the Earth’s surface and pointed its sensitive instruments out into the cosmos. NASA/ESA/Hubble Processing: Judy Schmidt When the universe was still very young, only a few kinds of atoms This image of planetary nebula NGC 7027, with an illustration of helium existed. Scientists believe that around 100,000 years after the big bang, hydride molecules, shows where SOFIA detected helium hydride, a combination helium and hydrogen combined to make a molecule called helium hydride of helium (red) and hydrogen (blue). It was the first type of molecule to ever for the first time. Helium hydride should be present in some parts of the form in the early universe. This is the first time helium hydride has been found modern universe, but it has never been detected in space until now. in the modern universe. SOFIA found modern helium hydride in a planetary nebula, a remnant of what was once a sun-like star. Located 3,000 light-years away near the constellation Cygnus, this planetary nebula, called NGC 7027, has conditions that allow this mystery molecule to form. The discovery serves as proof that helium hydride can, in fact, exist in space. This confirms a key part of our basic understanding of the chemistry of the early universe and how it evolved over billions of years into the complex chemistry of today. The results are published in an April issue of Nature. “This molecule was lurking out there, but we needed the right instruments making observations in the right position and SOFIA was able to do that perfectly,” said Harold Yorke, director of the SOFIA Science Center, in California’s Silicon Valley. Today, the universe is filled with large, complex structures such as planets, stars and galaxies. But more than 13 billion years ago, following the big bang, the early universe was hot and all that existed were a few NASA/SOFIA/ Waynne Williams SOFIA takes off from Christchurch International Airport and heads for home Molecule, page 8 following a successful observation campaign in 2018. www.nasa.gov/ X-Press May 2019 Space experiments NASA, Blue Origin rocket launch inspires researchers By Nicole Quenelle fuel gauging systems, giving Fuentek writer accurate measurements of the “We are now on the verge of amount of propellant onboard giving students and teachers the vehicles operating in deep space ability to build and fly affordable without the need for complex experiments in space,” said procedures. A propellant gauging Elizabeth Kennick, president of experiment from Purdue University Teachers in Space. “When teachers aimed to do just that. are this excited about putting The other Flight Opportunities experiments in space, their students supported payloads aboard the can’t help but get excited about rocket included: space too.” Kennick does not take the Evolved Medical Microgravity opportunity to fly an experiment Suction Device to space for granted. The nonprofit Orbital Medicine Inc., Richmond, organization has worked with Virginia educators and engineers to design This medical device could assist in and test standard equipment for treating space-based emergencies, classroom-developed experiments, such as a collapsed lung. It would including 3D-printed frames, collect blood in microgravity, allow customizable processors and power lungs to continuously inflate and adaptors. The equipment first flew store blood for transfusion. on high-altitude balloons and more recently on a stratospheric Suborbital Flight Experiment glider. Now, thanks to support Monitor-2 from NASA’s Flight Opportunities NASA’s Johnson Space Center, program, nine NASA-supported Houston payloads flew higher than ever This instrumentation package before: to space on Blue Origin’s is designed to characterize the New Shepard rocket May 2. flight environment (acceleration, “It’s such a huge milestone,” said acoustics, temperature, pressure and Kennick. “This opens the door to humidity) of suborbital vehicles flying more experiments for more that are candidates for testing new Photo Courtesy of Blue Origin schools and that means exposing space technologies. more teachers and students to the The Flight Opportunities Program and Blue Origin are making it possible to promise of spaceflight.” inspire students while testing new generation technology that could assist the Flow Boiling in Microgap That promise is bolstered by mission to the Moon and Mars. Coolers Flight Opportunities, which lets NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, researchers test technologies in a the University of Kentucky and effects of deep space travel. With Greenbelt, Maryland relevant environment, particularly University of Louisville could a new suborbital centrifuge from This thermal management innovations that will help NASA further advances in space NanoRacks, researchers may technique addresses the limitations return to the Moon and send manufacturing – a critical be able to collect biological of current cooling methods for crewed missions to Mars. capability for long-term stays on the and physical data on suborbital miniaturized devices and electronics The payloads experienced the lunar surface. While there are 3D rocket flights. A space-basedneeded for technology payloads on rigors of a rocket launch and printers on the International Space centrifuge can simulate the gravity space-bound missions. the challenges of a zero-gravity Station, the university’s experiment environment on the Moon or environment. These conditions could provide the capability to Mars. The capability could make it BioChip SubOrbitalLab gave researchers valuable insights manufacture metal components in faster and cheaper to gather critical HNu Photonics, LLC, Kahului, into how their technologies would space. data. Hawaii hold up on exploration missions. Future explorers will need Missions to the Moon and A 3D printing experiment from protection from potentially negative Mars will also require advanced Flight Opportunities, page 8 X-Press May 2019 News at NASA Undersea crew preps for Moon NASA will join an international crew on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean this summer to prepare for future deep space missions during the 10-day NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 23 expedition slated to begin AFRC2018-0127-34 NASA/Ken Ulbrich June 10. Above, the No Chase Certificate of Waiver Authorization team at NASA Armstrong poses for a group photo with the NEEMO 23 will focus on unmanned aircraft system, the Ikhana. Below, the Ikhana takes off for its award-winning flight. exploration spacewalks and objectives related to space missions such as the International Space Station and future deep Ikhana wins a Laureate space missions to the Moon and Elvia Valenzuela Mars. As an analogue for future Armstrong Public Affairs planetary science concepts and Aviation Week & Space Technology strategies, marine science also selected Ikhana as a winner of one of will be performed under the its 62nd Annual Laureate Awards, guidance of Florida International in the category of Commercial University’s marine science Aviation, Unmanned Systems. The department. award presentation was March 14. ESA astronaut Samantha The Ikhana was recognized for Cristoforetti will command the its historic achievement as the NEEMO 23 mission aboard first remotely piloted aircraft to fly the Aquarius laboratory, 62 feet without a safety chase plane in the below the ocean surface near Key national airspace June 12, 2018. Largo Florida. Cristoforetti was The team that accomplished the part of space station Expeditions task was a collaboration among 42 and 43 from Nov. 2014 to NASA Armstrong, General June 2015, where she spent 200 Atomics, Honeywell and the days living and working in the AFRC2018-0127-12 NASA/Ken Ulbrich Federal Aviation Administration extreme environment of space, “For more than six decades, categories of Business Aviation, Aircraft Systems to be integrated currently the longest spaceflight Aviation Week editors have annually Commercial Aviation, Defense into the National Airspace System. of a European. awarded Laureates to great achievers and Space. “The Ikhana represents an Objectives for the crew include in aerospace and aviation,” said Joe Ikhana is the first aircraft to extraordinary collaboration among evaluating scenarios for using Anselmo, Aviation Week network achieve a No Chase Certificate innovative individuals dedicated science instruments and tools on editorial director. “This year’sof Waiver Authorization (COA) to bringing Unmanned Aircraft the lunar surface, such as tools winners exemplify the spirit and flight without the need of a Systems one step closer into and hardware for getting science innovations that are transforming chase plane or visual observers as our reality,” said Jaiwon Shin, core samples; using augmented our industry to meet the challenges it operated in various classes of NASA’s associate administrator for reality to guide an untrained of tomorrow.” airspace. The teamwork among aeronautics. “We are very grateful operator from module to module The Laureate Awards honorthe organizations made the Ikhana to be recognized by this prestigious by autonomously recognizing extraordinary achievements in a success and demonstrated the award. It’s an honor and a privilege where it is; and studies of body the global aerospace arena in the opportunity for Unmanned to be selected as a recipient.” composition and sleep. X-Press May 2019 X-Press May 2019 At left, Navmar Applied At left, Daryl Fer- Sciences Corporation’s Steve guson attaches the Hamilton, lead TigerShark TigerShark’s tail. pilot, and Brad Petty, mis- sion commander and pilot, At right, Brad unload the crate containing the Petty attaches a TigerShark. winglet to the TigerShark. At right, NASC’s Daryl Fer- guson, mission commander and pilot, Steve Hamilton and Brad Petty unload the TigerShark. AFRC2019-0088-08 NASA/Ken Ulbrich AFRC2019-0088-13 NASA/Ken Ulbrich AFRC2019-0088-30 NASA/Ken Ulbrich AFRC2019-0088-36 NASA/Ken Ulbrich

At left, Steve Hamilton, Brad Petty and Daryl Fergu- TigerShark son attach the TigerShark’s It’s not often people see sharks in the desert, but there will be sightings at NASA wing. Armstrong this summer. This shark doesn’t swim, it flies. With a wingspan of 21.9 feet and weighing 515 pounds, At right, the TigerShark XP unmanned aircraft system (UAS) can carry payloads of up to 95 pounds Steve Hamil- and for up to 12 hours. ton and Brad Navmar Applied Science Corporation (NASC) personnel delivered the TigerShark to Petty adjust the Armstrong in a large crate May 6. Wings, a fuselage, a tail and other parts were unloaded TigerShark’s and the aircraft was assembled. NASC is the aircraft’s manufacturer and its Teros Mobile wing. Operations Center, which also was delivered the same day, includes a ground cockpit. This “shark” will undergo modifications, payload integration and ground systems checks in Ken Ulbrich’s early June. It is intended to support Flight Test 6, which is part of the UAS Integration into background the National Airspace System (NAS) Project managed by NASA Armstrong. image shows Objectives of Flight Test 6 include collection of data to inform the development of the assembled minimum operational performance standards for detect and avoid (DAA) for alerting and aircraft guidance and for the small size, low weight and power radar. The TigerShark will be equipped (AFRC2019- with a Honeywell digital active phased array lite airborne radar to support this flight test. AFRC2019-0088-20 NASA/Ken Ulbrich 0088-40). AFRC2019-0088-22 NASA/Ken Ulbrich X-Press May 2019

AFRC2019-0052-03 NASA/Jim Ross This was the view from a NASA TG-14 and a NASA T-34 as the aircraft flew over the super bloom of wildflowers and poppies at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve; solar panels can be seen in the background. Super

bloomBy Leslie Williams Armstrong News Chief Due to a very rainy winter season for the Antelope Valley, the desert was covered with a canopy of yellow wildflowers and orange blooming California poppies, the state flower. The flowers were accessible to people who visited the Poppy Reserve in Lancaster. Armstrong’s Glenn Graham, director of Safety and Mission Assurance, and Rex Walheim, a former NASA astronaut and currently assistant director for operations for the Flight Operations Directorate, flew above the valley’s super bloom in the center’s T-34 mission support aircraft April 2. The T-34 is used by the center for pilot proficiency and as a chase plane AFRC20190063-06 NASA/Carla Thomas for research flights. NASA’s T-34 aircraft flown from Armstrong approaches the Antelope Valley Jim Ross photographed the T-34 and the super bloom from a NASA Poppy Reserve. The image was taken from a TG-14 aircraft that accompanied TG-14 aircraft piloted by Tim Williams. the T-34. X-Press May 2019 Circuits, coding and robotics Teachers gain STEM ideas from NASA Armstrong Elvia Valenzuela Barbara “Barbie” Buckner, Armstrong Public Affairs Armstrong’s educator professional Teachers across the Antelope development specialist, demonstrated Valley gathered for a day at NASA how to easily create a paper circuit Armstrong to learn about three with simple tools teachers may concepts: circuits, coding and purchase without breaking the bank robotics. for their classrooms. Teachers also About 25 teachers attended the participated in a group exercise to Educational Technology Institute learn how our bodies are able to and saw firsthand the current create a circuit. Participants held research projects taking place at hands to form a human circuit Armstrong and how they relate to to light up an electric ball. Since the three concepts. human bodies consist of nearly 60 It is no secret that the journey percent water, participants were able of a NASA employee begins to carry the electricity, an easy and fun task for students to engage in the inside the classroom. The Office AFRC2019-0058-20 NASA/Lauren Hughes of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) classroom. at Armstrong is doing its part by Tom Grindle, NASA Armstrong chief of maintenance, gives a hangar tour to “I have done a lot of Barbie’s providing NASA resources and a group of teachers. seminars, and I brought a lot materials to local teachers in the all-day event since the days of the The X-57 conversationof things she has taught us and areas of STEM. Apollo 40th anniversary. connected with the course on demonstrated to the classroom,” OSTEM holds a variety of NASA A portion of the day was circuit training. continued Deckner. workshops and webinars for formal dedicated to NASA’s first all-electric “The circuit training is hands-on, Other discussions and activities and informal teachers each year X-plane, the X-57 Maxwell based and we can go through this step- included the Engineering Design around the subjects of science, at Armstrong. Claudia Herrera, by-step with the kids really easily. Process, coding and programming, technology, engineering and math. mod 4 deputy chief engineer of the I am going to need to do circuits building a Styrofoam robotic arm, The Educational TechnologyX-57 , shared with the group the especially since it is part of our a demonstration of the Aeronautics Institute marked the first time mechanisms of the plane and the testing,” said Kristin Deckner, fifth Augmented Reality app, and a OSTEM decided to invite teachers testing behind its power distribution grade teacher at Golden Poppy tour of Life Support and NASA to Armstrong’s main campus for an system and its circuits. Elementary. Armstrong’s F-15 Hangar. NASA tech pinpoints potent greenhouse gases Whether they’re idyllic floating through the atmosphere. Light scientists to more easily measure Science Laboratory based at NASA cotton balls on an otherwise blue sky from the pulsed laser bounces off either water vapor or methane. Armstrong. Validation flights are or ominous grey swirls that block the molecules and particles suspended This kind of technology is new scheduled to continue as the ADM- sun, clouds all begin as an invisible in the atmosphere, revealing what at NASA, said Amin Nehrir, a Aeolus makes passes over the eastern dot of water vapor. This elusive gas the human eye cannot see. The research scientist and HALO’s Pacific. has been tricky to measure and track intensity of the signal reflected back principal investigator. The ADM-Aeolus launched – until now. Research scientists at to the lidar instrument gives the HALO joined another on Aug. 22, 2018, from Europe’s NASA’s Langley Research Center in team the information they need to NASA-funded instrument, Spaceport in Kourou, French Hampton, Virginia, have created a directly measure water vapor, as well the Doppler Aerosol Wind Lidar Guiana. It is the first satellite to new airborne instrument that can as aerosol and cloud profiles. (DAWN), which measures wind profile wind speeds on a global scale directly measure water vapor and Water vapor is the most abundant speed and direction. Both HALO from space, and it also collects aerosol floating particles in the atmosphere. and potent greenhouse gas in the and DAWN are helping validate data. HALO’s aerosol measurements The new data will help check the atmosphere. It warms the air by data collected by the Atmospheric will be used to validate the satellite. accuracy of satellite measurements, trapping heat emitted from Earth, Dynamics Mission Aeolus (ADM- Although HALO’s water vapor and improve weather and climate but also cools by forming bright Aeolus) lidar instrument, an ESA measurements are not key to this forecasts. clouds that reflect heat radiated by (European Space Agency) satellite particular mission, they will give The instrument is called the the Sun. HALO’s data will help that measures wind speeds, aerosols scientists a more comprehensive High Altitude Lidar Observatory scientists as they research the extent and cloud profiles across the globe. picture of the atmosphere and help (HALO). It uses light detection of each of these processes. HALO began its mission the team prepare for future airborne and ranging (lidar), which works by HALO is a minifridge-sized over the Pacific Ocean on April campaigns dedicated to atmospheric shooting a pencil-thin laser beam modular instrument that allows 15 aboard a DC-8 Airborne dynamic processes. X-Press May 2019

Molecule... from page 1 types of atoms, mostly helium and hydrogen. As atoms combined to “It was so exciting to be there, seeing helium hydride for the first time in form the first molecules, the universe was finally able to cool and began the data,” said Guesten. “This brings a long search to a happy ending and to take shape. Scientists have inferred that helium hydride was this first, eliminates doubts about our understanding of the underlying chemistry primordial molecule. of the early universe. Once cooling began, hydrogen atoms could interact with helium SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a hydride, leading to the creation of molecular hydrogen – the molecule Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope. primarily responsible for the formation of the first stars. Stars went on to It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. forge all the elements that make up our rich chemical cosmos of today. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley manages the The problem is that scientists could not find helium hydride in space. This SOFIA program, science and mission operations in cooperation with first step in the birth of chemistry was unproven until now. the Universities Space Research Association headquartered in Columbia, “The lack of evidence of the very existence of helium hydride in Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University interstellar space was a dilemma for astronomy for decades,” said Rolf of Stuttgart. The aircraft is maintained and operated from Armstrong’s Guesten of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Building 703 in Palmdale. Germany, and lead author of the paper. Helium hydride is a finicky molecule. Helium itself is a noble gas making it very unlikely to combine with any other kind of atom. But in Flight Opportunities... from page 2 1925, scientists were able to create the molecule in a laboratory by coaxing the helium to share one of its electrons with a hydrogen ion. This experiment aims to enable researchers to observe cell function Then in the late 1970s, scientists studying the planetary nebula called in real time during a flight, in order to understand how microgravity NGC 7027 thought that this environment might be just right to form and space exposure effects human physiology, critical insights for long- helium hydride. Ultraviolet radiation and heat from the aging star create duration missions. conditions suitable for helium hydride to form. But their observations were inconclusive. Subsequent efforts hinted it could be there, but the Strata-S1 mystery molecule continued to elude detection. The space telescopes University of Central Florida, Orlando used did not have the specific technology to pick out the signal of helium This payload addresses the need for detailed understanding of the hydride from the medley of other molecules in the nebula. behavior of space dust, regolith and other particles on the surfaces of In 2016 scientists turned to SOFIA for help. Flying up to 45,000 feet small bodies in space, to inform robotic and human space exploration. altitude, SOFIA makes observations above the interfering layers of Earth’s atmosphere. It also has a benefit space telescopes don’t – it returns after Flight Opportunities every flight. The Flight Opportunities program is funded by NASA’s Space “We’re able to change instruments and install the latest technology,” said Technology Mission Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters in Naseem Rangwala SOFIA deputy project scientist. “This flexibility allows Washington, D.C., and managed at NASA Armstrong. NASA’s Ames us to improve observations and respond to the most pressing questions Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley manages the solicitation and that scientists want answered.” evaluation of technologies to be tested and demonstrated on commercial A recent upgrade to one of SOFIA’s instruments called the German flight vehicles. Receiver at Terahertz Frequencies, or GREAT, added the specific channel Blue Origin and other U.S. commercial spaceflight providers are for helium hydride that previous telescopes did not have. The instrument contracted to provide flight services to NASA for flight testing and works like a radio receiver. Scientists tune to the frequency of the molecule technology demonstration. Researchers from academia and industry with they’re searching for, similar to tuning an FM radio to the right station. concepts for exploration, commercial space applications or other space When SOFIA took to the night skies, eager scientists were onboard utilization technologies of potential interest to NASA can receive grants reading the data from the instrument in real time. Helium hydride’s signal from the Flight Opportunities program to purchase suborbital flights finally came through loud and clear. from these and other U.S. commercial spaceflight providers.

The X-Press is published the first Friday of National Aeronautics and each month for civil servants, contractors Space Administration and retirees of the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center Address: P.O. Box 273, P.O. Box 273 Building 4800, MS 1422 Edwards, California, 93523-0273 Edwards, California, 93523-0273 Phone: 661-276-3449 Official Business FAX: 661-276-3167 Penalty for Private Use, $300 Editor: Jay Levine, Logical Innovations, ext. 3459

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