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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA has selected ARES Technical Services of McLean, Virginia, to provide safety and mission assurance services at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The Safety and Mission Assurance Services III contract is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with an estimated total value of $226 million. The contract will have a five-year effective ordering period starting on June 1, 2025, with an optional six-month extension period.
Under the contract, the vendor will provide support to the agency’s Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate at NASA Goddard. This includes performing independent surveillance, audits, reviews, and assessments of design, development, test, and mission operations activities on site at NASA and supplier facilities.
For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
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Tiernan Doyle
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
Jacob Richmond
Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland
301-286-6255
jacob.a.richmond@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Apr 07, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA uses radio frequency (RF) for a variety of tasks in space, including communications. The Europa Clipper RF panel — the box with the copper wiring near the top — will send data carried by radio waves through the spacecraft between the electronics and eight antennas. Credit: NASA Even before we’re aware of heart trouble or related health issues, our bodies give off warning signs in the form of vibrations. Technology to detect these signals has ranged from electrodes and patches to watches. Now, an innovative wall-mounted technology is capable of monitoring vital signs. Advanced TeleSensors Inc. developed the Cardi/o Monitor with an exclusive license from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Over the course of five years, NASA engineers created a small, inexpensive, contactless device to measure vital signs, a challenging task partly because monitoring heart rate requires picking out motions of about one three-thousandth of an inch, which are easily swamped by other movement in the environment.
By the late 1990s, hardware and computing technology could meet the challenge, and the NASA JPL team created a prototype the size of a thick textbook. It would emit a radio beam toward a stationary person, working similarly to a radar, and algorithms differentiated cardiac and respiratory activity from the “noise” of other movements.
When Sajol Ghoshal, now CEO of Austin, Texas-based Advanced TeleSensors, participated in a demonstration of the prototype, he saw the potential for in-home monitoring. By then, developing an affordable device was possible due to the miniaturization of sensors and computing technology.
The Cardi/o vital sign monitor uses NASA-developed technology to continually monitor vital signs. The data collected can be sent directly to medical care providers, cutting down on the number of home healthcare visits. Credit: Advanced TeleSensors Inc. The Cardi/o Monitor is 3 inches square and mounts to a ceiling or wall. It can detect vital signs from up to 10 feet. Multiple devices can be scattered throughout a house, with a smartphone app controlling settings and displaying all data on a single dashboard. The algorithms NASA developed detect heartbeat and respiration, and the company added heart rate variability detection that indicates stress and sleep apnea.
If there’s an anomaly, such as a dramatic heart rate increase, an alert in the app calls attention to the situation. Up to six months of data is stored in a secure cloud, making it accessible to healthcare providers. This limits the need for regular in-person visits, which is particularly important for conditions such as infectious diseases, which can put medical professionals and other patients at risk.
Through the commercialization of this life-preserving technology, NASA is at the heart of advancing health solutions.
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Last Updated Apr 07, 2025 Related Terms
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By NASA
NASA/Josh Valcarcel From the mountains of Turin to the deserts of Arizona, a core element of Gateway, humanity’s first lunar space station, is now one step closer to the Moon. As seen in this April 1, 2025, photo, HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), Gateway’s first pressurized module and one of its foundational elements, recently arrived in Gilbert, Arizona, following its fabrication by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. Now on U.S. soil, the module will undergo final outfitting by primary contractor Northrop Grumman before it’s integrated with the Power and Propulsion Element at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Together, the two modules will launch to lunar orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket ahead of the Artemis IV mission.
HALO will support astronauts visiting Gateway and function as a command and control hub for the space station. It will feature docking ports for spacecraft such as NASA’s Orion, logistics vehicles and lunar landers, and provide data handling, energy storage, power distribution, thermal regulation, and communications and tracking capabilities.
HALO’s arrival marks a major milestone in the construction of Gateway, a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis campaign to advance science and exploration on and around the Moon in preparation for the next giant leap: the first human missions to Mars.
Image credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel
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By NASA
Credit: NASA Jared Isaacman is set to participate in a hearing to become the next NASA administrator at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 9, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The nomination hearing will take place at Russell Senate Office Building in Washington.
The agency will stream the hearing on NASA+, and the committee will stream it on its website and YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content on a variety of agency platforms, including social media.
President Trump formally nominated Isaacman for NASA administrator on Jan. 20. The following is a statement from acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro on the nomination hearing:
“I’m glad the Senate has scheduled a hearing to consider Jared Isaacman’s nomination as NASA administrator. Isaacman’s experience in commercial spaceflight and his commitment to advancing space capabilities align with NASA’s ongoing efforts to enhance America’s position as the global leader in space exploration. Upon confirmation, his leadership will support our work to drive American innovation, strengthen partnerships, and further the essential mission of the agency for the benefit of all.”
Media interested in participating in the event must contact Bethany Stevens and their respective Senate media gallery to RSVP. Contact details are available on the committee’s website.
For more information about NASA missions, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
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Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Apr 07, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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By NASA
After months of groundbreaking research, exploration, and teamwork aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 has returned to Earth.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down safely on March 18, 2025, as a pod of dolphins circled the Dragon spacecraft near Tallahassee, Florida.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, March 18, 2025.NASA/Keegan Barber Williams and Wilmore made history as the first humans to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). Launched June 5, 2024, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the CFT mission was Boeing’s first crewed flight.
Hague and Gorbunov launched to the space station on Sept. 28, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Unity module. From left, are NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore.NASA During their long-duration mission, the American crew members conducted more than 150 unique experiments and logged over 900 hours of research aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Their work included studying plant growth and development, testing stem cell technology for patient care on Earth, and examining how spaceflight affects materials—insights vital for future deep space missions.
The crew kicked off 2025 with two spacewalks that included removing an antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collecting microbial samples from the orbital outpost’s exterior for analysis by Johnson’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science division, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope, and more.
Williams now holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalking time by a woman — 62 hours and 6 minutes — placing her fourth among the most experienced spacewalkers in history.
While in orbit, the crew also engaged the next generation through 30 ham radio events with students around the world and supported a student-led genetic experiment.
As part of the CFT, Williams and Wilmore commanded Starliner during in-flight testing and were the first to see the spacecraft integrated in simulations and operate it hands-on in space, evaluating systems like maneuvering, docking, and emergency protocols.
“We’ve learned a lot about systems integrated testing that will pay benefits going forward and lay the groundwork for future missions,” said Wilmore.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore participate in an emergency operations simulation in the Boeing Starliner simulator at Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Robert Markowitz Following the test flight, NASA and Boeing are continuing work toward crew certification of the company’s CST-100 Starliner system. Joint teams are addressing in-flight anomalies and preparing for propulsion system testing ahead of the next mission.
Despite the unexpected challenges, including technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft that extended their mission, both Wilmore and Williams said they would do it all over again. Wilmore emphasized his gratitude in being part of testing Starliner’s capabilities, stating, “I’d get on it in a heartbeat.”
After returning to Earth, the crew received a warm welcome from family, colleagues, and fellow astronauts at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field. They were greeted by Johnson Acting Director Steve Koerner, who applauded their dedication and resilience.
Suni Williams is greeted by Johnson Acting Director Steve Koerner at Ellington Field in Houston after completing a long-duration science mission aboard the International Space Station.NASA/Robert Markowitz Williams shared a heartfelt embrace with astronaut Zena Cardman, thanking her for “taking one for the team.” Cardman had originally been assigned to Crew-9, but in August, NASA announced the uncrewed return of Starliner to Earth and integrated Wilmore and Williams into Expedition 71/72 for a return on Crew-9. This adjustment meant Cardman and astronaut Stephanie Wilson would no longer fly the mission—a decision that underscored the flexibility and teamwork essential to human spaceflight.
Cardman is now assigned as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, set to launch in the coming months to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition.
Butch Wilmore receives a warm welcome from NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Woody Hoburg at Ellington Field.NASA/Robert Markowitz Williams and Wilmore each brought decades of experience to the mission. Wilmore, a retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran fighter pilot, has logged 464 days in space over three flights. Outside of NASA, he serves as a pastor, leads Bible studies, and participates in mission trips across Central and South America. A skilled craftsman, he also builds furniture and other pieces for his local church.
Growing up in Tennessee, Wilmore says his faith continues to guide him, especially when navigating the uncertainties of flight.
Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore works inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module to install the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device.NASA Wilmore encourages the next generation with a call to action: “Strap on your work hat and let’s go at it!” He emphasizes that tenacity and perseverance are essential for achieving anything of value. Motivated by a sense of patriotic duty and a desire to help those in need, Wilmore sees his astronaut role as a commitment to both his country and humanity at large.
Wilmore believes he’s challenged every day at NASA. “Doing the right things for the right reasons is what motivates me,” he said.
Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams monitors an Astrobee robotic free-flyer outfitted with tentacle-like arms containing gecko-like adhesive pads preparing to grapple a “capture cube.”NASA A retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran of three spaceflights, Williams is a helicopter pilot, basic diving officer, and the first person to run the Boston Marathon in space—once in 2007, and again aboard the station in 2025. Originally from Needham, Massachusetts, she brings a lifelong spirit of adventure and service to everything she does.
“There are no limits,” said Williams. “Your imagination can make something happen, but it’s not always easy. There are so many cool things we can invent to solve problems—and that’s one of the joys of working in the space program. It makes you ask questions.”
Hague, a Kansas native, has logged a total of 374 days in space across three missions. A U.S. Space Force colonel and test pilot, he’s served in roles across the country and abroad, including a deployment to Iraq.
“When we’re up there operating in space, it’s focused strictly on mission,” said Hague. “We are part of an international team that spans the globe and works with half a dozen mission control centers that are talking in multiple languages — and we figure out how to make it happen. That’s the magic of human spaceflight: it brings people together.”
Expedition 72 Pilot Nick Hague inside the cupola with space botany hardware that supports the Rhodium Plant LIFE investigation.NASA For Williams, Wilmore, Hague, Gorbunov, and the team supporting them, Crew-9 marks the beginning of a new era of space exploration — one driven by innovation, perseverance, and the unyielding dream of reaching beyond the stars.
Watch the full press conference following the crew’s return to Earth here.
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