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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA / Getty Images NASA has selected two new university student teams to participate in real-world aviation research challenges meant to transform the skies above our communities.
The research awards were made through NASA’s University Student Research Challenge (USRC), which provides students with opportunities to contribute to NASA’s flight research goals.
This round is notable for including USRC’s first-ever award to a community college: Cerritos Community College.
We’re trying to tap into the community college talent pool to bring new students to the table for aeronautics.
steven holz
NASA Project Manager
“We’re trying to tap into the community college talent pool to bring new students to the table for aeronautics,” said Steven Holz, who manages the USRC award process. “Innovation comes from everywhere, and people with different viewpoints, educational backgrounds, and experiences like those in our community colleges are also interested in aeronautics and looking to make a difference.”
Real World Research Awards
Through USRC, students interact with real-world aspects of the research ecosystem both in and out of the laboratory. They will manage their own research projects, utilize state-of-the-art technology, and work alongside accomplished aeronautical researchers. Students are expected to make unique contributions to NASA’s research priorities.
USRC provides more than just experience in technical research.
Each team of students selected receives a USRC grant from NASA – and is tasked with the additional challenge of raising funds from the public through student-led crowdfunding. The process helps students develop skills in entrepreneurship and public communication.
The new university teams and research topics are:
Cerritos Community College
“Project F.I.R.E. (Fire Intervention Retardant Expeller)” will explore how to mitigate wildfires by using environmentally friendly fire-retardant pellets dropped from drones. Cerritos Community College’s team includes lead Angel Ortega Barrera as well as Larisa Mayoral, Paola Mayoral Jimenez, Jenny Rodriguez, Logan Stahl, and Juan Villa, with faculty mentor Janet McLarty-Schroeder. This team also successfully participated with the same research topic in in NASA’s Gateway to Blue Skies competition, which aims to expand engagement between the NASA’s University Innovation project and universities, industry, and government partners.
Colorado School of Mines
The project “Design and Prototyping of a 9-phase Dual-Rotor Motor for Supersonic Electric Turbofan” will work on a scaled-down prototype for an electric turbofan for supersonic aircraft. The Colorado School of Mines team includes lead Mahzad Gholamian as well as Garret Reader, Mykola Mazur, and Mirali Seyedrezaei, with faculty mentor Omid Beik.
Complete details on USRC awardees and solicitations, such as what to include in a proposal and how to submit it, are available on the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate solicitation page.
About the Author
John Gould
Aeronautics Research Mission DirectorateJohn Gould is a member of NASA Aeronautics' Strategic Communications team at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. He is dedicated to public service and NASA’s leading role in scientific exploration. Prior to working for NASA Aeronautics, he was a spaceflight historian and writer, having a lifelong passion for space and aviation.
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Last Updated Feb 18, 2025 EditorJim BankeContactSteven Holzsteven.m.holz@nasa.gov Related Terms
Aeronautics Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Flight Innovation Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program University Innovation University Student Research Challenge View the full article
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By NASA
NASA’s Artemis campaign will send astronauts, payloads, and science experiments into deep space on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super heavy-lift Moon rocket. Starting with Artemis IV, the Orion spacecraft and its astronauts will be joined by other payloads atop an upgraded version of the SLS, called Block 1B. SLS Block 1B will deliver initial elements of a lunar space station designed to enable long term exploration of the lunar surface and pave the way for future journeys to Mars. To fly these advanced payloads, engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are building a cone-shaped adapter that is key to SLS Block 1B.
At NASA Marshall, the PLA engineering development unit is installed into the 4697-test stand for structural testing. It was then attached to the large cylindrical structure which simulates the Exploration Upper Stage interface. Load lines were then connected to the top of the PLA. The testing demonstrated that it can handle up to three times the expected load.NASA/Samuel Lott The payload adapter, nestled within the universal stage adapter sitting atop the SLS Block 1B’s exploration upper stage, acts as a connecting point to secure a large payload that is co-manifested – or flying along with – the Orion spacecraft. The adapter consists of eight composite panels with an aluminum honeycomb core and two aluminum rings.
Beginning with the Artemis IV mission, SLS Block 1B will feature a new, more powerful upper stage that provides a substantial increase in payload mass, volume, and energy over the first variant of the rocket that is launching Artemis missions I through III. SLS Block 1B can send 84,000 pounds of payload – including both a crewed Orion spacecraft and a 10-metric ton (22,046 lbs.) co-manifested payload riding in a separate cargo compartment – to the Moon in a single launch.
Artemis IV’s co-manifested payload will be the Lunar I-Hab, one of the initial elements of the Gateway lunar space station. Built by ESA (European Space Agency), the Lunar I-Hab provides expanded capability for astronauts to live, work, conduct science experiments, and prepare for their missions to the lunar surface.
Before the Artemis IV mission structure was finalized, NASA engineers needed to design and test the new payload adapter.
“With SLS, there’s an intent to have as much commonality between flights as possible,” says Brent Gaddes, Lead for the Orion Stage Adapter and Payload Adapter in the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at NASA Marshall.
However, with those payloads changing typically every flight, the connecting payload adapter must change as well.
“We knew there needed to be a lot of flexibility to the payload adapter, and that we needed to be able to respond quickly in-house once the payloads were finalized,” says Gaddes.
Working alongside the robots, NASA’s next generation of engineers are learning from experts with decades of manufacturing expertise as they prepare the metal honeycomb structure substrate. During production, the fingerprints of the engineers are imprinted where metal meets composite. Even after the finishing touches are applied, the right light at the right angle reveals the harmless prints of the adapter’s makers as it launches payloads on SLS that will enable countless discoveries.NASA/Samuel Lott A Flexible Approach
The required flexibility was not going to be satisfied with a one-size-fits-all approach, according to Gaddes.
Since different size payload adapters could be needed, Marshall is using a flexible approach to assemble the payload adapter that eliminates the need for heavy and expensive tooling used to hold the parts in place during assembly. A computer model of each completed part is created using a process called structured light scanning. The computer model provides the precise locations where holes need to be drilled to hold the parts together so that the completed payload adapter will be exactly the right size.
“Structured light has helped us reduce costs and increase flexibility on the payload adapter and allows us to pivot,” says Gaddes. “If the call came down to build a cargo version of SLS to launch 40 metric tons, for example, we can use our same tooling with the structured light approach to adapt to different sizes, whether that’s for an adapter with a larger diameter that’s shorter, or one with a smaller diameter that’s longer. It’s faster and cheaper.”
NASA Marshall engineers use an automated placement robot to manufacture eight lightweight composite panels from a graphite epoxy material. The robot performs fast, accurate lamination following preprogrammed paths, its high speed and precision resulting in lower cost and significantly faster production than other manufacturing methods.
At NASA Marshall, an engineering development unit of the payload has been successfully tested which demonstrated that it can handle up to three times the expected load. Another test version currently in development, called the qualification unit, will also be tested to NASA standards for composite structures to ensure that the flight unit will perform as expected.
“The payload adapter is shaped like a cone, and historically, most of the development work on structures like this has been on cylinders, so that’s one of the many reasons why testing it is so important,” says Gaddes. “NASA will test as high a load as possible to learn what produces structural failure. Any information we learn here will feed directly into the body of information NASA has pulled together over the years on how to analyze structures like this, and of course that’s something that’s shared with industry as well. It’s a win for everybody.”
With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
News Media Contact
Jonathan Deal
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov
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By NASA
Artistic rendering of Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander on the surface of the Moon.Credit: Intuitive Machines NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) is preparing to explore the Moon’s subsurface and analyze where lunar resources may reside. The experiment’s two key instruments will demonstrate our ability to extract and analyze lunar soil to better understand the lunar environment and subsurface resources, paving the way for sustainable human exploration under the agency’s Artemis campaign for the benefit of all.
Its two instruments will work in tandem: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) will drill into the Moon’s surface to collect samples, while the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) will analyze these samples to determine the gas composition released across the sampling depth. The PRIME-1 technology will provide valuable data to help us better understand the Moon’s surface and how to work with and on it.
“The ability to drill and analyze samples at the same time allows us to gather insights that will shape the future of lunar resource utilization,” said Jackie Quinn, PRIME-1 project manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “Human exploration of the Moon and deep space will depend on making good use of local resources to produce life-sustaining supplies necessary to live and work on another planetary body.”
The PRIME-1 experiment is one of the NASA payloads aboard the next lunar delivery through NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative, set to launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center no earlier than Wednesday, Feb. 26, on Intuitive Machines’ Athena lunar lander and explore the lunar soil in Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau near the Moon’s South Pole.
Developed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin Company, TRIDENT is a rotary percussive drill designed to excavate lunar regolith and subsurface material up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) deep. The drill will extract samples, each about 4 inches (10 cm) in length, allowing scientists to analyze how trapped and frozen gases are distributed at different depths below the surface.
The TRIDENT drill is equipped with carbide cutting teeth to penetrate even the toughest lunar materials. Unlike previous lunar drills used by astronauts during the Apollo missions, TRIDENT will be controlled from Earth. The drill may provide key information about subsurface soil temperatures as well as gain key insight into the mechanical properties of the lunar South Pole soil. Learning more about regolith temperatures and properties will greatly improve our understanding of the environments where lunar resources may be stable, revealing what resources may be available for future Moon missions.
A commercial off-the-shelf mass spectrometer, MSOLO, developed by INFICON and made suitable for spaceflight at Kennedy, will analyze any gas released from the TRIDENT drilled samples, looking for the potential presence of water ice and other gases trapped beneath the surface. These measurements will help scientists understand the Moon’s potential for resource utilization.
Under the CLPS model, NASA is investing in commercial delivery services to the Moon to enable industry growth and support long-term lunar exploration. As a primary customer for CLPS deliveries, NASA is one of many customers on future flights. PRIME-1 was funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate Game Changing Development program.
Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at:
https://www.nasa.gov/clps
View the full article
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By NASA
You would not expect to see NASA at a car show—but that’s exactly where Johnson Space Center employees were from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2025, driving the future of space exploration forward.
At the Houston AutoBoative Show, a fusion of the auto and boat show, NASA rolled out its Artemis exhibit at NRG Center for the first time, introducing motor enthusiasts to the technologies NASA and commercial partners will use to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
Johnson Space Center employees present the Artemis exhibit at the 2025 Houston AutoBoative Show at NRG Center.NASA/Robert Markowitz The Artemis exhibit stood alongside some of the world’s most advanced cars and boats, offering visitors an up-close look at lunar terrain vehicle mockups from Astrolab, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost. Later this year, NASA will select the rover that will fly to the Moon as humanity prepares for the next giant leap.
In addition to the rovers, the exhibit featured a mockup of JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) pressurized rover, designed as a mobile habitat for astronauts, and Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit, developed for Artemis III astronauts.
These capabilities will allow astronauts to explore, conduct science research, and live and work on the lunar surface.
Strategic Communications Manager for NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program Tim Hall (right) shows Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche and Johnson External Relations Office Director Arturo Sanchez the Artemis booth. NASA/Robert Markowitz Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche visited the Artemis exhibit to highlight the importance of these technologies in advancing lunar exploration. Every lesson learned on the Moon will help scientists and engineers develop the strategies, technologies, and experience needed to send astronauts to Mars.
“By bringing the excitement of lunar exploration to the AutoBoative Show, NASA aims to inspire the next generation of explorers to dream bigger, push farther, and help shape humanity’s future in space,” Wyche said.
NASA’s Artemis campaign is setting the stage for long-term human exploration, working with commercial and international partners to establish a sustained presence on the Moon before progressing to Mars.
To make this vision a reality, NASA is developing rockets, spacecraft, landing systems, spacesuits, rovers, habitats, and more.
Vanessa Wyche views Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit at the exhibit. NASA/Robert Markowitz Some of the key elements on display at the show included:
The Orion spacecraft – Designed to take astronauts farther into deep space. Orion will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying the crew to the Moon on Artemis missions and safely returning them to Earth. Lunar terrain vehicles – Developed to transport astronauts across the rugged lunar surface or be remotely operated. NASA recently put these rover mockups to the test at Johnson, where astronauts and engineers, wearing spacesuits, ran through critical maneuvers, tasks, and emergency drills—including a simulated crew rescue. Next-gen spacesuits and tools – Through Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, astronauts’ gear and equipment are designed to ensure safety and efficiency while working on the Moon’s surface. NASA’s Orion Program Strategic Communications Manager Radislav Sinyak (left) and Orion Communications Strategist Erika Peters guide Vanessa Wyche through navigating the Orion spacecraft to dock with the lunar space station Gateway.NASA/Robert Markowitz Guests had the chance to step into the role of an astronaut with interactive experiences like:
Driving a lunar rover simulator – Testing their skills at the wheel of a virtual Moon rover. Practicing a simulated Orion docking – Experiencing the precision needed to connect to Gateway in lunar orbit. Exploring Artemis II and III mission roadmaps – Learning about NASA’s upcoming missions and goals.
Attendees also discovered how American companies are delivering science and technology to the Moon through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
Johnson employees from the Orion program showcase the Orion simulator at the exhibit. From left: Orion Crew and Service Module Office Crew Systems Manager Paul Boehm, Lead Admin Dee Maher, and Orion Crew and Service Module Integration Lead Mark Cavanaugh. From right: Vanessa Wyche, Erika Peters, and Radislav Sinyak.NASA/Robert Markowitz “Everyone can relate to exploration, so it was great to teach people the importance lunar rovers will have on astronauts’ abilities to explore more of the lunar surface while conducting science,” said Victoria Ugalde, communications strategist for the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, who coordinated the lunar rovers’ appearance at the show.
Check out the rovers contracted to develop lunar terrain vehicle capabilities below.
Vanessa Wyche explores Intuitive Machines’ Moon RACER rover mockup. NASA/Robert Markowitz Vanessa Wyche explores Lunar Outpost’s Eagle rover mockup. NASA/Robert Markowitz Vanessa Wyche explores Astrolab’s FLEX rover mockup. NASA/Robert Markowitz View the full article
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By Space Force
The Department of the Air Force released the memorandum DEI and Gender Ideology Publication Review.
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