NASA Archives

Video: Webb telescope will alter view of cosmos, thanks to a Northeastern graduate

This week, NASA released the first images from the largest, most powerful space telescope in history, capturing galaxy clusters and dying stars with an unprecedented level of detail. While Northeastern physicists say the telescope will have a seismic impact on the study of outer space, one former Northeastern electrical engineering professor can’t help but think about his own impact on NASA’s project.

by Cody Mello-Klein July 13, 2022

H William Detrich Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences poses for a portrait at the Marine Science Center in Nahant, MA.

The legacy of H. William Detrich is rising with the Antarctic tide

Among his many achievements, the world-renowned professor of marine and environmental sciences is most proud of a Northeastern co-op program he launched a dozen years ago. It began with a work-study student washing dishes in the lab; months later, he was near the South Pole.

by Ian Thomsen April 7, 2022

The International Space Station may become a casualty of the Russian war in Ukraine

The Russian space agency says Western sanctions have led Russia to question its commitment to the space station beyond 2024. Mai’a Cross, a Northeastern professor with expertise on the history of cooperation in space, explains all that is at stake.

by Ian Thomsen March 3, 2022

A computer generated three-dimensional perspective of the surface of Venus. Photo by NASA/JPL

Could humans visit Venus? Here’s a plan to do just that.

There’s a hellscape right here in our own solar system, and a team of Northeastern students wants to send human explorers to check it out.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki May 26, 2021

Researchers found evidence of water on the near side of the moon, a discovery that could increase the chances of one day having a human base on Earth's satellite. Photo by NASA on The Commons

There’s water on the moon’s sunlit surface. Colonization could be on the horizon.

Having a water source on the moon could eliminate the need for astronauts to bring their own drinking supplies, breathable air, and fuel. This invaluable resource is the first step toward one day sustaining human life on the moon and beyond, says Taskin Padir, associate professor of computer and electrical engineering.

by Emily Arntsen October 28, 2020

Willis Jenkins helped design a $1 U.S. coin commemorating the contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. space program. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Her mission was to get us to space. His was to tell her story on this $1 coin.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—After earning a degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern, Willis Jenkins has spent two decades at NASA and, most recently, helped design a $1 coin commemorating the contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. space program.

by Adam Tismaneanu - contributor February 24, 2020

A team of Northeastern students was recently selected by NASA to enter the Big Idea Challenge, and will receive a $90,000 award to develop a robotic system to help astronauts explore permanently shadowed regions of the moon. From left: Julian Morgen, Paige Butler, and María Belén Ou. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

NASA is going back to the moon. Northeastern University students are designing robots to explore the terrain.

Some parts of the moon never see the light, but they are full of resources that NASA could mine to settle on the lunar surface and venture beyond. The agency selected a team of Northeastern students to be part of the 2020 Big Idea Challenge, in which they will develop robotic systems to help survey the darkest areas of the moon.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa February 21, 2020

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket lifts off from space launch complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with the second Global Positioning System III payload on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Will Space Command help or hurt international relations in space?

The United States recently established Space Command, a military headquarters for space operations to match those in other countries. Northeastern professor Mai’a Cross questions whether the militarization of outer space could create conflict where there hasn’t been any.

by Molly Callahan September 5, 2019

Can you guess which of these items came from the space program? We tried.

Laptops or barcodes? Sneaker insoles or lava lamps? Wireless headphones or GPS? See if you can do better than we did.

by Cam Sleeper July 18, 2019

Mars and beyond

Northeastern students and faculty reflect on the role of humanoid robots in deep space exploration, sending humans to Mars, and the need for reusable spacecraft.

by Gregory Grinnell, Laura Castañón and Hannah Moore July 17, 2019

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