Getting to Know Getz

As scientists and crew with NASAs Operation IceBridge mission prepared for a research flight on
November 5, 2016, the weather in Punta Arenas, Chile, was cold, wet, and windy. But when they
reached their survey site in West Antarctica, skies were clear and winds were calma perfect day for
scientists to collect data over the Getz Ice Shelf.
IceBridge, now in its eighth year, continues to build a record of how ice is responding to changes in the polar
environment. The Getz Ice Shelf in West Antarctica is one area that scientists try to examine each year.
Getz is an ice shelf that has been experiencing some of the highest basal melt rates of the Antarctic ice
shelves, said Nathan Kurtz, IceBridge project scientist and a sea ice researcher at NASAs Goddard Space
Flight Center.
The images above show two views of Getz as photographed on November 5 from a NASA research airplane
by Jeremy Harbeck, a sea ice scientist at NASA Goddard. The first image shows ice in
the process of calving from the front of the shelf, soon to become an iceberg. The
second image shows an area farther upstream, near the grounding linethe
boundary where the ice sheet loses contact with bedrock and begins to float on the
ocean. Here, a web of deep cracks, or crevasses, spans the icescape.
Kurtz notes that the team has flown over the Getz Ice Shelf many times before. Flight
paths are often exact repeats of those flown in previous years, which helps scientists
understand how the height of the ice surface changes over time. This year, new flights over Getz were
added to the existing observations. Scientists mapped the bathymetry (shape and depth of the seafloor)
below the ice shelf, and they mapped the ice surface and bedrock upstream of the grounding line.
The flight over Getz is just one of a number of key areas flown during the IceBridge campaign. Each flight
plan is prioritized in order of importance: baseline (the highest priority), high, medium, and low. The flight
on November 5 over Getz, for example, was categorized as high priority. Since the start of 2016 science
flights on October 14, the team has flown six out of eight baseline missions, eight out of 15 high priority
lines, and one medium and low priority mission each. Research flights for the season continue through
November 18.
We are in pretty good shape so far, having flown so many missions due to a combination of favorable
weather, no major airplane issues, and all instruments operating well, Kurtz said. Were about four weeks
into the campaign, and its possible we could tie the record of most flights flown with Operation IceBridge if
things continue to go well.
http://go.nasa.gov/2fFwQpJ

7 Things You Need to Know About Small Satellites

1. Small satellites is the umbrella term for describing any satellite that is the size of an
economy-sized washing machine all the way down to a CubeSat, which you can hold in
your hand.

2. CubeSats come in multiple sizes defined by the U, which stands for unit. Making it
the Unit unit. 1U CubeSats are cubes 4 inches (10 cm) on a side, weighing as little as 4
pounds. A 3U CubeSat is three 1Us hooked together, resembling a flying loaf of bread. A 6U
CubeSat is two 3Us joined at the hip, like a flying cereal box. These are the three most
common configurations.
Photo courtesy of the University of Michigan
3. CubeSats were developed by researchers at California Polytechnic State University
and Stanford University who wanted a standardized format to make launching them into
space easier and to be small enough for students to get involved in designing, building and
launching a satellite.

4. Small satellites often hitch a ride to space with another mission. If theres room on the
rocket of a larger mission, theyre in. CubeSats in particular deploy from a p-pod polypicosatellite orbital deployer tucked on the underside of the upper stage of the rocket near
the engine bell.

5. Small sats test technology at lower costs. Their small size and the relatively short amount of
time it takes to design and build a small satellite means that if we want to test a new sensor
component or a new way of making an observation from space, we can do so without being in the
hole if it doesnt work out. Theres no environment on Earth than can adequately recreate space, so
sometimes the only way to know if new ideas work is to send them up and see.
6. Small sats force us to think of new ways to approach old problems. With a satellite the size
of a loaf of bread, a cereal box, or a microwave oven, we dont have a lot of room for the science
instrument or power to run it. That means thinking outside the box. In addition to new and creative
designs that include tape measures, customized camera lenses, and other off-the-shelf parts, we
have to think of new ways of gathering all the data we need. One thing were trying out is flying
small sat constellations a bunch of the same kind of satellite flying in formation. Individually, each
small sat sees a small slice of Earth below. Put them together and we start to see the big
picture.http://66.media.tumblr.com/013f4034f3a6ee814d95bf146fc3c44a/tumblr_inline_ofzhrhUC1n1tzhl5u_
500.gif

7. Small sats wont replace big satellites. Size does matter when it comes to power, data storage,
and how precise your satellite instrument is. Small satellites come with trade-offs that often mean
coarser image resolution and shorter life-spans than their bigger sister satellites. However, small sat
data can complement data collected by big satellites by covering more ground, by passing over
more frequently, by flying in more dangerous orbits that big satellites avoid, and by continuing data
records if theres a malfunction or a wait between major satellite missions. Together they give us a
more complete view of our changing planet.

What are CubeSats?

CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. They provide low-cost
opportunities for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned for upcoming launches. Small
satellites, including CubeSats, are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology
demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations here at NASA.
Fourteen miniature satellites were deployed from the International Space Station earlier this
week. Two of the CubeSats were Danish and have communication and ship signal tracking capabilities. The remaining
are Dove satellites from Planet Labs and will take images of Earth from space.
On Thursday, Oct. 8, thirteen CubeSats are scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 8:49
a.m. EDT. Watch live on NASA TV starting at 8:29 a.m.http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv
To learn more about tomorrows launch, watch NASA Televisiontoday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. EDT. The
briefings will highlight the growing importance of CubeSats in space
exploration.http://67.media.tumblr.com/d39c983e15d4b936fde1c55fa9151d8c/tumblr_inlin

e_nvuvudZ9Px1tzhl5u_500.gif

Kate Rubins Space Station Science Scrapbook

As a child, Kate Rubins dreamed of being an astronaut and a scientist. During the past four
months aboard the International Space Station, that dream came full circle. She became
the first person to sequence DNA in space, among other research during her recent
mission, adding to her already impressive experience. She holds a doctorate in molecular
biology, and previously led a lab of 14 researchers studying viruses, including Ebola.Heres
a look back at Rubins in her element, conducting research aboard your orbiting laboratory.

Kate inside Destiny, the U.S. Laboratory Module

The U.S. national laboratory, calledDestiny, is the primary research laboratory for U.S.
payloads, supporting a wide range of experiments and studies contributing to health,
safety, and quality of life for people all over the world. Destiny houses the Microgravity
Science Glovebox (MSG), in which Kate worked on the Heart Cellsexperiment.

Swabbing for Surface Samples

Microbes that can cause illness could present problems for current and future long
duration space missions. Understanding what microbe communities thrive in space
habitats could help researchers design antimicrobial technology. Here, Kate is sampling
various surfaces of the Kibo module for the Microbe-IV investigation.

Culturing Beating Heart Cells in Space

The Heart Cells investigation uses human skin cells that are induced to become stem
cells, which can then differentiate into any type of cell. Researchers forced the stem cells
to grow into human heart cells, which Rubins cultured aboard the space station for one
month.

Rubins described seeing the heart cells beat for the first time as pretty amazing. First of all, theres a few
things that have made me gasp out loud up on board the [space] station. Seeing the planet
was one of them, but I gotta say, getting these cells in focus and watching heart cells
actually beat has been another pretty big one.

Innovative Applied Research Experiment from Eli Lilly

The Hard to Wet Surfaces investigation from Eli Lilly, and sponsored by the Center for the
Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), looks at liquid-solid interactions and how
certain pharmaceuticals dissolve, which may lead to more potent and effective medicines
in space and on Earth
Rubins set up vials into which she injected buffer solutions and then set up photography to
track how tablets dissolved in the solution in microgravity.

Capturing Dragon
Rubins assisted in the capture of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft in July. The ninth
SpaceX resupply mission delivered more than two thousand pounds of science to the
space station.
Biological samples and additional research were returned on the Dragon spacecraft more
than a month later.

Sliding Science Outside the Station

Science doesnt just happen inside the space station. External Earth and space science
hardware platforms are located at various places along the outside of the orbiting
laboratory. The Japanese Experiment Module airlock can be used to access theJEM Exposed
Facility. Rubins installed the JEM ORU Transfer Interface (JOTI) on the JEM airlock sliding
table used to install investigations on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory.

Installing Optical Diagnostic Instrument in the MSG

Rubins installed an optical diagnostic instrument in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG)
as part of the Selective Optical Diagnostics Instrument (SODI-DCMIX) investigation. Molecules
in fluids and gases constantly move and collide.
When temperature differences cause that movement, called the Soret effect, scientists can
track it by measuring changes in the temperature and movement of mass in the absence of gravity. Because
the Soret effect occurs in underground oil reservoirs, the results of this investigation could help us better
understand such reservoirs.

The Sequencing of DNA in Space

When Rubins expedition began, DNA had never been sequenced in space. Within just a few
weeks, she and the Biomolecule Sequencer team had sequenced their one billionth base the
unit of DNA - aboard the orbiting laboratory.
The Biomolecule Sequencer investigation seeks to demonstrate that DNA sequencing in microgravity is
possible, and adds to the suite of genomics capabilities aboard the space station.
Studying Fluidic Dynamics with SPHERES
The SPHERES-Slosh investigation examines the way liquids move inside containers in a
microgravity environment. The phenomena and mechanics associated with such liquid
movement are still not well understood and are very different than our common experiences with
a cup of coffee on EarthRockets deliver satellites to space using liquid fuels as a power source,
and this investigation plans to improve our understanding of how propellants within rockets behave in order to increase
the safety and efficiency of future vehicle designs. Rubins conducted a series of SPHERES-Slosh runs during her
mission.

Retrieving Science Samples for Their Return to Earth

Precious science samples like blood, urine and saliva are collected from crew members
throughout their missions aboard the orbiting laboratory. They are stored in the Minus EightyDegree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) until they are ready to return to Earth aboard a Soyuz
or SpaceX Dragon vehicle.

Measuring Gene Expression of Biological Specimens in Space

Our WetLab-2 hardware system is bringing to the space station the technology to measure
gene expression of biological specimens in space, and to transmit the results to researchers on
Earth at the speed of light. Rubins ran several WetLab-2 RNA SmartCycler sessions during her
mission.

Studying the First Expandable Habitat Module on the Space Station

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is the first expandable habitat to be
installed on the space station. It was expanded on May 28, 2016.
Expandable habitats are designed to take up less room on a spacecraft, but provide greater
volume for living and working in space once expanded. Rubins conducted several
evaluations inside BEAM, including air and surface sampling.

Better Breathing in Space and Back on Earth

Airway Monitoring, an investigation from ESA (the European Space Agency), uses the U.S.
airlock as a hypobaric facility for performing science. Utilizing the U.S. airlock allows unique
opportunities for the study of gravity, ambient pressure interactions, and their effect on the
human body. This investigation studies the occurrence and indicators of airway inflammation in crew members, using
ultra-sensitive gas analyzers to evaluate exhaled air. This could not only help in spaceflight diagnostics, but that also hold
applications on earth within diagnostics of similar conditions, for example monitoring of asthma.

Hot Science with Cool Flames

Fire behaves differently in space, where buoyant forces are removed. Studying combustion in
microgravity can increase scientists fundamental understanding of the process, which could lead
to improvement of fire detection and suppression systems in space and on Earth. Many
combustion experiments are performed in the Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) aboard the
space station. Rubins replaced two Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) Igniter Tips
as part of the CIR igniter replacement operations.Though Rubins is back onEarth, science aboard
the space station continues, and innovative investigations that seek to benefit humans on Earth
and further our exploration of the solar system are ongoing.

What are CubeSats?

CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. They provide low-cost opportunities for small satellite
payloads to fly on rockets planned for upcoming launches. Small satellites, including CubeSats, are playing an
increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations here at
NASA.

http://67.media.tumblr.com/d39c983e15d4b936fde1c55fa9151d8c/tumblr_inline_nvuvud
Z9Px1tzhl5u_500.gif

Fourteen miniature satellites were deployed from the International Space Station earlier this week. Two of the
CubeSats were Danish and have communication and ship signal tracking capabilities. The remaining are Dove satellites
from Planet Labs and will take images of Earth from space.On Thursday, Oct. 8, thirteen CubeSats are scheduled to
launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at 8:49 a.m. EDT. Watch live on NASA TV
starting at 8:29 a.m.http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

10 Questions for Our New Head of Science

Guess what?! We have a new lead for our science missions, and were excited to introduce him to
you. Recently, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named Thomas Zurbuchen as the new head
of our organization for science missions. Lets get to know him
Zurbuchen was most recently a professor of space science and aerospace engineering at the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He was also the universitys founding director of the Center for
Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering.
Zurbuchens experience includes research in solar and heliospheric physics, experimental space
research, space systems and innovation and entrepreneurship.
We asked him a few questions to see what he has in store for science at NASAlets take a look:
1. What is your vision for science at NASA?Right now, I am focusing on my team and I am learning how I can help
them achieve the goals we have; to design and build the missions we are currently working on. Once the presidential
transition is complete, we will engage in strategic activity with that team. It has been my experience that
the best ideas always come from great and diverse teams working together. I intend to do that here as
well.
2. What solar system destination are you most eager for NASA to explore?Tough question to
answer. Basically, I want to go where there are answers to the most important questions. One question
on my mind is the origin of extraterrestrial life. Some parts of the answer to this question can be answered at Mars, some
atEuropa or other moons in the outer solar system like Enceladus. Other parts of the answer is around other stars, where
we have found thousands of planetssome of which are amazingly similar to Earth!
3. With raw images posted to several websites from our missions, whats one thing you hope members of the
public can help NASA do with that powerful data?
I hope that people all over the world play with the data and find new ways to explore. Its almost like hanging out in the
most amazing libraries talking about nature. Many of the books in this library have never been opened and curious minds
can find true treasures in there. I know that there are over a billion data-products NASA is making available about the
Earth its a treasure chest!
4. In your opinion, what big science breakthrough from the past informs missions of today?
In science, everything we do builds on successes and also failures of the past. Sometimes we forget our failures or nearfailures, which tend to teach us a lot about what to do and what not to do. One of my favorite stories is about the Explorer
1 mission: first they observed almost nothing, until they realized that there was so much radiation that the detectors were

chocking. The Van Allen Probes is a mission that are conducting the best exploration today of these radiation belts,
discovered by Explorer 1. Our exploration history is full of stories like that.
5. Behind every pretty space image is a team of scientists who analyze all the data to
make the discovery happen. What do you wish the public knew about the people and
work that goes into each of those pretty pictures?
I wish people knew that every picture they see, every data-set they use, is a product of a team. One of the most
exhilarating facts of working in space is to be able to work in teams composed of some of the nicest and most interesting
people I have ever met. There are some super-famous people I run with every time we are in the same town, others who
like to play music and listen to it, and some who have been in space or climbed mountains.
6. If you were a member of the public, what mission events in the next year would you be most excited about?
The publics lives will be directly affected by our missions in our Earth Science portfolio. Some of
them are done together with NOAA, our sister agency responsible for forecasts. For
example, GOES will feature a lightning detector that will enable better predictions of storms. We
are also launching CYGNSS in December. This NASA mission, composed of 8 spacecraft will
provide unique and high-resolution data designed to provide a deeper understanding and better
prediction for hurricanes globally.

7. NASA science rewrites textbooks all the time. What do you hope the kids of tomorrow will know as facts that
are merely hypothesis today?
I hope they will know about life elsewhere. They will learn how life evolves, and where there is life today.
8. NASA has explored planets within our solar system. With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in
2018, what do you hope we learn about distant worlds?
James Webb is going to allow us to go back in time and look at the first stars and first
galaxies. This is something we have never seen we can only guess what will happen.
James Webb is going to allow us to look at many, many more planets around other stars and
will allow us to start doing the kind of research that links to the question about how habitable
life is there.

9. What sort of elements make for an exciting new science discovery? What do you hope is the next big
discovery?

Almost always, an exciting discovery is a surprise. Sometimes, discoveries happen because we are looking for something
totally different. The biggest discoveries are the ones that change everything we thought before. All of a sudden, nature
wags the finger at us and says you are wrong! That is how you know you are up to something new.
I hope the next big discovery tells us about the origin of the 95% of the universe we dont know enough about. We call
these 95% Dark Energy and Dark Matter, but to be honest we really dont know. So, we are today living in a time
where we know with 100% certainty that we dont know what makes up 95% of our universe.
10. In your opinion, why should people care about the science at NASA?
They should care because we improve and protect lives on Earth. They should also care because we make the world we
live in bigger. This is because we find things out we never knew, which creates new opportunities for humankind. Some of
these opportunities are near-term they are patents, innovations, companies or great educations. But, some of them are
long-term they change how we think about life itself

Home is Where the Astronaut Is

The International Space Stationserves as a home, office and recreation
room for astronauts. They share this confined space far above the Earth
with crew members from different countries and cultures for as long as six
months or more. At the same time, maintaining individual well-being and
crew harmony is important for the crew and mission success.
The Culture, Values and Environmental Adaptation in Space (At Home in
Space) Investigation, looks at changes in perceptions about home in space
and the ways a unique culture may develop aboard the station during a
mission. Discover more about this studyHERE.