NASA

Jennifer Kunz, associate director, technical, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in a virtual Town Hall meeting on Jan. 13, 2022, for Kennedy employees. NASA/Kim Shiflett Jennifer Kunz, associate director technical of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, released the following statement after speaking Thursday at the SpaceCom / 50th Space Congress in Orlando, Florida. “NASA’s Moon to Mars strategy rests on three pillars: pursuing science to better understand the universe and our origins; inspiring the next generation to achieve the seemingly impossible; and building on American preeminence in science, technology and exploration while strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with other nations. Kennedy is proud to be at the forefront of helping achieve the agency’s ambitious Moon to Mars Objectives for the benefit of all. “Most people know Kennedy for launching rockets, but our spaceport also is home to new technologies needed to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and exploration throughout the solar system. Today, Kennedy teams are working on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis campaign, which will return humans to the lunar surface after more than 50 years. Kennedy is the only place on Earth where the SLS rocket is fully assembled prior to launch. Once built, the rocket, spacecraft, and ground systems will undergo rigorous testing and validation in preparation for launching astronauts further and deeper in space than ever before. “Engineers also are developing technologies that our astronauts will need on the lunar surface. These include 3D printing capability to build structures on the Moon; rovers, and instruments to find water, minerals, and other resources to help sustain a long-term presence; and electrodynamic dust shield technologies that repel the abrasive Moon dust and protect vehicles and sensitive equipment. “Kennedy’s plant researchers continue working hard to find new ways to grow food in space to supplement the diets of astronauts with key nutrients. And as we advance these technologies, we also administer a number of programs that enable university researchers to help solve other key Moon to Mars challenges. “While we focus on Moon and Mars, NASA continues to enable the growth of the commercial space sector. Beyond supporting Artemis, our industry and international partners make it possible to launch crews and conduct critical research on the International Space Station. We also rely on commercial expertise to launch many of our robotic science missions that study the Earth, the solar system, and beyond. “As we stand at the dawn of a new age of space exploration, I can’t wait to see the innovations and advancements to come. We often hear that “space is hard,” and we at Kennedy take great inspiration from our history, which is full of stories of NASA engineers solving seemingly impossible problems. As we make the next giant leap to the Moon and Mars, Kennedy Space Center is proud to do our part to advance science, inspire the Artemis Generation, and strengthen America’s standing in the world.” Kunz’s biography is available online, and file images are available from NASA’s image library in vertical and horizontal formats. For more information about Kennedy Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/kennedy -end- Patti Bielling Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-7575 patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov View the full article

5 Min Read Lagniappe for February 2024 Explore the February 2024 issue, highlighted by NASA reaching the halfway point for the Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Certification Series, NASA’s Day of Remembrance, and what fuels a NASA Stennis Test Operations Leader. Explore the February 2024 edition featuring: RS-25 Test on Jan. 27 Day of Remembrance NASA Spinoff Gator Speaks Gator SpeaksNASA Stennis There are two reasons why the last Thursday in January and the month of February are important at NASA moving ahead as the Artemis Generation. Having been around for decades as the NASA Stennis mascot, it is easy to forget important things if you are not intentional about remembering. For newer folks, whether new employees at NASA Stennis or new fans of NASA in general, it is easy not to know something if you are never told about it. NASA intentionally carves out time each January for a Day of Remembrance to honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. This current moment in space history is a tribute to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. One of the best ways NASA honors the sacrifice made by the previous crew members is by embracing safety as one of the core values at NASA. This is the cornerstone for mission success as NASA prepares to send the first Artemis astronauts to the Moon. The four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II as part of NASA’s path to creating a long-term presence on the lunar surface for science and exploration. The NASA safety culture benefits astronauts, employees, and even surrounding communities where employees participate in daily life. This is a reminder every day at NASA, and especially on the final Thursday in January. Going forward, the annual Day of Remembrance leads into Black History Month (observed each February), which brings the opportunity to recognize Black Americans who have made contributions to America and NASA’s space program. One such person is the late NASA astronaut Ronald McNair, who was honored during the Day of Remembrance. McNair, the second Black astronaut to fly to space, was a member of the Challenger crew. He is one of many African Americans whose contributions helped pave the way for NASA to take giant leaps in space exploration for the Artemis Generation. May we never forget that it is through the sacrifice and contributions of all that NASA explores for the benefit of all. May we never fail to honor those who have come before us, and may we always remember there is space for everybody – in NASA and all of life. NASA Stennis Top News NASA Day of Remembrance Honors Fallen Heroes NASA’s Stennis Space Center and NASA Shared Services Center leaders commemorate NASA Day of Remembrance on Jan. 25 with a ceremony at the south Mississippi site. Rodney McKellip, NASA Stennis associate director (right), and Ken Newton, NASA Shared Services Center acting executive director, observe a moment of silence as employees honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1, and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.NASA/Danny Nowlin View the NASA Day of Remembrance 2024 video NASA Marks Halfway Point for Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Certification Series NASA completed the sixth of 12 scheduled RS-25 engine certification tests in a critical series for future flights of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket as engineers conducted a full-duration hot fire Jan. 27 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Read More About the Latest Certification Test NASA Continues Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Tests with 1st Hot Fire of 2024 NASA continued a critical test series for future flights of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in support of the Artemis campaign on Jan. 17 with a full-duration hot fire of the RS-25 engine on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Read More About the 1st Hot Fire of 2024 NASA Spinoffs Feature NASA Stennis Developed Technologies As NASA innovates for the benefit of all, what the agency develops for exploration has the potential to evolve into other technologies with broader use here on Earth. Many of those examples are highlighted in NASA’s annual Spinoff book including dozens of NASA-enabled medical innovations, as well other advancements in 3D printing, robots, and brake designs. Read More About NASA Stennis Contributions Center Activities Leadership Class Visits NASA Stennis The Pearl River County Leadership Class stands in front of the Thad Cochran Test Stand during a NASA Stennis site tour on Jan. 18. The group learned about the RS-25 engine certification test series underway for future flights of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and preparations for Green Run testing at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2) for NASA’s Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) in support of the Artemis program. EUS is expected to fly on the Artemis IV mission. Prior to that time, it will undergo a series of integrated systems tests to demonstrate it is ready to fly. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon. The agency will use what is learned on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.NASA Stennis Employees View RS-25 Engine Test Sitewide employees at NASA’s Stennis Space Center watch the RS-25 test conducted on Jan. 23 as NASA continued a critical test series for future Artemis flights of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The full-duration hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand is part of a 12-test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. The new engines will help power SLS rocket on Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Joins Students for Space Day Event NASA Visitor Relations Specialist Nick Middleton shares a presentation with Woodley Elementary students on Jan. 26 in Hattiesburg. As part of the Artemis Generation, the more than 100 students from five pre-K and kindergarten classes learned about the Moon and space exploration. Through Artemis, NASA will send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon. As NASA explores the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all, the agency will use what is learned on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap of sending astronauts to Mars.NASA/Samone Wilson NASA in the News After Three Years on Mars, NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends – NASA NASA Shares Progress Toward Early Artemis Moon Missions with Crew – NASA NASA, Lockheed Martin Reveal X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft – NASA Employee Profile Maury Vander stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where he has worked more than 30 years supporting NASA’s mission of space exploration. NASA/Danny Nowlin One thing has remained constant throughout Maury Vander’s career with NASA – the satisfaction of being part of a team working to innovate and benefit the agency and the aerospace industry at large. Read More About Maury Vander Looking Back: NASA Stennis Meets Testing Needs In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan unveiled plans for a National Aerospace Plane (NASP). In May 1992, NASA’s Stennis Space Center was selected to initially test new materials for the NASP that would be able to withstand the extreme change in temperature the plane would endure when it flew into Earth’s orbit and then landed in destinations across the globe. In January 1993, foundations for the various tanks needed for the new High Heat Flux Facility at NASA Stennis were poured. Even though the facility was designed to support the NASP project, NASA Stennis leaders and engineers are always thinking towards the future. To that end, they not only equipped the facility to handle testing of NASP components but designed it with the ability to evolve into a versatile test complex able to handle a range of test projects. Thus, even after the NASP program was cancelled, the leadership at NASA Stennis continued to evolve the test facility to meet the needs of the future. What began as the High Heat Flux Facility is now cell 1 on the E-2 Test Stand at the south Mississippi site.NASA Stennis Additional Resources NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter NASA+ Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast with Christine Powell Earth Now Calliefirst – NASA Subscription Info Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail). The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin. To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address. View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) In February 2024, Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission will launch to the Moon’s South Polar region, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, initiative. This mission is part of CLPS’ ongoing effort to bring down the cost for science investigations and technology demonstrations going to the Moon and to make them more routine in the lead-up to the Artemis landings later this decade. Among the NASA-provided research flying aboard IM-1 will be an instrument designed to observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there. The instrument is called the Radio wave Observation at the Lunar Surface of the photo-Electron Sheath (ROLSES) and is designed to study the dynamic radio energy environment near the lunar surface. It will launch aboard Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander. In February 2024, Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission will launch to the Moon’s South Pole as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. Among the NASA provided payloads will be an instrument called the Radio wave Observation at the Lunar Surface of the photo-Electron Sheath (ROLSES) designed to observe the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, to determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio James Tralie (ADNET Systems, Inc.). Lead Producer Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy (NASA/GSFC). This video can be freely shared and downloaded at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14516 The ROLSES instrument project is headed up by Dr. Natchimuthuk “Nat” Gopalswamy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Gopalswamy describes the design of ROLSES as being a very simple system. “We have four antennas which observe whatever radio emissions are present on the Moon [radio emissions are a type of light, or electromagnetic radiation, which have the longest wavelength, or distance between peaks in their energy waves],” said Gopalswamy. “These antennas are very long, about 8 feet (2.5 meters). But for launching they are packed into a small canister, about 8 inches (21 centimeters) in size.” The main purpose of ROLSES will be to account for the variety of radiation generated by cosmic phenomena, as well as by human activity on Earth. “There are varying sorts of radio emissions,” said Gopalswamy. “These include activity on Earth that produces radio interference at the lunar surface. And then we have natural radio emissions, coming from Jupiter, coming from the Sun, even coming from our Milky Way galaxy. There is even an emission from Earth that is associated with the Aurora.” The trick, as Gopalswamy points out, is that each of these types of radio noise produces its own dynamic spectral pattern, somewhat similar to the way in which fingerprints are unique for each person. “The spectrum of each event looks different from the others,” he said. “Therefore, it’s easy for us to identify which is coming from Jupiter, or from the Sun, or from the galaxy, which is very low-frequency background radiation.” Another source of radio interference will be the lunar lander itself. “Landers obviously have mechanisms, motors and things; they all will produce some kind of radio emission, and that will also be recorded in the spectrum,” said Gopalswamy. “And those will produce distinct features which show that there is interference going on at this particular location.” By identifying this type of interference, scientists can work to sift through the noise it creates when analyzing data returned by instruments like ROLSES. That way, they can hone in on real data, and not “noise” created by non-natural processes. The four ROLSES antennas are also mounted at two different heights, meaning that once they begin taking measurements, they can provide information on variations in the cloud of negatively charged electrons blasted from the lunar surface by sunlight, and how it changes between different heights. “This way, we can measure the electrons’ density based upon distance from the surface,” said Gopalswamy. “Then we can see how the number of electrons decreases as you go farther from the surface.” This information, he points out, will be essential when it comes time to design and build future lunar observatories, since the radio frequency interference from the electron cloud and from Earth-based radio transmitters will need to be accounted for. These radio observations will help build what Gopalswamy calls a library of knowledge on the lunar environment. “That way we will know if we’re at this latitude, at this height, we’re going to have this type of radiation and emission background, and we’ll be able to design our hardware accordingly.” This will aid NASA in its mission to return humans to the Moon over the next decade and beyond, and to establish a sustainable, long-term presence. ROLSES and IM-1 are part of the agency’s CLPS initiative, which was developed with the goal of creating a lunar economy through commercial deliveries of NASA-provided payloads. With CLPS, private companies of varying sizes and backgrounds are responsible for designing the landers and procuring the launch vehicles, allowing NASA to focus its efforts on designing the instrument payloads. When the agency’s Artemis program establishes a human presence on the Moon, the data gathered by instruments onboard CLPS flights will help astronauts conduct more lunar science. By Nick Oakes NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Share Details Last Updated Feb 01, 2024 EditorWilliam SteigerwaldContactNancy N. Jonesnancy.n.jones@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)Artemis Explore More 4 min read What is Artemis? Article 5 years ago 1 min read Artemis Media Resources Article 3 weeks ago 2 min read Intuitive Machines Article 5 years ago View the full article

Long-term space exploration exposes humans to radiation that can damage deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA, which carries the genetic information for our development and functioning. Conditions in space also affect the way the body repairs such damage, potentially compounding the risk. Research on the International Space Station studies DNA damage and repair using tools and techniques to sequence, analyze, and even edit DNA. Those tools and techniques have been developed especially for use in space, which has unique safety considerations and where there are limits on the size and weight of equipment. This specialization has made this type of research possible and resulted in significant milestones in DNA research. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins prepares a run of Biomolecule Sequencer experiment, which sequenced DNA in space for the first time.NASA In April 2016, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Tim Peake first amplified DNA using the first polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device sent to station, called miniPCR.1 An important step in the process of analyzing genetic material, amplification involves making multiple copies of a segment of DNA. NASA astronaut Kate Rubin sequenced DNA in space for the first time in August 2016 using a commercial off-the-shelf device called MinION.2 In August 2017, NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson combined the miniPCR and MinION to identify the first unknown microbe from the station, validating a process that could make possible in-flight identification of microbes and diagnosis of infectious diseases on future missions.3 In August 2018, NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold first used a “swab to sequencer” DNA sequencing method that eliminates the need to culture bacteria before analysis.4 NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold processes DNA from swabs of space station surfaces to identify microbes.NASA Another milestone, reached in May 2019, was the first CRISPR gene editing on station, performed by NASA astronaut Christina Koch.5 CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. These are short, repeated sequences of DNA noted in bacteria with viral DNA sequences in between them. Bacteria transcribe the viral DNA sequences to RNA, which then guides a specific protein to the viral DNA and cuts it – creating a line of defense against invading viruses. Researchers can create a guide RNA to be specific to any part of a genome. This means CRISPR can be used to create precise breaks in a known location of a gene, resulting in simplified gene editing. A program called Genes in Space has employed these advances for multiple investigations. A collaboration between Boeing and miniPCR bio sponsored by the ISS National Lab and New England Biolabs, this program is a national contest where students in grades 7 through 12 design DNA analysis experiments for the space station. Genes in Space-6 used CRISPR to successfully generate breaks in the DNA of a common yeast, allow for repair of the breaks, and sequence the patched-up DNA to determine whether its original order was restored, all during spaceflight.5 Performing the entire process in space – rather than causing a break, freezing the sample, and sending it into space to repair –provided researchers insight into the type of repair mechanism used. Organisms repair DNA breaks in one of two major ways. One method may add or delete bases while the other rejoins the strands without changing the DNA sequence. Understanding whether one type of repair is less error-prone has important implications for protecting crew members. NASA astronaut Christina Koch works on the Genes in Space-6 experiment.NASA Genes in Space-5 represented an important step toward a rapid, safe, and cost-effective way to examine the immune system during spaceflight. This investigation also provided proof of concept for simultaneously amplifying multiple DNA sequences in space, expanding the possibilities for in-flight research and health monitoring. Genes in Space-10 validated a method for measuring and analyzing the length of DNA fragments known as telomeres using fluorescence. Telomeres, cap-like genetic structures at the end of chromosomes that protect them from damage, shorten with age but have been found to lengthen in space. Analyzing telomere length could help determine the mechanism behind this effect. Results from the investigation also could provide a way to measure DNA and to diagnose genetic-based medical problems during spaceflight. Sending DNA samples back to Earth for analysis can cause the samples to degrade and is not feasible for future long-duration missions. Insight into why telomeres lengthen in space could lead to a better understanding of their role in human aging as well. Having an entire molecular laboratory in space greatly increases what scientists can do. The ability to analyze DNA, study how it is damaged and repaired in space, and make specific changes to it enables more complex research. Identifying unknown organisms and changes in known ones is key to keeping crew members safe on future missions. Melissa Gaskill International Space Station Program Science Office Johnson Space Center Search this database of scientific experiments to learn more about those mentioned above. Citations 1 Boguraev, A. S. et al. Successful amplification of DNA aboard the International Space Station. NPJ Microgravity 3, 26, doi:10.1038/s41526-017-0033-9 (2017). 2 Castro-Wallace, S. L. et al. Nanopore DNA Sequencing and Genome Assembly on the International Space Station. Sci Rep 7, 18022, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18364-0 (2017). 3 Burton, A. S. et al. Off Earth Identification of Bacterial Populations Using 16S rDNA Nanopore Sequencing. Genes (Basel) 11, doi:10.3390/genes11010076 (2020). 4 Stahl-Rommel, S. et al. Real-Time Culture-Independent Microbial Profiling Onboard the International Space Station Using Nanopore Sequencing. Genes (Basel) 12, doi:10.3390/genes12010106 (2021). 5 Stahl-Rommel, S. et al. A CRISPR-based assay for the study of eukaryotic DNA repair onboard the International Space Station. PloS one 16, e0253403, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253403 (2021). Keep Exploring Discover More Topics Station Science 101: Biology and Biotechnology Latest News from Space Station Research Space Station Technology Demonstration Space Station Research and Technology View the full article

5 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA’s 2024 Spinoff publication features more than 40 medical and other commercialized technologies using the agency’s research and development expertise. It also features new technology developed at various agency centers, including NASA’s Stennis Space Center.NASA As NASA innovates for the benefit of all, what the agency develops for exploration has the potential to evolve into other technologies with broader use here on Earth. Many of those examples are highlighted in NASA’s annual Spinoff book including dozens of NASA-enabled medical innovations, as well other advancements in 3D printing, robots, and brake designs. This year’s publication also features a section highlighting technologies developed at agency centers such as NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, that are available for use by various industries. NASA’s 2024 Spinoff highlights more than 40 medical and other commercialized technologies using the agency’s research and development expertise. “As we continue to push new frontiers and do the unimaginable, NASA’s scientists and engineers are constantly innovating and advancing technologies,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “A critical part of our mission is to quickly get those advances into the hands of companies and entrepreneurs who can use them to grow their businesses, open new markets, boost the economy, and raise the quality of life for everyone.” One of the featured medical innovations is the first wireless arthroscope – a small tube carrying a camera inserted into the body during surgery – to receive clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which benefited from NASA’s experience with spacesuits and satellite batteries. Commercialized technologies for diagnosing illnesses like the coronavirus, hepatitis, and cancer have also stemmed from NASA’s space exploration and science endeavors. Even certain types of toothpaste originated from the agency’s efforts to grow crystals for electronics. The book also features several technologies NASA has identified as promising future spinoffs and information on how to license agency tech. Since the 1970s, thousands of NASA technologies have found their way into many scientific and technical disciplines, impacting nearly every American industry. Additional 2024 Spinoff highlights include developments under NASA’s Artemis campaign, like a small, rugged video camera used to improve aircraft safety and a new method for detecting defects or damage in composite materials. Meanwhile, another spinoff story details the latest benefits of fuel cell technology created more than 50 years ago for Apollo, which is now poised to support terrestrial power grids based on renewable energy. The book also features other notable spinoffs like: Spherical “squishy” robots capable of dropping into dangerous situations before first responders enter “Digital winglets” aircraft-routing technology that’s enabling increased fuel efficiency and smoother flights Lighter, more durable disc brake designs that produce less dust than traditional disc brakes Computer software to help businesses and communities cope with and recover from natural disasters like wildfires New 3D printing methods to additively manufacture rocket engines and other large aluminum parts NASA Stennis items included in the new publication are: Remote Sensing Toolkit. The NASA Spinoff 2024 publication describes the remote sensing toolkit as an online portal that offers easy access to NASA Earth-observation data. NASA’s Technology Transfer program at NASA Stennis developed the online resource to promote wider use of the agency’s freely available remote sensing data and software to work with it. It helps users find, analyze, and use the most relevant data for projects such as precision agriculture and crop forecasting, conservation and resource management, and natural disaster planning and response. The free and easy-to-use toolkit includes data from more than 20 satellites and missions. Cryogenic Butterfly Cam Valve. According to the NASA Spinoff 2024 book, the unique butterfly valve designed at NASA Stennis provides “no-leak” performance in a broad range of temperatures. The NASA Stennis valve addresses a key disadvantage of current butterfly valves, which require the butterfly disc to establish a tight seal at exactly 90 degrees. Providing additional torque to the valve may cause the disc to rotate beyond 90 degrees, allowing fluid flow. Current butterfly valves also usually fail leakage tests when used with liquid nitrogen, a key cryogenic in propulsion testing. The simple NASA Stennis design remedies these issues by allowing rotation of the valve shaft, enabling the disc to slide until it seals tightly despite temperature changes. The NASA Stennis valve can be used in various aerospace, natural gas, and cryogenic plant systems. “As NASA’s longest continuously running program, we continue to increase the number of technologies we license year-over-year while streamlining the development path from the government to the commercial sector,” said Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer program executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These commercialization success stories continually prove the benefits of transitioning agency technologies into private hands, where the real impacts are made.” Spinoffs are part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and its Technology Transfer program. Tech Transfer is charged with finding broad, innovative applications for NASA-developed technology through partnerships and licensing agreements, ensuring agency investments benefit the nation and the world. To read or download the digital version of the latest issue of Spinoff, visit: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/ For information about NASA Stennis Space Center, visit: www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/ Share Details Last Updated Feb 01, 2024 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related TermsStennis Space Center Explore More 2 min read NASA Marks Halfway Point for Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Certification Series Article 3 days ago 4 min read NASA Stennis Internship Brings Aerospace Industry to Life Article 1 month ago 7 min read Lagniappe Article 1 month ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics from NASA Stennis Doing Business with NASA Stennis About NASA Stennis Visit NASA Stennis NASA Stennis Media Resources View the full article

Tony Goretski stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where he has worked more than 24 years supporting NASA’s mission of space exploration.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA inspires as it explores secrets of the universe for the benefit of all – just ask Tony Goretski, the senior employee in the Office of Procurement at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Goretski felt the inspiration long ago on a school trip to the Gulf Coast site, vowing to one day become employed with NASA. Now, he is doing his part to support the NASA mission and inspire the next generation of great explorers – the Artemis Generation. “NASA has a phenomenal way of including everybody, like you really belong,” Goretski said. “We are all family, driving towards a common purpose, and I love that aspect about NASA Stennis.” The common goal is returning to the Moon in a sustainable way. Through Artemis missions, NASA will use innovative technologies, and collaborate with commercial and international partners, to explore more of the lunar surface than ever. NASA will then use what is learned on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars. Take time to debrief after success or conflict. Listen, then restate messages to make sure they're understood. Tony Goretski NASA Stennis Procurement Analyst Much like NASA clearly has its sight set on the task at hand, Goretski had a goal of being employed with NASA. A native of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Goretski grew up in the shadow of NASA Stennis and did everything necessary from an education standpoint to ensure his future work with the space agency. He earned an associate degree in business administration from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, followed by a bachelor’s degree in business administration from The University of Mississippi. The Long Beach resident also earned a master’s degree in aeronautical science with an emphasis on management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Following a career in the United States Air Force, Goretski reached his goal of returning to NASA Stennis, this time as a contract specialist prior to becoming a procurement analyst. As a member of the Procurement Management Support Division team at the center, Goretski is part of an integral support mechanism, which provides training and guidance for more than 100 contracting officer representatives supporting NASA’s Artemis Program. As NASA moves toward future Artemis launches, Goretski looks forward to attending the launch of Artemis III, which will mark humanity’s first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years. NASA will make history by sending the first humans to explore the region near the lunar South Pole. Meanwhile, he will continue his day-to-day work supporting the agency’s efforts to reach that moment. Goretski also enjoys volunteering through outreach efforts with NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, which helps bridge disparities and break barriers by providing a way for a broad spectrum of students to learn about NASA and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Goretski also has volunteered for more than 13 years with the FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics organization. In 2023, NASA co-sponsored the inaugural FIRST Robotics competition held in the state of Mississippi with the Magnolia Regional event in Laurel. STEM will play a key role as NASA explores more of the Moon than ever before with highly trained astronauts and advanced robotics. In all of his engagement efforts, Goretski takes to heart one of NASA’s core values – inclusion – to share opportunities available for all and, along the way, to inspire the Artemis Generation, just as he was inspired on a school visit to the south Mississippi NASA center. View the full article

In honor of Black History Month, we recognize the contributions of Black astronauts to our nation’s space programs. Coming to NASA from a variety of backgrounds as military pilots, engineers, scientists, and physicians, these astronauts have made history-making contributions participating in space shuttle missions to perform critical tasks such as deploying and retrieving satellites, performing spacewalks, conducting science and technology research, and piloting and commanding space shuttle missions. More recently, Black astronauts have played key roles in the assembly of the International Space Station, performing numerous spacewalks and robotic operations, and conducting research as expedition crewmembers. Several have distinguished themselves as senior leaders at NASA, including as the agency’s administrator. Looking to the future, Black astronauts are among those eligible for space station as well as exploration missions in the Artemis program. List of Black astronauts who have flown in space. Robert H. Lawrence Robert H. Lawrence holds the honor as the first Black astronaut selected for a space program. In June 1967, the U.S. Air Force selected Lawrence as a member of the third group of aerospace research pilots for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program, a joint project of the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office to obtain high-resolution photographic imagery of America’s Cold War adversaries. Tragically, Lawrence lost his life in an aircraft accident in December 1967, and the Air Force cancelled the MOL Program in June 1969. Two months later, seven of the MOL astronauts transferred to NASA’s astronaut corps and all flew missions on the space shuttle. It is highly likely that had Lawrence lived, NASA would have selected him in that group, and he would have flown as the first Black astronaut. Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez The first person of African heritage to fly in space, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez of Cuba, spent eight days aboard the Soviet Salyut-6 space station in 1980. The Cuban Air Force selected Tamayo Méndez as part of the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos program that flew cosmonauts from friendly socialist countries on short visiting flights to their space stations to conduct experiments for their national space programs and academic institutions. Left: Portrait of U.S. Air Force astronaut Robert H. Lawrence. Middle left: Lawrence, second from left, with his fellow Group 3 Manned Orbiting Laboratory astronauts. Middle right: Portrait of Cuban cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. Right: Tamayo Méndez, second from left, with his Soviet crewmates aboard the Salyut-6 space station. Guion S. Bluford In January 1978, NASA selected its largest group of astronauts up to that time, 35 pilots and mission specialists, for the space shuttle program then under development. For the first time, NASA included women and minorities in the selection group, including three Blacks, one pilot and two mission specialists. One of the three, Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, became the first Black astronaut in space as a mission specialist aboard space shuttle Challenger’s STS-8 mission in 1983. During the six-day flight that featured the first night launch and night landing of the shuttle program, the astronauts deployed a communications satellite for India and performed tests with the remote manipulator system. Left: Selected in 1978, NASA astronauts Ronald E. McNair, left, Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, and Frederick D. Gregory. Middle: Bluford exercises on the treadmill in the middeck of space shuttle Challenger during the STS-8 mission. Right: Bluford, right rear, with his fellow STS-8 crew members. Bluford returned to space in October 1985 on Challenger’s STS-61A flight, serving as a mission specialist on Spacelab D1, a scientific mission sponsored by the West German space agency DLR. The flight marked the first and so far only time that eight astronauts launched aboard a single spacecraft. During their seven days in orbit, the international crew conducted 75 experiments in a variety of scientific disciplines. Left: Guion S. “Guy” Bluford, left, works on an experiment during the Spacelab D1 mission. Right: Bluford, lower right, with the rest of the eight-member international STS-61A crew. Making his third trip into space, Bluford launched aboard space shuttle Discovery in April 1991 on STS-39, the first flight to carry five mission specialists. During the eight-day unclassified mission for the Department of Defense (DOD), Bluford and his crewmates divided into two teams working around the clock. They conducted a series of observations of Earth’s upper atmosphere and its interactions with the shuttle orbiter. The mission’s unusually high 57-degree orbital inclination allowed the astronauts to observe most of the Earth’s landmasses. Using the shuttle’s remote manipulator system, they deployed and retrieved the Shuttle Pallet Satellite-II that conducted independent observations for two days, including monitoring shuttle thruster and engine firings. Left: Guion S. “Guy” Bluford on the flight deck of space shuttle Discovery. Right: Bluford, at left in the back, poses for the crew photo during STS-39. For his fourth and final spaceflight, Bluford lifted off aboard space shuttle Discovery in December 1992. During the seven-day STS-53 flight, the final DOD-dedicated mission, Bluford and his four crewmates deployed the third Satellite Data System-2 military communications satellite and conducted several unclassified experiments. On his four missions, he logged 688 hours of spaceflight time. Bluford retired from NASA in 1993 to join the private sector. Left: Guion S. “Guy” Bluford photographs the Earth with a video camcorder through the shuttle’s overhead window. Right: Bluford, left, poses with his STS-53 crewmates. Ronald E. McNair Also selected in the 1978 astronaut class, physicist Ronald E. McNair made his first space flight aboard space shuttle Challenger in February 1984. During the STS-41B mission, McNair and his crewmates deployed two commercial satellites and two of the astronauts tested the Manned Maneuvering Unit during the first two untethered spacewalks. McNair, an accomplished jazz saxophonist, became the first person to play a soprano sax in space. Space limitations in the shuttle precluded flying McNair’s favorite tenor sax, so he learned to play the smaller version of the instrument for his space flight. The eight-day mission ended with the first space shuttle landing back at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Left: NASA mission specialist Ronald E. McNair plays the soprano saxophone in the middeck of space shuttle Challenger. Right: McNair, front and center, with the rest of the STS-41B crew. McNair’s next flight assignment was also on Challenger, the January 1986 STS-51L mission that included the first teacher in space. Although the mission plan did not include a spacewalk, McNair trained as one of the two astronauts to conduct one in case of a contingency. Tragically, the mission ended 63 seconds after liftoff when an explosion caused by a faulty solid rocket booster O-ring, resulted in the loss of the seven-member crew and the space shuttle Challenger. McNair had planned to play a saxophone solo during the STS-51L mission for composer Jean-Michel Jarre’s album Rendez-Vous, including participation in a concert via a live feed. As a tribute to McNair, Jarre entitled the album’s sixth and last piece Last Rendez-Vous (Ron’s Piece) – ‘Challenger’. Left: Astronaut Ronald E. McNair dons his spacesuit for contingency spacewalk training in the Weightless Environment Training Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Middle: McNair, front row right, in the official STS-51L crew photograph. Right: McNair, third in line, walks with the rest of the STS-51L crew to the Astrovan for the ride out to the launch pad. Frederick D. Gregory The third Black member of the class of 1978, U.S. Air Force pilot Frederick D. Gregory, made his first flight into space in April 1985 aboard space shuttle Challenger. On the STS-51B mission, Gregory became the first Black astronaut to pilot a space shuttle. During the seven-day Spacelab-3 science mission, the seven crew members divided into two teams to conduct 15 experiments in five different disciplines around the clock. Left: Astronaut Frederick D. Gregory on the flight deck of space shuttle Challenger. Right: Gregory, left and upside down, and the rest of the STS-51B crew in the Spacelab module. On his second trip into space, Gregory flew as the first Black commander of a space shuttle, the STS-33 mission of Discovery in November 1989. During the five-day flight, the five-member crew completed the primary goal of the DOD mission to deploy a Magnum electronic intelligence satellite. Left: STS-33 Commander Frederick D. Gregory displays a banner drawn and signed by Japanese students and by the superintendent of the Department of Defense Dependents School in Japan. Middle: Gregory takes photographs through the shuttle’s aft windows. Right: Gregory, left, with his STS-33 crewmates. Gregory once again served as commander on his third and final spaceflight, the DOD-dedicated STS-44 mission. During the seven-day November 1991 flight aboard space shuttle Atlantis, Gregory and his five crewmates deployed a Defense Support Program satellite designed to detect nuclear detonations and missile and space launches. After his third spaceflight, Gregory served at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in several high-level management positions. He served as NASA’s first Black deputy administrator from 2002 until his retirement from the agency in 2005. Left: STS-44 Commander Frederick D. Gregory talks to Mission Control from the middeck of space shuttle Atlantis. Middle: Gregory, front row left, in the onboard STS-44 crew photo. Right: Official NASA portrait of Gregory as deputy NASA administrator. Charles F. Bolden Selected in 1980 in the second group of space shuttle astronauts, U.S. Marine pilot Charles F. Bolden’s first spaceflight took place in January 1986 aboard space shuttle Columbia. He served as the pilot for the six-day STS-61C mission, the last mission before the Challenger accident, to deploy a commercial communications satellite. The flight also featured the first flight of a U.S. Congressman, C. William “Bill” Nelson, whose district included KSC, and who now serves as NASA’s 14th administrator. STS-61C marked the only mission to carry two future NASA administrators. Left: Charles F. Bolden in the pilot’s seat of space shuttle Columbia prepares for reentry. Right: Bolden, upper right, with his fellow STS-61C crew members. Bolden again served as pilot during his second trip into space in April 1990, the five-day STS-31 mission to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope, the orbiting observatory that has changed our view of the Universe in its more than 30 years of surveying the skies. The space shuttle Discovery reached a then-record altitude of 380 miles to place Hubble in its operational orbit well above the Earth’s atmosphere. Left: STS-31 pilot Charles F. Bolden in the airlock of space shuttle Discovery assists with contingency spacewalk preparations. Right: Bolden, upper left, with his STS-31 crewmates following the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope. On his third spaceflight, Bolden flew as commander of STS-45, a nine-day mission aboard space shuttle Atlantis in March 1992. The seven-member crew, divided into two teams to provide uninterrupted data gathering 24-hours a day, operated 12 instruments from 7 countries mounted in the payload bay as part of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-01 mission. Bolden and his crew completed 250 maneuvers to bring Atlantis into the correct positions to obtain the required measurements. Left: STS-45 Commander Charles F. Bolden communicates on the amateur radio. Right: Bolden, front row right, poses with the rest of the STS-45 crew on the shuttle’s flight deck. Bolden returned to space for a fourth time as commander of Discovery’s STS-60 mission, the first flight of the Shuttle-Mir Program. Russian cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev flew as a mission specialist during the nine-day space shuttle mission that included a Spacehab module to conduct a variety of scientific experiments. During his four flights, Bolden logged more than 680 hours of spaceflight time. Shortly after STS-60, he retired from NASA and returned to the U.S. Marine Corps, serving there until 2004. In 2009, President Barack H. Obama nominated, and the Senate confirmed, Bolden as NASA’s 12th and its first Black administrator, a position he held until 2017. Left: STS-60 Commander Charles F. Bolden prepares space shuttle Discovery for reentry. Middle: Bolden, upper right, with his STS-60 crewmates. Right: Official NASA portrait of Bolden as the agency’s first Black administrator. Dr. Mae C. Jemison Selected as an astronaut in 1987, physician Dr. Mae C. Jemison became the first Black woman to fly in space in 1992 as a mission specialist on STS-47. She and her six crewmates conducted 44 life sciences and materials sciences experiments aboard Endeavour’s Spacelab-J mission, sponsored by Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA), now the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Jemison retired from NASA in 1993 but continued to promote space exploration, including writing children’s books and appearing in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Left: Mission Specialist Dr. Mae C. Jemison in the Spacelab-J module during the STS-47 mission. Right: Jemison, right, with the rest of the STS-47 crew, poses in the Spacelab-J module. Dr. Bernard A. Harris Flight surgeon Dr. Bernard A. Harris, selected as a NASA astronaut in 1990, completed his first space flight in April 1993 as a mission specialist on STS-55, the German Spacelab D2 mission. During the 10-day Columbia flight, Harris and his crewmates split into two shifts and conducted 88 experiments sponsored by 11 nations in six scientific disciplines. Left: Mission Specialist Dr. Bernard A. Harris works on a materials experiment in the Spacelab-D2 module during STS-55. Right: Harris, back row left, with his STS-55 crew mates. Harris returned to space on his second flight, as the first Black astronaut designated as the payload commander for a mission, in charge of managing the scientific experiments conducted in the Spacehab module. Discovery’s STS-63 mission, the second Shuttle-Mir flight, included a rendezvous with the Mir space station. The February 1995 mission also featured the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, Eileen M. Collins. During the eight-day mission, Harris conducted a 4-hour, 39-minute spacewalk, the first American African astronaut to do so. Harris retired from NASA in 1996, remaining active in the fields of medicine, research, and education. Left: Dr. Bernard A. Harris, right, prepares for a spacewalk during the STS-63 mission. Right: Harris, front row left, with the rest of the STS-63 crew on space shuttle Discovery’s flight deck. Winston E. Scott Aeronautical engineer Winston E. Scott, selected as a NASA mission specialist astronaut in 1992, completed his first spaceflight aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in January 1996. During the nine-day STS-72 mission, Scott participated in a 6-hour 54-minute spacewalk to test tools and techniques planned for use during the assembly of the space station. The six-person crew retrieved the NASDA Space Flyer Unit, a satellite launched in March 1995 to independently conduct materials science, biology, engineering, and astronomy research. The crew also deployed and two days later retrieved the Spartan-206 free-flyer satellite that carried four technology demonstrations and science experiments. Left: Mission Specialist Winston E. Scott reviews rendezvous procedures on space shuttle Endeavour’s flight deck. Right: Scott, upper right, with the rest of the STS-72 crew. For his second and final mission, Scott returned to space in November 1997 aboard the space shuttle Columbia. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, Scott participated in two spacewalks, bringing his total spacewalking experience to more than 22 hours. The crew conducted nine experiments in materials science, combustion science, and fundamental physics as part of the fourth U.S. Microgravity Payload. Scott retired from NASA in 1999 to return to his alma mater, Florida State University, as vice-president for student affairs. Left: Winston E. Scott deploys a prototype free-flying experiment during a spacewalk on the STS-87 mission. Right: Scott, lower right, with his STS-87 crewmates in space shuttle Columbia’s middeck. Robert L. Curbeam Selected as a NASA astronaut in 1994, aeronautical engineer Robert L. “Beamer” Curbeam made his first trip into space aboard space shuttle Discovery in August 1997 during the STS-85 mission. With study of the Earth the main goal of the 12-day flight, the crew deployed and retrieved the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-2) spacecraft, a joint venture between NASA and the German space agency DLR. The three telescopes and four spectrometers aboard CRISTA-SPAS-2 spent more than 200 hours of free flight observing the Earth. Left: Mission Specialist Robert L. “Beamer” Curbeam photographs the Earth through one of space shuttle Discovery’s overhead windows. Right: Curbeam, left, poses for the inflight photo with the STS-85 crew. On his second flight in space, Curbeam launched aboard space shuttle Atlantis in February 2001. As a crew member on the 13-day STS-98 mission, Curbeam participated in the installation of the Destiny U.S. Laboratory module onto the space station, becoming the first Black astronaut to visit the orbital facility. He conducted three spacewalks totaling nearly 20 hours to complete external connections between the space station and Destiny. Left: Robert L. “Beamer” Curbeam during the second STS-98 spacewalk to install the Destiny U.S. Laboratory module onto the space station. Right: Curbeam, right, with the STS-98 and Expedition 1 crews. On his third and final flight, Curbeam returned to space, and to the space station, in December 2006, as part of the STS-116 crew aboard space shuttle Discovery. The 13-day flight marked the first time that two Black astronauts flew on the same mission. The crew installed the P5 truss segment on the ISS, with Curbeam completing four spacewalks to help accomplish the task. With his previous spacewalking experience, Curbeam holds the record among Black astronauts for the most number of spacewalks, seven, and the most spacewalking time, 45 hours 34 minutes. Curbeam retired from NASA in 2007, remaining active in space-related activities. Left: Robert L. “Beamer” Curbeam during the second STS-116 spacewalk to install the P5 truss segment onto the space station. Right: Curbeam, middle row at right, with the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews. Michael P. Anderson Physicist Michael P. Anderson joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 1994 and made his first flight in space in January 1998 aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. As a mission specialist aboard STS-89, the eighth mission to dock with the space station Mir, Anderson was the first and only Black astronaut to visit the Russian orbital facility. He also conducted scientific experiments in the double Spacehab logistics module during the 9-day mission. Left: Michael P. Anderson works on an experiment in the middeck of space shuttle Endeavour. Right: Anderson, lower right, with the STS-89 and Mir Expedition 24 crews, poses for the inflight crew photo in Mir’s base block module. Anderson’s next spaceflight came in January 2003, the 16-day STS-107 research mission aboard space shuttle Columbia. With Anderson serving as payload commander, the seven-member crew split into two teams to work around the clock on more than 80 experiments in the fields of Earth and space science, advanced technology, and astronaut health and safety. Tragically, about 16 minutes before landing at KSC, space shuttle Columbia broke apart, with loss of the vehicle and the crew. Investigators traced the cause to a piece of foam that fell off the external tank during launch and struck Columbia’s left wing, creating an opening through which superheated gases during reentry impinged on the orbiter’s airframe, causing the vehicle to disintegrate. Left: Michael P. Anderson works on a combustion experiment in the Spacehab Double Research Module during the STS-107 mission. Right: Anderson, at upper right, with the rest of the STS-107 crew, poses for the inflight photograph in the Spacehab module. Stephanie D. Wilson Selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1996, aerospace engineer Stephanie D. Wilson completed her first mission in July 2006 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. The 13-day STS-121 mission, the second return to flight mission after the Columbia accident, resumed outfitting of the space station, including returning its crew size to three. Wilson handled much of the robotics operations, including transferring the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo from the shuttle’s cargo bay to the ISS and back again. The MPLM delivered the first of three scientific refrigerator/freezers and other facilities to the space station to expand its research capabilities. Left: Stephanie D. Wilson at the controls of the space station’s robotic work station in the Destiny module. Right: Wilson, middle row left, with the STS-121 and Expedition 13 crews. On her second spaceflight in October 2007, Wilson returned to the space station, this time on the STS-120 mission of space shuttle Discovery. During the 15-day flight, the crew delivered the Harmony Node 2 module to the station, with Wilson robotically assisting in the installation of the new element that enabled the subsequent addition of the European and Japanese research modules. Left: Stephanie D. Wilson poses in front of the robotic workstation in the space station’s Destiny module. Right: Wilson, at left, poses with the STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews. In April 2010, Wilson made her third trip into space and her third visit to the space station. During the 15-day STS-131 mission, the MPLM Leonardo in space shuttle Discovery’s cargo bay delivered three research facilities and other cargo to the orbiting laboratory, with Wilson using the station’s robotic arm to transfer the MPLM to and from the station. During STS-131, for the first time four women worked in space at the same time, three members of the shuttle crew and the fourth a member of the Expedition 23 crew. To date, Wilson has accumulated 43 days of spaceflight time over the course of her three missions. In January 2024, NASA assigned Wilson to the Crew 9 mission for a long-duration flight aboard the space station later in the year. Left: Stephanie D. Wilson poses in front of one of the two windows of the space station’s Kibo module. Middle: Wilson, left, posing in the Cupola with three other women astronauts during the STS-131 mission, the first time that four women flew in space at the same time. Right: Wilson, front row second from right, poses with the STS-131 and Expedition 23 crews in Kibo. Joan E. Higginbotham Selected in the astronaut class of 1996, electrical engineer Joan E. Higginbotham completed her single spaceflight in December 2006, the 13-day STS-116 mission aboard space shuttle Discovery. With Curbeam on the same crew, this marked the first time that two Black astronauts flew in space at the same time. Higginbotham operated the space station’s remote manipulator system to assist in the installation of the P5 truss segment to the facility. She retired from NASA in 2007 to pursue a career in the private sector. Left: Joan E. Higginbotham operates the controls of the International Space Station’s robotic work station in the Destiny module. Right: Higginbotham, front row to right of center, in the Destiny module with the STS-116 and Expedition 14 crews, the first time that two Black astronauts flew in space at the same time. B. Alvin Drew After his selection by NASA as an astronaut in 2000, physicist and aeronautical engineer B. Alvin Drew made his first spaceflight aboard space shuttle Endeavour in August 2007. During the 13-day STS-118 mission, Drew and his six crewmates installed the S5 truss segment on the space station, transferred 5,000 pounds of science experiments and other logistics from the single Spacehab module to the station, and returned 4,000 pounds of unneeded hardware to Earth. Left: B. Alvin Drew transfers equipment into the space station. Right: Drew, middle row at left, with the STS-118 and Expedition 15 crews posing in the Destiny module. On his second and final trip into space in February 2011, Drew returned to the space station, this time on STS-133, the final flight of space shuttle Discovery. During the 13-day mission, Drew carried out two spacewalks totaling nearly 13 hours to complete a series of maintenance tasks on the station’s exterior. Engineers on the ground converted the MPLM Leonardo into a Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to provide additional storage capacity for the station. Drew and his five crewmates installed the PMM on the orbital facility. They also added a third platform for holding external payloads onto the station’s truss segment, and brought the Robonaut-2 humanoid robot to the orbiting laboratory. Drew currently serves as the NASA liaison to the Department of Defense at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Left: B. Alvin Drew operates the space station’s robotic work station in the space station’s Destiny module. Right: Drew, front row at left, with his STS-133 and Expedition 26 crewmates. Leland D. Melvin Chemist and former National Football League player Leland D. Melvin, selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1998, made his first spaceflight aboard the space shuttle Atlantis in February 2008, the 13-day STS-122 mission. As a mission specialist, Melvin participated in the robotic operations to install the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory module on the space station. Left: Leland D. Melvin operates the space station’s robotic work station in the Destiny module. Right: Melvin, at center in rear, during mealtime with his STS-122 and Expedition 16 crewmates in the Zvezda service module. Melvin returned to space and to the space station in November 2009 aboard Atlantis. During the 11-day STS-129 mission, the crew installed two external carriers for payloads onto the station’s truss, with Melvin operating the shuttle’s robotic arm. After his second and final spaceflight, NASA managers recognized Melvin’s passion for engaging with students of all ages and named him associate administrator for the Office of Education at NASA Headquarters in 2010. He served in that position until his retirement from the agency in 2014. Melvin continues to promote human spaceflight and education. Left: Astronaut Leland D. Melvin reflected in the lid of the Lada greenhouse in the Zvezda service module. Middle: Melvin, left of center, poses with his STS-129 and Expedition 21 crewmates. Right: Official photograph of Melvin as NASA associate administrator for the Office of Education. Dr. Robert L. Satcher Selected by NASA in 2004 as an astronaut, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Robert L. “Bobby” Satcher flew his only space mission in November 2009, an 11-day flight aboard space shuttle Atlantis. As a mission specialist on the STS-129 crew, Satcher participated in the installation of two external payload carriers onto the space station’s truss, including conducting two spacewalks totaling more than 12 hours. He retired from NASA in 2011 to join The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s orthopedic oncology department. Left: Astronaut Dr. Robert L. “Bobby” Satcher floats in the space station’s Destiny module. Right: Satcher, second row at right, with his STS-129 and Expedition 21 crewmates. Victor J. Glover NASA selected U.S. Navy test pilot Victor J. Glover as an astronaut in 2013. He launched in November 2020 aboard Space Exploration Technology Corporation’s (SpaceX) commercial Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. The Crew 1 mission marked the first use of the Crew Dragon for a space station crew rotation. Glover became the first Black astronaut to join a long-duration expedition crew aboard the station, and his arrival with his three crewmates marked the first time the facility’s resident crew size increased to seven people, significantly increasing the crew time available to conduct research. Glover logged 167 days in space during his mission as a member of Expedition 64 and 65. On April 3, 2023, NASA named Glover as the pilot for Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration. Left: Astronaut Victor J. Glover conducts a spacewalk during Expedition 64. Right: Glover, left, with his Expedition 64 crewmates in the Cupola module. Sian H. Proctor Geologist Sian H. Proctor flew as one of the four crew members on the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Resilience. Proctor, the first Black woman pilot in space, carried with her a fragment of the Canyon Diablo meteorite that 50,000 years ago created the Barringer Crater in Arizona, also known as Meteor Crater. She also conducted experiments during the three-day flight in September 2021. Left: Sian H. Proctor with a fragment of the Canyon Diablo meteorite she flew to space aboard the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission. Right: Proctor, right, with her fellow Inspiration4 crewmates. Jessica A. Watkins Jessica A. Watkins, selected for NASA’s 2017 astronaut class, launched aboard Crew Dragon Freedom as part of the Crew 4 mission in April 2022, becoming the first Black woman to join a long-duration mission. Watkins, the first NASA geologist to fly in space since Apollo 17’s Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt in 1972, completed a 171-day mission aboard the space station, returning to Earth in October 2022. During her stay as a member of Expeditions 67 and 68, she conducted dozens of experiments. During the handover between Crew 4 and Crew 5, for the first time in history, five women worked in space at the same time, four aboard the International Space Station and one aboard China’s Tiangong space station. Watkins remains eligible for future mission assignments. Left: Astronaut Jessica A. Watkins places biological samples into the Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS during Expedition 68. Right: Expedition 67 crew members help Watkins, center, celebrate her birthday aboard the space station. Jeanette J. Epps Selected as an astronaut in 2009, Jeanette J. Epps will make her first trip into space as a member of Crew 8, scheduled for launch in February 2024 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. Epps and her three crewmates will join the Expedition 70 and 71 crews for a planned six-month mission aboard the space station to conduct more than 200 experiments. . Left: NASA astronaut Jeanette J. Epps, right, poses with her Crew 8 crewmates for the official photograph. Right: Epps, left, and her Crew 8 crewmates during a training session. To be continued… Explore More 7 min read 40 Years Ago: President Reagan Directs NASA to Build a Space Station Article 1 week ago 3 min read NASA Glenn Established in Cleveland in 1941 Article 1 week ago 5 min read NASA Glenn’s Langley Legacy Article 1 week ago View the full article

Maury Vander stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, where he has worked more than 30 years supporting NASA’s mission of space exploration. NASA/Danny Nowlin One thing has remained constant throughout Maury Vander’s career with NASA – the satisfaction of being part of a team working to innovate and benefit the agency and the aerospace industry at large. As chief of the Test Operations Division at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Vander provides guidance and help with technical challenges to a group of electrical and mechanical engineers performing test operations for NASA and commercial companies. “With the test team at NASA Stennis, the work doesn’t happen because of one individual,” Vander said. “It’s a total team effort that makes it happen. Our team consists of a diverse group of personalities, experience levels and backgrounds, so you get value from that.” Vander has contributed in various capacities to four engine programs since coming to NASA Stennis in 1990 as a contract worker and then being hired by NASA in 2000. He performed the role of test conductor for the programs, which included being the first to do so in three of the four programs. Filling this role allowed him the opportunity to be heavily involved in developing the test processes used during the initial hot fire tests of those engines. He called this a highlight of his career as he witnessed the success of the test campaigns. A key part of continuing NASA’s mission of exploring secrets of the universe for the benefit of all is developing people to contribute to the agency, which ultimately benefits humanity. With the test team at NASA Stennis, the work doesn’t happen because of one individual. It’s a total team effort that makes it happen. Our team consists of a diverse group of personalities, experience levels and backgrounds, so you get value from that.” maury vander NASA Stennis Test Operations Leader The Slidell, Louisiana, native was once the person that pressed the button and made the ground shake as a conductor of engine tests. Since being promoted to his leadership role in 2012, Vander now helps other people grow into such roles as NASA works to safely carry out Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. “You start to gain enjoyment as you watch people develop,” he said. “You watch someone who comes in as a new hire and watch as they develop skills and see what they are capable of doing and you kind of draw a different level of satisfaction with your job.” Helping people become aware of their potential is something Vander enjoys. When NASA led an outreach event in November at the Bayou Classic in New Orleans to reach deeper into underrepresented and underserved segments of society, Vander was quick to volunteer for the activity and help staff a NASA exhibit tent. “When I do outreach events like that, I hope I can open their eyes and make a connection,” he said. “And in this instance, I looked a lot like the high school graduating seniors passing by or the freshmen in college going into the game.” Vander’s message to young people attending the HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) event was clear. “Forty years ago, I was you,” Vander told students who stopped at the NASA exhibit. “There’s a lot more opportunity now. There’s a lot more skills that are out there that you can take advantage of and go way farther than I went or even thought about going.” Whether it is welcoming new people or helping develop those already on the team at NASA Stennis, Vander knows most of the success he has experienced can be traced back to the team. “At the end of the day, I’m going to look back and say there was some good work going on, and there were some great people that I got to interact with,” Vander said. “I would love for them to be able to say of me, ‘It was good to be on a team with him, he treated me not just as a coworker but as a friend, and I’m better for having encountered him.’” For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit Stennis Space Center – NASA View the full article

2 min read Hubble Captures a Suspected Galaxy Encounter This new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image is of the spiral galaxy UGC 3912. NASA, ESA, and C. Kilpatrick (Northwestern University); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) UGC 3912 is classified as a spiral galaxy … but you wouldn’t know it from this detailed NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. UGC 3912’s distorted shape is typically indicative of a gravitational encounter with another galaxy. When galaxies interact – either brush up against each other’s gravitational fields or even collide – their stars, dust, and gas can be pulled into new paths. UGC 3912 might have once been an organized-looking spiral, but it looks like it’s been smudged out of shape by a giant thumb. Fortunately, when galaxies interact, the individual stars and objects that orbit them remain whole even though their orbits can change so dramatically that the entire galaxy’s shape is altered. That’s because the distances between stars in galaxies are so vast that they don’t crash into one another, just continue serenely along their new orbits. Astronomers are studying UGC 3912 as part of an investigation into supernovae activity – when stars at least eight times larger than our Sun explode at the end of their lives. Hubble is examining one of the several types of supernovae, a hydrogen-rich phenomenon known as Type II. Though ample Type II supernovae have been observed, they exhibit enormous diversity in their brightness and spectroscopy and are not well understood. LEARN MORE: Hubble’s Cosmic Collisions Hubble Science: Galaxy Details and Mergers Hubble Science: Tracing the Growth of Galaxies Download this image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Feb 01, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions Spiral Galaxies The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… View the full article

2 min read February’s Night Sky Notes: Constant Companions: Circumpolar Constellations, Part I by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Winter in the northern hemisphere offers crisp, clear (and cold!) nights to stargazers, along with better views of several circumpolar constellations. What does circumpolar mean when referring to constellations? This word refers to constellations that surround the north and south celestial poles without ever falling below the horizon. Depending on your latitude, you will be able to see up to nine circumpolar constellations in the northern hemisphere. Today, we’ll focus on three that have gems within: Auriga, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Minor. These objects can all be spotted with a pair of binoculars or a small to medium-sized telescope. The counterclockwise circumpolar constellations Auriga, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Minor in the night sky, with four objects circled in yellow labeled: Pinwheel Cluster, Starfish Cluster, Owl Cluster, and Polaris. Credit: Stellarium Web The Pinwheel Cluster: Located near the edge of Auriga, this open star cluster is easy to spot with a pair of binoculars or small telescope. At just 25 million years old, it contains no red giant stars and looks similar to the Pleiades. To find this, draw a line between the stars Elnath in Taurus and Menkalinan in Auriga. You will also find the Starfish Cluster nearby. The Owl Cluster: Located in the ‘W’ or ‘M’ shaped constellation Cassiopeia, is the open star cluster known as the Owl Cluster. Sometimes referred to as the E.T. Cluster or Dragonfly Cluster, this group of stars never sets below the horizon and can be spotted with binoculars or a small telescope. A black and white image from the Hubble Telescope of the Polaris star system, showing three stars: Polaris A, Ab, and Polaris B. Credit: NASA, ESA, N. Evans (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), and H. Bond (STScI) Polaris: Did you know that Polaris is a triple star system? Look for the North Star on the edge of Ursa Minor, and with a medium-sized telescope, you should be able to separate two of the three stars. This star is also known as a Cepheid variable star, meaning that it varies in brightness, temperature and diameter. It’s the closest one of its kind to Earth, making it a great target for study and conceptual art. Artist’s Concept of Polaris System – Annotated Credit: NASA, ESA, G. Bacon (STScI) Up next, catch the King of the Planets before its gone for the season with our upcoming mid-month article on the Night Sky Network page through NASA’s website! View the full article

26 Min Read The Marshall Star for January 31, 2024 Marshall Commemorates NASA’s Day of Remembrance By Celine Smith Team members across NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center congregated Jan. 25 in the lobby of Building 4221 to observe NASA’s Day of Remembrance. Each January, the agency pauses to honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. Bill Hill, left, director of Marshall’s Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, observes Larry Leopard, Marshall associate director, technical, lighting a candle in honor of those lost at the Day of Remembrance ceremony.NASA/Krisdon A. Manecke The center’s ceremony included speeches from Larry Leopard, Marshall associate director, technical, and Bill Hill, director of Marshall’s Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate. Leopard spoke about his memories of Challenger and Columbia’s influence on his work ethic at Marshall. “With every failure and loss, it is up to those who remain to learn and grow from those who have gone on before us to prevent the same mistakes as we push on to new heights,” Leopard said. Hill emphasized the importance of how a strong safety culture at Marshall is vital to mission success. He also encouraged Marshall team members to attend center safety workshops and complete training to eliminate as much risk as possible on future missions. From left, Shannon Segovia, Marshall’s deputy director of communications, Hill, Leopard, and acting Center Director Joseph Pelfrey gather around the ceremonial wreath and candle. NASA/Krisdon A. Manecke “Seventeen of our brave astronauts paid the ultimate price for our failures,” Hill said. “Learning from our experience, we must become more humble, more dedicated to doing things right, more vigilant, questioning the process at every turn.” After their speeches, a candle was lit in memory of lives lost in the pursuit of exploration and discovery along with a moment of silence. “The accidents we’ve had in the past are reminders of how hard, dangerous, and risky space exploration is,” acting Center Director Joseph Pelfrey said afterward. “They serve as a reminder for us to be diligent at our jobs. As we bring younger generations into the workforce, we have to continue to teach them as well so that as a community we don’t repeat these mistakes.” Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top National Mentoring Month: Troubleshooting with NASA’s Aaron Comis and Brad Solomon By Jessica Barnett Mentorship is a valuable partnership that benefits both mentors and mentees. Like any relationship, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Those challenges can include misaligned expectations, miscommunications, time constraints, lack of engagement, and burnout. Overcoming those challenges is possible, but it takes commitment, communication, and flexibility from both parties. Brad Solomon is the chief information officer in the Management of Information Technology office at Marshall Space Flight Center. Solomon signed up for the Systems Engineering Mentoring program to help younger members of NASA’s workforce as they navigate their lives and careers.NASA/Danielle Burle Those concepts are all too familiar to Brad Solomon and Aaron Comis, who were paired as mentor and mentee respectively. Solomon, who currently serves as chief information officer for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, said he signed up for the systems engineering mentoring program and was purposefully paired with Comis, a former Pathways intern from Johnson Space Center who now works as chief digital engineer at Goddard Space Flight Center. “We found we had more in common than we knew, as both of us were involved in the digital transformation initiative led by Jill Marlowe, and that our challenges at Marshall and Goddard in that effort were very common,” Solomon said. Aaron Comis serves as chief digital engineer in the Engineering and Technology Directorate at Goddard Space Flight Center. Comis said mentors have been a major influence throughout his career, from his days as an intern at Johnson Space Center through today.NASA Being at different NASA centers meant the potential for additional challenges, but it also provided additional perspective and opportunities for the pair during their mentorship journey. As NASA wraps up its celebration of this year’s Mentoring Month, Comis and Solomon sat down to offer their insight into how mentorship has influenced their lives and careers, as well as their tips for helping things go right and their advice for when things go wrong. Question: What does mentorship mean to you? Comis: To me, mentorship is a judgment-free relationship between peers that provides a safe space to discuss life with a focus on relating conversation back to a specific topic, whether it be professional, educational, personal, etc. We all eat, sleep, win, lose, and face challenges. The only constant is everything relating back to life. Solomon: As a mentor, it means inspiring and helping create the next generation of leaders who will carry on the NASA legacy. I was fortunate to be part of the construction of ISS (International Space Station) and the Space Shuttle Program support, but the days of major NASA programs at the heart of the NASA mission are largely over, given the growth of the commercial space sector. More than ever, we need an innovative workforce adept at modern engineering techniques. With over 700 new NASA employees at Marshall since the pandemic began, all of us should feel obligated to help launch their young careers. Question: What impact has mentorship had on you and your career? Comis: Mentors have played a huge, albeit unassuming, role throughout my career, as early as my time at Johnson Space Center as a Pathways intern. My mentors throughout the years have provided me with a safe space to ask questions that I wasn’t comfortable with asking publicly, supported me through hard times, and celebrated big wins with me. I honestly believe my career wouldn’t be as successful or fun without the many mentors who helped me along the way. Solomon: We all can look back at our careers and see the handful of leaders and conversations that changed the trajectory and propelled our careers. I had the privilege of being part of a Boeing program in the early 1990s that provided excellent leadership training and the opportunity to hear from aerospace leaders. Jonathan Pettus and Neil Rodgers instilled project management discipline and tireless work ethics in the implementation of NASA’s first enterprise financial management systems. Being part of an enterprise IT source evaluation board gave me opportunities to work with leaders like Byron Butler and Walt Melton, who taught me how to read and appreciate precision in contracting. Without mentors like these, I would not have been prepared for promotion opportunities when they were presented. Question: How do you handle potential conflicts or disagreements to ensure a constructive resolution? Comis: My role at Goddard is focused on change management, which can be a challenging role. If I come across potential conflicts or disagreements, I start with self-evaluation and attempt to take a step back from the situation. Did I communicate my intended message clearly and effectively? Was it possible that the intended message wasn’t understood? If the topic was the issue, not the communication, then it helps to have trusted mentors from all walks of life. This way, there is a better chance of achieving a constructive resolution in some form. Geographic separation – for example, being at different NASA centers – also helps with discussing certain sensitive topics, since this provides an additional layer of privacy and protection for everyone and ensures objective mentorship. Solomon: That’s such an important trait in an effective leader. First, never take any criticism or disagreement personally, even when it is delivered with animus. There are always reasons behind it, and it may not have anything to do with you. Second, set aside all emotion, and see the issue as a roadblock – first, to a successful personal relationship, then to the mission. You must address the lack of trust before you can solve the problem. Do not hesitate to insert humor and self-deprecation to reduce tension. That will make addressing trust and the issue at hand easier. Finally, always start a hard conversation by restating and affirming the validity of the other person’s position (seek first to understand). This way, you are at least on neutral ground to start the difficult conversation. Question: How would you suggest a mentor or mentee address differing expectations? Comis: Expectations are key to a successful mentorship and should be addressed during the very first mentor/mentee interaction, starting with, ‘Why do you want to be a mentor/mentee, and what do you hope to gain from this experience?’ This is something that I learned from my most recent formal mentorship experience that I intend on carrying forward with my future mentor/mentee relationships. Solomon: All mentor/mentee initial meetings should start with a statement of expectations from the mentee. As mentor, do not critique the statement. Treat it as the starting point for the conversation. Mentors should listen, affirm, then add to the expectation with additional potential directions in which the discussions can go. Save additional guidance for future meetings. Instead, get to know each other. Where is the mentee in their career? What are their aspirations? Why? What do they enjoy doing outside of work? At the end of the meeting, set the mentoring agenda for the next meeting. Question: What advice do you have for someone else who wants to find or be a mentor? Comis: Take the plunge! Becoming a mentor or mentee can be challenging, since it involves opening yourself up, whether by asking for help or offering help to someone else’s real and ongoing challenges, but it’s also hugely rewarding. Of course, it’s important to get to know someone before unloading your problems onto them, but at a certain point, there’s only one way to continue to establish the relationship, and that’s through trust. Ideally, have multiple mentors throughout your career, some local and some who intentionally are not local. This way, for more sensitive issues, you have an added layer of separation for peace of mind. I’d recommend everyone look for someone you already trust (for a potential mentor) or someone you see or know of who might be struggling and offer a helping hand (as a potential mentor for them). You never know how additional perspective might help you overcome challenges you weren’t even aware you had! Solomon: To the mentor: First, there is no wrong way to do this. Don’t worry about meeting an expectation. It’s best to just be yourself and be genuine. Be present in the discussions, not distracted. Reschedule if you have a scheduling conflict. It helps if there is an affinity between the mentor and mentee to begin with, so work needs to be done to effectively match the two. If you are not right for each other, terminate after the first session and take action to help find a better match. Take good notes. You might want to consider a separate notebook for the engagement, so you can look back on notes from the past session. Mentees are opening themselves to you, so be trustworthy. Remember the last conversation and bring it forward to the next one. Be willing to share about yourself as well. To the mentee: Be honest and open. You get out only what you are willing to invest. This means you will be out of your comfort zone. Don’t worry; it’s supposed to feel uncomfortable at times. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or raise uncomfortable questions, because everyone has been at your point and gone through similar experiences in their careers. Know that your time will come when you will be the mentor – perhaps sooner than you expect. Editor’s note: This is the third in a Marshall Star series during National Mentoring Month in January. Marshall team members can learn more about the benefits of mentoring on Inside Marshall. Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications. › Back to Top Marshall Team Supports Space Night with the Huntsville Havoc NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center joined the Huntsville Havoc for Space Night. The sold-out Jan. 26 game featured more than 4,900 fans for a themed hockey game designed to celebrate Huntsville’s robust aerospace community. Marshall team member Michael Allen shares details about the IXPE mission with fans Jan. 26 at the Huntsville Havoc’s Space Night.NASA/Taylor Goodwin Thousands of space and hockey fans enjoyed exhibits and outreach provided by Marshall team members from across the center, including the Centennial Challenges Program; IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer); Technology Demonstration Missions; and SLS (Space Launch System) Program. Huntsville Havoc mascot, Rukus, poses in front of NASA exhibits at Space Night.NASA/Taylor Goodwin Marshall team member Savannah Bullard shares details of the Centennial Challenges Program with Space Night attendees. NASA/Taylor Goodwin › Back to Top NASA Marks Halfway Point for Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Certification Series NASA completed the sixth of 12 scheduled RS-25 engine certification tests in a critical series for future flights of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket as engineers conducted a full-duration hot fire Jan. 27 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The current series builds on previous hot fire testing conducted at NASA Stennis to help certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company. The new engines will help power NASA’s SLS rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V. NASA completed a full-duration, 500-second hot fire of an RS-25 certification engine Jan. 27, marking the halfway point in a critical test series to support future SLS (Space Launch System) missions to the Moon and beyond as NASA explores the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.NASA/Danny Nowlin Operators fired the RS-25 engine on the Fred Haise Test Stand for almost eight-and-a-half minutes (500 seconds) – the same amount of time needed to help launch SLS – and at power levels ranging between 80% to 113%. New RS-25 engines will power up to the 111% level to provide additional thrust for launch of SLS. Testing up to the 113% power level provides a margin of operational safety. Now at the halfway point in the series, teams will install a new certification nozzle on the engine. Installation of the new nozzle will allow engineers to gather additional performance data from a second production unit. Following installation next month, testing will resume at Stennis with six additional hot fires scheduled through March. Having reached the halfway point in a 12-test RS-25 certification series, teams at NASA’s Stennis Space Center will install a second production nozzle on the engine to gather additional performance data during the remaining scheduled hot fires.Aerojet Rocketdyne For each Artemis mission, four RS-25 engines, along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, power the SLS to produce more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the SLS Program. › Back to Top Cygnus Lifts Off Atop SpaceX Rocket to Deliver Station Cargo A fresh supply of more than 8,200 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo is on its way to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:07 a.m. CST Jan. 30 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Cygnus cargo craft from Northrop Grumman launches atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 30. NASA TV Cygnus has successfully deployed its two solar arrays and is scheduled to arrive at the space station around 3:15 a.m. Feb. 1. NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency’s website will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s approach and arrival beginning at 1:45 a.m. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will capture Cygnus using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara will be acting as a backup. After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. This is Northrop Grumman’s 20th contracted resupply mission for NASA. The Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center operates, plans, and coordinates the science experiments onboard the space station 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog. › Back to Top NASA Space Tech Spinoffs Benefit Earth Medicine, Moon to Mars Tools As NASA innovates for the benefit of all, what the agency develops for exploration has the potential to evolve into other technologies with broader use here on Earth. Many of those examples are highlighted in NASA’s annual Spinoff book including dozens of NASA-enabled medical innovations, as well other advancements. Squishy Robotics’ Tensegrity Sensor Robots help first responders determine their approach to a disaster scene. Firefighters used the robots during a subway attack exercise at the 2021 Unmanned Tactical Application Conference to detect gas leaks and other hazards.Credits: FLYMOTION LLC. This year’s publication, NASA’s 2024 Spinoff, features several commercialized technologies using the agency’s research and development expertise to impact everyday lives, including: Spherical “squishy” robots capable of dropping into dangerous situations before first responders enter “Digital winglets” aircraft-routing technology that’s enabling increased fuel efficiency and smoother flights Lighter, more durable disc brake designs that produce less dust than traditional disc brakes Computer software to help businesses and communities cope with and recover from natural disasters like wildfires New 3D printing methods to additively manufacture rocket engines and other large aluminum parts “As we continue to push new frontiers and do the unimaginable, NASA’s scientists and engineers are constantly innovating and advancing technologies,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “A critical part of our mission is to quickly get those advances into the hands of companies and entrepreneurs who can use them to grow their businesses, open new markets, boost the economy, and raise the quality of life for everyone.” The medical innovations include the first wireless arthroscope – a small tube carrying a camera inserted into the body during surgery – to receive clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which benefited from NASA’s experience with spacesuits and satellite batteries. Technologies for diagnosing illnesses like the coronavirus, hepatitis, and cancer have also stemmed from NASA’s space exploration and science endeavors. Even certain types of toothpaste originated from the agency’s efforts to grow crystals for electronics. Additional 2024 Spinoff highlights include developments under NASA’s Artemis campaign, like a small, rugged video camera used to improve aircraft safety and a new method for detecting defects or damage in composite materials. Meanwhile, another Spinoff story details the latest benefits of fuel cell technology created more than 50 years ago for Apollo, which is now poised to support terrestrial power grids based on renewable energy. The book also features several technologies NASA has identified as promising future spinoffs and information on how to license agency tech. Since the 1970s, thousands of NASA technologies have found their way into many scientific and technical disciplines, impacting nearly every American industry. “As NASA’s longest continuously running program, we continue to increase the number of technologies we license year-over-year while streamlining the development path from the government to the commercial sector,” said Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer program executive at NASA Headquarters. “These commercialization success stories continually prove the benefits of transitioning agency technologies into private hands, where the real impacts are made.” Spinoffs are part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and its Technology Transfer program. Tech Transfer is charged with finding broad, innovative applications for NASA-developed technology through partnerships and licensing agreements, ensuring agency investments benefit the nation and the world. Read the latest issue of Spinoff. › Back to Top Webb Depicts Staggering Structure in 19 Nearby Spiral Galaxies It’s oh-so-easy to be absolutely mesmerized by these spiral galaxies. Follow their clearly defined arms, which are brimming with stars, to their centers, where there may be old star clusters and – sometimes – active supermassive black holes. Only NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope can deliver highly detailed scenes of nearby galaxies in a combination of near- and mid-infrared light – and a set of these images was publicly released Jan. 29. These Webb images are part of a large, long-standing project, the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS, or PHANGS, program, which is supported by more than 150 astronomers worldwide. Before Webb took these images, PHANGS was already brimming with data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the Very Large Telescope’s Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. These included observations in ultraviolet, visible, and radio light. Webb’s near- and mid-infrared contributions have provided several new puzzle pieces. The James Webb Space Telescope observed 19 nearby face-on spiral galaxies in near- and mid-infrared light as part of its contributions to the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS, or PHANGS, program. PHANGS also includes images and data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the Very Large Telescope’s Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, which included observations taken in ultraviolet, visible, and radio light. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), PHANGS Team, Elizabeth Wheatley (STScI)) “Webb’s new images are extraordinary,” said Janice Lee, a project scientist for strategic initiatives at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. “They’re mind-blowing even for researchers who have studied these same galaxies for decades. Bubbles and filaments are resolved down to the smallest scales ever observed, and tell a story about the star formation cycle.” Excitement rapidly spread throughout the team as the Webb images flooded in. “I feel like our team lives in a constant state of being overwhelmed – in a positive way – by the amount of detail in these images,” added Thomas Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) captured millions of stars in these images, which sparkle in blue tones. Some stars are spread throughout the spiral arms, but others are clumped tightly together in star clusters. Face-on spiral galaxy, NGC 628, is split diagonally in this image: The James Webb Space Telescope’s observations appear at top left, and the Hubble Space Telescope’s on bottom right. Webb and Hubble’s images show a striking contrast, an inverse of darkness and light. Why? Webb’s observations combine near- and mid-infrared light and Hubble’s showcase visible light. Dust absorbs ultraviolet and visible light, and then re-emits it in the infrared. In Webb’s images, we see dust glowing in infrared light. In Hubble’s images, dark regions are where starlight is absorbed by dust. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), and the PHANGS team The telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) data highlights glowing dust, showing us where it exists around and between stars. It also spotlights stars that haven’t yet fully formed – they are still encased in the gas and dust that feed their growth, like bright red seeds at the tips of dusty peaks. “These are where we can find the newest, most massive stars in the galaxies,” said Erik Rosolowsky, a professor of physics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Something else that amazed astronomers? Webb’s images show large, spherical shells in the gas and dust. “These holes may have been created by one or more stars that exploded, carving out giant holes in the interstellar material,” explained Adam Leroy, a professor of astronomy at the Ohio State University in Columbus. Now, trace the spiral arms to find extended regions of gas that appear red and orange. “These structures tend to follow the same pattern in certain parts of the galaxies,” Rosolowsky added. “We think of these like waves, and their spacing tells us a lot about how a galaxy distributes its gas and dust.” Study of these structures will provide key insights about how galaxies build, maintain, and shut off star formation. Webb Telescope’s view face-on of spiral galaxy NGC 4254. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), and the PHANGS team Evidence shows that galaxies grow from inside out – star formation begins at galaxies’ cores and spreads along their arms, spiraling away from the center. The farther a star is from the galaxy’s core, the more likely it is to be younger. In contrast, the areas near the cores that look lit by a blue spotlight are populations of older stars. What about galaxy cores that are awash in pink-and-red diffraction spikes? “That’s a clear sign that there may be an active supermassive black hole,” said Eva Schinnerer, a staff scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany. “Or, the star clusters toward the center are so bright that they have saturated that area of the image.” There are many avenues of research that scientists can begin to pursue with the combined PHANGS data, but the unprecedented number of stars Webb resolved are a great place to begin. “Stars can live for billions or trillions of years,” Leroy said. “By precisely cataloging all types of stars, we can build a more reliable, holistic view of their life cycles.” In addition to immediately releasing these images, the PHANGS team has also released the largest catalog to date of roughly 100,000 star clusters. “The amount of analysis that can be done with these images is vastly larger than anything our team could possibly handle,” Rosolowsky emphasized. “We’re excited to support the community so all researchers can contribute.” See the full set of 19 images from both Webb and Hubble. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. Several NASA centers contributed to the project, including NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. › Back to Top Poised for Science: NASA’s Europa Clipper Instruments are All Aboard With less than nine months remaining in the countdown to launch, NASA’s Europa Clipper mission has passed a major milestone: Its science instruments have been added to the massive spacecraft, which is being assembled at the agency’s JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Set to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in October, the spacecraft will head to Jupiter’s ice-encased moon Europa, where a salty ocean beneath the frozen surface may hold conditions suitable for life. Europa Clipper won’t be landing; rather, after arriving at the Jupiter system in 2030, the spacecraft will orbit Jupiter for four years, performing 49 flybys of Europa and using its powerful suite of nine science instruments to investigate the moon’s potential as a habitable environment. NASA’s Europa Clipper, with all of its instruments installed, is visible Jan. 19 in the clean room of High Bay 1 at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The tent around the spacecraft was erected to support electromagnetic testing.NASA/JPL-Caltech “The instruments work together hand in hand to answer our most pressing questions about Europa,” said JPL’s Robert Pappalardo, the mission’s project scientist. “We will learn what makes Europa tick, from its core and rocky interior to its ocean and ice shell to its very thin atmosphere and the surrounding space environment.” The hallmark of Europa Clipper’s science investigation is how all of the instruments will work in sync while collecting data to accomplish the mission’s science objectives. During each flyby, the fully array of instruments will gather measurements and images that will be layered together to paint the full picture of Europa. “The science is better if we obtain the observations at the same time,” Pappalardo said. “What we’re striving for is integration, so that at any point we are using all the instruments to study Europa at once and there is no need to have to trade off among them.” By studying the environment around Europa, scientists will learn more about the moon’s interior. The spacecraft carries a magnetometer to measure the magnetic field around the moon. That data will be key to understanding the ocean, because the field is created, or induced, by the electrical conductivity of the ocean’s saltwater as Europa moves through Jupiter’s strong magnetic field. Working in tandem with the magnetometer is an instrument that will analyze the plasma (charged particles) around Europa, which can distort magnetic fields. Together, they’ll ensure the most accurate measurements possible. What the mission discovers about Europa’s atmosphere will also lend insights into the moon’s surface and interior. While the atmosphere is faint, with only 100 billionth the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere, scientists expect that it holds a trove of clues about the moon. They have evidence from space- and ground-based telescopes that there may be plumes of water vapor venting from beneath the moon’s surface, and observations from past missions suggest that ice and dust particles are being ejected into space by micrometeorite impacts. Three instruments will help investigate the atmosphere and its associated particles: A mass spectrometer will analyze gases, a surface dust analyzer will examine dust, and a spectrograph will collect ultraviolet light to search for plumes and identify how the properties of the dynamic atmosphere change over time. Jupiter’s icy moon Europa holds a vast internal ocean that could have conditions suitable for life. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will help scientists better understand the potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) All the while, Europa Clipper’s cameras will be taking wide- and narrow-angle pictures of the surface, providing the first high-resolution global map of Europa. Stereoscopic, color images will reveal any changes in the surface from geologic activity. A separate imager that measures temperatures will help scientists identify warmer regions where water or recent ice deposits may be near the surface. An imaging spectrometer will map the ices, salts, and organic molecules on the moon’s surface. The sophisticated set of imagers will also support the full instrument suite by collecting visuals that will provide context for the set of data collected. Of course, scientists also need a better understanding of the ice shell itself. Estimated to be about 10 to 15 miles thick, this outer casing may be geologically active, which could result in the fracture patterns that are visible at the surface. Using the radar instrument, the mission will study the ice shell, including searching for water within and beneath it. (The instrument’s electronics are now aboard the spacecraft, while its antennas will be mounted to the spacecraft’s solar arrays at Kennedy later this year.) Finally, there’s Europa’s interior structure. To learn more about it, scientists will measure the moon’s gravitational field at various points in its orbit around Jupiter. Observing how signals transmitted from the spacecraft are tugged on by Europa’s gravity can tell the team more about the moon’s interior. Scientists will use the spacecraft’s telecommunications equipment for this science investigation. With all nine instruments and the telecommunications system aboard the spacecraft, the mission team has begun testing the complete spacecraft for the first time. Once Europa Clipper is fully tested, the team will ship the craft to Kennedy in preparation for launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. › Back to Top Hubble Observes a Galactic Distortion The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in a new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. It’s part of the galaxy pair Arp 271, and its companion NGC 5426 is located below this galaxy and outside of this image’s frame. However, the effects of the pair’s gravitational attraction is visible in the galactic distortion and cosmic bridge of stars seen in the lower-right region of the image. The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image.NASA, ESA, and R. Foley (University of California – Santa Cruz); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America In 1785, British astronomer William Herschel discovered the pair, which is locked in an interaction that will last for tens of millions of years. Whether they will ultimately collide and merge is still uncertain, but their mutual gravitational attraction has already birthed many new stars. These young stars are visible in the faint bridge connecting the two galaxies, located at the bottom of the image. Such a bridge provides an avenue for the two galaxies to continue sharing the gas and dust that becomes new stars. The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in the large image from Hubble, with ground-based observations showing its companion galaxy NGC 5426. Together, this pair is known as Arp 271.NASA, ESA, and R. Foley (University of California – Santa Cruz); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America Scientists believe Arp 271 can serve as a blueprint for future interactions between our Milky Way Galaxy and our neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy, expected to happen in about 4 billion years. › Back to Top View the full article

4 min read Discovery Alert: A ‘Super-Earth’ in the Habitable Zone This illustration shows one way that planet TOI-715 b, a super-Earth in the habitable zone around its star, might appear to a nearby observer. NASA/JPL-Caltech The discovery: A “super-Earth” ripe for further investigation orbits a small, reddish star that is, by astronomical standards, fairly close to us – only 137 light-years away. The same system also might harbor a second, Earth-sized planet. Key facts: The bigger planet, dubbed TOI-715 b, is about one and a half times as wide as Earth, and orbits within the “conservative” habitable zone around its parent star. That’s the distance from the star that could give the planet the right temperature for liquid water to form on its surface. Several other factors would have to line up, of course, for surface water to be present, especially having a suitable atmosphere. But the conservative habitable zone – a narrower and potentially more robust definition than the broader “optimistic” habitable zone – puts it in prime position, at least by the rough measurements made so far. The smaller planet could be only slightly larger than Earth, and also might dwell just inside the conservative habitable zone. The Planet That Shouldn’t Be There Details: Astronomers are beginning to write a whole new chapter in our understanding of exoplanets – planets beyond our solar system. The newest spaceborne instruments, including those onboard NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, are designed not just to detect these distant worlds, but to reveal some of their characteristics. That includes the composition of their atmospheres, which could offer clues to the possible presence of life. The recently discovered super-Earth, TOI-715 b, might be making its appearance at just the right time. Its parent star is a red dwarf, smaller and cooler than our Sun; a number of such stars are known to host small, rocky worlds. At the moment, they’re the best bet for finding habitable planets. These planets make far closer orbits than those around stars like our Sun, but because red dwarfs are smaller and cooler, the planets can crowd closer and still be safely within the star’s habitable zone. The tighter orbits also mean those that cross the faces of their stars – that is, when viewed by our space telescopes – cross far more often. In the case of planet b, that’s once every 19 days, a “year” on this strange world. So these star-crossing (“transiting”) planets can be more easily detected and more frequently observed. That’s the case for TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), which found the new planet and has been adding to astronomers’ stockpile of habitable-zone exoplanets since its launch in 2018. Observing such transits for, say, an Earth-sized planet around a Sun-like star (and waiting for an Earth year, 365 days, to catch another transit) is beyond the capability of existing space telescopes. Planet TOI-175 b joins the list of habitable-zone planets that could be more closely scrutinized by the Webb telescope, perhaps even for signs of an atmosphere. Much will depend on the planet’s other properties, including how massive it is and whether it can be classed as a “water world” – making its atmosphere, if present, more prominent and far less difficult to detect than that of a more massive, denser and drier world, likely to hold its lower-profile atmosphere closer to the surface. Fun facts: If the possible second, Earth-sized planet in the system also is confirmed, it would become the smallest habitable-zone planet discovered by TESS so far. The discovery also exceeded early expectations for TESS by finding an Earth-sized world in the habitable zone. The discoverers: An international team of scientists led by Georgina Dransfield of the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, published a paper in January 2024 on their discovery, “A 1.55 R⊕ habitable-zone planet hosted by TOI-715, an M4 star near the ecliptic South Pole,” in the journal, “Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.” An international array of facilities used to confirm the planet included Gemini-South, Las Cumbres Observatory telescopes, the ExTrA telescopes, the SPECULOOS network, and the TRAPPIST-south telescope. Share Details Last Updated Jan 31, 2024 Related Terms Exoplanets Goddard Space Flight Center James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Super-Earth Exoplanets TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) Explore More 1 min read Hubble Observes a Galactic Distortion Article 11 hours ago 5 min read How the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Is Different than the 2017 Eclipse Article 1 day ago 2 min read Hubble Spies a Spinning Spiral Article 1 day ago View the full article

NASA has selected five companies to provide environmental restoration and compliance services at NASA centers, facilities, and other agency assets. The awardees are: AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Orlando, Florida HydroGeoLogic, Inc., Reston, Virginia ISMS-Navarro LLC, Richland, Washington Jacobs Geosyntec A Joint Venture, Cape Canaveral, Florida Tetra Tech Inc., Pittsburgh The NASA Environmental Restoration and Compliance Contract is an indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity fixed price contract not to exceed $375 million. The performance period begins Wednesday and runs through Jan. 30, 2029. The array of work includes support for environmental compliance activities including technical consultation, environmental sampling and investigations of contaminants that may have been released to the environment, as well as human health and ecological risk assessments. The contract also supports sustainability, pollution prevention, recycling, remediation, and long-term management of affected air, soil, groundwater and surface water, audits and inspections, hazardous materials management, spill clean-up, and more. For more information about NASA and its programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/ -end- Roxana Bardan Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 roxana.bardan@nasa.gov Patti Bielling Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-501-7575 patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov View the full article

Official Crew-9 Crew Portraits with Zena Cardman, Nick Hague, Stephanie Wilson and Aleksandr GorbunovNASA As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, four crew members are preparing to launch to the International Space Station and conduct a wide-ranging set of operational and research activities for the benefit of all. Launching aboard the Dragon spacecraft, NASA astronauts Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov, will join Expedition 71 and 72 crew members no earlier than August. They will arrive to the space station for a short duration handover with NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission This will be the first spaceflight for Cardman, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. The Williamsburg, Virginia, native holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s in Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At time of selection, she was a doctoral candidate in geosciences. Cardman’s research focused on geobiology and geochemical cycling in subsurface environments, from caves to deep sea sediments. Since completing initial training, Cardman has supported real-time station operations and development for lunar surface exploration. With a total of 203 days in space, this will be Hague’s third launch and second mission to the orbiting laboratory. During his first launch in 2018, Hague and his crewmate, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, experienced a rocket booster failure resulting in an in-flight launch abort. The Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft landed safely. Five months later, Hague launched aboard Soyuz MS-12 and served as a flight engineer aboard the space station during Expeditions 59 and 60. Hague and his crewmates participated in hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science. Hague conducted three spacewalks, to upgrade space station power systems and install a docking adapter for commercial spacecraft. As an active-duty colonel in the U.S. Space Force, Hague completed a developmental rotation at the Defense Department in Washington, where he served as the USSF director of test and evaluation from 2020 to 2022. In August 2022, Hague resumed duties at NASA working on the Boeing Starliner Program until this flight assignment. A veteran of three spaceflights, STS-121, STS-120, and STS-131, Wilson has spent 42 days in space aboard three separate space shuttle Discovery missions. Before her selection as a NASA astronaut in 1996, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin, and worked at Martin Marietta and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. During her first mission, STS-121 in November 2004, she and her crewmates spent 13 days in orbit. Wilson served as the robotic arm operator for spacecraft inspection, for the installation of the “Leonardo” Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, and for spacewalk support. In November 2006, Wilson and her STS-120 crewmates aboard Discovery delivered the Harmony module to the station and relocated a solar array. In May 2009, Wilson and her STS-131 crewmates completed another mission to resupply the station, delivering a new ammonia tank for the station cooling system, new crew sleeping quarters, a window observation facility, and a freezer for experiments. During her nearly 30 years with NASA, Wilson served as the integration branch chief for NASA’s Astronaut Office focusing on International Space Station systems and payload operations, and on a nine-month detail, served as the acting chief of NASA’s Program and Project Integration Office at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. This will be Gorbunov’s first trip to space and the station. Born in Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region, Russia, he studied engineering with qualifications in spacecraft and upper stages from the Moscow Aviation Institute. Gorbunov graduated from the military department with a specialty in operation and repair of aircraft, helicopters, and aircraft engines. Before being selected as a cosmonaut in 2018, he worked as an engineer for Rocket Space Corporation Energia and supported cargo spacecraft launches from the Baikonur cosmodrome. This is the ninth rotational mission to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which works with the American aerospace industry to meet the goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the orbital outpost on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil. For more than two decades, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA’s Artemis campaign is underway at the Moon where the agency is preparing for future human exploration of Mars. Find more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew -end- Joshua Finch Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov Courtney Beasley Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 31, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsHumans in SpaceCommercial SpaceInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS ResearchMissions View the full article

SpaceX In this image from Jan. 30, 2024, an uncrewed Cygnus cargo spacecraft launches atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, starting its journey to the International Space Station. Launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Cygnus carries 8,200 pounds of science investigations and cargo to support dozens of research experiments. This is Northrop Grumman’s 20th cargo flight to the orbiting laboratory. Watch NASA+ for live coverage of Cygnus’s approach to the space station on Feb. 1, 2024, beginning at 2:45 a.m. EST. Image Credit: SpaceX View the full article

NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) observatory is inspected and processed on a spacecraft dolly in a high bay at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023. NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for its upcoming mission to study how our oceans and atmosphere interact in a changing climate. Launch of the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission is targeted for 1:33 a.m. EST, Tuesday, Feb. 6, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Once in orbit above Earth, PACE will shed light on the impact of tiny things – microscopic life in water and microscopic particles in the air. Live launch coverage will begin at 12:45 a.m., Feb. 6, on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. Full coverage of this mission including prelaunch activities is as follows (all times Eastern): Sunday, Feb. 4 9:15 a.m. – NASA Social Panel livestream at NASA Kennedy. Watch live on YouTube, Facebook and X social media channels with the following NASA participants answering #AskNASA questions: Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division Marjorie Haskell, PACE program executive Laura Lorenzoni, PACE program scientist Ivona Cetinic, PACE ocean scientist Juli Lander, PACE deputy project manager 11 a.m. – PACE Science Briefing on NASA+ with the following agency participants: Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist Andy Sayer, atmospheric scientist, Sciences and Exploration Directorate Erin Urquhart, program manager, Water Resources Application Area Media may request the news conference dial-in number and passcode by contacting the Kennedy newsroom no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov. Members of the public also may ask questions, which may be answered in real time during the segment, by using #AskNASA on social media. On-site media may attend the briefing in person or via telephone. 12 p.m. – Immediately after the science briefing, the following NASA subject matter experts will be available for one-on-one media interviews at the Kennedy News Center on a first come, first-served basis. Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division Kate Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor Jeremy Werdell, PACE project scientist Andy Sayer, atmospheric scientist, Sciences and Exploration Directorate Erin Urquhart, program manager, Water Resources Application Area Mark Voyton, PACE project manager Juli Lander, PACE deputy project manager Gary Davis, PACE mission systems engineer Monday, Feb. 5 8 a.m. – NASA EDGE will host the PACE rollout show. The rollout show will air live on NASA+, NASA TV, and YouTube. 9 a.m. – PACE Prelaunch News Conference on NASA+ and NASA TV with the following participants: NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science Division, NASA Tim Dunn, senior launch director, Launch Services Program, NASA Julianna Scheiman, director, Civil Satellite Missions, SpaceX Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force Media may request the news conference dial-in number and passcode by contacting the Kennedy newsroom no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2, at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov. Members of the public also may ask questions by using #AskNASA on social media. On-site media may attend the briefing in person or via telephone. Tuesday, Feb. 6 12:45 a.m. – Technical feed begins on NASA TV media channel. 12:45 a.m. – Live launch coverage will begin on NASA+ and NASA TV public channel. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit: https://nasa.gov/nasatv The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. The agency’s media accreditation policy is available online. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For all other questions, contact the newsroom at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 321-867-2468. NASA Website Launch Coverage Launch day coverage of NASA’s PACE mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include blog updates as well. Streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. Images of PACE’s processing and launch are available in this album. Follow mission coverage on the PACE launch blog at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/pace/ Audio Only Coverage Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. A “tech feed” of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel. Attend Launch Virtually Members of the public can register to attend the PACE launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following a successful launch. Watch, Engage Online Let people know you’re following NASA’s PACE mission. On Facebook, Instagram, and X, use the hashtag #KeepingPACE and #AskNASA. You also can stay connected by following and tagging these accounts: Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, NASAGoddard, NASAEarth, NASALSP Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASAEarth X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @NASAGoddard, @NASAEarth, @NASA_LSP The PACE project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The agency’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA Kennedy, is responsible for managing the launch service for the PACE mission. For more information about PACE, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/pace/ -end- Karen Fox NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 karen.c.fox@nasa.gov Jake Richmond Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 240-713-1618 jacob.a.richmond@nasa.gov Laura Aguiar Kennedy Space Center, Florida 321-593-6245 laura.aguiar@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 31, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsMissionsEarthEarth Science View the full article

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Download Press Kit (PDF) Return to CLPS Homepage Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services Artemis Commercial Space Humans In Space View the full article

6 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) JPL scientist Vanessa Bailey stands behind the Nancy Grace Roman Coronagraph , which has been undergoing testing at JPL. About the size of a baby grand piano, the Coronagraph is designed to block starlight and allow scientists to see the faint light from planets outside our solar system. A cutting-edge tool to view planets outside our solar system has passed two key tests ahead of its launch as part of the agency’s Roman Space Telescope by 2027. The Coronagraph Instrument on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will demonstrate new technologies that could vastly increase the number of planets outside our solar system (exoplanets) that scientists can directly observe. Designed and built at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, it recently passed a series of critical tests ahead of launch. That includes tests to ensure the instrument’s electrical components don’t interfere with those on the rest of the observatory and vice versa. “This is such an important and nerve-wracking stage of building a spacecraft instrument, testing whether or not everything works as intended,” said Feng Zhao, deputy project manager for the Roman Coronagraph at JPL. “But we have an amazing team who built this thing, and it passed the electrical components tests with flying colors.” A coronagraph blocks light from a bright cosmic object, like a star, so that scientists can observe a nearby object that would otherwise be hidden by the glare. (Think of a car’s sun visor.) The light reflected or emitted by a planet carries information about the chemicals in the planet’s atmosphere and other potential signs of habitability, so coronagraphs will likely be a critical tool in the search for life beyond our solar system. But if scientists were trying to obtain images of an Earth-like planet in another solar system (same size, same distance from a star similar to our Sun), they wouldn’t be able to see the planet in the star’s glare, even with the best coronagraphs and most powerful telescopes operating today. The Roman Coronagraph was peppered with radio waves to test its response to stray electrical signals. The test was performed inside a chamber lined with foam padding that absorbs the radio waves to prevent them from bouncing off the walls. The Roman Coronagraph aims to change that paradigm. The innovations that have gone into the instrument should make it possible to see planets similar to Jupiter in size and distance from their star. The Coronagraph team expects these advances will help enable the leap to viewing more Earth-like planets with future observatories. As a technology demonstration, the Roman Coronagraph’s primary goal is to test technologies that have not been flown in space before. Specifically, it will test sophisticated light-blocking capabilities that are at least 10 times better than what’s currently available. Scientists expect to push its performance even further to observe challenging targets that could yield novel scientific discoveries. Making the Grade Even with the Coronagraph blocking a star’s light, a planet will still be exceptionally faint, and it might take a full month of observations to get a good picture of the distant world. To make these observations, the instrument’s camera detects individual photons, or single particles of light, making it far more sensitive than previous coronagraphs. That’s one reason the recent tests were crucial: The electrical currents that send power to the spacecraft’s components can produce faint electrical signals, mimicking light in the Coronagraph’s sensitive cameras – an effect known as electromagnetic interference. Meanwhile, signals from the Coronagraph could similarly disrupt Roman’s other instruments. The mission needs to ensure neither will happen when the telescope is operating in an isolated, electromagnetically quiet environment 1 million miles (about 1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. So a team of engineers put the fully assembled instrument in a special isolated, electromagnetically quiet chamber at JPL and turned it on to full power. They measured the instrument’s electromagnetic output to make sure it fell below the level required to operate aboard Roman. The team used injection clamps, transformers, and antennas to produce electrical disturbances and radio waves similar to what the rest of the telescope will generate. Then they measured the instrument’s performance, looking for excessive noise in the camera images and other unwanted responses from the optical mechanisms. “The electric fields we generate with the antennas are about the same strength as what’s generated by a computer screen,” said Clement Gaidon, the Roman Coronagraph electrical systems engineer at JPL. “That’s a pretty benign level, all things considered, but we have very sensitive hardware onboard. Overall, the instrument did a fantastic job navigating across the electromagnetic waves. And props to the team for wrapping this test campaign in record time!” A Wide Field of View The lessons learned from the Coronagraph technology demonstration will be separate from the Roman Space Telescope’s primary mission, which includes multiple science objectives. The mission’s principal tool, the Wide Field Instrument, is designed to generate some of the largest images of the universe ever taken from space. These images will enable Roman to conduct groundbreaking surveys of cosmic objects such as stars, planets, and galaxies, and study the large-scale distribution of matter in the universe. For example, by taking repeated images of the center of the Milky Way – like a multiyear time-lapse movie – the Wide Field Instrument will discover tens of thousands of new exoplanets. (This planet survey will be separate from the observations made by the Coronagraph). Roman will also make 3D maps of the cosmos to explore how galaxies have formed and why the universe’s expansion is speeding up, measuring the effects of what astronomers call “dark matter” and “dark energy.” With these wide-ranging capabilities, Roman will help answer questions about big and small features of our universe. More About the Mission The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by JPL and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Melbourne, Florida; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California. The Roman Coronagraph Instrument was designed and is being built at JPL, which manages the instrument for NASA. Contributions were made by ESA (the European Space Agency), JAXA (the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency), the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany. Caltech, in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. The Roman Science Support Center at Caltech/IPAC partners with JPL on data management for the Coronagraph and generating the instrument’s commands. For more information about the Roman telescope, visit: https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/ News Media Contacts Calla Cofield Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-808-2469 calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 301-286-1940 claire.andreoli@nasa.gov 2024-010 Share Details Last Updated Jan 31, 2024 Related TermsNancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeAstrobiologyAstrophysicsExoplanet ScienceGoddard Space Flight CenterJet Propulsion LaboratoryStudying ExoplanetsTechnologyThe Search for Life Explore More 2 min read Hubble Observes a Galactic Distortion The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. It’s part… Article 5 hours ago 3 min read NASA Search and Rescue Technology Saves Explorers, Enables Exploration Article 22 hours ago 6 min read How the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Is Different than the 2017 Eclipse On April 8, the Moon’s shadow will sweep across the United States, as millions will… Article 23 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover Related Topics Missions Humans in Space Climate Change Solar System View the full article

4 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) A concept image of NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project.Credit: NASA NASA is wrapping up the initial phase of its Fission Surface Power Project, which focused on developing concept designs for a small, electricity-generating nuclear fission reactor that could be used during a future demonstration on the Moon and to inform future designs for Mars. NASA awarded three $5 million contracts in 2022, tasking each commercial partner with developing an initial design that included the reactor; its power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution systems; estimated costs; and a development schedule that could pave the way for powering a sustained human presence on the lunar surface for at least 10 years. “A demonstration of a nuclear power source on the Moon is required to show that it is a safe, clean, reliable option,” said Trudy Kortes, program director, Technology Demonstration Missions within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The lunar night is challenging from a technical perspective, so having a source of power such as this nuclear reactor, which operates independent of the Sun, is an enabling option for long-term exploration and science efforts on the Moon.” While solar power systems have limitations on the Moon, a nuclear reactor could be placed in permanently shadowed areas (where there may be water ice) or generate power continuously during lunar nights, which are 14-and-a-half Earth days long. NASA designed the requirements for this initial reactor to be open and flexible to maintain the commercial partners’ ability to bring creative approaches for technical review. “There was a healthy variety of approaches; they were all very unique from each other,” said Lindsay Kaldon, Fission Surface Power project manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “We didn’t give them a lot of requirements on purpose because we wanted them to think outside the box.” However, NASA did specify that the reactor should stay under six metric tons and be able to produce 40 kilowatts (kW) of electrical power, ensuring enough for demonstration purposes and additional power available for running lunar habitats, rovers, backup grids, or science experiments. In the U.S., 40 kW can, on average, provide electrical power for 33 households. NASA plans a sustained presence on the Moon and eventually Mars. Safe, efficient, reliable energy will be key to future robotic and human exploration.Credit: NASA NASA also set a goal that the reactor should be capable of operating for a decade without human intervention, which is key to its success. Safety, especially concerning radiation dose and shielding, is another key driver for the design. Beyond the set requirements, the partnerships envisioned how the reactor would be remotely powered on and controlled. They identified potential faults and considered different types of fuels and configurations. Having terrestrial nuclear companies paired with companies with expertise in space made for a wide range of ideas. NASA plans to extend the three Phase 1 contracts to gather more information before Phase 2, when industry will be solicited to design the final reactor to demonstrate on the Moon. This additional knowledge will help the agency set the Phase 2 requirements, Kaldon says. “We’re getting a lot of information from the three partners,” Kaldon said. “We’ll have to take some time to process it all and see what makes sense going into Phase 2 and levy the best out of Phase 1 to set requirements to design a lower-risk system moving forward.” Open solicitation for Phase 2 is planned for 2025. After Phase 2, the target date for delivering a reactor to the launch pad is in the early 2030s. On the Moon, the reactor will complete a one-year demonstration followed by nine operational years. If all goes well, the reactor design may be updated for potential use on Mars. Beyond gearing up for Phase 2, NASA recently awarded Rolls Royce North American Technologies, Brayton Energy, and General Electric contracts to develop Brayton power converters. Thermal power produced during nuclear fission must be converted to electricity before use. Brayton converters solve this by using differences in heat to rotate turbines within the converters. However, current Brayton converters waste a lot of heat, so NASA has challenged companies to make these engines more efficient. The Technology Demonstration Missions program manages Fission Surface Power under NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Explore More 2 min read BioNutrients: A Five-Year Experiment in Space Nears Completion Article 21 hours ago 4 min read NASA Selects Winners of Third TechRise Student Challenge Article 7 days ago 3 min read NASA Glenn Established in Cleveland in 1941 Article 1 week ago View the full article

1 min read Hubble Observes a Galactic Distortion The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. NASA, ESA, and R. Foley (University of California – Santa Cruz); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in this new NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. It’s part of the galaxy pair Arp 271, and its companion NGC 5426 is located below this galaxy and outside of this image’s frame. However, the effects of the pair’s gravitational attraction is visible in the galactic distortion and cosmic bridge of stars seen in the lower-right region of the image. In 1785, British astronomer William Herschel discovered the pair, which is locked in an interaction that will last for tens of millions of years. Whether they will ultimately collide and merge is still uncertain, but their mutual gravitational attraction has already birthed many new stars. These young stars are visible in the faint bridge connecting the two galaxies, located at the bottom of the image. Such a bridge provides an avenue for the two galaxies to continue sharing the gas and dust that becomes new stars. Scientists believe Arp 271 can serve as a blueprint for future interactions between our Milky Way Galaxy and our neighbor the Andromeda Galaxy, expected to happen in about 4 billion years. The galaxy NGC 5427 shines in the large image from Hubble, with ground-based observations showing its companion galaxy NGC 5426. Together, this pair is known as Arp 271. Ground-based image: DECam Victor M. Blanco/CTIO; Hubble image: NASA, ESA, and R. Foley (University of California – Santa Cruz); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) LEARN MORE: Hubble’s Cosmic Collisions Hubble Science: Galaxy Details and Mergers Hubble Science: Tracing the Growth of Galaxies Download the featured image Download the inset image Media Contact: Claire Andreoli NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD claire.andreoli@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 31, 2024 Editor Andrea Gianopoulos Location Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Astrophysics Division Galaxies Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope Missions The Universe Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Hubble Space Telescope Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. Galaxies Stories Stars Stories James Webb Space Telescope Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the… View the full article

2 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Students who pursue careers in these areas, among many others, could contribute to transforming aviation by developing and deploying Advanced Air Mobility solutions to the challenges of 21st century flight.NASA / Lillian Gipson NASA Aeronautics has released a new STEM toolkit focusing on Advanced Air Mobility for educators and students of all ages. The toolkit, comprised of numerous educational activities, is a free resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Advanced Air Mobility mission’s goal of enabling the use of drones and other new aircraft in our skies. Students can engage with the principles of Advanced Air Mobility in a variety of ways – including hands-on activities on topics such as coding, math, energy, the environment, and more. It is one of three STEM toolkits focusing on NASA’s aeronautics research – the others being Sustainable Aviation and the Quesst mission. The Advanced Air Mobility STEM toolkit provides excellent, cross-curricular ways to learn about the scientific concepts behind drone flight… April Lanotte NASA Aeronautics STEM Lead “The Advanced Air Mobility STEM toolkit provides excellent, cross-curricular ways to learn about the scientific concepts behind drone flight without even needing to have a drone,” said April Lanotte, NASA Aeronautics’ lead for STEM integration. “The toolkit has something for people of all ages in all types of educational environments.” For example, one activity in the toolkit involves creating an art poster to explore and highlight original ideas for drone safety and the safe use of drones. Zach Roberts completes a pre-flight check of a drone during Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations, or STEReO, testing at the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, or DART, training facility, NA303.NASA An activity named Robotic Search and Rescue has students interact with real-world uses for drones – in this case, emergency response operations. As part of the activity, a team of students create and test their own responses to challenges first responders may face. In another activity, students engage in cooperative game play to simulate a drone navigating around obstacles to deliver their lunch to school. The simulation engages students in computational thinking, problem solving, and real-world application of mathematics. What’s more, many of these activities are aligned with national standards to meet educational requirements in the classroom. The toolkit also includes levelled readers, videos, and e-books, and is updated regularly with new material. “It’s really a living toolkit. Advanced Air Mobility is a constantly evolving field, so we’re always adding new things to keep up with it,” said Lanotte. “Not just related to drones themselves, but also the infrastructure, coding, and other engineering challenges needed to support those vehicles in the future.” The Advanced Air Mobility toolkit, along with the rest of NASA Aeronautics’ comprehensive STEM resources, is available on the Aeronautics STEM webpage. About the AuthorJohn GouldAeronautics Research Misson Directorate Read More Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 4 min read NASA Autonomous Flight Software Successfully Used in Air Taxi Stand-Ins Article 6 days ago 2 min read University High Wins L.A. Ocean Sciences Bowl at NASA’s JPL Article 1 week ago 4 min read Career Journey: Cooking Up a Job as a Space Food Scientist Article 2 weeks ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Aeronautics STEM Artemis Women in STEM Careers NASA History Share Details Last Updated Jan 31, 2024 EditorJim BankeContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related TermsAeronauticsAeronautics Research Mission DirectorateLearning Resources View the full article

NASA Science Live: Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Tribute & Legacy

1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA has awarded a contract extension to TRAX International Corporation of Las Vegas for the Goddard Logistics and Technical Information II (GLTI II) services contract. GLTI II is a cost-plus, fixed-fee contract extension including technical performance incentive fees with a six-month base beginning Jan. 31, 2024, and three one-month options. The total potential award if all three options are exercised is about $46,760,000. The current contract, originally awarded in 2017 and extended in 2023, is valued at $419,869,000. Under this contract, TRAX will provide logistics support, technical information management and other services at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center in Virginia; and the agency’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C. For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/ Jeremy Eggers Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 757-824-2958 jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 30, 2024 EditorRob GarnerContactJeremy EggersLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related TermsGeneral View the full article

NASA science investigations and cargo aboard a Northrop Grumman resupply spacecraft are on the way to the International Space Station. Launch occurred at 12:07 p.m. EST Tuesday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival will begin at 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, on the NASA+ streaming service. Coverage also will air live on NASA Television and on the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media. Cygnus is scheduled for capture at 4:20 a.m. by the Canadarm2 robotic arm, which will be operated by NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli with assistance from NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara. Installation coverage will resume at 5:45 a.m. Watch all events at: https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv Northrop Grumman’s 20th cargo flight to the space station is the ninth under its Commercial Resupply Services 2 contract with NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft carried more than 8,200 pounds of NASA science investigations and cargo. The resupply mission will support dozens of research experiments conducted during Expedition 70. Included among the investigations are: the first surgical robot on the space station an orbit re-entry platform that collects thermal protection systems data a 3D cartilage cell culture that maintains healthy cartilage in a lower gravity a metal 3D printer, an autonomous semiconductor manufacturing platform These are just a sample of the hundreds of investigations conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory in the areas of biology and biotechnology, physical sciences, and Earth and space science. Such research benefits humanity and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis campaign, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars. The Cygnus spacecraft will remain at the space station until July before it departs and disposes of several thousand pounds of debris through its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere where it will harmlessly burn up. The spacecraft is named the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson. Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply mission at: https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-northrop-grumman-crs-20/ -end- Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Jan 30, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsCommercial SpaceCommercial ResupplyInternational Space Station (ISS)ISS ResearchJohnson Space CenterNASA HeadquartersNorthrop Grumman Commercial Resupply View the full article

5 min read NASA Celebrates First Decade of International Asteroid Warning Network On January 13-14, 2014, representatives from NASA and various global research organizations convened the first meeting of the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) steering committee. This group was charged with strengthening coordinated international response to a potentially hazardous near-Earth object (NEO). One decade, 17 meetings, and five global exercises later, IAWN continues to build collaboration among the global planetary defense community to help identify potential threats and safeguard Earth. Kelly Fast, NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program Manager and Coordinating Officer for the International Asteroid Warning Network speaks to the importance of international collaboration. Credit: NASA/Lindley Johnson A Reason for Action In the early morning of Feb. 15, 2013, in the frosty skies above the southern Ural region in Russia, a previously undetected asteroid approximately 60 feet (18 meters) in size slammed into Earth’s atmosphere. This relatively small piece of natural space debris lit up the morning sky as it disintegrated, briefly shining brighter than the Sun as it exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk with a force equivalent to about 440 kilotons of TNT – over 20 times greater than the energy released by the first atomic bomb blast in New Mexico. This spectacular and widely publicized event highlighted the very real but easily overlooked hazard posed by near-Earth objects (NEOs) – asteroids and comets with orbits that bring them into Earth’s vicinity – and reinforced the need for strong global coordination among the planetary-defense community. Representatives Forge Global Collaboration Coincidentally and fortuitously, it also occurred while the 50th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) Scientific and Technical Subcommittee was convened at the International Center in Vienna. The meteor metaphorically impacted the committee, which had already established a working group on NEOs to draft initial plans for an international response to potentially hazardous NEOs and was preparing to present its recommendations to the subcommittee. These plans, which were subsequently accepted by the UN General Assembly, called for the establishment of IAWN. In that document, IAWN was tasked with “developing a strategy using well-defined space-object detection and tracking procedures, and communication plans and protocols, to assist governments in the understanding and analysis of asteroid impact consequences for the planning of mitigation responses.” “Chelyabinsk was the ultimate call for action during the COPUOS meeting in Vienna and it was clearly on the minds of those of us who attended the first meeting of the International Asteroid Warning Network eleven months later,” said NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson. “Prior to this meeting, there already existed a vibrant but very informal international collaboration with NEO research,” said Kelly Fast, the Near-Earth Object Observations program manager for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. “IAWN was the first formal effort to collaborate on an international scale for NEO observation, tracking and modeling relevant to planetary defense.” But what did the inaugural IAWN create that we didn’t have before? In a nutshell, IAWN forged a formal worldwide collaboration of asteroid observers and modelers to detect, track, and physically characterize NEOs. This vital information about impact threats is also made accessible by any nation and government on Earth through IAWN notifications to the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs, and through the world-wide individuals and participating organizations in IAWN and their open data practices. “In short, IAWN has been able to foster and advance the international collaboration that is critical to ensure the planetary defense community is communicating and operating using the same best practices and methods for finding, tracking, cataloging, and characterizing NEOs, and then informing the world about them,” said Johnson. Since its inception, IAWN has led several campaigns to help check the accuracy of the observations reported by asteroid observers. It also organized practice observing campaigns of a known non-hazardous NEO to simulate what would be needed in the event an object were on a collision course with Earth. NASA’s Role in Worldwide Network NASA’s involvement was essential to the formation of IAWN, and its current role involves coordinating IAWN, which includes convening the semi-annual meetings of the steering committee and signatories as well as leading the periodic campaigns to exercise the astronomical and modeling capabilities of the worldwide network. IAWN currently has 55 signatories from 25 countries, representing participation by space agencies, universities, private organizations, and independent astronomers. The Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) was also recommended by the UN and established with IAWN. SMPAG is the forum for the world’s space agencies to collaborate on technologies for mitigation techniques and recommend potential in-space deflection options based on information from IAWN concerning an identified impact threat. SMPAG is chaired by the European Space Agency. “It is safe to say that IAWN and SMPAG would not exist or have been endorsed by the UN if NASA had not actively worked for their establishment and support by the UN COPUOS member states,” concludes Johnson. “This is also why NASA stepped up to initiate the coordination of IAWN activities.” For more information about NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office: https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-defense -end- News Media Contact Charles Blue NASA Headquarters, Washington 202-802-5345 charles.e.blue@nasa.gov Facebook logo @NASA@Asteroid Watch @NASA@AsteroidWatch Instagram logo @NASA Linkedin logo @NASA Explore More 3 min read International Space Station Welcomes Trio of Experiments Focused on Enhancing Life Beyond Earth Article 1 hour ago 5 min read How the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Is Different than the 2017 Eclipse Article 3 hours ago 2 min read Hubble Spies a Spinning Spiral Article 8 hours ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Asteroids Planetary Science Our Solar System Asteroids, Comets & Meteors View the full article