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By NASA
Engineers and technicians with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program integrate the right forward center segment onto mobile launcher 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. The boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artemis II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS (Space Launch System) thrust during liftoff from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39BNASA/Kim Shiflett Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program continue stacking the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s twin solid rocket booster motor segments for the agency’s Artemis II mission, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Currently, six of the 10 segments are secured atop mobile launcher 1 with the right forward center segment as the latest addition. Teams will continue integrating the booster stack – the left center center segment adorned with the NASA “worm” insignia is the next segment to be integrated.
The right and left forward assemblies were brought to the VAB from the spaceport’s Booster Fabrication Facility on Jan. 14. The forward assemblies are comprised of three parts: the nose cone which serves as the aerodynamic fairing; a forward skirt, which house avionics; and the frustum which houses motors that separates the boosters from the SLS core stage during flight. The remaining booster segments will be transported from the Rotation, Processing, and Surge Facility to the VAB when engineers are ready to integrate them. The forward assemblies will be the last segments integrated to complete the booster configuration, ahead of integration with the core stage.
Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST, Tuesday, Jan. 7, to provide an update on the status of the agency’s Mars Sample Return Program.
The briefing will include NASA’s efforts to complete its goals of returning scientifically selected samples from Mars to Earth while lowering cost, risk, and mission complexity.
Audio of the media call will stream live on the agency’s website.
Media interested in participating by phone must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the call to: dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
The agency’s Mars Sample Return Program has been a major long-term goal of international planetary exploration for more than two decades. NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting compelling science samples that will help scientists understand the geological history of Mars, the evolution of its climate, and prepare for future human explorers. The return of the samples also will help NASA’s search for signs of ancient life.
For more information about NASA’s Mars exploration, visit:
https://nasa.gov/mars
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Meira Bernstein / Dewayne Washington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 03, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Mars Sample Return (MSR) Science Mission Directorate View the full article
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By NASA
An artist’s concept of the Earth, Moon, and Mars.Credit: NASA As NASA develops a blueprint for space exploration throughout the solar system for the benefit of humanity, the agency released several new documents Friday updating its Moon to Mars architecture. The roadmap sets NASA on course for long-term lunar exploration under the Artemis campaign in preparation for future crewed missions to Mars.
Following an Architecture Concept Review, the 2024 updates include a revision of NASA’s Architecture Definition Document which details technical approaches and processes of the agency’s exploration plans, an executive overview, and 12 new white papers on key Moon to Mars topics.
“NASA’s Architecture Concept Review process is critical to getting us on a path to mount a human mission to Mars,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “We’re taking a methodical approach to mapping out the decisions we need to make, understanding resource and technological trades, and ensuring we are listening to feedback from stakeholders.”
One newly released white paper highlights NASA’s decision to use fission power as the primary source of power on the Martian surface to sustain crews — the first of seven key decisions necessary for human Mars exploration. Fission power is a form of nuclear power unaffected by day and night cycles or potential dust storms on Mars.
New additions this year also include a broader, prioritized list of key architecture decisions that need to be made early in NASA’s plans to send humans to the Red Planet. Two new elements are now part of the agency’s Moon to Mars architecture — a lunar surface cargo lander and an initial lunar surface habitat. The lunar surface cargo lander will deliver logistics items, science and technology payloads, communications systems, and more. The initial surface habitat will house astronauts on the lunar surface to extend the crew size, range, and duration of exploration missions and enable crewed and uncrewed science opportunities.
The newest revision of the Architecture Definition Document adds more information about NASA’s decision road mapping process — how the agency decides which decisions must be made early in the planning process based on impacts to subsequent decisions — and a list of architecture-driven opportunities that help technology development organizations prioritize research into new technologies that will enable the Moon to Mars architecture.
“Identifying and analyzing high-level architecture decisions are the first steps to realizing a crewed Mars exploration campaign,” said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Each yearly assessment cycle as part of our architecture process is moving us closer to ensuring we have a well thought out plan to accomplish our exploration objectives.”
NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture approach incorporates feedback from U.S. industry, academia, international partners, and the NASA workforce. The agency typically releases a series of technical documents at the end of its annual analysis cycle, including an update of the Architecture Definition Document and white papers that elaborate on frequently raised topics.
Under NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the next Americans and first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.
For NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture documents, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/moontomarsarchitecture
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Rachel Kraft / Kathryn Hambleton
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov / kathryn.a.hambleton@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Dec 13, 2024 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Artemis Earth's Moon Mars View the full article
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By NASA
1 Min Read 2024 NESC Technical Update
Annual Report of NESC Technical Activities
On behalf of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), I am pleased to provide you with the 2024 NESC Technical Update. This annual report summarizes the technical work, engineering advancements, and knowledge capture efforts we made in FY24. With support provided by members of our NASA community from across the centers, we focused our efforts on performing value-added independent testing, analysis, and assessments of NASA’s high-risk projects to ensure safety and mission success.
This report contains summaries of technical assessments requested by our stakeholders and the technical bulletins and innovative techniques that resulted from that assessment work. Several of the NASA Technical Fellows provide summaries of accomplishments in their respective disciplines, and expertise drawn from across the Agency is featured on the Center Pages.
We appreciate the opportunity to share our progress and highlight the accomplishments of our technically and culturally diverse, multidisciplinary, multigenerational teams. All NESC knowledge products are available at nasa.gov/nesc. As always, we value your feedback and engagement. Thank you for your continuing support of the NESC.
Timmy R. Wilson
Director, NASA Engineering and Safety Center
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By NASA
A waxing gibbous moon rises over the blue glow of Earth’s horizon as the International Space Station orbited 264 miles above the Indian Ocean on Nov. 13, 2024.Credit: NASA NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and leadership will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, Dec. 5, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington to provide a briefing about the agency’s Artemis campaign.
Watch the media event on NASA+. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Participants include:
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free Catherine Koerner, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program Office, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Reid Wiseman, NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Media interested in participating in-person or by phone must RSVP by 11 a.m. on Dec. 5 to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. The news conference will take place in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E St. SW, Washington. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
Through the Artemis campaign, the agency will establish a long-term presence at the Moon for scientific exploration with our commercial and international partners, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing systems, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
For more information about Artemis, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
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Meira Bernstein / Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Dec 04, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Missions Artemis Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate NASA Headquarters View the full article
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