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Jared Isaacman’s confirmation vote set for Wednesday

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will vote on Jared Isaacman‘s confirmation as NASA’s next Administrator on Wednesday. Both the Committee’s Republicans and Democrats released Isaacman’s written questions, so here’s what he thinks about some of the key issues facing NASA right now.

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5 takeaways from Jared Isaacman’s confirmation hearing

Last week, Jared Isaacman sat in front of his first Congressional hearing in what is expected to be his new career as NASA Administrator. On Wednesday, Isaacman sat in front of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for his confirmation hearing, answering any questions the Senators wished before they voted on giving him the job or not. Here are five things we could expect from potential Administrator Isaacman if he is confirmed.

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Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator: Does he have The Right Stuff?

President-elect Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to nominate private astronaut and businessman Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator. While Isaacman has had massive success in the private market and building his own space program, does he have the “Right Stuff” to lead the world’s premier space agency?

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We might finally know what destroyed Arecibo’s massive telescope

Nearing four years ago, the Arecibo Telescope’s instrument platform collapsed and destroyed the massive radio telescope’s dish below. What caused it has still remained a massive mystery, but a new study might finally shed some light on what could have caused the loss of one of the National Science Foundation’s most important research tools.

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Rocket Lab proposes $2B solution for faster Mars Sample Return as NASA reviews options

NASA is moving forward with critical decisions on its Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, aiming to reduce costs and expedite the return of samples from the Red Planet. On October 15, NASA received the final reports from 12 studies commissioned to explore alternative architectures.

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Earth gained a new moon, but it won’t stay long

For the next couple months, Earth will have a temporary “mini-moon.” Known as asteroid 2024 PT5, this small celestial body is approximately 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter and was only detected on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in South Africa. It was captured by Earth’s gravity September 29 and is expected to remain bound to the Earth-Moon system until November 25 before continuing on its heliocentric trajectory.

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NASA’s ‘Europa Clipper’ to explore Jupiter’s icy moon and its potential for life

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, set to launch in October, is designed to investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa and its potential to harbor life. Europa is of particular interest to scientists because beneath its thick ice shell lies a massive saltwater ocean, which could contain the necessary ingredients for life: water, chemical elements, and energy sources.

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Researchers unveil massive cave on the Moon near Apollo landing site

Researchers Lorenzo Bruzzone and Leonardo Carrer, from the University of Trento in Italy, have identified evidence of a significant lunar cave by reanalyzing data from advanced radar technology collected more than a decade ago. Located in Mare Tranquillitatis, the region of the Apollo 11 landing, this discovery reveals critical insights into the Moon‘s subsurface structure. 

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The Aurora wasn’t even the coolest part

aurora, new hampshire, solar storm

As the sun began to set Friday evening, I sat on the quad in front of our library playing with friends and observing the sparse clouds glow with an incredible orange bloom. The moon, only a small crescent, began to appear above a large tree. It was cold, but a nice Friday evening after a long week of classes and projects. Throughout the day I posted to Instagram and Twitter, sharing the hope that we, in Exeter, New Hampshire, would see the aurora borealis tonight. Only a few friends took interest as I showed them photos from across Europe. Some took an interest in the science and asked how and when we could see them.

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NASA is looking for new ways to get its Martian samples back home

In what I’ve always viewed as a bold move by NASA, since 2021 Perseverance has been collecting Martian core samples for future return. The issue is a return plan wasn’t finalized or paid for before launch, which in recent years has been under attack by Congress who wants a lighter budget. On Monday NASA conceded to complaints that it’s too expensive.

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