{"id":283972,"date":"2022-12-13T21:23:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T01:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-484581"},"modified":"2023-09-27T20:24:52","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T00:24:52","slug":"2022-in-review-highlights-from-nasa-in-silicon-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/ames\/2022-in-review-highlights-from-nasa-in-silicon-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"2022 in Review: Highlights from NASA in Silicon Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>With 2023 on the horizon, join us as we look back at the highlights of 2022 at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. We are Artemis.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Orion crew capsule with its three red and white parachutes is seen during the Artemis I mission descending through the clouds to the ocean surface, visible below.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s historic flight mission to the Moon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/artemis-i\/\">Artemis I<\/a>, is complete! The first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars, Artemis I is the first integrated flight test of the agency\u2019s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and ground systems. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/ames\/artemis-1\">Ames helped pave the path for Artemis I<\/a> to achieve its mission, including through science missions aboard Artemis I, supporting SLS, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/turning-up-the-heat-on-orion-s-heat-shield-x2\">testing Orion\u2019s heat shield<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SLS rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/liftoff-nasa-s-artemis-i-mega-rocket-launches-orion-to-moon\">launched the Artemis I flight test<\/a> on Nov. 16, from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I also carried NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/ames\/biosentinel\">BioSentinel<\/a> \u2013 a shoebox-sized CubeSat managed and built at Ames. The CubeSat flew by the Moon on Nov. 22, and is orbiting around the Sun, where it\u2019s conducting the first long-duration biology experiment in deep space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/artemis\/2022\/11\/28\/artemis-i-flight-day-13-orion-goes-the-max-distance\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Orion reached a maximum distance of nearly 270,000 miles from Earth<\/a> before beginning its journey back toward Earth. Orion <a href=\"http:\/\/https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/orion-splashdown\">completed its mission and made history on Dec. 11<\/a>, when it returned to Earth and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Peering into the cosmos.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1946\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The inner region of the Orion Nebula as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s NIRCam instrument.n\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=300,285 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=768,730 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=1024,973 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=1536,1460 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=400,380 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=600,570 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=900,855 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=1200,1140 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/orion-2048x1946-3.png?resize=2000,1900 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA, ESA, CSA, PDRs4All ERS; Image processing: S. Fuenmayor<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s been a landmark year for cosmic science, with the James Webb Space Telescope successfully starting its scientific operations a million miles away from Earth. Already, this next-generation instrument has uncovered never-before-seen features of well-known parts of the universe, like the Orion Nebula (above) and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2022\/nasa-s-webb-takes-star-filled-portrait-of-pillars-of-creation\/\">Pillars of Creation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ames researchers are using data from Webb to study exoplanets, star evolution, and more. With its sensitive infrared tools, Webb is a game-changer for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/tiny-dust-could-yield-big-answers-under-webb-telescope-s-gaze\">study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons<\/a> (PAHs), one of the most abundant types of molecules in space. PAH researchers hope to shed some light on major stellar processes, like the ways stars and galaxies form and evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Webb has already notched some significant firsts in exoplanet research. In August, scientists announced they had detected the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2022\/nasa-s-webb-detects-carbon-dioxide-in-exoplanet-atmosphere\">first clear evidence for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet<\/a> outside our solar system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Prepping for a Moon walk.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/nasa-moon-rover-practices-tricky-drive-off-lunar-lander\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"745\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A large room with a model of a rover towards the center and four people examining it to the left. In front of the rover is \" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?resize=300,215 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?resize=768,550 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?resize=1024,733 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?resize=400,286 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?resize=600,429 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/viper_egress.jpeg?resize=900,644 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This year, the prototype for NASA\u2019s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/viper\">VIPER<\/a>) endured the most realistic tests to date. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/nasas-viper-prototype-motors-through-moon-like-obstacle-course\">VIPER faced the quicksand-like soil<\/a> in the \u201csink tank,\u201d climbed the \u201ctilt bed,\u201d and conquered boulders and craters in the Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Laboratory at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/VIPER-egress\">practiced one of the trickiest parts<\/a> of its 100-day mission on the Moon\u2019s South Pole: driving off the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander and onto the Moon\u2019s surface at NASA Glenn and NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the year, the VIPER team remained focused on subsystem assembly and testing in preparation for the build-up of the flight rover. Once complete, VIPER is scheduled to be delivered to the lunar surface in late 2024 as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/clps\">Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.<\/a> NASA Ames manages the VIPER mission and leads the mission\u2019s science, systems engineering, real-time rover surface operations, and flight software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you find yourself in Silicon Valley, you can see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/nasa-debuts-first-life-size-viper-moon-rover-model\">first full-scale replica of VIPER <\/a>at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. The future of flight.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A man in a red shirt leans forward to look closely at a metal airplane model installed in a wind tunnel.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/grc-2021-c-04380.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Quentin Schwinn<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s work in air traffic management, wind tunnel testing, and computational simulations led to the savings of millions of gallons of jet fuel and brought the agency one step closer to the first flight of NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/Quesst\/\">X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engineers working to finalize X-59\u2019s design <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/x-59\">used<\/a> an Ames-developed program to simulate flight characteristics and noise levels. Ames also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/model-planes-studying-nasa-s-quiet-supersonic-aircraft-before-it-flies\">led design and fabrication<\/a> of a scale model of the X-59 for sonic boom wind tunnel testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/ames\/atd2\">Airspace Technology Demonstration-2 (ATD-2)<\/a> project won this year\u2019s Maverick Award from the World ATM Congress for its four-year demonstration of airport traffic prediction software at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. The IADS system demonstration saved more than 1.1 million gallons of jet fuel and $1.4 million in flight crew costs. A similar tool was implemented at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The air traffic prediction tool has prevented the release of 76,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since implementation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/bracing-for-fuel-efficient-flight\">tested<\/a> a model slice of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) aircraft in the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Ames. The TTBW passenger aircraft \u2013 a collaboration between NASA and Boeing \u2013 features an ultra-thin and lightweight design that could use significantly less fuel than current passenger aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Fly me to the Moon.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/capstone-evergreen-2_0.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"586\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/capstone-evergreen-2_0.gif?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"capstone-evergreen-2.gif\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Daniel Rutter<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/small_spacecraft\/capstone\">CAPSTONE<\/a> CubeSat made great strides this year, forging a new path for future Artemis missions. CAPSTONE \u2013 short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment \u2013 is a technology demonstration, designed to prove the reliability of new capabilities so that they can be used in future missions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The CubeSat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/capstone-launches-to-test-new-orbit-for-nasa-s-artemis-moon-missions\">launched on Jun. 28<\/a>. Over the course of more than four months, it overcame challenges to traverse a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/capstone-uses-gravity-on-unusual-efficient-route-to-the-moon\">long but fuel-efficient trajectory<\/a> to the Moon. CAPSTONE is the first CubeSat to operate at the Moon, and the first spacecraft to fly in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/capstone-charts-a-new-path-for-nasas-moon-orbiting-space-station\">elongated orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit<\/a>. This orbit is the same planned for NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/gateway\">Gateway<\/a>, a Moon-orbiting space station that will support NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/artemis\/\">Artemis<\/a> missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>6. <\/strong><strong>Celebrating SOFIA.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/sofias-first-southern-hemisphere-deployment\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"694\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/ed13-0220-127-high.jpg?resize=900,600 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Carla Thomas<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/SOFIA\/index.html\">Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy <\/a>(SOFIA) was a mission of discovery, revealing unseen \u2013 and sometimes unseeable \u2013 parts of our universe. The observatory, which was managed at Ames, was a highly modified airplane carrying a 100-inch telescope. After SOFIA was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/nasa-partner-decide-to-conclude-sofia-mission\">retired<\/a> in September, the aircraft made a final visit to Ames, where team members, colleagues, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/congresswoman-eshoo-tours-sofia-flying-observatory-upon-its-retirement\">elected officials<\/a> were able to say farewell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even as we <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/nasa-s-legacy-of-science-engineering-in-retiring-airborne-observatory\">take a look back<\/a> at SOFIA\u2019s scientific accomplishments  and some of the feats of engineering that let it fly, the mission\u2019s science goes on! In results published recently, researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/sofia\/2022\/11\/29\/no-phosphine-on-venus-according-to-sofia\/\" rel=\"noopener\">used SOFIA to look for phosphine gas<\/a>, a potential indicator of life, in the atmosphere of Venus. Contrary to another study that garnered widespread interest in 2020, their results show no phosphine on the planet, allowing SOFIA to contribute to the body of evidence on this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. Bots in space!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Astrobee and Project CIMON (Crew Interactive MObile companioN) robots side by side aboard the International Space Station. \" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg 5568w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/iss066e086703_nr_bright.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>From AI space companions to self-assembling \u201cbuilder robots,\u201d humans and machines are working together to advance space exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In April, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/astrobee\">Astrobee<\/a> free-flying robots <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/astrobee-3-years\">celebrated their third anniversary<\/a> aboard the International Space Station, where they\u2019re learning to support astronaut duties and monitor station health. The Astrobees, managed at Ames, marked many milestones in 2022: they mapped new modules of the space station, captured their first 360-degree image, and operated independently on different projects at the same time alongside their human colleagues in space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s future space robots need to operate with humans, but they\u2019ll also need to work together without human intervention. The HelioSwarm mission, which the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/new-sun-missions-to-help-nasa-better-understand-earth-sun-environment\">selected to move forward this year<\/a>, will send nine spacecraft to collect never-before-seen data about our Sun\u2019s magnetic field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ames researchers have also moved one step closer to self-building space structures with the ground demonstration of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/game_changing_development\/projects\/armadas\">Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS)<\/a> project. NASA\u2019s plans to sustainably explore the Moon and Mars will rely on technologies like ARMADAS to autonomously assemble habitats, solar power systems, and communications structures in space, instead of sending large pre-assembled hardware from Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>8. Putting the \u2018super\u2019 in supercomputing.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"New Supercomputer Simulation Sheds Light on Moon\u2019s Origin\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kRlhlCWplqk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credits: NASA\/ Durham University\/Jacob Kegerreis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether developing new technologies for landing on other planets, improving commercial travel, improving global weather and climate predictions, or studying the formation of planetary bodies, supercomputing is key to the success of NASA missions and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Modular Supercomputing Facility at Ames, which debuted in 2019, was expanded in May 2022 to increase its computational power by 22%. It is now NASA\u2019s most powerful, yet energy-efficient, supercomputer. This facility, and others at the NASA Advanced Supercomputing facility at Ames, continues to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/5-ways-supercomputing-is-key-to-nasa-mission-success\">support a host of research projects<\/a> led by scientists across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the DiRAC High-Performance Computing Facility, researchers at Ames and Durham University produced a simulation that suggests a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/lunar-origins-simulations\">different theory about the Moon\u2019s formation<\/a> \u2013 that it may have formed immediately, in a matter of hours, instead of over months or years. The simulations are some of the most detailed of their kind, operating at the highest resolution of any simulation run to study the Moon\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>9. \u201cWhat\u2019s a yeastronaut?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Aditya Hindupur, lead scientist for the BioNutrients experiment, inspects a production pack after removing it from an incubator in a lab at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg 4024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=300,216 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=768,552 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=1024,736 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=1536,1104 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=2048,1472 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=400,287 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=600,431 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=900,647 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=1200,862 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/acd22-0004-022.jpg?resize=2000,1437 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Dominic Hart<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Studying life was also on Ames scientists\u2019 docket this year. They explored ways microbes can help us, whether by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/spinoff\/Microbes_Help_Trees_Clean_Up_Pollution\">cleaning up pollution in Earth\u2019s soil<\/a> or producing nutrients on-demand aboard the space station. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/ames\/bionutrients\">BioNutrients<\/a> is a space biology experiment using microorganisms, like yeast and bacteria, to produce things like antioxidants that will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/a-fresh-take-nasa-bionutrients-for-future-artemis-missions\">critical for human health in space<\/a>. BioNutrients-2 launched recently to the space station and will test the power of microbes to make yogurt and more for astronauts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help prepare for astronauts\u2019 potential health issues on future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, scientists at Ames studied how the extreme conditions of space affect the biology of fruit flies. Their findings suggest that space travel has an impact on the central nervous system, but that artificial gravity provides partial protection against those changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An Ames-led investigation, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-selects-new-instruments-for-priority-artemis-science-on-moon\">Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA)<\/a>, was selected in June to make biology research possible on the Moon. The CubeSat-based science suite will deliver yeast to the lunar surface to study how partial gravity and deep space radiation \u2013 two of the biggest challenges of the space environment \u2013 combine to influence biological processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>10. Beat the heat!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Inflation and Separation\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F5YlL9Eo7lI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Credits: United Launch Alliance\/NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA has its sights set on sending humans to Mars and spacecraft even farther out in our solar system in the coming decades. This year the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/low-earth-orbit-flight-test-of-an-inflatable-decelerator\">LOFTID<\/a>) mission tested a new heat shield that could enable large-scale missions to Mars, Venus, and Titan, as well as protect spacecraft during the fiery re-entry through Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LOFTID successfully launched Nov. 10, 2022. Once it deployed from orbit, the heat shield autonomously inflated and re-entered Earth\u2019s atmosphere, splashing down about 500 miles off the coast of Hawaii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ames has a long history leading heat shield innovations to protect spacecraft during atmospheric entries. Teams at Ames continue that tradition as they develop two heat shields for the <a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/msr\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Mars Sample Return mission<\/a> \u2013 one for landing on Mars and one for returning to Earth. Ames also supports heat shield development for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/dragonfly\">Dragonfly mission<\/a> to Titan, the biggest of Saturn\u2019s moons.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>11. NASA: The Next Generation.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A group of nine young people wearing NASA t-shirts pose in front of the propellers and nose of an airplane on a runway.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg 6720w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/8m1a91461.jpg?resize=2000,1333 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Researchers at NASA today know the story of science and exploration doesn\u2019t end with them. Two new programs run by Ames contributed to training tomorrow\u2019s researchers and ensuring they reflect the diversity of the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/toward-greater-diversity-in-earth-sciences-nasa-s-student-airborne-science-activation\">Student Airborne Science Activation<\/a> (SaSa) summer research program, undergraduate students from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) gained hands-on experience running a scientific research campaign on land, ocean, or atmospheric phenomena. SaSa\u2019s leaders hope to reach students while their perceptions of career opportunities are forming and to provide support and the means to enter their chosen career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A team of NASA biologists took a different approach by teaching the teachers. During NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/nasa-space-biology-bootcamp-teaches-the-teachers-reaching-more-students\">space biology bootcamp<\/a>, educators from historically Black colleges and universities and MSIs received hands-on instruction in analyzing real data from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/ames\/genelab\">GeneLab<\/a> \u2013 NASA\u2019s unique repository of data from biology experiments conducted in space. GeneLab is managed by Ames and its data is available to all, but you have to know how to use it. The participating educators are already passing that knowledge on to their students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>12. Eyes in the sky.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A person kneels in the grass next to a yellow case containing hardware, while a helicopter drops water in the distance\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg 4032w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=1536,1152 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=2048,1536 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/img_2022-05-04_13-22-16.jpeg?resize=2000,1500 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>NASA and its partners at the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and American small businesses are using drones to solve big problems. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/volcano-observing-drone-flights-open-door-to-routine-hazard-monitoring\">flights to Makushin Volcano in Alaska\u2019s Aleutian Islands<\/a>, a group of federal scientists and industry engineers demonstrated how a drone could successfully fly without its pilot\u2019s eyes on the aircraft. That opens new possibilities for monitoring volcanoes and other hazards worldwide. Sending humans to survey volcanoes up close can be dangerous and costly, but drones are moving us toward a future where remote but hazardous volcanoes are consistently monitored for signs an eruption could be brewing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, this year, NASA researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/field-tests-help-prepare-nasa-tech-for-fire-season\">tested their prototype tools<\/a> to help make firefighters safer once a wildfire erupts. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/ames\/stereo\">Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations<\/a> (STEReO) project supports firefighters who operate drones to capture thermal images of the landscape below, to help determine the safest, most effective approach to fighting a fire. STEReO\u2019s prototype device, called the UAS pilot\u2019s kit (UASP-kit), notifies drone pilots where crewed aircraft are positioned, allowing them to safely stay out of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>13. Going together.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1363\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg 4928w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=1536,1022 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=2048,1363 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=400,266 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=600,399 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=900,599 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=1200,799 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/chabot_acd21-0033-003.jpg?resize=2000,1331 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Dominic Hart<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Part of what makes NASA Ames special comes from the culture of innovation that infuses the Bay Area with energy and creativity. Ames continues to collaborate with businesses and organizations in Silicon Valley and beyond to advance the agency\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ames marked the first anniversary of its partnership with the Chabot Space and Science Center, where some of the best Ames models and most beloved artifacts are on public display. A full-scale model of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/be-the-first-to-see-new-life-size-viper-rover-model\">VIPER Moon rover was first unveiled<\/a> there in May, and Chabot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ames continues to expand scientific cooperation with teams from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) based at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/researchpark\">NASA Research Park<\/a>. NASA and USGS share a mandate to observe, study, and understand our home planet. Collaborations include development of tools for future satellite missions to provide critical information on natural disasters and Big Data climate and Earth science studies that leverage the NASA Earth Exchange supercomputing resources<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s academic and industry partners and tenants, include both global high-tech businesses and small start-ups, are working together on cutting-edge research. This year brought many mutually beneficial achievements; we\u2019re looking forward to the extraordinary opportunities 2023 will hold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>14. Welcome to Ames!  <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/vice-president-meets-with-national-space-council-california\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1505\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Vice President Kamala Harris stand speaking with attendees at a National Space Council meeting, with Governor of California Gavin Newsom behind\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=208,300 208w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=768,1110 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=708,1024 708w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=277,400 277w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=415,600 415w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=623,900 623w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/acd22-0051-005.jpg?resize=830,1200 830w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Dominic Hart<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Throughout the year, Ames welcomed government, military, and civilian leaders to tour advanced testing facilities and learn more about Ames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/climate-envoy-john-kerry-visits-nasa-ames-to-discuss-climate-and-innovation\">toured<\/a> Ames in March, where he visited the largest wind tunnel in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In May, U.S. Congresswomen Anna G. Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/nasa-associate-administrator-bob-cabana-visits-ames-facilities\">joined<\/a> Ames Center Director Eugene Tu, Javier Gonz\u00e1lez, head of External Affairs in California at Google on behalf of Planetary Ventures, and Alex Saleh, director of project management at CBRE Group Inc., to mark the start of a new beginning for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/ames\/hangar-one-restoration-project\/\">Hangar One<\/a>. Through a lease agreement with NASA, Planetary Ventures has begun work to restore and preserve the historic landmark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In September, NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana toured the Center and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/nasa-associate-administrator-bob-cabana-visits-ames-facilities\">piloted<\/a> a lunar lander at the Vertical Motion Simulator facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In August, Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/vice-president-kamala-harris-meets-with-national-space-council-in-california\">joined<\/a> Center Director Tu and Ames Earth Science Division Chief Florian Schwandner at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California, home to the official NASA Ames Visitor Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Anne M. Swap, director of the National Capital Region Market, Defense Health Agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-feature\/ames\/us-navy-rear-admiral-swap-visits-nasa-ames-research-facilities\/\">toured<\/a> the Ames Biosciences Collaborative Facility and Arc Jet Complex in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For news media:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Members of the news media interested in covering these topics should reach out to the <a class=\"fui-Link ___m14voj0 f3rmtva f1ern45e f1deefiw f1n71otn f1q5o8ev f1h8hb77 f1vxd6vx f1ewtqcl fyind8e f1k6fduh f1w7gpdv fk6fouc fjoy568 figsok6 f1hu3pq6 f11qmguv f19f4twv f1tyq0we f1g0x7ka fhxju0i f1qch9an f1cnd47f fqv5qza f1vmzxwi f1o700av f13mvf36 f9n3di6 f1ids18y fygtlnl f1deo86v f12x56k7 f1iescvh ftqa4ok f50u1b5 fs3pq8b f1hghxdh f1tymzes f1x7u7e9 f1cmlufx f10aw75t fsle3fq\" href=\"mailto:arc-dl-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"mailto:arc-dl-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov\">NASA Ames newsroom<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With 2023 on the horizon, join us as we look back at the highlights of 2022 at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley. 1. We are Artemis. NASA\u2019s historic flight mission to the Moon, Artemis I, is complete! The first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218,"featured_media":528149,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2854,2917,3194,2832,2736,10544,2830,3382,2847,10751,10764],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[11531],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"2022 in Review: Highlights from NASA in Silicon Valley","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/ames\/2022-in-review-highlights-from-nasa-in-silicon-valley\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/ames\/2022-in-review-highlights-from-nasa-in-silicon-valley\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Abby Tabor"}],"creator":["Abby Tabor"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Earth","Natural Disasters","Wildfires","Ames Research Center","Artemis 1","CubeSats","High-Tech Computing","James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)","Quesst (X-59)","Robotics","SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) \/ 747-SP","STEM Engagement at NASA","VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover)"],"dateCreated":"2022-12-14T01:23:00Z","datePublished":"2022-12-14T01:23:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-28T00:24:52Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"2022 in Review: Highlights from NASA in Silicon Valley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/ames\/2022-in-review-highlights-from-nasa-in-silicon-valley\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-12-14T01:23:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Earth,Natural Disasters,Wildfires,Ames Research Center,Artemis 1,CubeSats,High-Tech Computing,James Webb Space Telescope (JWST),Quesst (X-59),Robotics,SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) \/ 747-SP,STEM Engagement at NASA,VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover)\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Abby Tabor\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":14,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":528149,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/microsoftteams-image_9_3-1.jpg","title":"microsoftteams-image_9_3","alt":"The Orion crew capsule with its three red and white parachutes is seen during the Artemis I mission descending through the clouds to the ocean surface, visible below.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283972"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/218"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283972"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":461266,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283972\/revisions\/461266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/528149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283972"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=283972"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=283972"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=283972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}