➀ NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has been closed due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The lab, which is in a mandatory evacuation zone, was closed to employees and visitors on January 8th. Remote working has been implemented. ➁ The mesa above JPL has been made available to support firefighting efforts. ➂ The safety of employees and neighboring communities is a top priority.

➀ NASA has awarded four contracts to Alphacore in 2024; ➁ The contracts aim to advance the development of cutting-edge microelectronics systems; ➂ Alphacore specializes in analog, mixed-signal, and RF integrated circuit design intellectual property.

➀ NASA is considering two plans to bring Martian rock samples back to Earth; ➁ The first plan is to recreate the 'sky crane method' used in previous missions; ➂ The second plan is to partner with a commercial space company for a lander; ➃ The new plans aim to reduce costs and bring the samples back earlier than the previous target of 2040.

➀ NASA has developed new probes to measure shock waves produced by its X-59 supersonic aircraft; ➁ The probes are designed to capture precise pressure data during supersonic flight; ➂ The research aims to refine supersonic flight models to reduce noise and improve accuracy.

➀ NASA has been exploring the challenges of radiation in space; ➁ The agency acknowledges that more information is needed before discussing manned space flights beyond low Earth orbit; ➂ NASA is working on new launching vehicles to address these challenges.

➀ NASA released a cozy 8-hour 4K fireplace video to celebrate the holiday season, featuring the heat of the SLS rocket's engines and the sounds of a crackling fire. The video is a loop of archival footage of the RS-25 engines that launched the Artemis I rocket. ➁ The Orion spacecraft reached a speed of 24,581 mph during re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. ➂ The video includes the sound of rocket engines and the crackling of wood fire, creating a warm and festive atmosphere.

➀ NASA's Curiosity rover is heading to the Boxwork area on Mars, a feature resembling spiderwebs first observed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2006. ➁ The Boxwork is believed to have formed from minerals settling in fractures on the Martian surface. ➂ This area is of interest due to its potential to host early Earth-like environments and its unique formation process.

➀ NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, which flew by Uranus in 1986, provided data that has puzzled scientists for decades; ➁ New research suggests that the unusual conditions observed by Voyager 2 were due to a cosmic coincidence involving space weather; ➂ The findings may indicate that the five major moons of Uranus are geologically active.

➀ NASA's X-59 'quiet supersonic' research aircraft is undergoing engine-run tests; ➁ The tests are part of NASA's Quesst mission to reduce sonic booms over land; ➂ The engine, a modified F414-GE-100, generates 22,000 pounds of thrust for a cruising speed of Mach 1.4.

➀ Space Forge has signed an MOU with Voyager Space to support in-space research and manufacturing. The collaboration aims to integrate Space Forge's ForgeStar platform with Voyager's orbital capabilities for commercial applications. ➁ The ForgeStar platform is designed for reusable satellite operations in microgravity, supported by ESA and NATO. ➂ Voyager Space, with its commercial space station infrastructure, is working on projects funded by NASA, targeting new frontiers in bio-medicine and material science.

➀ NASA has warned about a bus-sized asteroid, 2024 UQ1, approaching Earth at a distance of 148,000 miles; ➁ The asteroid is not classified as potentially hazardous; ➂ This is part of a series of near-Earth objects being monitored by NASA.

➀ The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft is en route to the asteroid impacted by NASA's DART mission in 2022. The probe is part of a mission to study the 'kinetic impact' technique for asteroid deflection. ➁ Hera will conduct detailed surveys of the asteroid Dimorphos and perform deep-space technology experiments. ➂ The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the binary asteroid in autumn 2026, providing valuable data for planetary defense.

➀ The United States plans to orbit an astronaut in space by October 1961; ➁ One of the seven astronauts in training will be sent on a non-orbital flight early next year; ➂ The Project Mercury manned flight programme is on a tight schedule and has experienced some delays due to equipment issues.

➀ NASA's Webb telescope captures a stunning image of a galactic collision; ➁ The galaxies, Arp 107, are located 465 million light-years from Earth; ➂ The image combines observations from Webb's MIRI and NIRCam, highlighting star formation and the connection between the galaxies.

➀ NASA is working on establishing a coordinated lunar time standard for future human missions to the moon; ➁ The lunar time will be determined by a weighted average of atomic clocks on the moon; ➂ The time difference between Earth and the moon poses challenges for precise navigation and missions.

➀ Boeing's Starliner spacecraft successfully returned to Earth over the weekend, but with some additional issues found, including a failed thruster during decent. ➁ The issues with Starliner began before its launch in June, with helium leaks and thruster performance issues identified. ➂ NASA decided to keep astronauts on board the ISS and return Starliner uncrewed, emphasizing safety as the core value. The spacecraft landed successfully, but the thruster failure and temporary blackout of the guidance system were noted.

➀ NASA has awarded Intuitive Machines $116.9 million to deliver six payloads to the lunar South Pole in 2027. ➁ The payloads will help study volatile substances and radiation on the Moon, aiding future exploration efforts. ➂ This marks the 10th CLPS contract from NASA and the fourth for the South Pole, part of the Artemis campaign.

➀ Axiom Space and Nokia are collaborating to integrate 4G/LTE communications into the next-generation spacesuits for NASA's Artemis III mission. ➁ The integration will enable high-speed data transfer, including HD video and voice communication over long distances on the Moon. ➂ Nokia plans to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon, which will support future lunar and Mars missions.