Jonathan's Space Report No. 761 2019 Feb 24 Somerville, MA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spaceship Two ------------- Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Two VSS Unity made its second spaceflight on Feb 22. Takeoff of the White Knight Two carrier plane, VMS Eve, on mission WK2-265/SS2-16 was around 1605 UTC from Mojave Air and Space Port. Aboard VSS Unity were pilots Dave Mackay and Mike Masucci, and third ...Continue Reading

:Product: Solar Region Summary :Issued: 2019 Feb 24 0030 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force. # Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary SRS Number 55 Issued at 0030Z on 24 Feb 2019 Report compiled from data received at SWO on 23 Feb I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 23/2400Z Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type None IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 23/2400Z Feb Nmbr Location Lo None I ...Continue Reading

February 23, 2019  M19-001*NASA Space Day to Share Accomplishments, Opportunities at Texas Capitol* NASA is heading back to the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for Space Day, a celebration highlighting achievements in human space exploration throughout Texas. The day-long schedule of events and exhibits focusing on exploration, astronauts and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education will include astronaut visits, interactive exhibits and legislative proclamations. NASA’s Johnson Space Center w ...Continue Reading

February 23, 2019 MEDIA ADVISORY M19-011*NASA Space Day to Share Accomplishments, Opportunities at Texas Capitol* NASA is heading back to the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for Space Day, a celebration highlighting achievements in human space exploration throughout Texas. The day-long schedule of events and exhibits focusing on exploration, astronauts and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education will include astronaut visits, interactive exhibits and legislative proclamations. NASA’s Johnson ...Continue Reading

:Product: Solar Region Summary :Issued: 2019 Feb 23 0030 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force. # Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary SRS Number 54 Issued at 0030Z on 23 Feb 2019 Report compiled from data received at SWO on 22 Feb I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 22/2400Z Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type None IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 22/2400Z Feb Nmbr Location Lo None I ...Continue Reading

February 22, 2019 RELEASE 19-007*NASA Renames Facility in Honor of ‘Hidden Figure’ Katherine Johnson * NASA's Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia. */Credits: NASA/* NASA has redesignated its Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, as the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility, in honor of the West Virginia native and NASA "hidden figure." “I am thrilled we are honoring Ka ...Continue Reading

  February 22, 2019 RELEASE 19-012*NASA Administrator Statement on Israeli Moon Mission* The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on Thursday’s launch of Israel’s first mission beyond Earth’s orbit. SpaceIL’s lander blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, and now is on its way to becoming the first commercial lander to reach the Moon’s surface. “Congratulations to SpaceIL and the Israel Space Ag ...Continue Reading

:Product: Solar Region Summary :Issued: 2019 Feb 22 0030 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force. # Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary SRS Number 53 Issued at 0030Z on 22 Feb 2019 Report compiled from data received at SWO on 21 Feb I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 21/2400Z Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type None IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 21/2400Z Feb Nmbr Location Lo None I ...Continue Reading

  February 21, 2019 RELEASE 19-010*NASA Selects Experiments for Possible Lunar Flights in 2019* NASA has selected 12 science and technology demonstration payloads to fly to the Moon as early as the end of this year, dependent upon the availability of commercial landers. These selections represent an early step toward the agency’s long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and, later, Mars. “The Moon has unique scientific value and the potential to yield re ...Continue Reading

  February 21, 2019 RELEASE 19-009*NASA-Funded Research Creates DNA-like Molecule to Aid Search for Alien Life*  This illustration shows the structure of a new synthetic DNA molecule, dubbed hachimoji DNA, which uses the four informational ingredients of regular DNA (green, red, blue, yellow) in addition to four new ones (cyan, pink, purple, orange). */Credits: Indiana University School of Medicine/* In a research breakthrough funded by NASA, scientists have synthesized a mole ...Continue Reading