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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA is marking progress in strengthening the agency’s small business partnerships, supply chain resiliency, and domestic space manufacturing capabilities.
Under the agency’s enhanced Mentor-Protégé Program, NASA has announced the first Mentor-Protégé Agreement between L3Harris Technologies, a NASA large prime contractor, and Parametric Machining, Inc., a veteran-owned small business.
This agreement will help advance NASA’s mission by fostering innovation and reinforcing the agency’s supply chain. As NASA continues to advance the Artemis campaign, deep space exploration, and aeronautics research, partnerships like this are essential in securing a resilient and efficient supplier base.
“We are excited to facilitate the first agreement under the newly enhanced NASA Mentor-Protégé Program,” said Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs. “This agreement, and the many that will follow, promote domestic ingenuity and manufacturing and provide opportunities for small businesses to grow and thrive within NASA’s industrial base.”
Through Mentor-Protégé Agreements, large prime contractors serve as mentors, offering technical and business development assistance to small business protégés. This collaboration not only enhances protégés’ capabilities but also provides mentors with a stronger, more reliable subcontracting base, enabling them to fill their supply chain gaps. Additionally, protégés gain potential prime and subcontract opportunities, enhanced technical capabilities, technical training, and long-term business growth.
Relaunched in November 2024, the merit-based NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to bolster small business development while strengthening NASA’s supply chain and industry base. By focusing on a targeted set of North American Industry Classification System codes, including research and development and aerospace manufacturing, NASA ensures that participating small businesses are well-positioned to contribute to long-term mission objectives.
The agreement between L3Harris Technologies and Parametric Machining, Inc. demonstrates the value of NASA’s revamped Mentor-Protégé Program. NASA is actively accepting new Mentor-Protégé Agreements and encourages large prime contractors and small businesses to explore the benefits of forming partnerships under the program. Participating in the Mentor-Protégé Program provides:
Enhanced manufacturing capabilities and subcontracting opportunities. Mentorship from experienced NASA prime contractors. Opportunities to advance competitiveness in government contracts. Access to technical assistance and business development support. A pathway for small businesses to integrate into NASA’s supply chain. L3Harris Technologies is a prime contractor at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, supporting the Geostationary Extended Observations Imager Instrument Implementation contract. NASA Goddard also will serve as the administering center for this agreement.
For more information on NASA’s Mentor-Protégé Program and how to participate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/osbp/mentor-protege-program
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Last Updated Apr 17, 2025 ContactTiernan P. Doyletiernan.doyle@nasa.govLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) View the full article
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By NASA
This article is for students grades 5-8.
Aerodynamics is the way objects move through air. The rules of aerodynamics explain how an airplane is able to fly. Anything that moves through air is affected by aerodynamics, from a rocket blasting off, to a kite flying. Since they are surrounded by air, even cars are affected by aerodynamics.
What Are the Four Forces of Flight?
The four forces of flight are lift, weight, thrust and drag. These forces make an object move up and down, and faster or slower. The amount of each force compared to its opposing force determines how an object moves through the air.
What Is Weight?
Gravity is a force that pulls everything down to Earth. Weight is the amount of gravity multiplied by the mass of an object. Weight is also the downward force that an aircraft must overcome to fly. A kite has less mass and therefore less weight to overcome than a jumbo jet, but they both need the same thing in order to fly — lift.
What Is Lift?
Lift is the push that lets something move up. It is the force that is the opposite of weight. Everything that flies must have lift. For an aircraft to move upward, it must have more lift than weight. A hot air balloon has lift because the hot air inside is lighter than the air around it. Hot air rises and carries the balloon with it. A helicopter’s lift comes from the rotor blades. Their motion through the air moves the helicopter upward. Lift for an airplane comes from its wings.
How Do an Airplane’s Wings Provide Lift?
The shape of an airplane’s wings is what makes it possible for the airplane to fly. Airplanes’ wings are curved on top and flatter on the bottom. That shape makes air flow over the top faster than under the bottom. As a result, less air pressure is on top of the wing. This lower pressure makes the wing, and the airplane it’s attached to, move up. Using curves to affect air pressure is a trick used on many aircraft. Helicopter rotor blades use this curved shape. Lift for kites also comes from a curved shape. Even sailboats use this curved shape. A boat’s sail is like a wing. That’s what makes the sailboat move.
What Is Drag?
Drag is a force that pulls back on something trying to move. Drag provides resistance, making it hard to move. For example, it is more difficult to walk or run through water than through air. Water causes more drag than air. The shape of an object also affects the amount of drag. Round surfaces usually have less drag than flat ones. Narrow surfaces usually have less drag than wide ones. The more air that hits a surface, the more the drag the air produces.
What Is Thrust?
Thrust is the force that is the opposite of drag. It is the push that moves something forward. For an aircraft to keep moving forward, it must have more thrust than drag. A small airplane might get its thrust from a propeller. A larger airplane might get its thrust from jet engines. A glider does not have thrust. It can only fly until the drag causes it to slow down and land.
Why Does NASA Study Aerodynamics?
Aerodynamics is an important part of NASA’s work. The first A in NASA stands for aeronautics, which is the science of flight. NASA works to make airplanes and other aircraft better. Studying aerodynamics is an important part of that work. Aerodynamics is important to other NASA missions. Probes landing on Mars have to travel through the Red Planet’s thin atmosphere. Having to travel through an atmosphere means aerodynamics is important on other planets too.
More About Aerodynamics
Dynamics of Flight
Read What Is Aerodynamics (Grades K-4)
Explore More For Students Grades 5-8 View the full article
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By NASA
3 Min Read What Is Aerodynamics? (Grades K-4)
This article is for students grades K-4.
What Are the Four Forces of Flight?
Aerodynamics is the way air moves around things. The rules of aerodynamics explain how an airplane is able to fly. Anything that moves through air reacts to aerodynamics. A rocket blasting off the launch pad and a kite in the sky react to aerodynamics. Aerodynamics even acts on cars, since air flows around cars.
The four forces of flight are lift, weight, thrust and drag. These forces make an object move up and down, and faster or slower. How much of each force there is changes how the object moves through the air.
What Is Weight?
Everything on Earth has weight. This force comes from gravity pulling down on objects. To fly, an aircraft needs something to push it in the opposite direction from gravity. The weight of an object controls how strong the push has to be. A kite needs a lot less upward push than a jumbo jet does.
What Is Lift?
Lift is the push that lets something move up. It is the force that is the opposite of weight. Everything that flies must have lift. For an aircraft to move upward, it must have more lift than weight. A hot air balloon has lift because the hot air inside is lighter than the air around it. Hot air rises and carries the balloon with it. A helicopter’s lift comes from the rotor blades at the top of the helicopter. Their motion through the air moves the helicopter upward. Lift for an airplane comes from its wings.
How Do an Airplane’s Wings Provide Lift?
The shape of an airplane’s wings is what makes it able to fly. Airplanes’ wings are curved on top and flatter on the bottom. That shape makes air flow over the top faster than under the bottom. So, less air pressure is on top of the wing. This condition makes the wing, and the airplane it’s attached to, move up. Using curves to change air pressure is a trick used on many aircraft. Helicopter rotor blades use this trick. Lift for kites also comes from a curved shape. Even sailboats use this concept. A boat’s sail is like a wing. That’s what makes the sailboat move.
What Is Drag?
Drag is a force that tries to slow something down. It makes it hard for an object to move. It is harder to walk or run through water than through air. That is because water causes more drag than air. The shape of an object also changes the amount of drag. Most round surfaces have less drag than flat ones. Narrow surfaces usually have less drag than wide ones. The more air that hits a surface, the more drag it makes.
What Is Thrust?
Thrust is the force that is the opposite of drag. Thrust is the push that moves something forward. For an aircraft to keep moving forward, it must have more thrust than drag. A small airplane might get its thrust from a propeller. A larger airplane might get its thrust from jet engines. A glider does not have thrust. It can only fly until the drag causes it to slow down and land.
Read What Is Aerodynamics? (Grades 5-8)
Explore More For Students Grades K-4 View the full article
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By NASA
This summer, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is offering a free summer STEM program for high school students in their junior and senior years.Credit: NASA NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is launching the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute this summer. The free, work-based learning experience is designed to help high school students prepare for a future in the aerospace workforce.
Rising high school juniors and seniors in Northeast Ohio can submit applications for this new, in-person summer program from Friday, April 11, through Friday, May 9.
The NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute will immerse students in NASA’s work while providing essential career readiness tools to help them in future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused academic and professional pursuits.
Throughout the five-day institute, students will use authentic NASA mission content and work alongside Glenn’s technical experts to gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design process, develop practical engineering solutions to real-world challenges, and test prototypes to answer questions in key mission areas:
Acoustic dampening – How can we reduce noise pollution from jet engines? Power management and distribution – How can we develop a smart power system for future space stations? Simulated lunar operations – Can we invent tires that don’t use air? Program Dates
Selected students will participate in one of the following week-long sessions.
Session 1: July 7 – 11, 2025 Session 2: July 14 – 18, 2025 Session 3: July 21 – 25, 2025 Eligibility and Application Requirements
To be eligible for this program, students must:
Be entering 11th or 12th grade for the 2025-2026 academic year Have a minimum 3.2 GPA, verified by their school counselor Submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher Additional application requirements are outlined in the Supplemental Application.
How to Apply:
To be considered for this opportunity, complete and submit the NASA Gateway application and the Supplemental Application by Friday May 9.
Questions pertaining to the NASA Glenn High School Engineering Institute should be directed to Gerald Voltz at GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov.
For information about NASA Glenn, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/glenn
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Debbie Welch
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-433-8655
debbie.welch@nasa.gov
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By NASA
On April 8, 2025, Bangladesh became the 54th nation to sign the accords. The commitments of the Artemis Accords and efforts by the signatories to advance implementation of these principles support the safe and sustainable exploration of space.NASA Following a signing ceremony Tuesday in Bangladesh’s capital city of Dhaka, NASA congratulates Bangladesh as the 54th nation to commit to the safe and responsible exploration of space that benefits humanity.
“We are thrilled by Bangladesh’s signature of the Accords,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Bangladesh affirms its role in shaping the future of space exploration. This is about ensuring that our journey to the Moon – and beyond – is peaceful, sustainable, and transparent. We look forward to working together, to learning from one another, and to seeing how Bangladesh’s incredible talent and vision contribute to humanity’s next great chapter in space.”
Ashraf Uddin, the secretary of defense for Bangladesh,signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country. Charge d’Affaires Tracey Jacobson for the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, participated in the event, and Petro contributed remarks in a pre-recorded video message.
“Bangladesh’s commitment to the Artemis Accords will enhance the country’s engagement with NASA and the international community,” said Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. “By signing the accords, Bangladesh builds upon an important foundation for the open, responsible and peaceful exploration of space.”
In 2020, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, a first-ever set of practical guidelines for nations to increase safety of operations and reduce risk and uncertainty in their civil exploration activities. That group of signatories has grown to more than 50 countries today.
The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements, including the Registration Convention and the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices for responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
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Amber Jacobson / Jennifer Dooren
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov / jennifer.m.dooren@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Apr 08, 2025 EditorJennifer M. DoorenLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Office of International and Interagency Relations (OIIR) Artemis Accords View the full article
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