Jump to content
Join the Alien Search, login or register FREE on Aliens and Space Forum
Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site

NASA Pilots Add Perspective to Research

NASA

By NASA
in NASA

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
NASA Mentor

NASA

Posted
  • Publishers
Posted

4 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

Two NASA pilots in flight gear walk away from an aircraft.
NASA pilot Nils Larson, and flight test engineer and pilot Wayne Ringelberg, head for a mission debrief after flying a NASA F/A-18 at Mach 1.38 to create sonic booms as part of the Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence flight series at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, to study sonic boom signatures with and without the element of atmospheric turbulence.
NASA/Lauren Hughes

NASA research pilots are experts on how to achieve the right flight-test conditions for experiments and the tools needed for successful missions. It is that expertise that enables pilots to help researchers learn how an aircraft can fly their technology innovations and save time and money, while increasing the innovation’s readiness for use.

NASA pilots detailed how they help researchers find the right fit for experiments that might not advance without proving that they work in flight as they do in modeling, simulation, and ground tests at the Ideas to Flight Workshop on Sept. 18 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. “Start the conversation early and make sure you have the right people in the conversation,” said Tim Krall, a NASA Armstrong flight operations engineer. “What we are doing better is making sure pilots are included earlier in a flight project to capitalize on their experience and knowledge.”

Flight research is often used to prove or refine computer models, try out new systems, or increase a technology’s readiness. Sometimes, pilots guide a research project involving experimental aircraft. For example, pilots play a pivotal role on the X-59 aircraft, which will fly faster than the speed of sound while generating a quiet thump, rather than a loud boom. In the future, NASA’s pilots with fly the X-59 over select U.S. communities to gather data about how people on the ground perceive sonic thumps. NASA will provide this information to regulators to potentially change regulations that currently prohibit commercial supersonic flight over land.

Three men sit behind a table and answer questions.
Mark Russell, center, a research pilot at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, explains the differences in flight environments at different NASA centers. Jim Less, a NASA pilot at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, left, Russell, and Nils Larson, NASA Armstrong chief X-59 aircraft pilot and senior advisor on flight research, provided perspective on flight research at the Ideas to Flight Workshop on Sept. 18 at NASA Armstrong.
NASA/Genaro Vavuris

“We have been involved with X-59 aircraft requirements and design process from before it was an X-plane,” said Nils Larson, NASA chief X-59 aircraft pilot and senior advisor on flight research. “I was part of pre-formulation and formulation teams. I was also on the research studies and brought in NASA pilot Jim Less in for a second opinion. Because we had flown missions in the F-15 and F-18, we knew the kinds of systems, like autopilots, that we need to get the repeatability and accuracy for the data.”

NASA pilots’ experience can provide guidance to enable a wide range of flight experiments. A lot of times researchers have an idea of how to get the required flight data, but sometimes, Larson explains, while there are limits to what an aircraft can do – like flying the DC-8 upside down, there are maneuvers that given the right mitigations, training, and approval could simulate those conditions.

Less says he’s developed an approach to help focus researchers: “What do you guys really need? A lot of what we do is mundane, but anytime you go out and fly, there is some risk. We don’t want to take a risk if we are going after data that nobody needs, or it is not going to serve a purpose, or the quality won’t work.”

One man holds a large remotely piloted aircraft, while another man attaches a smaller aircraft to it.
Justin Hall, left, attaches the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars, or Prandtl-M, glider onto the Carbon-Z Cub, which Justin Link steadies. Hall and Link are part of a team from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, that uses an experimental magnetic release mechanism to air launch the glider.
NASA/Lauren Hughes

Sometimes, a remotely piloted aircraft can provide an advantage to achieve NASA’s research priorities, said Justin Hall, NASA Armstrong’s subscale aircraft laboratory chief pilot. “We can do things quicker, at a lower cost, and the subscale lab offers unique opportunities. Sometimes an engineer comes in with an idea and we can help design and integrate experiments, or we can even build an aircraft and pilot it.” 

Most research flights are straight and level like driving a car on the highway. But there are exceptions. “The more interesting flights require a maneuver to get the data the researcher is looking for,” Less said. “We mounted a pod to an F/A-18 with the landing radar that was going to Mars and they wanted to simulate Martian reentry using the airplane. We went up high and dove straight at the ground.”

Another F/A-18 experiment tested the flight control software for the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis missions. “A rocket takes off vertically and it has to pitch over 90 degrees,” Less explained. “We can’t quite do that in an F-18, but we could start at about a 45-degree angle and then push 45 degrees nose low to simulate the whole turn. That’s one of the fun parts of the job, trying to figure out how to get the data you want with the tools we have.”

A pilot in a cockpit wears a suit designed to monitor breathing.
NASA pilot Jim Less is assisted by life support as he is fitted with a pilot breathing monitoring system. The sensing system is attached to a pilot’s existing gear to capture real-time physiological, breathing gas, and cockpit environmental data.
NASA/Carla Thomas

Share

Details

Last Updated
Oct 16, 2024
Editor
Dede Dinius
Contact
Jay Levine
Location
Armstrong Flight Research Center

Related Terms

Explore More

AFRC2023-0170-07~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1279
3 min read

Sacrifice and Success: NASA Engineer Honors Family Roots

Article 2 hours ago
AFRC2023-0170-07~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1279
4 min read

Sacrificio y Éxito: Ingeniero de la NASA honra sus orígenes familiares

Article 2 hours ago
felipe-valdez-afrc-.jpg?w=300
3 min read

NASA Spotlight: Felipe Valdez, an Inspiring Engineer

Article 3 days ago
Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Armstrong Flight Research Center

afrc2018-0020-06_eclipse_composite_cropp

Armstrong Capabilities & Facilities

AFRC2022-0063-096~large.jpg?w=1920&h=127

NASA Aircraft

370311main_ED08-0292-1_full.jpg?w=1536

Armstrong Technologies

schlieren_knife_edge_thumbnail.jpg?w=138

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • NASA
      NASA Langley’s Legacy of Landing
      By NASA
      5 Min Read NASA Langley’s Legacy of Landing
      The first image of the Moon taken by the cameras on the Lunar Orbiter in 1966. Credits: NASA Landing safely on the surface of another planetary body, like the Moon or Mars, is one of the most important milestones of any given space mission. From the very beginning, NASA’s Langley Research Center has been at the heart of the entry, descent and landing (EDL) research that enables our exploration. Today, NASA Langley’s legacy of landing continues at the forefront of present day lunar missions and as NASA prepares for future travel to more distant worlds.
      Project Mercury: 1958
      Project Mercury was the United States’ first human-in-space program, led by NASA’s Space Task Group located at NASA Langley. There were five major programs of study and experimentation.
      An airdrop study that helped us understand the characteristics of the Mercury capsule as it returned to Earth. A group of study focused on the escape systems, ultimately becoming known as the launch abort system. Exhaustive wind-tunnel studies of the blunt-nosed capsule design and its aerodynamic stability at various altitudes and speeds and angles of reentry, all with a focus on making the capsule safe and stable. A study on the problem of landing impact, resulting in the development of absorption systems that minimized the shock of impact to the capsule’s pilot. Studies into the use of drogue parachutes and their characteristics at high altitudes and speeds, ensuring that they would be able to stabilize and slow the capsule’s descent for a safe landing. All of this research went on to inform the subsequent Gemini and Apollo programs. All of this research went on to inform the subsequent Gemini and Apollo programs.
      Apollo Program: 1962
      In 1961, President John F. Kennedy committed to putting Americans on the surface of the Moon and shortly after that historic declaration, NASA’s Apollo program was born. In the years that followed, the original team of NASA astronauts completed their basic training at NASA Langley’s Lunar Landing Research Facility (LLRF). When Apollo 11 successfully landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969, NASA Langley had played a pivotal role in the monumental success.
      Lunar Orbiter: 1966
      The Lunar Orbiter missions launched with the purpose of mapping the lunar surface and identifying potential landing sites ahead of the Apollo landings. From 1966 to 1967, the five successful Lunar Orbiter missions, led and managed by Langley Research Center, resulted in 99% of the moon photographed and a suitable site selected for the upcoming human landings.
      Viking: 1976
      After the success of Apollo, NASA set its sights further across the solar system to Mars. Two Viking missions aimed to successfully place landers on the Red Planet and capture high resolution images of the Martian surfaces, assisting in the search for life. Langley Research Center was chosen to lead this inaugural Mars mission and went on to play key roles in the missions to Mars that followed.
      HIAD: 2009 – Present
      Successful landings on Mars led to more ambitious dreams of landing larger payloads, including those that could support future human exploration. In order to land those payloads safely, a new style of heat shield would be needed. Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) technology was positioned as an answer to the payload problem, enabling missions to use inflatable heat shields to slow down and protect a payload as it enters a planet’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.
      IRVE – 2009-2012
      Two successful Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiments (IRVE) proved the capability of inflatable heat shield technology and opened the door for larger iterations.
      LOFTID – 2022
      The Low Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) followed in the footsteps of its predecessor IRVE with a larger aeroshell that could be deployed to a scale much larger than the shroud. The 2022 successful test of this technology further proved the capability of HIAD technology.
      MEDLI 1 and 2: 2012 & 2020
      As a part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, NASA Langley’s Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI) was designed to gather data from the MSL entry vehicle’s heatshield during its entry and descent to the surface of Mars. MEDLI2 expanded on that groundbreaking data during the Mars 2020 mission which safely landed the Perseverance rover after successfully entering the planet’s arid atmosphere, and enabling improvements on the design for future entry systems.
      Curiosity Rover
      Curiosity was the largest and most capable rover ever sent to Mars when it launched in 2011. Leading up the mission, Langley engineers performed millions of simulations of the entry, descent and landing phase — or the so-called “Seven Minutes of Terror” — that determines success or failure. Curiosity continues to look for signs that Mars once was – or still is – a habitable place for life as we know it.
      CLPS: 2023 – Present
      The Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative takes the Artemis mission further by working with commercial partners to advance the technology needed to return humans to the Moon and enable humanity to explore Mars.
      NDL
      Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) technology, developed at Langley Research Center, uses lasers to assist spacecraft in identifying safe locations to land. In 2024, NDL flew on the Intuitive Machines’ uncrewed Nova-C lander, with its laser instruments designed to measure velocity and altitude to within a few feet. While NASA planetary landers have traditionally relied on radar and used radio waves, NDL technology has proven more accurate and less heavy, both major benefits for cost and space savings as we continue to pursue planetary missions.
      SCALPSS
      Like Lunar Orbiter and the Viking missions before it, Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) set out to better understand the surface of another celestial body. These cameras affixed to the bottom of a lunar lander focus on the interaction between the lander’s rocket plumes and the lunar surface. The SCALPSS 1.1 instrument captured first-of-its-kind imagery as the engine plumes of Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander reached the Moon’s surface. These images will serve as key pieces of data as trips to the Moon increase in the coming years. 
      About the Author
      Angelique Herring

      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 03, 2025 EditorAngelique HerringContactJoseph Scott Atkinsonjoseph.s.atkinson@nasa.govLocationNASA Langley Research Center Related Terms
      General Langley Research Center Explore More
      4 min read NASA Cameras on Blue Ghost Capture First-of-its-Kind Moon Landing Footage
      Article 3 weeks ago 4 min read Six NASA Instruments Will Fly to Moon on Intuitive Machines Lander
      Article 1 year ago 4 min read Impact Story: Navigation Doppler Lidar
      Article 2 years ago 7 min read Langley’s Contributions to Artemis
      Article 3 years ago 1 min read 2024 Annual Report Highlights Langley’s Wonder at Work
      Article 2 months ago 12 min read 60 Years Ago: NASA Approves the Lunar Orbiter Program
      Article 2 years ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Missions
      Humans in Space
      Climate Change
      Solar System
      View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Makes Progress on Advanced Drone Safety Management System
      By NASA
      4 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      A Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory pilot controls a drone during NASA’s In-Time Aviation Safety Management System test series in collaboration with a George Washington University team July 17-18, 2024, at the U.S. Army’s Fort Devens in Devens, Massachusetts. MIT Lincoln Laboratory/Jay Couturier From agriculture and law enforcement to entertainment and disaster response, industries are increasingly turning to drones for help, but the growing volume of these aircraft will require trusted safety management systems to maintain safe operations.
      NASA is testing a new software system to create an improved warning system – one that can predict hazards to drones before they occur. The In-Time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) will monitor, assess, and mitigate airborne risks in real time. But making sure that it can do all that requires extensive experimentation to see how its elements work together, including simulations and drone flight tests.
      “If everything is going as planned with your flight, you won’t notice your in-time aviation safety management system working,” said Michael Vincent, NASA acting deputy project manager with the System-Wide Safety project at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “It’s before you encounter an unusual situation, like loss of navigation or communications, that the IASMS provides an alert to the drone operator.”
      The team completed a simulation in the Human-Autonomy Teaming Laboratory at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley on March 5 aimed at finding out how critical elements of the IASMS could be used in operational hurricane relief and recovery.
      During this simulation, 12 drone pilots completed three 30-minute sessions where they managed up to six drones flying beyond visual line of sight to perform supply drops to residents stranded after a severe hurricane. Additional drones flew scripted search and rescue operations and levee inspections in the background. Researchers collected data on pilot performance, mission success, workload, and perceptions of the experiences, as well as the system’s usability.
      This simulation is part of a longer-term strategy by NASA to advance this technology. The lessons learned from this study will help prepare for the project’s hurricane relief and recovery flight tests, planned for 2027.  
      As an example of this work, in the summer of 2024 NASA tested its IASMS during a series of drone flights in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus, Ohio, and in a separate effort, with three university-led teams.
      For the Ohio Department of Transportation tests, a drone flew with the NASA-developed IASMS software aboard, which communicated back to computers at NASA Langley. Those transmissions gave NASA researchers input on the system’s performance.
      Students from the Ohio State University participate in drone flights during NASA’s In-Time Aviation Safety Management System test series in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Transportation from March to July 2024 at the Columbus Aero Club in Ohio. NASA/Russell Gilabert NASA also conducted studies with The George Washington University (GWU), the University of Notre Dame, and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). These occurred at the U.S. Army’s Fort Devens in Devens, Massachusetts with GWU; near South Bend, Indiana with Notre Dame; and in Richmond, Virginia with VCU. Each test included a variety of types of drones, flight scenarios, and operators.
      Students from Virginia Commonwealth University walk toward a drone after a flight as part of NASA’s In-Time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) test series July 16, 2024, in Richmond, Virginia. NASA/Dave Bowman Each drone testing series involved a different mission for the drone to perform and different hazards for the system to avoid. Scenarios included, for example, how the drone would fly during a wildfire or how it would deliver a package in a city. A different version of the NASA IASMS was used to fit the scenario depending on the mission, or depending on the flight area.
      Students from the University of Notre Dame prepare a small drone for takeoff as part of NASA’s In-Time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) university test series, which occurred on August 21, 2024 in Notre Dame, Indiana.University of Notre Dame/Wes Evard When used in conjunction with other systems such as NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management, IASMS may allow for routine drone flights in the U.S. to become a reality. The IASMS adds an additional layer of safety for drones, assuring the reliability and trust if the drone is flying over a town on a routine basis that it remains on course while avoiding hazards along the way.
      “There are multiple entities who contribute to safety assurance when flying a drone,” Vincent said. “There is the person who’s flying the drone, the company who designs and manufactures the drone, the company operating the drone, and the Federal Aviation Administration, who has oversight over the entire National Airspace System. Being able to monitor, assess and mitigate risks in real time would make the risks in these situations much more secure.”
      All of this work is led by NASA’s System-Wide Safety project under the Airspace Operations and Safety program in support of the agency’s Advanced Air Mobility mission, which seeks to deliver data to guide the industry’s development of electric air taxis and drones.
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 02, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactTeresa Whitingteresa.whiting@nasa.gov Related Terms
      Advanced Air Mobility Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Airspace Operations and Safety Program Ames Research Center Armstrong Flight Research Center Drones & You Flight Innovation Langley Research Center System-Wide Safety Explore More
      2 min read Artemis Astronauts & Orion Leadership Visit NASA Ames
      Article 1 hour ago 7 min read ARMD Solicitations (ULI Proposals Invited)
      Article 2 days ago 2 min read The Sky’s Not the Limit: Testing Precision Landing Tech for Future Space Missions
      Article 1 week ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Armstrong Flight Research Center
      Humans in Space
      Climate Change
      Solar System
      View the full article
    • NASA
      Artemis Astronauts & Orion Leadership Visit NASA Ames
      By NASA
      2 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Astronauts Victor Glover and Christina Koch tour the Arc Jet Facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center, learning more about the testing equipment’s capabilities to analyze thermal protection systems from George Raiche, thermophysics facilities branch chief at Ames.NASA/Donald Richey As NASA prepares to send astronauts to the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, research, testing, and development at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley has played a critical role.
      Recently, Ames welcomed Artemis II astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Orion leaders Debbie Korth, deputy program manager, and Luis Saucedo, deputy crew and service module manager, to tour Ames facilities that support the Orion Program and celebrate the achievements of employees.
      The group started their visit at the Arc Jet Complex, where researchers use extremely hot, high-speed gases to simulate the intense heat of atmospheric reentry before visiting the Sensors & Thermal Protection Systems Advanced Research Laboratories. The team works to develop sensors and flight instrumentation that measure heat shield response throughout a mission.
      These systems were used to develop and test Orion’s thermal protection system to ensure the safety of astronauts during future missions. After the successful return of the Artemis I Orion spacecraft, Ames research was essential when analyzing unexpected charring loss on the heat shield.
      Debbie Korth, Orion deputy program manager, presents awards to the Ames workforce at the Orion Circle of Excellence Awards Ceremony, while astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover look on.NASA/Donald Richey The visit culminated in an award ceremony to honor employees with outstanding performance and a legacy of service to the Orion Program. Thirty-two employees were honored for their individual or team contributions.
      “The Ames workforce has played an important role in developing, testing, and validating the Orion spacecraft’s thermal protection system as well as supporting its software and guidance, navigation, and control,” said Eugene Tu, NASA Ames center director. “I’m pleased to see their contributions recognized and celebrated by program leadership and two of the astronauts whose safety and success were in mind when ensuring these systems are safe, reliable, and the highest quality possible.”
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 02, 2025 Related Terms
      Ames Research Center Artemis Christina H. Koch Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate General Orion Program Victor J. Glover Explore More
      2 min read What Are the Dangers of Going to Space? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 55
      Article 1 hour ago 2 min read NASA Receives 10 Nominations for the 29th Annual Webby Awards
      Article 1 day ago 4 min read NASA Trains for Orion Water Recovery Ahead of Artemis II Launch
      Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Ames Research Center
      Orion Spacecraft
      Arc Jet Complex
      Thermal Protection Materials Branch
      View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Sets Coverage for Crew Launch to Join Station Expedition 72/73
      By NASA
      The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station with (pictured left to right) NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.Credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft to the International Space Station, accompanied by cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, where they will join the Expedition 72/73 crew in advancing scientific research.
      Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky will lift off at 1:47 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 8 (10:47 a.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
      Watch live launch and docking coverage on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms.
      After a two-orbit, three-hour trajectory to the station, the spacecraft will dock automatically to the station’s Prichal module at approximately 5:03 a.m. Shortly after, hatches will open between Soyuz and the space station.
      Once aboard, the trio will join NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Don Pettit, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Kirill Peskov, and Ivan Vagner.
      NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
      Tuesday, April 8
      12:45 a.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+.
      1:47 a.m. – Launch
      4:15 a.m. – Rendezvous and docking coverage begins on NASA+.
      5:03 a.m. – Docking
      7 a.m. – Hatch opening and welcome remarks coverage begins on NASA+.
      7:20 a.m. – Hatch opening
      The trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbital laboratory as Expedition 72 and 73 crew members before returning to Earth in December. This will be the first flight for Kim and Zubritsky, and the third for Ryzhikov.
      For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are 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 is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future human missions to Mars.
      Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:
      https://www.nasa.gov/station
      -end-
      Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
      Headquarters, Washington
      202-358-1100
      joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
      Sandra Jones
      Johnson Space Center, Houston
      281-483-5111
      sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 02, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
      International Space Station (ISS) Humans in Space ISS Research Johnson Space Center Space Operations Mission Directorate View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Continues Support for Private Astronaut Missions to Space Station
      By NASA
      3 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft by a Crew-8 member shortly after undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port as the orbital outpost was soaring 272 miles above the cloudy Patagonia region of South America.NASA NASA is seeking proposals for two new private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, targeted for 2026 and 2027, as the agency continues its commitment to expanding access to space. These private missions enable American commercial companies to further develop capabilities and support a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit.
      “We are in an incredible time for human spaceflight, with more opportunities to access space and grow a thriving commercial economy in low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, program manager for the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “NASA remains committed to supporting this expansion by leveraging our decades of expertise to help industry gain the experience needed to train and manage crews, conduct research, and develop future destinations. Private astronaut missions are a key part of this effort, providing companies with hands-on opportunities to refine their capabilities and build partnerships that will shape the future of low Earth orbit.”
      The new flight opportunities will be the fifth and sixth private astronaut missions to the orbiting laboratory coordinated by NASA. The first three missions were accomplished by Axiom Space in April 2022, May 2023, and January 2024, with a fourth scheduled for no earlier than May 2025.
      Each of the new missions may be docked to the space station for up to 14 days. Specific dates depend on spacecraft traffic at the space station and in-orbit activity planning and constraints. Private astronaut missions must be brokered by a U.S. entity and use U.S. transportation spacecraft that meet NASA’s International Space Station visiting vehicle requirements, policies, and procedures. For additional details, refer to Focus Area 4A of NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ13ZBG001N.
      Proposals are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 30, 2025.
      For solicitation information, visit:
      https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/jsc-procurement/pam
      For more than two decades, people 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.
      Learn more about the International Space Station at: 
      https://www.nasa.gov/station
      Keep Exploring Discover More Topics
      Low Earth Orbit Economy
      Commercial Space
      Commercial Crew Program
      Humans In Space
      View the full article

  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...