Finding the Overlap

Caradine grew up in the Salt Lake City area, raised by a mother who put him on a snowboard at four and on a rock face not long after. He was the kind of kid who learned to love science not for its own sake, but for what it could do. “Math is an enabling skill,” he says. “It’s not about doing the math. Math has a purpose and it’s useful.”

By the time someone asked young Jaden what he wanted to be, the answer was immediate. “I was building Legos,” he says, “and I just thought — I want to build stuff. I can’t really see myself being anything other than an engineer.”

Right out of high school, Caradine enlisted in the Marines, trained as a mechanic, and shipped out to Japan. During those five years, between the technical work and the distance from home, he started reading books on decision-making, career planning, and long-term thinking. He found a framework he keeps coming back to: ikigai, a Japanese concept that maps the intersection of what you’re good at, what you enjoy, what the world needs, and what you’re paid to do.

“Your ikigai is the thing where all of those overlap,” he says. Engineering was already in the picture. The question was what kind.

Chasing the Signal

The answer arrived through research and a company Caradine stumbled on while scanning the landscape of emerging aerospace technology. They were using magnets to spin a launch system to 14,000 or 15,000 RPM and release small satellites into orbit, recovering the energy on the way down through the same magnetic system. “I thought that was awesome,” he recalls. “So, I started looking into aerospace engineering, and it was a good fit.”

Once he had the field, the destination wasn’t hard to find. Caradine transferred to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus to study aerospace engineering and immediately started showing up everywhere he could — satellite conferences at Kennedy Space Center, industry events in Orlando, small satellite gatherings back in Salt Lake City. “I went to all the career fairs, even though I wasn’t looking for a job yet,” he says. “I just wanted to learn as much as I could, as fast as I could.”

At every NASA booth, he asked questions. He learned about Pathways, the program that places undergraduate and graduate students at NASA centers with the potential to convert to full-time civil service positions, but he waited a year to apply. “I hadn’t really done the things I wanted to do in order to write a strong application yet,” he says. He wrote the next application with the intention of using it as a practice run. He got in.

His reason for choosing NASA over industry was simple and firm. “NASA doesn’t work for profit,” he says. “We’re here to remove barriers so that industry can eventually do the things they weren’t able to do before.”

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“Human beings are far more capable than we give ourselves credit for. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step and can only be taken one step at a time.”

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Work Worth Doing

At NASA Langley, Caradine is part of the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate, where “we help agency leaders figure out why they should make certain decisions, especially those that have lots of moving parts,” he explains. Specifically, he works with the in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) team, a group focused on the emerging field of building and maintaining infrastructure in space, rather than simply launching and discarding it.

A major part of his summer was curating the State of Play, a comprehensive document that consolidates everything happening in the ISAM sector across government, academia, and industry into a single, navigable resource.

“Jaden joined the team and immediately contributed to this year’s State of Play update,” says Dale Arney, aerospace engineer and Caradine’s mentor. “He also created an automated tool that will help the team create future updates more quickly.”  

That tool scrapes aerospace news from across the web, compiles relevant updates into organized tables, and produces a readable summary on a regular cadence. “It kind of replaced the need for everyone on the team to spend 30 or 40 minutes every day scrolling through news to keep up,” he says.

“Jaden was constantly looking for ways to improve himself, the team, and our products,” Arney adds. “He was eager to take the lead in trying a number of new processes and ideas to try to make them work for us.” 

No Silos

The thing that surprised Caradine most about NASA Langley had nothing to do with the technical work. He had expected some departmental siloing that could develop in large organizations, where people become experts in narrow areas with limited cross-pollination among teams.

“That’s not something I’ve experienced here,” he says. “We all talk to each other, across all teams. We share resources. We collaborate quite extensively.” He describes a culture that expects everyone to engage with the whole problem, not just their corner of it. “Everyone kind of bounces around on different teams to learn the whole aspect of the problem and support each other.”

For anyone considering the Pathways program, his advice is direct. “Do it,” he says. “Human beings are far more capable than we give ourselves credit for. If it seems like too much, break it down. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step and can only be taken one step at a time.”

Caradine heads back to Embry-Riddle as a junior this fall, with plans to return to Langley next summer. Grad school is on the horizon, and he’s exploring programs that nurture important analysis skills for SMAB, including decision, strategic, and systems analysis.

“Before coming here, I was trying to do everything and cast a wide net,” he says. “Now I know what I need to know how to do. That’ll give me the opportunity to focus my efforts on the high-value skill sets.”

On Caradine’s Sci-Fi Shelf

The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Caradine’s instinct runs more toward fantasy than science fiction, but this one, he says, hits something real.

“I enjoy the leveling aspect — constantly improving, constantly getting better. In books it might be physical strength, but in reality, strength takes on many different forms. Constant improvement is quite rewarding in real life, as it is in books.”

The audiobook production, he adds, is its own experience: full sound design, character actors, the works. “It’s like listening to a movie.”

The team also recently convinced him to start Dune, by Frank Herbert. He’s about halfway through.

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Part of the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA’s Langley Research Center.
Learn more about our work by visiting our website.

As NASA prepares to return astronauts to the lunar surface for longer stays and increasingly complex operations, building the Moon Base will require new ideas, advanced technologies, and expertise across many fields. 

During NASA Stories at the Ion on July 30, Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program, presented “Building the Moon Base: Challenges and Opportunities at the Lunar South Pole.” He discussed the work required to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon. 

Through its growing partnership with Rice University and the Ion, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts recurring talks connecting agency experts with entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and industry leaders. The series gives Houston’s innovation community a closer look at the people and ideas shaping the future of exploration.  

Laura Neder, head of platform for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Ion District, welcomed attendees and introduced Monte Goforth, acting director of Business Development and Technology Integration at Johnson. Goforth delivered opening remarks on the value of sharing NASA’s work beyond the agency and bringing people together to support future exploration before introducing Bhakta. 

Bhakta outlined how NASA is working toward long-duration human exploration of the lunar South Pole through the agency’s Moon Base Program. 

As part of that effort, NASA is taking a step-by-step approach to Moon Base development. Early robotic missions and technology demonstrations will help NASA gather data about the lunar environment, test systems, and reduce risks before expanding infrastructure and human operations.  

“This is probably going to be the most challenging endeavor NASA has ever undertaken,” Bhakta said.  

Meeting that challenge will require collaboration between NASA and its commercial and international partners to develop solutions for operating in extreme environmental conditions.  

Unlike the Apollo landing sites, areas near the lunar South Pole contain steep slopes, deep craters, and lighting conditions that change throughout the year. The Sun remains low on the horizon, creating shifting shadows that can complicate navigation and leave solar panels without sunlight for extended periods, increasing the need for energy storage and other power sources. 

Because of the region’s rugged terrain, crews, rovers, and other surface systems may not always have a clear line of sight to Earth. NASA will need communications infrastructure to relay signals across the lunar South Pole. 

Bhakta explained that Moon Base may not be a single cluster of connected structures. Terrain, lighting, power, and landing constraints could require habitats and other systems to be distributed across the lunar surface. 

Lunar regolith, or Moon dust, remains one of the greatest challenges. Without mitigation, the sharp and clingy substance could damage equipment and spacesuits while posing health risks to astronauts. Its electrostatic properties can also change depending on lighting and environmental conditions. 

Understanding how lunar regolith behaves will be essential to ensuring crews can safely live and work on the lunar surface. 

Some permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole may not have received direct sunlight for billions of years and may contain water ice and other volatile materials. These resources could support future exploration, but using them will require new mobility, power, and processing systems. 

The Moon will also serve as a proving ground for missions farther into the solar system. Operating on the lunar surface will help NASA learn how crews, equipment, and infrastructure perform away from Earth before future human missions to Mars. 

As NASA develops these capabilities, Bhakta explained that keeping the Moon Base architecture adaptable will require understanding how individual systems connect and work together. 

“Don’t deal with the technology directly,” Bhakta said. “Deal with the interfaces.” 

Building the Moon Base will take more than engineers and scientists. NASA will need communicators, business professionals, researchers, and people from many other fields to help solve problems and share the agency’s work. 

“There are many ways to contribute,” Bhakta said. “Don’t be afraid that your skill set does not fit in.” 

Moon Base build-up will offer multiple entry points for industry and international collaborators to participate, innovate, and contribute. From early demonstrations to long-term surface operations, there are multiple solicitations currently open.  

Find more information at:

www.nasa.gov/moonbase-solicitations

Una constelación mundial de detectores de neutrinos está ofreciendo una visión inédita de los elementos radiactivos que alimentan el motor térmico de la tectónica terrestre.

Un artículo de James Dinneen. Historia original reimpresa con permiso de Quanta Magazine, una publicación editorialmente independiente respaldada por la Fundación Simons.

 

En un laboratorio a 2 kilómetros bajo tierra, una grúa baja a Matt Depatie, tecnólogo de detectores, a través de una escotilla hasta una caverna de paredes blancas llena de unas 7.000 toneladas de agua ultrapura que brilla con un azul tan intenso como el del líquido limpiaparabrisas bajo la luz. «Splashdown», dice Depatie por radio al pisar una balsa inflable que lo espera abajo.

 

Normalmente, la caverna es uno de los lugares más oscuros de la Tierra, pero hoy está iluminada para realizar tareas de mantenimiento, lo que ofrece una rara oportunidad de ver su interior. Miro a través de la escotilla a Depatie mientras rema hasta el experimento sumergido para examinarlo. Está inspeccionando un detector del tamaño de una casa construido para captar algunas de las partículas más esquivas que conoce la física: los neutrinos.

 

Este es el experimento de neutrinos SNO+, enterrado en las profundidades de la mina Creighton, en Snolab, un laboratorio de física subterráneo en Sudbury, Canadá. SNO+ consiste en una esfera de acrílico revestida con casi 10.000 detectores sensibles a la luz y llena de 780 toneladas de líquido centelleador oleoso, que emite destellos cuando lo atraviesan partículas energéticas. El agua que rodea el dispositivo y la roca que lo cubre protegen el detector del resplandor de la radiación cósmica, permitiendo que se hagan visibles los destellos de interacciones menos frecuentes entre partículas.

 

Todo el descenso ha formado parte de la cruzada por mantener una oscuridad absoluta, incluso más allá del espectro visible de la luz. Al bajar por el pozo principal y caminar por un túnel rocoso hasta el laboratorio, nuestros cuerpos y nuestra ropa recogieron pequeñas cantidades de polvo radiactivo de radón. Antes de entrar en el espacio principal del laboratorio, nos quitamos la ropa de mina, nos duchamos y nos pusimos monos azul eléctrico y redes para el pelo para minimizar la contaminación que llevábamos con nosotros. «Las duchas no son para vosotros», dice Depatie mientras nos cambiamos, «son para la ciencia».

 

 

Estos extremos son necesarios cuando se trata de atrapar fantasmas, en este caso, fantasmas que pueden ayudar a revelar los secretos de regiones inaccesibles en las profundidades de la Tierra.

 

Un planeta radiactivo

 

Los neutrinos son las partículas dotadas de masa más abundantes. Pero esa masa es minúscula: apenas una millonésima de la masa de un electrón. Con tan poca masa y sin carga electromagnética, estas partículas apenas interaccionan con la materia. Billones de neutrinos, en su mayoría producidos en el Sol, atraviesan nuestros cuerpos cada segundo; sin embargo, tras años de buscarlos con detectores como SNO+, los investigadores solo han capturado unos pocos cientos de miles de sus preciosos destellos.

 

Aún más esquivos, tanto que, tras décadas de búsqueda, los científicos solo han detectado unos pocos cientos, son los geoneutrinos.

 

Los geoneutrinos se producen en procesos que calientan el interior del planeta. Este calor desempeña un papel importante en el movimiento de las rocas del manto, que da forma a todo, desde la tectónica de placas hasta el campo magnético terrestre. Procede de dos fuentes principales: el calor residual de la formación del planeta y el calor producido por la desintegración del uranio, el torio y el potasio en las rocas del manto y la corteza. Sin esta segunda fuente, la Tierra se habría enfriado hace mucho y se habría convertido en un planeta tectónicamente muerto.

 

 

Al contar geoneutrinos, los físicos pueden obtener una medida directa de los elementos de la Tierra que producen calor. «Es lo único que hacemos que se centra en la Tierra», afirma Ryan Bayes, astrofísico de partículas de Queen’s University, en Ontario, que trabaja en SNO+. «Todo lo demás se centra más en lo que recibimos de otros lugares del universo».

 

La primera detección de geoneutrinos, realizada por un instrumento en Japón llamado KamLAND, se comunicó en 2005. En 2009, el detector Borexino, en Italia, informó de la detección de varias docenas más. En noviembre de 2025, SNO+ comunicó su primera detección, elevando en unos 50 el número de geoneutrinos observados.

 

 

Lo que hace especiales las detecciones de SNO+ es la ubicación del experimento: son los primeros geoneutrinos medidos en el hemisferio occidental, lo que ofrece una nueva perspectiva del interior radiactivo de la Tierra.

 

Persisten importantes incertidumbres en la interpretación de los resultados de estos experimentos, pero las mejores estimaciones de los investigadores sugieren que cada emplazamiento mide un flujo diferente. «Podría ser el primer indicio de que el manto no es uniforme», comenta Mark Chen, astrofísico de partículas de Queen’s University y director de la colaboración SNO+.

 

Los geoquímicos han supuesto tradicionalmente que los elementos radiactivos se distribuyen de manera uniforme por el manto, porque la roca en movimiento debería mezclarlo todo. Pero las mediciones de geoneutrinos en distintos lugares podrían indicar que no es así.

 

Las regiones que parecen producir más geoneutrinos se sitúan aproximadamente por encima de masas de material anómalamente caliente y denso del tamaño de un continente, conocidas como grandes provincias de baja velocidad de cizalla (large low-shear-velocity provinces, o LLSVP), que los sismólogos han cartografiado a ambos lados del núcleo. Una se encuentra bajo África y la otra bajo el océano Pacífico. «Puede haber estructuras profundas en el manto que no se entienden», dice Chen. «Podría ser que [ellas] concentren ciertos tipos de elementos».

 

Los neutrinos podrían ofrecer algún día una nueva perspectiva sobre el origen, aún misterioso, de estas estructuras profundas y, de forma más amplia, sobre los patrones del manto que subyacen a muchos aspectos del sistema Tierra. «Realmente sería una forma de elaborar un mapa químico del interior de la Tierra», afirma William McDonough, geoquímico de la Academia China de Ciencias que lleva mucho tiempo siendo una voz destacada en la búsqueda de geoneutrinos.

 

Captación de geoneutrinos

 

La cuestión pendiente es si las mediciones de geoneutrinos revelan diferencias entre las zonas del manto situadas bajo cada experimento, o si el desequilibrio se origina en la forma en que los distintos experimentos cuentan sus geoneutrinos. Los investigadores coinciden en que aún hay tanta incertidumbre que es imposible afirmarlo.

 

«Si lo tomamos al pie de la letra, podríamos decir que quizá el hemisferio occidental tiene mucho más material radiactivo que el oriental», comenta McDonough. Pero hay motivos para desconfiar de estas estimaciones. «¿Tienen razón los italianos? ¿Tienen razón los japoneses? ¿La tienen ambos? ¿O hay algo que no cuadra?», pregunta.

 

 

Las incertidumbres asociadas a los resultados de cada detector provienen del proceso de clasificación que realizan los físicos para identificar los geoneutrinos, explica Bayes. «No aparecen y dicen: “Hola, soy un geoneutrino”».

 

Los científicos deben eliminar las señales de partículas con demasiada energía, de partículas con un valor incorrecto de una propiedad llamada helicidad y de partículas que esperan detectar procedentes de reactores nucleares. También deben eliminar los geoneutrinos procedentes de la corteza terrestre, cuya mayor contribución procede de la zona situada a unos pocos cientos de kilómetros del detector. Cuando se restan esas otras detecciones del recuento total, debería quedar solo la señal de geoneutrinos procedente del manto.

 

En términos generales, el flujo de geoneutrinos del manto parece ser muy alto en Borexino y muy bajo en KamLAND, aunque las incertidumbres son grandes. Una interpretación geológica detallada de los resultados de SNO+ aún está en preparación, indica Chen, pero hasta ahora los científicos ven un manto «bastante intermedio» bajo Canadá.

 

Un reto particular para los científicos de SNO+ es comprender los neutrinos procedentes del entorno del detector, incluida una cuenca formada hace 1.800 millones de años por un gran cuerpo impactor. «Hay muchas incógnitas en esta zona geológica», explica Virginia Strati, investigadora de la Universidad de Ferrara (Italia) que ayudó a desarrollar un modelo local de radiactividad para Snolab.

 

 

La incertidumbre también proviene de las estimaciones de la cantidad total de material radiactivo que calienta el manto. El flujo de geoneutrinos sugiere que estos elementos podrían contribuir desde un pequeño porcentaje del calor del manto hasta la mitad de este, una discrepancia equivalente a la producción de decenas de miles de centrales nucleares.

 

Ambas fuentes de incertidumbre dificultan aún más detectar cualquier diferencia en la composición química de secciones concretas del manto. La diferencia en el flujo de geoneutrinos esperado a partir de distintas distribuciones de elementos radiactivos «es muy pequeña y queda oculta en estas incertidumbres», afirma Strati.

 

Flujos futuros

 

La detección en SNO+ llega en un momento emocionante para la investigación de geoneutrinos: JUNO, otro enorme experimento de neutrinos que está recogiendo datos en China, se espera que comunique su primer flujo de geoneutrinos a finales de este año, añadiendo una cuarta perspectiva, notablemente más rica. Con más de 20.000 toneladas de centelleador, el experimento, enterrado bajo una montaña a las afueras de la ciudad de Guangzhou, es tan grande que se espera que detecte más geoneutrinos en su primer año que la producción combinada de KamLAND, Borexino y SNO+ a lo largo de décadas.

 

Estimaciones más claras del flujo de geoneutrinos en cada experimento podrían provenir de datos geológicos más detallados, así como de nuevos recuentos de geoneutrinos en cada emplazamiento. Sin embargo, McDonough afirma que lo mejor sería construir un detector de neutrinos en el fondo del océano. Es una idea que McDonough ha defendido durante décadas.

 

Tal detector estaría lejos de las rocas continentales, ricas en elementos radiactivos; la corteza oceánica es también más delgada y uniforme. Las incertidumbres relacionadas con la corteza disminuyen tanto que «se está en territorio solo de manto», dice.

 

La idea de un detector en el fondo oceánico, cuyo coste se estima en cientos de millones de dólares, ha tenido poca acogida hasta la fecha por parte de los financiadores gubernamentales. Pero McDonough espera poder lograr algo en China, que ha dado luz verde a otros grandes proyectos de geociencias. «Es muy posible», afirma. Hasta entonces, los físicos seguirán remando en busca de respuestas en las profundidades subterráneas.

 

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El artículo original, Neutrinos From Deep Inside Earth Provide a New Picture of the Mantle, se publicó el 7 de agosto de 2026 en Quanta Magazine. Cuaderno de Cultura Científica tiene un acuerdo de distribución en castellano con Quanta Magazine.

Traducido por César Tomé López

El artículo Los neutrinos procedentes de las profundidades de la Tierra proporcionan una nueva imagen del manto se ha escrito en Cuaderno de Cultura Científica.

Algunas estrellas parecerán estar donde no deberían durante el eclipse total del 12 de agosto. La diferencia será minúscula, pero detrás de ese desplazamiento se esconde una de las ideas más revolucionarias de la física.

Before astronauts return to the Moon’s surface through NASA’s Artemis program, the hardware they depend on must first prove it can survive the unforgiving lunar environment. At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, engineers at the Lunar Development and Test Facility are tackling one of exploration’s biggest challenges: Moon dust. 

Unlike sand on Earth, lunar dust is sharp, abrasive, and clings to nearly everything. Without mitigation, lunar dust could damage equipment and spacesuits while posing health risks to astronauts. Understanding and mitigating the effects of lunar dust is essential as astronauts prepare to live and work on the surface of the Moon.  

Located within the Energy Systems Test Area and managed by NASA engineers, the Lunar Development and Test Facility supports the development and testing of hardware in simulated lunar conditions. Engineers evaluate systems and subsystems inside vacuum chambers using lunar regolith simulant to better understand how spacesuits, spacecraft components, and mechanisms with moving parts and joints will perform during future Artemis missions. 

NASA Johnson’s Propulsion and Power Division developed specialized systems that make the facility’s lunar simulations possible. The facility includes a dust containment and preparation laboratory for ambient testing, a 3-foot cube vacuum chamber, and a 15-foot thermal vacuum chamber. 

Inside the chamber, engineers test hardware under realistic lunar conditions using lunar regolith simulant. The chamber uses a closed-loop nitrogen system to recreate the harsh lunar environment.  

“The facility helps develop and test technologies needed for long-duration lunar exploration,” said Mike Salinas, Propulsion and Power Division branch deputy chief. “Engineers are advancing techniques to extract resources from lunar regolith, which can be turned into oxygen for astronauts and liquid oxygen for rocket propellant.” 

The spirit of exploration extends beyond the facility’s walls. Its exterior features a large-scale mural depicting astronauts exploring the lunar surface beneath a view of the cosmos. Completed in 2024 by artist Sebastian Boileau, the artwork celebrates the innovation, ingenuity, and discovery happening inside the building every day. 

Now, anyone can step inside the facility from anywhere. Explore NASA’s new 3D virtual tour of the Lunar Development and Test Facility to see where engineers are helping prepare the technologies that support this Golden Age of exploration and innovation.  

There's one very stinky reason why Labour's ambitious housebuilding targets are doomed to fail, says Mike Wells: Britain's creaking sewers and drainage systems simply can't cope with all the demands of new homes.

The post There’s One Very Stinky Reason Why Labour’s Housebuilding Targets Are Doomed to Fail appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

What happens to Reform if, for one reason or another, Nigel Farage exits stage right? In his latest Political Betting column, Mark Littlewood looks at who's waiting in the wings to replace him.

The post Who Next for Reform? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Fifty years ago, NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 landers made the first successful landings on Mars, opening a new era in planetary exploration. Behind that achievement was a team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, whose steady leadership and technical expertise helped turn an ambitious idea into a mission that reshaped how we explore other worlds.

Building the Blueprint for Mars

NASA selected Langley in 1968 to lead the massive Viking project, the first U.S. mission designed to land safely on Mars and search for signs of life. Project Manager James S. Martin Jr. set the tone from the start. He wanted clear priorities, tough engineering reviews, and the discipline to test every system until the team was confident it would perform on Mars.

Entry, Descent, and Landing

Langley engineers faced a challenge unlike anything attempted before: slowing a spacecraft plunging into the Martian atmosphere at more than 10,000 miles per hour. So they leaned into their expertise in atmospheric entry aerodynamics, heat shielding, and parachute technology. Their work produced the protective aeroshell and heat shield, as well as the supersonic parachute. These systems didn’t come from theory alone — they were shaped by years of wind‑tunnel tests, analysis, and problem‑solving. Langley still excels at entry, descent, and landing systems today.

Science and Safety, Hand in Hand

Langley also helped create a new approach to finding safe landing sites. Teams combined images from Viking’s orbiters with radar data from Earth‑based observatories to identify regions that balanced scientific value with engineering safety — a method now standard for Mars missions.

Viking also changed how mission teams operated. Engineers and scientists adopted the sol — a Martian day slightly longer than 24 hours — to keep daily work aligned with local time on Mars, a practice still used for surface missions.

A Mission Reborn: From Voyager to Viking

Viking grew out of a pivotal program shift. The earlier Voyager Mars lander concept was canceled because it was too costly and risky, relying on two large landers stacked on a single Saturn V rocket. Langley helped chart a more realistic path forward, pairing each lander with its own orbiter and using Titan IIIE‑Centaur rockets instead. The new design preserved scientific ambition while making the mission achievable.

A Legacy That Endures

Viking provided an early model for how NASA could explore the solar system: scout with orbiters, certify landing sites with real data, and land only with systems tested well beyond their limits. That “planetary playbook,” shaped heavily by Langley, provided a guide for future Mars missions like Curiosity and Perseverance.

The two landers returned thousands of images and groundbreaking data, revealing Mars as a world with weather, geologic history, and complexity that scientists are still studying today. And while no human has ever set foot on the Martian surface, Viking proved that reaching another planet — and working on it ­­— was within reach.

As the 50th anniversary of those landings arrives, Langley’s influence is unmistakable. The center continues to advance new entry, descent, and landing technologies, and explore concepts that will support future human explorers. The same spirit that guided Viking still drives the work happening in Hampton today — steady, curious, and always looking toward the next horizon.

In April 2026, NASA’s Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) initiated a working group to review updated VTE case information, additional data gathered revealing altered blood flow status within a cohort of astronauts, and discuss progress of research and clinical activities intended to mitigate the risk of VTE during spaceflight with new evidence-based clinical practice recommendations.

Recommendations

The following is a summary of the working group’s recommendations:

• The working group’s conclusions emphasized that stasis in the left internal jugular vein (IJV) is consistently viewed as a dominant risk factor for VTE in microgravity, though there is active debate regarding the relative contributions of slow qualitative flow, endothelial factors and/or retrograde flow.
• Limitations of current in-flight ultrasound capabilities to accurately measure stasis/slow flow was cited as a concern, especially if using only stasis as a factor for indicating the need for prophylaxis.
• Additional review of assessing stasis with ultrasound in-flight was recommended.
• After reviewing the risk factors, additional discussions following the working group led to the majority of the panel agreeing that stasis and retrograde flow warranted use of prophylaxis.
• The working group also recommended assessing all other risk factors other than stasis to also determine when prophylaxis is warranted.
• Based on a literature review and summary of the panel contributions, a VTE Risk Score for Astronauts Algorithm was developed, which includes providing anticoagulation prophylaxis for stasis alone, or a combination of other thrombosis risk factors that are weighted by terrestrial literature.

Risk of Venous Thromboembolism During Spaceflight

NASA initially formed a working group in October 2024 after diagnosing venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) in astronauts during ISS missions. Experts reviewed case data, updated Clinical Practice Guidelines, and examined possible causes.

In April 2026, NASA’s Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) initiated a working group to review updated VTE case information, additional data gathered revealing altered blood flow status within a cohort of astronauts, and discuss progress of research and clinical activities intended to mitigate the risk of VTE during spaceflight with new evidence-based clinical practice recommendations.

Recommendations

The following is a summary of the working group’s recommendations:

• The working group’s conclusions emphasized that stasis in the left internal jugular vein (IJV) is consistently viewed as a dominant risk factor for VTE in microgravity, though there is active debate regarding the relative contributions of slow qualitative flow, endothelial factors and/or retrograde flow.
• Limitations of current in-flight ultrasound capabilities to accurately measure stasis/slow flow was cited as a concern, especially if using only stasis as a factor for indicating the need for prophylaxis.
• Additional review of assessing stasis with ultrasound in-flight was recommended.
• After reviewing the risk factors, additional discussions following the working group led to the majority of the panel agreeing that stasis and retrograde flow warranted use of prophylaxis.
• The working group also recommended assessing all other risk factors other than stasis to also determine when prophylaxis is warranted.
• Based on a literature review and summary of the panel contributions, a VTE Risk Score for Astronauts Algorithm was developed, which includes providing anticoagulation prophylaxis for stasis alone, or a combination of other thrombosis risk factors that are weighted by terrestrial literature.

Risk of Venous Thromboembolism During Spaceflight

NASA initially formed a working group in October 2024 after diagnosing venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) in astronauts during ISS missions. Experts reviewed case data, updated Clinical Practice Guidelines, and examined possible causes.

The post Establishing a VTE Risk Score for Astronauts Algorithm appeared first on NASA Science.

La Tierra no solo completa una vuelta sobre sí misma cada día. Mientras rota, altera levemente el espacio-tiempo, un comportamiento anticipado por Albert Einstein que un satélite acaba de constatar con un rigor inédito.

No sooner has Starmer quit then media voices pipe up claiming he was a "good man". This, of course, is nonsense, says Nick Dixon. His two-tier, tin-eared response to the Southport murders showed he is anything but.

The post An Indecent Man appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Brexit is now 10 years old, but what many Remainers still fail to see, says Professor James Alexander, is that their cause was doomed from the start, for the word 'Leave' is eminently more appealing than 'Remain'.

The post Why Remain Lost, Why Leave Won appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Voices Shaping the Future of Space

Members of the public are invited to join some of NASA’s brightest minds as they discuss agency missions and current topics in aerospace technology, science, and innovation. Each event will feature NASA experts, and the series will cover a range of topics including our search for life within the universe, the Moon Base, airplanes of the future, and the impact of artificial intelligence on education and the technological workforce.

There is no cost to attend, and preregistration is not required. Seating is limited and available on a first -come, first-served basis.

For all series events, the location is the Webb Auditorium within NASA Headquarters located at 300 Hidden Figures Way SW, Washington, D.C.

Event Schedule & Speakers (all times Eastern)

Thursday, June 18 | 11-11:30 a.m.

• AVATAR – (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response) Flies Around the Moon

• Featured Speaker: Dr. Lisa Carnell, director, Biological and Physical Sciences Division

Thursday, June 18 | 2-2:30 p.m.

• Eclipse Science – How NASA Uses Total Solar Eclipses for Science

• Featured Speakers: Nicki Rayl, deputy division director, Heliophysics Division, and Dr. Kelly Korreck, program scientist, Heliophysics Division

Monday, June 22 | 11-11:30 a.m.

• NASA’s Bold Horizon: Internships, NASA Force, and Your Role in History

• Featured Speakers: Kelly Elliott, chief human capital officer, and Daniel Costello, director, Human Capital Office, NASA’s Johnson Space Center

Monday, June 22 | 2-2:30 p.m.

• Speaker Spotlight with Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate 

Tuesday, June 23 | 11-11:30 a.m.

• Speaker Spotlight with Elaine Ho, associate administrator, NASA Office of STEM Engagement

Tuesday, June 23 | 2-2:30 p.m.

• Future of Flight and the Airplanes of Tomorrow

Friday, June 26 | 11-11:30 a.m.

• Other Worlds: The Search for Life in the Universe

• Featured Speakers: Dr. Joshua Pepper, program scientist, Astrophysics Division, and Dr. Hannah Jang-Condell, program scientist, Exoplanet Mass Measurement

Tuesday, June 30 | 11-11:30 a.m.

• Moving Faster Toward the Future of Astrophysics

• Featured Speaker:  Dr. Jessica Gaskin, research astrophysicist, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center 

Tuesday, June 30 | 2-2:30 p.m.

• Space Weather: Overview of astronaut safety and Earth-based end user implications

For More Information

To ask questions about the Frontiers Forum Speaker Series, email: hq-ocommevents@mail.nasa.gov.

Are you ready for a new view of the universe? The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will reveal distant worlds, dark energy, and the structure of the cosmos, and we want you to be a part of it!  

Digital creators and social media users are invited to register to our NASA Social for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch. Roman is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics mission, designed to explore everything from our outer solar system to the edge of the observable universe. This mission is scheduled to launch on Aug. 30, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

Are you passionate about social media and communications? Do you love to create content for an audience? Are you a fan of new, unique experiences? If you said yes, this NASA Social event is for you! This is your opportunity to be on the front lines of this historic mission. 

The NASA Social event will take place over two days, including the day of launch. A maximum of 50 digital creators will be selected to attend this two-day event and will be given access similar to news media. 

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to: 

• Tour NASA’s Kennedy Space Center 

• Learn directly from astrophysics subject matter experts 

• Meet fellow digital creators and social media users 

• Spend time with members of NASA’s social media team 

• View the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope  

NASA Social events are intended for members of the public. Current or former NASA civil servants, NASA contractors, NASA interns, and individuals or organizations currently under contract to provide products or services to NASA are not eligible to apply or participate in NASA Social events.

NASA Social registration for the Roman launch opens on this page on Monday, June 15 and the deadline to apply is at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28. All applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

APPLY NOW 

Do I need to have a social media account to register? 

Yes. This event is designed for people who: 

• Actively use multiple social networking platforms and tools to disseminate information to a unique audience. 

• Regularly produce new content that features multimedia elements. 

• Have the potential to reach a large number of people using digital platforms. 

• Reach a unique audience, separate and distinctive from traditional news media and/or NASA audiences. 

• Must have an established history of posting content on social media platforms. 

• Have previous postings that are highly visible, respected, and widely recognized. 

Users are encouraged to follow @NASARoman for Roman updates on X, Facebook, and @NASAGoddard and @NASAUniverse on Instagram. Updates and information about the event will be shared on X via @NASA_Events

How do I register? 

Registration for this event opens Monday, June 15 and closes at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28. Registration is for one person only (you) and is non-transferable. Each individual wishing to attend must register separately. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Can I register if I am not a U.S. citizen? 

Yes, this event is open for all to apply. 

When will I know if I am selected? 

After registrations have been received and processed, an email with confirmation information and additional instructions will be sent to those selected. We expect to send the first notifications on XX and waitlist notifications on XX. 

What are NASA Social credentials? 

All NASA social applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those chosen must prove through the registration process they meet specific engagement criteria. 

If you do not make the registration list for this NASA Social, you still can attend the launch off site and participate in the conversation online. Find out about ways to experience a launch at https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/see-a-launch-up-close/.

What are the registration requirements? 

Registration indicates your intent to travel to NASA Kennedy and attend the two-day event in person. You are responsible for your own expenses for travel, accommodation, food, and other amenities. 

The schedule of events and special guest appearances are subject to change without notice. NASA is not responsible for loss or damage incurred as a result of attending. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damage incurred if the event is canceled with limited or no notice. Please plan accordingly. 

Kennedy is a government facility. Those who are selected may need to complete additional steps to receive clearance to enter the secure areas. 

IMPORTANT: Those without proper identification cannot be admitted. 

For United States Citizens: 

You will be required to present a REAL ID compliant identification or valid U.S. passport PLUS one of the following:

Acceptable documents to accompany federal or state identification: 

• U.S. Passport 

• Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (Form I-688A) 

• Unexpired Employment Authorization Document issued by DHS that contains a photograph (Form I-688B) 

• Driver’s license or ID card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address 

• ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address 

• School ID card with a photograph 

• Voter’s Registration Card 

• Military Dependent’s ID Card 

• U.S. Military card or draft record 

• U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card 

• Native American Tribal Document 

• U.S. Social Security Card issued by the Social Security Administration (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment) 

• Original or Certified copy of birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or outlying possessions of the United States bearing an official seal 

• U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197) 

• ID Card for use of Resident Citizens of the United States (Form I-179) 

• Unexpired employment authorization document issued by DHS (other than those listed previously) 

For Foreign Nationals: 

• Same items required of U.S. Citizens (SSN only when applicable) 

• Unexpired foreign passport, with I-551 stamp or attached Form I-94 indicating unexpired employment authorization 

• Passport number and registration date 

• Citizenship 

• Driver’s license issued by a Canadian Government authority 

For Legal Resident Aliens: 

• Same items required of U.S. Citizens, and: 

• Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card with photograph (Form I-551) 

• Unexpired Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688) 

• Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350) 

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. 

All registrants must be at least 18 years old. 

What if the launch date changes? 

Hundreds of different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change multiple times. The launch date will not be official until after the Flight Readiness Review. If the launch date changes prior to the review, NASA may adjust the date of the NASA Social accordingly to coincide with the new target launch date, and will notify registrants of any changes via email. 

If the launch is postponed, attendees will be invited to attend a later launch date. If the launch is postponed beyond 72 hours, the NASA Social event may be canceled. 

NASA Social attendees are responsible for any additional costs they incur related to any launch delay. We strongly encourage participants to make travel arrangements that are refundable and/or flexible. 

What if I cannot come to the Kennedy Space Center? 

If you cannot come to NASA Kennedy and attend in person, you should not register for the NASA Social. Join the conversation by following @NASARoman on X and Facebook, and @NASAGoddard and @NASAUniverse on Instagram. You can watch the launch at nasa.gov/live. NASA will provide regular launch and mission updates on @NASA. 

If you cannot make this NASA Social, don’t worry; NASA is planning many other NASA Social events in the near future at various locations! Check for updates on NASA Socials. 

The post Experience the Launch of NASA’s Roman Space Telescope  appeared first on NASA Science.

OpenAI said that a coalition of states had opened an investigation over a wide range of its practices, including its handling of user data, safety of minors and advertising activities.

At NASA, remaining a global leader in exploration and innovation includes having a skilled
and dedicated workforce. Technicians play a critical role in advancing the agency’s
research and missions, applying hands-on expertise across engineering, fabrication,
electronics, and countless other technical fields.

To help cultivate the next generation of technical talent, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement
hosted Career Technical Education Day recently at NASA’s Langley Research Center in
Hampton, Virginia. One hundred high school and community college students from Virginia
and North Carolina attended, eager to explore the technical career paths that help drive
NASA’s work.

“Many students picture NASA as only astronauts or engineers and therefore never consider
a career at NASA to be within their reach,” said Bonnie Murray, lead for the Office of STEM
Engagement at NASA Langley. “Bringing students from local career and technical
education programs to Langley allows them the opportunity to see technicians at work,
hear the pathways those technicians followed, and understand how the skills they are
developing in their related classes have a place in the NASA workforce.”

The event opened with remarks from NASA Langley’s Steve Gayle, who traced his path from
an engineering technician co-op in the center’s Fabrication Division and a graduate of
Langley’s Engineering Technician Apprentice Program to his current role as acting
associate director. Gayle encouraged students to embrace challenges, think critically, stay
curious, and create their own opportunities as they pursue their career goals.

“We need young, bright minds,” Gayle said. “At NASA, we rely on skilled hands-on
professionals — technicians who operate our wind tunnels, apply their skills in our
fabrication shops, and use their electronics knowledge to design, test, and build critical
systems.”

Throughout the day, students toured several of Langley’s world-class facilities, including
the historic Landing and Impact Research Facility and one of the center’s wind tunnels. At
each stop, they received a behind-the-scenes look at the spaces where NASA technicians
build, test, and refine the tools and technologies that support the agency’s missions. The
technicians spoke with students about their work, their career paths, and the skills needed
to excel in technical roles.

Hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities lead by NASA technicians and
aerospace industry partners helped students connect their classroom experience with
real-world applications. Whether observing fabrication techniques, seeing instrumentation
up close, or engaging with engineering demonstrations, participants experienced how
STEM and technical skills directly translate into meaningful careers.

“Through events such as this, NASA seeks to prepare students for aerospace careers
through experiences and investments that strengthen research capacity, build technical
expertise, and expand reach in alignment with agency missions and needs,” Murray said.
The event ended with a career panel moderated by NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, associate
director of mission and strategy at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and former
math and science teacher. The panel featured four Langley technician apprentices who
shared insights into their roles and the value of strong foundational skills in technical
fields.

“A basic grasp of how software, systems, and even everyday items function goes a long way
as you progress in your technician journey,” said Wyatt Healy, mechanical engineering
technician apprentice at NASA Langley. “When you have those fundamentals down,
learning the more advanced concepts becomes much easier. It doesn’t happen overnigh
but with a strong foundation, the sky is the limit.”

By connecting students with NASA professionals, facilities, and hands-on experiences, the
event showcased a broad range of opportunities available in technical careers. It also
underscored NASA’s commitment to building a strong, skilled workforce equipped to
support the agency’s mission and tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

For more information about opportunities to connect students with NASA’s mission, work, and people, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources

Brittny McGraw
NASA Langley Research Center

The post NASA’s Career Technical Education Day Highlights Technical Careers appeared first on NASA Science.

At NASA, remaining a global leader in exploration and innovation includes having a skilled
and dedicated workforce. Technicians play a critical role in advancing the agency’s
research and missions, applying hands-on expertise across engineering, fabrication,
electronics, and countless other technical fields.

To help cultivate the next generation of technical talent, NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement
hosted Career Technical Education Day recently at NASA’s Langley Research Center in
Hampton, Virginia. One hundred high school and community college students from Virginia
and North Carolina attended, eager to explore the technical career paths that help drive
NASA’s work.

“Many students picture NASA as only astronauts or engineers and therefore never consider
a career at NASA to be within their reach,” said Bonnie Murray, lead for the Office of STEM
Engagement at NASA Langley. “Bringing students from local career and technical
education programs to Langley allows them the opportunity to see technicians at work,
hear the pathways those technicians followed, and understand how the skills they are
developing in their related classes have a place in the NASA workforce.”

The event opened with remarks from NASA Langley’s Steve Gayle, who traced his path from
an engineering technician co-op in the center’s Fabrication Division and a graduate of
Langley’s Engineering Technician Apprentice Program to his current role as acting
associate director. Gayle encouraged students to embrace challenges, think critically, stay
curious, and create their own opportunities as they pursue their career goals.

“We need young, bright minds,” Gayle said. “At NASA, we rely on skilled hands-on
professionals — technicians who operate our wind tunnels, apply their skills in our
fabrication shops, and use their electronics knowledge to design, test, and build critical
systems.”

Throughout the day, students toured several of Langley’s world-class facilities, including
the historic Landing and Impact Research Facility and one of the center’s wind tunnels. At
each stop, they received a behind-the-scenes look at the spaces where NASA technicians
build, test, and refine the tools and technologies that support the agency’s missions. The
technicians spoke with students about their work, their career paths, and the skills needed
to excel in technical roles.

Hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities lead by NASA technicians and
aerospace industry partners helped students connect their classroom experience with
real-world applications. Whether observing fabrication techniques, seeing instrumentation
up close, or engaging with engineering demonstrations, participants experienced how
STEM and technical skills directly translate into meaningful careers.

“Through events such as this, NASA seeks to prepare students for aerospace careers
through experiences and investments that strengthen research capacity, build technical
expertise, and expand reach in alignment with agency missions and needs,” Murray said.
The event ended with a career panel moderated by NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, associate
director of mission and strategy at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and former
math and science teacher. The panel featured four Langley technician apprentices who
shared insights into their roles and the value of strong foundational skills in technical
fields.

“A basic grasp of how software, systems, and even everyday items function goes a long way
as you progress in your technician journey,” said Wyatt Healy, mechanical engineering
technician apprentice at NASA Langley. “When you have those fundamentals down,
learning the more advanced concepts becomes much easier. It doesn’t happen overnight,
but with a strong foundation, the sky is the limit.”

By connecting students with NASA professionals, facilities, and hands-on experiences, the
event showcased a broad range of opportunities available in technical careers. It also
underscored NASA’s commitment to building a strong, skilled workforce equipped to
support the agency’s mission and tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

For more information about opportunities to connect students with NASA’s mission, work, and people, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources

Brittny McGraw
NASA Langley Research Center

The regulation would have required all publicly traded companies to disclose whether they faced significant risks from climate change and its effects.

© Loren Elliott for The New York Times

A PAC representing wind and solar energy interests spent $1.1 million to boost the Republican primary opponent of Chip Roy, an opponent of renewables. Now they are trying to save a Republican ally in Iowa.