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The Marshall Star for October 2, 2024


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The Marshall Star for October 2, 2024

NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei talks about his time in space aboard the International Space Station.

The Fabric of Marshall: Center Hosts Safety Day 2024

By Serena Whitfield

“Safety Woven Throughout the Fabric of Marshall” was the theme for Safety Day at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center on Sept. 26.

Kickoff activities were held in Building 4316 and other sites around the center.

“It is crucial to ensure that each of us weaves safety into everything we do, not only at work, but in our daily lives,” Marshall Director Joseph Pelfrey said.

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, left, with NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei, who was the keynote speaker for Marshall’s Safety Day on Sept. 26.
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, left, with NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei, who was the keynote speaker for Marshall’s Safety Day on Sept. 26.
NASA/Krisdon Manecke

NASA started the Safety Day tradition following the space shuttle Columbia accident in 2003. Centers across the agency dedicate a day each year for team members to pause and reflect on keeping the work environment safe. 

This year’s Safety Day began with a breakfast for employees, which was sponsored by Jacobs and Bastion Technologies. After breakfast, Bill Hill, director of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at Marshall, welcomed center team members before introducing Pelfrey.

“Over the past year, Marshall’s leadership and workforce have highlighted that transparency is an essential cultural attribute of our workforce and center,” Pelfrey said. “It is also important to our core value of safety. Transparency fosters an environment where employees feel comfortable in reporting potential risks or safety concerns without fear of retribution. This openness ensures that issues are addressed early. It builds trust and accountability within our workforce, center, NASA, and external stakeholders.”

NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei talks about his time in space aboard the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei talks about his time in space aboard the International Space Station.
NASA/Krisdon Manecke

Guest speaker Marceleus Venable, a purpose coach, trainer, and author, followed Pelfrey’s remarks, telling team members to be safe by taking care of their physical and mental health. He encouraged them to take the time to pat themselves on the back for all their hard work and to appreciate their fellow workers at Marshall.

NASA astronaut Mark T. Vande Hei was the keynote speaker, encouraging employees to be team players in NASA’s safety mission.

“We need a lot of talented team players to meet the challenges that we have for future space flights,” said Vande Hei, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009 and most recently served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 65 and 66. “Always try to do your best, but make sure that other people around you are doing their best as well and help them do that rather than you standing out as always being the best.”

Peter Wreschinsky, second from left, a Jacobs Space Exploration Group employee, is presented with the Golden Eagle Award during Safety Day. He is joined by his wife, Terri. They are joined by Bill Hill, left, director of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at Marshall, and Jeff Haars, right, Jacobs vice president. The Golden Eagle Award is a part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative, a collaboration between Marshall and Jacobs. Wreschinsky was recognized with the award for voicing concern about a valve impacted by corrosion on the Commercial Crew Program Crew-8 Dragon Capsule. The valve and several others were subsequently replaced.
Peter Wreschinsky, second from left, a Jacobs Space Exploration Group employee, is presented with the Golden Eagle Award during Safety Day. He is joined by his wife, Terri. They are joined by Bill Hill, left, director of the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at Marshall, and Jeff Haars, right, Jacobs vice president. The Golden Eagle Award is a part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative, a collaboration between Marshall and Jacobs. Wreschinsky was recognized with the award for voicing concern about a valve impacted by corrosion on the Commercial Crew Program Crew-8 Dragon Capsule. The valve and several others were subsequently replaced.
NASA/Serena Whitfield

Micah Embry, the Safety Day 2024 chairperson, presented Vande Hei with a certificate for his participation. 

Also during the event, Hill awarded the Golden Eagle Award to Peter Wreschinsky, a Jacobs Space Exploration Group employee. The award is part of the Mission Success is in Our Hands safety initiative, a collaboration between Marshall and Jacobs.

More than 400 civil servants and contractors participated in Safety Day, with organizational and vender booths providing information to employees across a variety of safety topics, including Emergency Management Services, fire protection, storm shelters, and more.

“As Marshall continues to be a leader at NASA and across the aerospace industry, … we must always be looking forward to improve our procedures and anticipate potential hazards,” Pelfrey said. “Safety is directly tied to our mission success. Without safety, we cannot achieve the goals we set for ourselves in space exploration, research, and innovation.”

Whitfield is an intern supporting the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Human Lander System Spotlight: Preparing for the First Crewed Lunar Landings for Artemis

The featured business unit for the month of September at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was Lander Systems. Marshall leads the development of the systems needed to safely land humans on the Moon and, eventually Mars. This includes the Human Landing System Program (HLS), which manages the development of commercial lunar landing systems that will transport astronauts to and from the surface of the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign.

For Artemis III and Artemis IV, NASA has selected SpaceX’s Starship HLS, while Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander will be used for Artemis V. Having two distinct lunar lander designs, with different approaches to how they meet NASA’s mission needs, provides more robustness while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings.

NASA works closely with its industry partners to mature the landers, exercising insight and offering collaboration to ensure astronaut safety and mission success. Through Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface while advancing key science and discovery for the benefit of all.

Learn more about HLS and meet some of the NASA Marshall teammates below who are working on the lunar landers:

Amy Buck
Amy Buck
NASA/Ken Hall

Amy Buck has been working with Artemis systems since she first came to Marshall 10 years ago. Previously part of the cryogenic insulation team for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, Buck is now the materials discipline lead for HLS. In her role, she has the chance to work on nearly every piece of hardware for the two landers as she and her team work with each of the HLS providers to ensure compliance with NASA’s requirements.

“The NASA HLS materials team is vital in supporting the design, testing, and manufacturing of the landers,” Buck said. “Landing on the Moon is central to the larger Artemis mission, and I’m super excited to be part of the Artemis Generation.”

Buck is most excited to see the first woman land on the Moon under Artemis and says she hopes it will inspire young girls – the next generation of engineers and scientists – to go into science and engineering.

Sean Underwood
Sean Underwood
NASA/Ken Hall

Mission success is all in the details for Sean Underwood, the thermal discipline lead for HLS. The Georgia native works with a team responsible for ensuring that the lunar landers can operate in the Moon’s harsh environment.

“There are unique thermal challenges associated with the Artemis III, IV, and V missions,” Underwood said. “Our primary objective is to manage thermal energy and heating rates, ensuring that HLS components and systems remain within thermal limits across all mission environments.”

Underwood joined Marshall in 2020 and sees his role with Artemis as one that will shape the future of space exploration – and Marshall. “Marshall Space Flight Center has been at the forefront of monumental space projects since its inception,” he said. “Through Artemis, we are ensuring that the legacy of past missions continues to inspire and drive us forward.”

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Innovative Thermal Energy Storage Tanks Keep Marshall Cool – and Save Taxpayer Dollars

By Rick Smith

As any home or business owner in the Southern United States knows, maintaining energy costs while trying to keep cool in the sweltering summer months is no simple challenge.

But one “cool” new infrastructure upgrade at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will reduce the center’s utility costs by approximately $250,000 a year, shrinking Marshall’s environmental footprint and streamlining long-term infrastructure maintenance costs.

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center facilities engineers Connor McLean, left, and Angela Bell assess the readiness of Marshall’s new thermal energy storage tank, which officially goes into operation in October. The tank stands alongside Marshall’s original thermal tank outside Building 4473, where they chill and store water to cool off laboratories, offices, and other buildings during the hot summer months. McLean and Bell lead the tank project on behalf of Marshall’s Office of Center Operations.
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center facilities engineers Connor McLean, left, and Angela Bell assess the readiness of Marshall’s new thermal energy storage tank, which officially goes into operation in October. The tank stands alongside Marshall’s original thermal tank outside Building 4473, where they chill and store water to cool off laboratories, offices, and other buildings during the hot summer months. McLean and Bell lead the tank project on behalf of Marshall’s Office of Center Operations.
NASA/Charles Beason

It’s called a thermal energy storage tank – 60 feet high, 60 feet in diameter, each unit capable of holding approximately 1.125 million gallons of chilled water – and it represents another milestone for facilities engineers in Marshall’s Office of Center Operations, whose tactics have already reduced center-wide energy expenditure by a dizzying 58.3% since fiscal year 2003.

Thermal energy storage is not a new process; it’s been used for decades to maximize efficiency in temperature control, particularly among industrial facilities and large public venues from hospitals to indoor stadiums. At Marshall, the chilled water serves a critical purpose center-wide, circulating from a central plant via a network of underground pipes to help keep laboratories and other buildings temperate throughout the summer heat.

“The average team member might not realize it’s chilled water, not just air, that keeps our labs, offices, and test facilities cool,” said Marshall facilities engineer Angela Bell, who helped oversee the installation of the second tank. “Our tanks operate at night, when utility prices drop and there is less overall demand on the regional energy grid, then send the chillwater out during the day.”

Marshall’s first tank was built and put into operation in 2008-2009. The second officially goes into service in October, joining its counterpart in creating chilled water overnight. Together, the tanks – situated adjacent to Building 4473 on the corner of Morris and Titan roads – provide an annual energy savings of roughly half a million dollars.

Marshall facilities engineer Connor McLean, who succeeded Bell as project manager for the new tank, noted that each thermal energy storage tank handles approximately 106,000 kilo-BTUs worth of cooling activity per day – or roughly 1,750 times as much cooling capacity as a central air system in a traditional family home.

Even with that considerable output, Marshall’s original tank had been hard-pressed to keep up with demand across the entire center over the past decade and a half, as climate change steadily pushed temperatures to sustained extremes.

“This is a huge stride in critical system redundancy,” McLean said. “Having the second tank enables us to run both concurrently or give one of them some necessary downtime without loss of center-wide functionality. That added capability makes Marshall more resilient and bolsters our confidence in our ability to handle unforeseen challenges.”

The electricity that powers the storage tanks is a mix – hydroelectric, fossil fuels, nuclear, and an increasing amount of renewable energy sources – provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority via the U.S. Army, from whom NASA leases property on Redstone Arsenal. 

“The tanks will be tremendous cost-savers for the next 40-50 years,” Bell said. “They allow us to use energy much more efficiently, based on past energy consumption levels – and that allows Marshall to do other things with those dollars.”

Over the past 20 years, Marshall has reinvested energy savings and facilities cost underruns back into center operations, often to fund new, cost-saving overhauls: upgrading facility HVAC systems or replacing obsolete lighting with more efficient LEDs.

“If we didn’t reduce consumption, our projected utility costs would be around $30 million per year,” said Rhonda Truitt, Marshall’s energy and water manager. “Thanks to efficient strategizing, encouraged and championed by Marshall and NASA leadership, we typically operate in the range of just $16-18 million per year.”

Such strategies have enabled Marshall to effectively keep its infrastructure budget flat since the early 2010s – reducing overall energy consumption and replacing outdated facilities with more cost-conscious, environmentally friendly modern buildings, a program known among facilities engineers as “repair by replacement.”

The U.S. Army at Redstone doesn’t employ a central chiller plant of its own, but the Marshall facilities team works “very closely” with their counterparts on the military side.

“We have a great working relationship,” Truitt said. “The real advantage of our system is that by reducing our peak energy demand, it reduces it for all of Redstone – which benefits the rest of the Arsenal and the lower Tennessee Valley.”

The new tank goes into operation just in time for the start of National Energy Awareness Month in October – and Truitt and her team encourage the Marshall workforce to continue to practice sensible energy conservation tactics even as sweat-inducing temperatures subside.

“Turn off lights and computer monitors wherever possible, don’t leave doors or windows propped open, and be mindful of all the small things that can add up over time,” Truitt said. “Our goal is always to help team members do their jobs in the most efficient way possible, to accomplish Marshall’s objectives and conserve our energy budget without impeding the mission.”

Thanks to the center’s new thermal energy storage tank, that should be no sweat.

Smith, an Aeyon employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Marshall Welcomes Members of the NASA Advisory Council

Rae Ann Meyer, front right, deputy director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is joined by members of the NASA Advisory Council and NASA Headquarters staff Oct. 1 at Marshall. The group toured various areas across the center during their visit Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Council members are appointed by the NASA administrator to provide advice and make recommendations on programs, policies, and other matters pertaining to the agency’s mission.

Rae Ann Meyer, front right, deputy director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is joined by members of the NASA Advisory Council and NASA Headquarters staff Oct. 1 at Marshall. The group toured various areas across the center during their visit Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Council members are appointed by the NASA administrator to provide advice and make recommendations on programs, policies, and other matters pertaining to the agency’s mission. (NASA/Charles Beason)

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Commercial Crew Program Hangs Expedition 70 Plaque, Highlighting Work Done by Marshall Team

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center continued the tradition of honoring engineers for their exceptional efforts on Commercial Crew Program (CCP) missions to the International Space Station on Sept. 4, with a plaque hanging for Expedition 70 at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC). Holding their plaques are, from left, Shelby Bates, Ali Reilly, Chris Buckley, Mandy Clayton, Elease Smith, Sara Dennis, Stephanie Stoll, John Griffin, Kylie Keeton, and Blake Parker. Team members are nominated from Marshall, Johnson Space Center, and Kennedy Space Center to hang the plaque of the mission they supported. Expedition 70 – which ended April 5 – researched heart health, cancer treatments, space manufacturing techniques, and more during their long-duration stay in Earth orbit. The HOSC provides engineering and mission operations support for the space station, the CCP, and Artemis missions, as well as science and technology demonstration missions. The Payload Operations Integration Center within HOSC operates, plans, and coordinates the science experiments onboard the space station 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center continued the tradition of honoring engineers for their exceptional efforts on Commercial Crew Program (CCP) missions to the International Space Station on Sept. 4, with a plaque hanging for Expedition 70 at the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC). Holding their plaques are, from left, Shelby Bates, Ali Reilly, Chris Buckley, Mandy Clayton, Elease Smith, Sara Dennis, Stephanie Stoll, John Griffin, Kylie Keeton, and Blake Parker. Team members are nominated from Marshall, Johnson Space Center, and Kennedy Space Center to hang the plaque of the mission they supported. Expedition 70 – which ended April 5 – researched heart health, cancer treatments, space manufacturing techniques, and more during their long-duration stay in Earth orbit. The HOSC provides engineering and mission operations support for the space station, the CCP, and Artemis missions, as well as science and technology demonstration missions. The Payload Operations Integration Center within HOSC operates, plans, and coordinates the science experiments onboard the space station 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. (NASA/Charles Beason)

Chris Buckley, left, signs an Expedition 70 plaque as Sara Dennis, center, and Shelby Bates look on.

Buckley, left, signs an Expedition 70 plaque as Dennis looks on. (NASA/Charles Beason)

Sara Dennis hangs the Expedition 70 plaque inside the Huntsville Operations Support Center.

Dennis hangs the Expedition 70 plaque inside the Huntsville Operations Support Center. (NASA/Charles Beason)

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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Aboard International Space Station

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived at the International Space Station on Sept. 29 as the SpaceX Dragon Freedom docked to the orbiting complex at 4:30 p.m. CDT, joining Expedition 72 for a five-month science research mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 crew joins Expedition 72 aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew joins Expedition 72 aboard the International Space Station.
NASA

The two crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission launched at 12:17 p.m. CDT Sept. 28 for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station. This is the first human spaceflight mission launched from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and the agency’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission to the space station.

The duo joined the space station’s Expedition 72 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Don Pettit, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexander Grebenkin, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. The number of crew aboard the space station increased to 11 for a short time until Crew-8 members Barratt, Dominick, Epps, and Grebenkin depart the space station early this month.

The crewmates will conduct more than 200 scientific investigations, including blood clotting studies, moisture effects on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts during their mission. Following their stay aboard the space station, Hague and Gorbunov will be joined by Williams and Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025.

With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 23 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign, and beyond.

Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Follow the space station blog for updates on station activities.

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Keeping the Pace: Marshall Hosts Annual ‘Racin’ the Station’ Duathlon

A costumed gorilla pacer leads a group of runners during “Racin’ the Station” duathlon, a run/bike/run event where the participants “raced” the International Space Station. The event was Sept. 28 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which is on Redstone Arsenal. “Racin’ the Station” is an annual event where participants try to complete the course faster than it takes the space station to complete one Earth orbit, which is every 91 minutes, 12 seconds. Organizers track the starting location of the space station at the race start, and a costumed pacer keeps up with the station time on the course as a visual marker for participants to stay ahead of. Before the race, organizers drew a to-scale SLS (Space Launch System) Block 1 rocket in chalk onto the Activities Building parking lot near the race transition area. The opening ceremonies featured a video of the Artemis 1 launch, with the race starting with the launch of a model rocket. “The rain was a first for race day since we started this event in 2012,” said Kent Criswell, race organizer for Marshall. “But we still had a safe race with 106 individuals and 13 relay teams finishing.” The event is organized by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club in Huntsville and by the Marshall Association, a professional employee service organization at the Marshall Center whose members include civil service employees, retirees and contractors. Proceeds from the registration fee for the event go to the Marshall Association scholarship fund.

A costumed gorilla pacer leads a group of runners during “Racin’ the Station” duathlon, a run/bike/run event where the participants “raced” the International Space Station. The event was Sept. 28 at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which is on Redstone Arsenal. “Racin’ the Station” is an annual event where participants try to complete the course faster than it takes the space station to complete one Earth orbit, which is every 91 minutes, 12 seconds. Organizers track the starting location of the space station at the race start, and a costumed pacer keeps up with the station time on the course as a visual marker for participants to stay ahead of.  Before the race, organizers drew a to-scale SLS (Space Launch System) Block 1 rocket in chalk onto the Activities Building parking lot near the race transition area. The opening ceremonies featured a video of the Artemis 1 launch, with the race starting with the launch of a model rocket. “The rain was a first for race day since we started this event in 2012,” said Kent Criswell, race organizer for Marshall. “But we still had a safe race with 106 individuals and 13 relay teams finishing.” The event is organized by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club in Huntsville and by the Marshall Association, a professional employee service organization at the Marshall Center whose members include civil service employees, retirees and contractors. Proceeds from the registration fee for the event go to the Marshall Association scholarship fund. Race results can be found here. (NASA/Charles Beason)

Participants take off in the bike portion of the “Racin’ the Station” duathlon.

Participants take off in the bike portion of the “Racin’ the Station” duathlon. (NASA/Charles Beason)

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NASA Seeks Innovators for Lunar Waste Competition 

By Savannah Bullard 

A new NASA competition, the LunaRecycle Challenge, is open and offering $3 million in prizes for innovations in recycling material waste on deep space missions. 

As NASA continues efforts toward long-duration human space travel, including building a sustained human presence on the Moon through its Artemis missions, the agency needs novel solutions for processing inorganic waste streams like food packaging, discarded clothing, and science experiment materials. While previous efforts focused on the reduction of trash mass and volume, this challenge will prioritize technologies for recycling waste into usable products needed for off-planet science and exploration activities.  

NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will incentivize the design and development of energy-efficient, low-mass, and low-impact recycling solutions that address physical waste streams and improve the sustainability of longer-duration lunar missions. Through the power of open innovation, which draws on the public’s ingenuity and creativity to find solutions, NASA can restructure the agency’s approach to waste management, support the future of space travel, and revolutionize waste treatments on Earth, leading to greater sustainability on our home planet and beyond. 

“Operating sustainably is an important consideration for NASA as we make discoveries and conduct research both away from home and on Earth,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program. “With this challenge, we are seeking the public’s innovative approaches to waste management on the Moon and aim to take lessons learned back to Earth for the benefit of all.” 

NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will offer two competition tracks: a Prototype Build track and a Digital Twin track. The Prototype Build Track focuses on designing and developing hardware components and systems for recycling one or more solid waste streams on the lunar surface. The Digital Twin Track focuses on designing a virtual replica of a complete system for recycling solid waste streams on the lunar surface and manufacturing end products. Offering a Digital Twin track further lowers the barrier of entry for global solvers to participate in NASA Centennial Challenges and contribute to agency missions and initiatives.  

Teams will have the opportunity to compete in either or both competition tracks, each of which will carry its own share of the prize purse. 

The LunaRecycle Challenge also will address some of the aerospace community’s top technical challenges. In July, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate released a ranked list of 187 technology areas requiring further development to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. The results integrated inputs from NASA mission directorates and centers, industry organizations, government agencies, academia, and other interested individuals to help guide NASA’s space technology development and investments. This list and subsequent updates will help inform future Centennial Challenges.  

The three technological needs that LunaRecycle will address include logistics tracking, clothing, and trash management for habitation; in-space and on-surface manufacturing of parts and products; and in-space and on-surface manufacturing from recycled and reused materials. 

“I am pleased that NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge will contribute to solutions pertaining to technological needs within advanced manufacturing and habitats,” said Kim Krome, acting program manager for agency’s Centennial Challenges, and challenge manager of LunaRecycle. “We are very excited to see what solutions our global competitors generate, and we are eager for this challenge to serve as a positive catalyst for bringing the agency, and humanity, closer to exploring worlds beyond our own.” 

NASA has contracted The University of Alabama to be the allied partner for the duration of the challenge. The university, based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will coordinate with former Centennial Challenge winner AI Spacefactory to facilitate the challenge and manage its competitors.  

To register as a participant in NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge, visit: lunarecyclechallenge.ua.edu

NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge is led by the agency’s Kennedy Space Center with support from Marshall Space Flight Center. The competition is a NASA’s Centennial Challenge, based at Marshall. Centennial Challenges are part of NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.  

Bullard, a Manufacturing Technical Solutions Inc. employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Fueling Complete on Europa Clipper Spacecraft

Technicians completed loading propellants in the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft Sept. 22, inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

This image shows technicians working to complete operations prior to propellant load for NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2024.
Technicians work to complete operations prior to propellant load for NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 11.
NASA/Kim Shiflett

Housed in the largest spacecraft NASA has ever built for a planetary mission, Europa Clipper’s propulsion module is an aluminum cylinder 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, and it holds the spacecraft’s array of 24 engines and 6067.6 pounds of propellant in two propulsion tanks, as well as the spacecraft’s helium pressurant tanks. The fuel and oxidizer held by the tanks will flow to the 24 engines, creating a controlled chemical reaction to produce thrust in space during its journey to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life.

After launch, the spacecraft plans to fly by Mars in February 2025, then back by Earth in December 2026, using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum. With help of these “gravity assists,” Europa Clipper will achieve the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in April 2030.

NASA is targeting launch Oct. 10 aboard a Space X Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA Kennedy’s historic Launch Complex 39A.

Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory 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. The main spacecraft body was designed by APL in collaboration with NASA 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. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, manages the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.

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      L483 is named for American astronomer Beverly T. Lynds, who published extensive catalogs of “dark” and “bright” nebulae in the early 1960s. She did this by carefully examining photographic plates (which preceded film) of the first Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, accurately recording each object’s coordinates and characteristics. These catalogs provided astronomers with detailed maps of dense dust clouds where stars form — critical resources for the astronomical community decades before the first digital files became available and access to the internet was widespread.
      The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe 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.
      Downloads
      Click any image to open a larger version.
      View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.
      Media Contacts
      Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
      Claire Blome – cblome@stsci.edu
      Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
      Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
      Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
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      View more: Webb images of similar protostar outflows – HH 211 and HH 46/47
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      Explore the jets emitted by young stars in multiple wavelengths: ViewSpace Interactive
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      Last Updated Mar 07, 2025 Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms
      James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Astrophysics Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Goddard Space Flight Center Nebulae Protostars Science & Research Stars The Universe View the full article
    • By NASA
      7 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      NASA / Maria Werries The ARMD 2024 Associate Administrator Awards were presented to NASA employees, contractors, and students or interns who distinguished themselves, either individually or as part of a group, through their overall approach to their work and through results they achieved during the award year.
      LEGEND: ARMD NASA CENTERS
      ARC = Ames Research Center
      AFRC = Armstrong Flight Research Center
      GRC = Glenn Research Center
      HQ = Headquarters
      LaRC = Langley Research Center
      Technology and Innovation
      Honoree (Individual)
      Kenneth R. Lyons, ARC
      Kenneth R. Lyons made significant contributions this past year that were successfully applied in advancing NASA’s state-of-the-art unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint (uPSP) experimental measurement in NASA’s wind tunnels. Lyons was key to the development of innovative data processing capabilities such as custom software drivers necessary to transfer the high-speed uPSP data from NASA’s wind tunnels to its High-End Computer facility – as well as other data management and methodologies overall. The uPSP development team’s principal investigator referred to his work on replacing older legacy systems as a “masterpiece.”
      Honoree (Group)
      NASA GRX-810 Licensing Team
      NASA’s GRX-810 Licensing Team demonstrated exemplary performance by developing a technologically significant new material, meeting community demands for rapid evaluation, and enabling broad industry availability through timely commercialization. The team’s efforts led to successful licensing to multiple parties, pioneering a novel approach for NASA by using co-exclusive licenses, and the negotiation of four co-exclusive licenses with commercial partners. This license structure will increase competition within the marketplace and provide incentive for each company to fast-track product development.
      Team Lead: Dr. Timothy M. Smith, GRC
      View Group Honorees
      Honorable Mention
      Shishir Pandya, ARC
      Shishir Pandya’s exemplary actions as the formulation and technical lead for the Propulsion/Airframe Integration (PAI) emerging technical challenge were instrumental in creating an actionable project plan that will examine complex aerodynamic interactions between sustainable propulsor technologies – such as open rotor concepts envisioned in programs like General Electric’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE). Pandya was instrumental in classifying the current PAI analysis capabilities at NASA, and scoping NASA’s, GE’s, and Boeing’s roles and responsibilities for open fan integration studies, both computational and experimental.
      Honorable Mention (Group)
      Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Propulsion Team
      The Revolutionary Vertical Lift and Technology project’s Electric Propulsion Team achieved major accomplishments – successfully completing a technical challenge to improve propulsion system component reliability by demonstrating significant improvements in 100-kilowatt electric motors. Through an integrated interdisciplinary approach including external partner collaborations, the team produced six major technological capabilities towards further development of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission.
      Team Lead: Mark Valco, GRC
      View Honorable Mention Group Honorees
      Honorable Mention (Group)
      Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren Team
      The Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren Team developed a highly innovative and impactful Schlieren system that revolutionizes high-speed flow visualization in aeronautics research by enabling the use of a highly efficient, non-intrusive optical measurement technique in physically constrained environments. This new approach drastically improves efficiency in accurately capturing and analyzing complex, high-speed airflows around advanced aerospace vehicles in a non-intrusive manner – providing precise visualization without requiring the cumbersome alignment procedures of traditional Schlieren systems.
      Team Lead: Brett Bathel, LaRC
      View Honorable Mention Group Honorees
      Leadership and Management Excellence
      Honoree
      Anthony Nerone, GRC
      Anthony Nerone demonstrated strong leadership in formulating and leading the implementation of the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core project. He has successfully set up a framework to establish a high-performing project team that has been an example for other Aeronautics projects. Nerone’s strong project management has led industry to accelerate the development of advanced engine technologies which have started to see infusion into products – continuing United States leadership in sustainable aviation.
      Program and Mission Support
      Honoree
      Diana Fitzgerald, LaRC (Booz Allen Hamilton)
      Diana Fitzgerald has demonstrated innovation, responsiveness, and impact in her contributions to the Transformational Tools and Technologies (TTT) project. Her creative and comprehensive approach to enhancing TTT’s communication processes has significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the project’s operations, enabling ARMD to advance critical strategic capabilities and partnerships. Her dedication has garnered widespread recognition from colleagues and leadership and has had a substantial and measurable impact.
      Honoree (Group)
      Airspace Operations Safety Program (AOSP) Resource Analyst Group
      The AOSP Resource Analyst Group worked tirelessly to skillfully review and analyze the NASA Aeronautics budget – preparing programs and projects for planning, budget, and execution inputs. Their extraordinary performance in numerous AOSP activities building, tracking, and executing milestones resulted in a smooth and transparent execution of the program’s annual budget. The group has gone beyond the call of duty and their hard work and dedication is reflected in their discipline and commitment to NASA through critical, time-sensitive attention to detail and solution-focused problem solving.
      Team Leads: Michele Dodson, HQ and Jeffrey Farlin, HQ
      View Group Honorees
      Honorable Mention (Individual)
      Shannon Eichorn, GRC
      Shannon Eichorn developed and authored a compelling, creative vision for the future of aeronautics research and of NASA’s working environment. She envisioned and described a future in which NASA’s aeronautics research goals, future technologies, workforce, and capabilities are in synergy to maximize research quality and impact. Eichorn presented this vision to numerous leaders and groups at NASA, and the excitement in the room at each presentation led to engaging follow-on discussions and several workstream groups requested Eichorn to present to their full group. Her efforts inspire not only ARMD, but the entire agency.
      High Potentials
      Honoree
      Matthew Webster, LaRC
      Matthew Webster has had significant impact and contributions to meeting goals in the Convergent Aeronautics Solutions and Transformational Tools and Technologies projects. In his short time at NASA, he has rapidly demonstrated exceptional ability to adapt and apply technical expertise across multiple NASA projects to advance towards project technical goals. Webster has shown his leadership ability, providing exceptional skills at creating a healthy team environment enabling the group to successfully meet project goals.
      Honorable Mention
      Dahlia Pham, ARC
      Dhalia Pham’s contributions as a system analyst, researcher, and teammate in support of NASA’s efforts in electrified aircraft propulsion have shown an ability to creatively solve problems, analyze impacts, present results with strong communication skills, and collaborate with and mentor others. Her technical acumen and leadership ability raise the bar, making her an established leader amongst her peers.
      Strategic Partnerships
      Honoree
      Salvatore Buccellato, LaRC
      Salvatore Buccellato identified collaborative opportunities in hypersonics research that were mutually beneficial to NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and other non-NASA entities through his program management experience and knowledge of NASA people and capabilities. Buccellato was able to leverage NASA and non-NASA expertise and capabilities, along with DARPA funding, to further mature and advance hypersonic technologies via ground and flight tests with the goal of enabling operational flight systems. His exemplary work helped to significantly advanced hypersonic technologies and its workforce, and are expected to lead to further partnered activities for NASA.
      Pushing the Envelope
      Honoree (Group)
      Advanced Power Electronics Team, GRC
      The Advanced Power Electronics Team of the Advanced Air Transport Technology project completed an ambitious design of a prototype flight-packaged, altitude-capable electric motor drive for aviation. Their work pushed past the state of the art in flight motor drives in several areas including power density, efficiency, and power quality – and is a steppingstone towards megawatt-level, cryogenically cooled motor drives. The electric motor design underwent many successful tests and exercises, and the team’s subsequent publications and expertise help the electrified aircraft industry push past several barriers. 
      Team Leads: Matthew G. Granger, GRC
      View Group Honorees
      2024 AA Award Honorees PDF
      ARMD Associate Administrator Award
      Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Linkedin logo @NASA Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
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      Details
      Last Updated Mar 06, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
      Associate Administrator Awards View the full article
    • By NASA
      1 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      NASA GRX-810 Licensing Team, GRC

      * Denotes Team Lead
      NASA Ames Research Center
      John Lawson
      NASA Glenn Research Center
      Steven M. Arnold
      Aaron B. Brister
      Robert W. Carter
      Robert H. Earp
      Timothy P. Gabb
      Christopher J. Giuffre
      Paul R. Gradl
      Jason M. Hanna
      Bryan J. Harder
      Amy B. Hiltabidel
      Dale A. Hopkins
      Christopher A. Kantzos
      Michael J. Kulis
      Geoffrey S. Minter
      Brian T. Newbacher
      Callista M. Puchmeyer
      Richard W. Rauser
      Harvey L. Schabes
      Timothy M. Smith*
      Aaron C. Thompson
      Mary F. Wadel
      Austin J. Whitt
      Laura G. Wilson
      NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
      Paul Gradl
      HX5, LLC
      Christopher J. Giuffre
      Aaron C. Thompson
      Austin J. Whitt
      University of Toledo
      Richard W. Rauser
      2024 AA Award Honorees
      2024 AA Award Honorees PDF
      ARMD Associate Administrator Awards
      Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Linkedin logo @NASA Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Missions
      Artemis
      Aeronautics STEM
      Explore NASA’s History
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      Details
      Last Updated Mar 06, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
      Associate Administrator Awards View the full article
    • By NASA
      1 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      eVTOL Propulsion Team, GRC

      * Denotes Team Lead
      NASA Glenn Research Center
      Aaron D. Anderson
      Devin K. Boyle
      Jeffryes W. Chapman
      Peggy A. Cornell
      Timothy P. Dever
      Justin P. Elchert
      Henry B. Fain
      Xavier Collazo Fernandez
      Matthew G. Granger
      Jonathan M. Gutknecht
      Michael C. Halbig
      Patrick A. Hanlon
      Hashmatullah Hasseeb
      David Hausser
      Scott A. Hensley
      Keith R. Hunker
      Michael J. Hurrell
      Keith P. Johnson
      Greg L. Kimnach
      John M. Koudelka
      Timothy L. Krantz
      Brian P. Malone
      Sandi G. Miller
      Nuha S. Nawash
      Paul M. Nowak
      Joseph J. Pinakidis
      Meelad Ranaiefar
      Trey D. Rupp
      David J. Sadey
      Jonathan A. Salem
      Justin J. Scheidler
      Andrew D. Smith
      Mark A. Stevens
      Thomas F. Tallerico
      Linda M. Taylor
      Casey J. Theman
      Mark J. Valco*
      Joseph S. Wisniewski
      NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
      Zachary A. Cameron
      Amentum
      Francis R. Gaspare
      David J. Henrickson
      Ryan M. McManamon
      Alan J. Revilock
      Connecticut Reserve Technologies
      Eric H. Baker
      HX5 Sierra
      Nathan A. Baker
      John W. Gresh
      George E. Horning
      Sigurds L. Lauge
      Brett M. Norris
      Nicolas Umpierre
      Bill J. Vaccareillo
      John Veneziano
      NASA Financial Support Services
      Madeline Duncan
      Ohio Aerospace Institute
      Mrityunjay Singh
      Universities Space Research Association
      Paula J. Heimann
      2024 AA Award Honorees
      2024 AA Award Honorees PDF
      ARMD Associate Administrator Awards
      Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Instagram logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes Linkedin logo @NASA Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Missions
      Artemis
      Aeronautics STEM
      Explore NASA’s History
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Mar 06, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
      Associate Administrator Awards View the full article
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