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NASA Armstrong X-Press, May 2019 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.
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