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'NASA's Hubble Telescope Detects ‘Sunscreen' Layer on Distant Planet': via #NASA_APP

Nearly two years after a privately built Antares rocket crashed and exploded, the booster's builder Orbital ATK is ready to return to flight. Tonight (Oct. 16), an upgraded version of the Antares rocket will soar into the sky above Virginia's Eastern Shore, a nightttime launch that could be visible to potentially millions of observers up and down the U.S. East Coast, weather permitting. The Antares rocket will launch Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft on a NASA cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is set for 8:03 p.m. EDT (0003 Oct. 17 GMT) from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. You can watch a webcast of the launch herebeginning at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT), courtesy of NASA TV. Advertisemen

Full video: Stephen Colbert Helps President Obama Polish Up His Résumé

Profile of a World War 2 Test Pilot

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.....

I met her when I was 10 days old, and him in kindergarten. Now they’re married and I’m the happiest maid of honor ever. Congratulations @britmaack and Ben!

The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower. So the nickname for this cosmic object -- the Sunflower Galaxy -- is no coincidence. Discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1779, the galaxy later made it as the 63rd entry into fellow French astronomer Charles Messier's famous catalogue, published in 1781. The two astronomers spotted the Sunflower Galaxy's glow in the small, northern constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs). We now know this galaxy is about 27 million light-years away and belongs to the M51 Group -- a group of galaxies, named after its brightest member, Messier 51, another spiral-shaped galaxy dubbed the Whirlpool Galaxy. Galactic arms, sunflowers and whirlpools are only a few examples of nature's apparent preference for spirals. For galaxies like Messier 63 the winding arms shine bright because of the presence of recently formed, blue-white giant stars and clusters, readily seen in this Hubble image.  Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA Text credit: European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope

The NASA “Worm” Logo

Just like many organizations, the style and logos can change over time. You are probably most familiar with our “meatball” logo. No, unfortunately this does not refer to the delicious food. This logo (below) is our most popular symbol, and dates back to 1959.

But, we’ve also had other insignia that represented our organization throughout the years.

The “worm” logo (below) was used by the agency from 1975 until 1992. The organization wanted to create a more “modern” logo, which resulted in the unique type style of the “worm” logo.

Even though this logo was retired in 1992, the Graphics Standards Manual is still available online HERE.

You can also read up about the emblems, logos and insignia used by NASA throughout the years in a new e-Book available for free HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space:http://nasa.tumblr.com

Space Station Science: Biological Research

Each month, we highlight a different research topic on the International Space Station. In August, our focus is biological research. Learning how spaceflight affects living organisms will help us understand potential health risks related to humans on long duration missions, including our journey to Mars.

Cells, microbes, animals and plants are affected by microgravity, and studying the processes involved in adaptation to spaceflight increases our fundamental understanding of biological processes on Earth. Results on Earth from biological research in space include the development of new medications, improved agriculture, advancements in tissue engineering and regeneration, and more. 

Take a look at a few of the biological research experiments performed on space station:

Biomolecule Sequencer

Living organisms contain DNA, and sequencing DNA is a powerful way to understand how they respond to changing environments. The Biomolecule Sequencer experiment hopes to demonstrate (for the first time) that DNA sequencing is feasible in an orbiting spacecraft. Why? A space-based DNA sequencer could identify microbes, diagnose diseases and understand crew member health, and potentially help detect DNA- based life elsewhere in the solar system.

Ant-stronauts

Yes, ant-stronauts…as in ants in space. These types of studies provide insights into how ants answer collective search problems. Watching how the colony adapts as a unit in the quest for resources in extreme environments, like space, provides data that can be used to build algorithms with varied applications. Understanding how ants search in different conditions could have applications for robotics.

TAGES

The TAGES experiment (Transgenic Arabidopsis Gene Expression System) looks to see how microgravity impacts the growth of plant roots. Fluorescent markers placed on the plant’s genes allow scientists to study root development of Arabidopsis (a cress plant) grown on the space station. Evidence shows that directional light in microgravity skews root growth to the right, rather than straight down from the light source. Root growth patters on station mimic that of plants grown at at 45% degree angle on Earth. Space flight appears to slow the rate of the plant’s early growth as well.

Heart Cells

Spaceflight can cause a suite of negative health effects, which become more problematic as crew members stay in orbit for long periods of time. Effects of Microgravity on Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomycytes (Heart Cells) studies the human heart, specifically how heart muscle tissue contracts, grows and changes in microgravity. Understanding how heart muscle cells change in space improves efforts for studying disease, screening drugs and conducting cell replacement therapy for future space missions.

Medaka Fish

Chew on these results…Jaw bones of Japanese Medaka fish in microgravity show decreased mineral density and increased volume of osteoclasts, cells that break down bone tissue. Results from this study improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind bone density and organ tissue changes in space.

These experiments, and many others, emphasize the importance of biological research on the space station. Understanding the potential health effects for crew members in microgravity will help us develop preventatives and countermeasures.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

InSight Mission to Mars

Our InSight mission will place a fixed science outpost on Mars to study its deep interior. Findings and research from this project will address one of the most fundamental questions we have about planetary and solar system science – How in the world did these rocky planets form?

By investigating the interior structure and processes of Mars, the InSight mission will gain a better understanding of the evolutionary formation of planets, including Earth.

InSight will record Mars’ vital signs to learn more about the planet, including:

Seismic Activity:

A seismometer will be used to record the seismic activity on Mars. This will give us information on the crust, mantel and core; and the relationship between them.

Temperature:

A heat flow probe will be used to take Mars’ temperature and determine the change over the course of a full Martian year.

Reflexes:

By looking at how the rotation of Mars wobbles, we will better understand what the core size may be and its composition.

Launch for the InSight mission is scheduled for March 2016, and even though you can’t physically travel with the lander, you can send your name to the Red Planet onboard. Make sure to submit your name before Sept. 8!

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

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William Shatner pictured hours after the death of Leonard Nimoy @MailOnline