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| | Ask a USRA Scientist! | We asked USRA’s Dr. Linda Neergaard Parker, director of the Science and Technology Institute about the solar storm headlines we’ve noticed recently. With her research interests including particle acceleration and space weather, we asked if she should explain what is a solar storm and how might it impact our daily lives. Thanks for participating, Linda! If you have another question or curiosity for a USRA scientist or engineer, please reach us.
See Linda's Answer | |
| | Meet David Noone | Dr. David C. Noone joined USRA in December as Director of Earth from Space Institute (EfSI). In this Q&A, we learn more about David personally, including his award-winning dog, his Australian roots, and his passion for windsurfing. What’s the best piece of advice David's been given? “Work with people and on problems that inspire you,” he says. Welcome to USRA, David!
More about David Noone | |
| | Error Correction | Please note that David Rapetti’s name was incorrectly ordered in the article announcing his IRAD award and should read: “David Rapetti Serra.” David noted that “David Rapetti” is also acceptable.
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| | USRA Announces 2023 Distinguished Undergraduate Award Winners Recognizing Academic Excellence | USRA proudly unveiled the winners of the prestigious 2023 USRA Distinguished Undergraduate Awards. Far from mere accolades, these awards are a testament to the boundless potential that the future of science and engineering holds.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| | USRA Scientist Unlocks Crucial Data, Validating Rare Discovery of a Synchronized Six-Planet System | An international team of researchers led by Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago discovered a system with six planets that orbit their central star in a rhythmic beat, a rare case of “in-sync” gravitational lockstep that could offer deep insight into planet formation. Universities Space Research Association’s Senior Scientist David Rapetti was a coauthor on the paper and findings were published in the journal Nature on November 29, 2023.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| | Advances in Quantum Computing Pave the Way to Next Generation Quantum Optimization Algorithms | Research from a team of scientists from USRA, Rigetti Computing, and NASA Ames Research Center has led to the development of a significant step toward the challenging goal of combinatorial optimization for harnessing the power of quantum computing. This research is part of the DARPA Optimization with Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (ONISQ) program -- awarded to USRA in 2019 to direct a tight scientific collaboration between USRA, NASA and Rigetti Computing. The work is focused on developing fundamental advances of quantum optimization methods that will be impacting the U.S. military capabilities in the future.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| | New Study Finds Venus Atmosphere is a Consequence of Ancient "Earth-like" Plate Tectonics | A paper published in Nature Astronomy indicates that Venus-type atmospheres are potentially a consequence of early phases of plate tectonics. The lead author on this paper is Universities Space Research Association’s Dr. Matthew Weller at the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| | New Study Reveals How Supernovae Collisions Ignite the Birth of Stars and Planets in the North Celestial Pole Loop | In a study examining the dynamics of neutral hydrogen gas within the North Celestial Pole (NCP) Loop, scientists have uncovered an unforeseen revelation -- a collision between two supernova shells has yielded the essential conditions for the genesis of cirrus dust clouds, the precursors of stars and planets as well as interstellar molecular clouds, the fundamental components of life’s building blocks. The findings have been published in The Astrophysical Journal. The lead author of the paper is Universities Space Research Association’s Astronomer Emerita, Dr. Joan Schmelz.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| | Saturn’s Active Icy Moon Enceladus: New Global Topographic Map Unveils Unique Distortions | A team of scientists has produced the first complete and comprehensive global topographic map of Saturn's active icy moon Enceladus, revealing that it is even more distorted than previously thought. In an article published in the journal Icarus, USRA’s Paul M. Schenk of the Lunar and Planetary Institute and William B. McKinnon of Washington University in St. Louis show that this small ocean world is being deformed by internal processes well outside the areas of active venting at the South Pole.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| | USRA Scientist Secures NASA Grant to Probe Profound Effects of Deep Space Environment on Biological Systems | NASA recently awarded Dr. Janani Iyer, a scientist at USRA, a three-year flight grant to investigate the effects of deep space on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) spanning multiple generations. This comprehensive study will utilize fruit flies as a model organism to assess the impact of various stressors on the brain, heart and muscle of fruit flies, given their biological similarity to the human system.
More on newsroom.usra.edu |
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| Recent and upcoming events |
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December | | Universal Human Rights Month | |
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December 7 - 15 | | Hanukkah | |
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December 16 - 24 | Las Posadas
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December 21 | Winter Solstice
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December 25 | | Christmas (USRA Holiday) | |
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December 26 - January 1 | | Kwanzaa | |
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January 1 | | New Year’s Day (USRA Holiday) |
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