Latest NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Stories

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA will host a two-day launch Tweetup for 150 of its Twitter followers on Nov. 23 and 25 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Tweetup is expected to culminate in the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch window is scheduled to open at 10:21 a.m. EST on Nov. 25. (Logo:...

DENVER, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has completed building the primary structure of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft at its Space Systems Company facility near Denver. The Mars Atmosphere And Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft is scheduled to launch in November 2013 and will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. Photo: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2011/0926_ss_maven.html In the photo taken on Sept. 8,...

   NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries. Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satelite de Aplicaciones Científicas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations - a key component of Earth's climate. Salinity changes are linked to the cycling of freshwater around the planet and influence ocean...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's new Aquarius instrument has produced its first global map of the salinity of the ocean surface, providing an early glimpse of the mission's anticipated discoveries. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) Aquarius, which is aboard the Aquarius/SAC-D (Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas) observatory, is making NASA's first space observations of ocean surface salinity variations - a key component of Earth's...

   Chalk up one more feat for Saturn's intriguing moon Enceladus. The small, dynamic moon spews out dramatic plumes of water vapor and ice -- first seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2005. It possesses simple organic particles and may house liquid water beneath its surface. Its geyser-like jets create a gigantic halo of ice, dust and gas around Enceladus that helps feed Saturn's E ring. Now, thanks again to those icy jets, Enceladus is the only moon in our solar system known to...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Astronomers using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have captured rare data of a flaring black hole, revealing new details about these powerful objects and their blazing jets. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) Scientists study jets to learn more about the extreme environments around black holes. Much has been learned about the material feeding black holes, called accretion disks, and the jets...

  Astronomers using NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have captured rare data of a flaring black hole, revealing new details about these powerful objects and their blazing jets. Scientists study jets to learn more about the extreme environments around black holes. Much has been learned about the material feeding black holes, called accretion disks, and the jets themselves, through studies using X-rays, gamma rays and radio waves. But key measurements of the brightest...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Observations from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission indicate the family of asteroids some believed was responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs is not likely the culprit, keeping the case open on one of Earth's greatest mysteries. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) While scientists are confident a large asteroid crashed into Earth approximately 65 million years ago, leading to the...

  NASA said on Monday that the family of asteroids believed to be responsible for the destruction of dinosaurs is innocent. Observations made by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) confirmed that a 2007 study's claims that a huge asteroid known as Baptistina destroyed the dinosaurs was false. Although the new discovery has abolished one theory of how the dinosaurs ceased to exist, it did not bring about any new theories on the topic. The original theory used...

NASA has selected two game-changing space technology projects for development. The selections are part of the agency's efforts to pursue revolutionary technology required for future missions, while proving the capabilities and lowering the cost of government and commercial space activities. "NASA's Game Changing Technology Development program uses a rolling selection process to mature new, potentially transformative technologies from low to moderate technology readiness levels -- from the...