While we concluded 2023 with sights of an orange tabby cat named Taters starring in the first video sent by laser from deep space, now we look at 2024, packed with multiple missions, out of this world poetry, and a total solar eclipse.
This Winter, Studying Space Weather and Radio Astronomy
In February the lunar lander named Nova-C will carry five NASA payloads and commercial cargo near the south pole of the Moon. NASA notes that the scientific objectives of the mission include “studies of plume-surface interactions, radio astronomy, and space weather interactions with the lunar surface.” The mission will also be demonstrating precision landing technologies and communication and navigation node capabilities.
ANSI member SAE International has developed standards to support space expeditions and explorations, including SAE AS 9100D / SAE AS 9101F / SAE AS 9102B, Aviation and Space Quality Management Systems Package, which establishes the requirements to implement a quality management system for defense organizations and aviation and space industries.
In Spring, Preparing for the Great American Solar Eclipse…with Safety in Mind!
Get ready for the total eclipse of the sun: On April 8, the shadow of the Moon will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Recognized as the “Great American Solar Eclipse,” this spectacle in the sky happens when the moon blocks the sun, darkening the Earth during the day time. The last total solar eclipse that was in 2017.
Before you set your sights on the skies with the masses, be sure you're familiar with specialized eye protection! NASA reminds onlookers to use protective glasses that comply with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 12312-2, Eye and face protection-sunglasses and related eyewear-Part 2: Filters for direct observation of the sun. ANSI member and audited designator ASTM International serves as the ANSI-accredited U.S. TAG administrator to the ISO technical committee (TC) 94 Subcommittee (SC) 6 Eye and Face Protection, which supported the development of ISO 12312-2.
To help avoid knock-offs and scams, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Task Force has compiled a list of acceptable companies on its Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers page.
In Fall, Poetic Messages in a Bottle Hype Up a Jupiter Mission
NASA is preparing to launch its Europa Clipper mission, projected to travel to Jupiter’s moon “Europa” in October 2024. The mission will investigate whether the ocean thought to lie beneath Europa’s icy crust could support life, but it’s also unique, as there is poetry involved. NASA recently invited the public to add their names to its “Message in a Bottle” campaign, in which a poem written by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and titled "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa" will be engraved on the robotic spacecraft and travel 1.8 billion miles on the agency’s spacecraft to explore Jupiter’s icy moon. NASA reports that participant names that are etched on a microchip will journey alongside the poem.
Supporting U.S. space travel efforts, ANSI is the secretariat of ISO Technical Committee (TC) 20, Aircraft and space vehicles, which includes Subcommittees (SC) SC 13, Space data and information transfer systems, and SC 14, Space systems and operations, which develop standards that support various space missions. SAE International serves as the ANSI-Accredited U.S. TAG administrator to ISO TC 20.
Follow ansi.org for more updates on 2024 interstellar activities and the standards and resources that support them!