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NASA research

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Apollo 17astronautHarrison Schmittstanding next to a boulder at Taurus-Littrow.
A Mars rock,viewed by the nuclear-powered Mars roverCuriosityin 2012
TheCassini-Huygensmission's view of Jupiter andits moon Ioon January 1, 2001

Since its establishment in 1958,NASAhas conducted research on a range of topics. Because of its unique structure, work happens at variousfield centersand different research areas are concentrated in those centers.[1]Depending on the technology, hardware and expertise needed, research may be conducted across a range of centers.[2]

Aeronautics[edit]

This section is an excerpt fromAeronautics Research Mission Directorate.[edit]

TheAeronautics Research Mission Directorate(ARMD) is one of five missiondirectorateswithinNASA,the other four being the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, the Space Operations Mission Directorate, theScience Mission Directorate,and the Space Technology Mission Directorate.[3]The ARMD is responsible for NASA'saeronauticalresearch, which benefits thecommercial,military,andgeneral aviationsectors. The current NASA associate administrator heading ARMD is Robert A. Pearce who has held the position since 2019.[4]

ARMD is involved in the creation of theNext Generation Air Transportation System(NextGen).[5]

A 2014 audit by theNASA Office of Inspector Generalreported that ARMD "solicits input from industry, academia, and other Federal agencies regarding research needs and...uses this information to develop its research plans", and concluded that the directorate supported "advancement of the nation's civil aeronautics research and technology objectives consistent with the National Plan" established in 2006.[6]

ARMD performs its aeronautics research at four NASA facilities:Ames Research CenterandArmstrong Flight Research Centerin California,Glenn Research Centerin Ohio, andLangley Research Centerin Virginia.[5]

Medicine in space[edit]

Main article:Space medicine

A variety of large-scale medical studies are being conducted in space by theNational Space Biomedical Research Institute(NSBRI). Prominent among these is theAdvanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in MicrogravityStudy, in which astronauts (including former ISS CommandersLeroy ChiaoandGennady Padalka) perform ultrasound scans under the guidance of remote experts to diagnose and potentially treat hundreds of medical conditions in space. Usually there is no physician on board the International Space Station, anddiagnosis of medical conditionsis challenging. Astronauts are susceptible to a variety of health risks includingdecompression sickness,barotrauma, immunodeficiencies, loss of bone and muscle, orthostatic intolerance due to volume loss,sleep disturbances,and radiation injury.Ultrasoundoffers a unique opportunity to monitor these conditions in space. This study's techniques are now being applied to cover professional and Olympic sports injuries as well as ultrasound performed by non-expert operators in populations such as medical and high school students. It is anticipated that remote guided ultrasound will have application on Earth in emergency and rural care situations, where access to a trained physician is often rare.[7][8][9]

Salt evaporation and energy management[edit]

In one of the nation's largest restoration projects, NASA technology helps state and federal government reclaim 15,100 acres (61 km2) of salt evaporation ponds in South San Francisco Bay. Satellite sensors are used by scientists to study the effect of salt evaporation on local ecology.[10]

NASA has started Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Program as an agency-wide program directed to prevent pollution and reduce energy and water utilization. It helps to ensure that NASA meets its federal stewardship responsibilities for the environment.[11]

Earth science[edit]

Main page:NASA Earth Science

Earth from the International Space Station

Understanding of natural and human-induced changes on the global environment (such asglobal warming) is the main objective of NASA'sEarth science.NASA currently has more than a dozen Earth science spacecraft/instruments in orbit studying all aspects of the Earth system (oceans, land, atmosphere,biosphere,cryosphere), with several more planned for launch in the next few years.[12]The earth science research program was created and funded in the 1980s under the administrations ofRonald ReaganandGeorge H. W. Bush.[13][14]

NASA is working in cooperation withNational Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL). The goal is to produce worldwide solar resource maps with great local detail.[15]NASA was also one of the main participants in the evaluation innovative technologies for the cleanup of the sources fordense non-aqueous phase liquids(DNAPLs). On April 6, 1999, the agency signed TheMemorandum of Agreement(MOA) along with theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency,DOE,andUSAFauthorizing all the above organizations to conduct necessary tests at the John F. Kennedy Space center. The main purpose was to evaluate two innovative in-situ remediation technologies, thermal removal and oxidation destruction of DNAPLs.[16]National Space Agency made a partnership with Military Services andDefense Contract Management Agencynamed the "Joint Group on Pollution Prevention". The group is working on reduction or elimination of hazardous materials or processes.[17]

On May 8, 2003,Environmental Protection Agencyrecognized NASA as the first federal agency to directly uselandfill gasto produce energy at one of its facilities—theGoddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, Maryland.[18]

Ozone depletion[edit]

In 1975, NASA was directed by legislation to research and monitor the upper atmosphere. This led to Upper Atmosphere Research Program and later theEarth Observing System(EOS) satellites in the 1990s to monitorozone depletion.[19]The first comprehensive worldwide measurements were obtained in 1978 with the Nimbus 7 satellite and NASA scientists at theGoddard Institute for Space Studies.[20]

Climate study[edit]

Within the Earth science program, NASA researches and publishes onclimateissues.[21]Its statements concur with the interpretation that theglobal climate is heating.[22]Bob Walker, who has advised president-electDonald Trumpon space issues, has advocated that NASA shut down its climate study operations.[23]TheWashington Postreported that NASA scientists copied data on climate change held on U.S. government computers, out of a fear that a Trump administration would end access to data on climate change.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^"3".hq.nasa.gov.Archived fromthe originalon 2021-01-27.Retrieved2018-07-26.
  2. ^"NASA Strategic Management Handbook".hq.nasa.gov.Archived fromthe originalon 2021-05-10.Retrieved2018-07-26.
  3. ^Foust, Jeff (September 22, 2021)."NASA splits human spaceflight directorate into two organizations".Space News.RetrievedSeptember 11,2022.
  4. ^"NASA Administrator Names Robert Pearce Head of Agency Aeronautics".NASA.December 10, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 6,2022– via prnewswire.
  5. ^ab"About Us".Nasa.gov.NASA.Archived fromthe originalon 12 May 2013.Retrieved17 June2016.
  6. ^NASA Office of Inspector General(January 30, 2014)."NASA OIG: The Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Management Strategy for Conducting Aeronautics Research".Spaceref.Retrieved23 June2016.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^"NASA—Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM)".NASA. July 31, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2007.RetrievedAugust 13,2010.
  8. ^Rao, S; Van Holsbeeck, L; Musial, JL; Parker, A; Bouffard, JA; Bridge, P; Jackson, M; Dulchavsky, SA (2008)."A pilot study of comprehensive ultrasound education at the Wayne State University School of Medicine: a pioneer year review".Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.27(5): 745–9.doi:10.7863/jum.2008.27.5.745.PMID18424650.S2CID30566494.
  9. ^Fincke, E. M.; Padalka, G.; Lee, D.; Van Holsbeeck, M.; Sargsyan, A. E.; Hamilton, D. R.; Martin, D.; Melton, S. L.; McFarlin, K.; Dulchavsky, S. A. (2005). "Evaluation of Shoulder Integrity in Space: First Report of Musculoskeletal US on the International Space Station".Radiology.234(2): 319–22.doi:10.1148/radiol.2342041680.PMID15533948.
  10. ^"NASA Helps Reclaim 15,100 Acres Of San Francisco Bay Salt Ponds".Space Daily. 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-05-23.RetrievedMay 1,2008.
  11. ^Tina Norwood (2007)."Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation".NASA. Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2008.RetrievedMay 1,2008.
  12. ^"Taking a global perspective on Earth's climate".Global Climate Change: NASA's Eyes on the Earth. Archived fromthe originalon July 24, 2011.
  13. ^Eric Berger, "Houston Chronicle," April 29, 2015 "A history primer: NASA's robust Earth Science program now under attack originated in the Reagan and Bush administrations,"http://blog.chron /sciguy/2015/04/a-history-primer-nasas-robust-earth-science-program-now-under-attack-originated-in-the-reagan-and-bush-administrations/
  14. ^Berger, Eric(2015-10-29)."Republicans outraged over NASA earth science programs... that Reagan began".Ars Technica.Retrieved2023-07-12.
  15. ^D. Renné; S. Wilcox; B. Marion; R. George; et al. (2003)."Progress on Updating the 1961–1990 National Solar Radiation Database"(PDF).NREL.RetrievedMay 1,2008.
  16. ^EPA (1999)."EPA, DOE, NASA AND USAF Evaluate Innovative Technologies".EPA.RetrievedApril 28,2008.
  17. ^Benjamin S. Griffin; Gregory S. Martin; Keith W. Lippert; J. D. MacCarthy; et al. (2007)."Joint Group on Pollution Prevention"(PDF).NASA. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on May 27, 2008.RetrievedMay 1,2008.
  18. ^Michael K. Ewert (2006)."Johnson Space Center's Role in a Sustainable Future"(PDF).NASA. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on May 27, 2008.RetrievedApril 28,2008.
  19. ^W. Henry Lambright(May 2005)."NASA and the Environment: The Case of Ozone Depletion"(PDF).NASA.RetrievedJune 28,2012.
  20. ^Dr. Richard McPeters (2008)."Ozone Hole Monitoring".NASA. Archived fromthe originalon May 9, 2008.RetrievedMay 1,2008.
  21. ^NASA's climate page. climate.nasa.gov/
  22. ^Hille, Karl (2016-07-19)."2016 Climate Trends Continue to Break Records".NASA.Retrieved2023-07-12.
  23. ^"Trump adviser proposes dismantling NASA climate research".The Washington Post.Retrieved2023-07-12.
  24. ^"Scientists are frantically copying U.S. climate data, fearing it might vanish under Trump".The Washington Post.Retrieved2023-07-12.
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