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First Artemis lunar mission ends, so long European Service Module-1
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By NASA
Artist’s rendering of astronauts managing logistics on the lunar surface. Credit: NASA NASA awarded new study contracts Thursday to help support life and work on the lunar surface. As part of the agency’s blueprint for deep space exploration to support the Artemis campaign, nine American companies in seven states are receiving awards.
The Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Appendix R contracts will advance learning in managing everyday challenges in the lunar environment identified in the agency’s Moon to Mars architecture.
“These contract awards are the catalyst for developing critical capabilities for the Artemis missions and the everyday needs of astronauts for long-term exploration on the lunar surface,” said Nujoud Merancy, deputy associate administrator, Strategy and Architecture Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The strong response to our request for proposals is a testament to the interest in human exploration and the growing deep-space economy. This is an important step to a sustainable return to the Moon that, along with our commercial partners, will lead to innovation and expand our knowledge for future lunar missions, looking toward Mars.”
The selected proposals have a combined value of $24 million, spread across multiple companies, and propose innovative strategies and concepts for logistics and mobility solutions including advanced robotics and autonomous capabilities:
Blue Origin, Merritt Island, Florida – logistical carriers; logistics handling and offloading; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; surface cargo and mobility; and integrated strategies Intuitive Machines, Houston, Texas – logistics handling and offloading; and surface cargo and mobility Leidos, Reston, Virginia – logistical carriers; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; and integrated strategies Lockheed Martin, Littleton, Colorado – logistical carriers; logistics transfer; and surface cargo and mobility MDA Space, Houston – surface cargo and mobility Moonprint, Dover, Delaware – logistical carriers Pratt Miller Defense, New Hudson, Michigan – surface cargo and mobility Sierra Space, Louisville, Colorado – logistical carriers; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; and integrated strategies Special Aerospace Services, Huntsville, Alabama – logistical carriers; logistics handling and offloading; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; surface cargo and mobility; and integrated strategies NASA is working with industry, academia, and the international community to continuously evolve the blueprint for crewed exploration and taking a methodical approach to investigating solutions that set humanity on a path to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
For more on NASA’s mission to return to the Moon, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis
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Cindy Anderson / James Gannon
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
cindy.a.anderson@nasa.gov / james.h.gannon@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 23, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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By NASA
Jon Carabello has spent his entire career at TURBOCAM, which produces 10 core stage main engine turbomachinery components for the RS-25 main engine on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) heavy lift exploration rocket.Photo: TURBOCAM Jon Carabello did not begin his career journey with an eye on space, but when NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration campaign came calling, he was all in.
Born, raised, and college-educated in New Hampshire, Carabello has spent his entire professional career at TURBOCAM – a turbomachinery development and manufacturing company – in the southeast corner of the Granite State.
That’s a long way from the southern and western states commonly associated with U.S. human spaceflight activities.
Asked about his early memories of America’s space program, Carabello mentions movies like Apollo 13, and notes that Christa McAulliffe, the teacher-astronaut who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger accident, taught high school in New Hampshire.
Little did he know that his future employer, a maker of complex machined hardware for a variety of industrial applications, has long been a component supplier to programs including the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.
There was never much question that Carabello, who started tinkering with engines and other machinery at a young age, would make a career of mechanical engineering. “I like to solve problems – that’s my big thing,” he says.
He learned about TURBOCAM when company representatives made a presentation to his University of New Hampshire engineering class. “That’s how I figured out I knew wanted to work at TURBOCAM and work with 5-axis machining,” he says. “Machining amazes me.”
Five axis machine tools can machine metal blanks from multiple angles to create geometrically complex parts for industrial hardware. TURBOCAM produces 10 core stage main engine turbomachinery components for the RS-25 main engine on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) heavy lift exploration rocket. L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the RS-25 engines.
It was his fascination with machining rather than the opportunity to work on rocket engines that drew Carabello to TURBOCAM, where he initially worked on machinery for the oil and gas industry, heating and air conditioning systems, and aerospace.
But then one day, a supervisor asked him to take over the company’s RS-25 portfolio. He remembers the conversion quite clearly.
“It was a Thursday afternoon,” he says. “I was sitting in my office and my manager came in and said, ‘we have somebody leaving and need someone to take over project management and ownership of the RS-25.’ I said, ‘yes’ and he said, ‘you have a call with the program tomorrow.’ That was about five years ago.”
It was a significant change, but Carabello knew the company needed his problem-solving skills on the RS-25 program. “I know how to bring a team together to deliver a quality product. It’s rewarding to know I’m helping return humans to the Moon and paving the way to Mars with the Artemis campaign.”
Self-confidence notwithstanding, Carabello admits to being a bit nervous given that NASA astronauts will be relying on his work. That point was driven home when NASA and L3Harris representatives visited TURBOCAM in the spring of 2024 for a series of presentations on Artemis. The remark that resonated with him the most was by NASA astronaut Dr. Lee Morin, who said the most important part of any human spaceflight mission is bringing astronauts safely home.
“That meant a lot to me,” says Carabello, whose team is responsible for all aspects of TURBOCAM’S RS-25 effort, including quality control, inspection, and resource allocation. He is constantly reminding his team of what’s really at stake for astronauts bound for space: “We’re helping them to return home,” he says.
Read other I am Artemis features.
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By NASA
2 Min Read Advanced Modeling Enhances Gateway’s Lunar Dust Defense
A sample holder in a vacuum chamber spins during a lunar dust adhesion test at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Credits: NASA/Josh Litofsky NASA’s Artemis campaign aims to return humans to the Moon, develop a sustainable presence there, and lay the groundwork for the first crewed missions to Mars. As the agency prepares for longer stays on and around the Moon, engineers are working diligently to understand the complex behavior of lunar dust, the sharp, jagged particles that can cling to spacesuits and jam equipment.
Lunar dust has posed a problem since astronauts first encountered it during the Apollo missions. Ahead of more frequent and intense contact with dust, NASA is developing new strategies to protect equipment as astronauts travel between the Moon and spacecraft like Gateway, humanity’s first lunar space station.
Josh Litofsky, systems engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, scoops material designed to behave like lunar dust to test how it adheres to Gateway materials. NASA/Bill Stafford Unlike Apollo-era spacecraft that faced lunar dust exposure just once, Gateway will encounter it each time a Human Landing System spacecraft returns to the space station from the lunar South Pole region. Dust could enter Gateway’s environment, risking damage to science instruments, solar arrays, robotic systems, and other important hardware.
Josh Litofsky is the principal investigator and project manager leading a Gateway lunar dust adhesion testing campaign at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. His team tracks how the dust interacts with materials used to build Gateway.
An artist’s rendering of the Gateway lunar space station in polar orbit around the Moon. NASA/Alberto Bertolin “The particles are jagged from millions of years of micrometeoroid impacts, sticky due to chemical and electrical forces, and extremely small,” Litofsky said. “Even small amounts of lunar dust can have a big impact on equipment and systems.”
Litofksy’s work seeks to validate the Gateway On-orbit Lunar Dust Modeling and Analysis Program (GOLDMAP), developed by Ronald Lee, also of Johnson Space Center. By considering factors such as the design and configuration of the space station, the materials used, and the unique conditions in lunar orbit, GOLDMAP helps predict how dust may move and settle on Gateway’s external surfaces.
Josh Litofsky, systems engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, places a sample holder inside a vacuum chamber to test how lunar dust sticks to Gateway materials. NASA/Bill StaffordNASA/Bill Stafford Early GOLDMAP simulations have shown that lunar dust can form clouds around Gateway, with larger particles sticking to surfaces.
The data from these tests and simulations will help NASA safeguard Gateway, to ensure the space station’s longevity during the next era of lunar exploration.
The lessons learned managing lunar dust and other harsh conditions through Gateway and Artemis will prepare NASA and its international partners for missions deeper into the cosmos
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Last Updated Jan 22, 2025 ContactLaura RochonLocationJohnson Space Center Related Terms
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By NASA
On Jan. 19, 1965, Gemini 2 successfully completed the second of two uncrewed test flights of the spacecraft and its Titan II booster, clearing the way for the first crewed mission. The 18-minute suborbital mission achieved the primary goals of flight qualifying the Gemini spacecraft, especially its heat shield during a stressful reentry. Recovery forces retrieved the capsule following its splashdown, allowing engineers to evaluate how its systems fared during the flight. The success of Gemini 2 enabled the first crewed mission to fly two months later, beginning a series of 10 flights over the following 20 months. The astronauts who flew these missions demonstrated the rendezvous and docking techniques necessary to implement the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous method NASA chose for the Moon landing mission. They also proved that astronauts could work outside their spacecraft during spacewalks and that spacecraft and astronauts could function for at least eight days, the minimum time for a roundtrip lunar mission. The Gemini program proved critical to fulfill President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the 1960s.
Cutaway diagram of the Gemini spacecraft. Workers at Launch Pad 19 lift Gemini 2 to mate it with its Titan II rocket. At Pad 19, engineers verify the flight simulators inside Gemini 2. Following the success of Gemini 1 in April 1964, NASA had hoped to fly the second mission before the end of the year and the first crewed mission by January 1965. The two stages of the Titan II rocket arrived at Cape Kennedy from the Martin Marietta factory in Baltimore on July 11, and workers erected it on Launch Pad 19 five days later. A lightning strike at the pad on Aug. 17 invalidated all previous testing and required replacement of some pad equipment. A series of three hurricanes in August and September forced workers to partially or totally unstack the vehicle before stacking it for the final time on Sept. 14. The Gemini 2 spacecraft arrived at Cape Kennedy from its builder, the McDonnell Company in St. Louis, on Sept. 21, and workers hoisted it to the top of the Titan II on Oct. 18. Technical issues delayed the spacecraft’s physical mating to the rocket until Nov. 5. These accumulated delays pushed the launch date back to Dec. 9.
The launch abort on Dec. 9, 1964. Liftoff of Gemini 2 from Launch Pad 19 on Jan. 19, 1965. Engineers in the blockhouse monitor the progress of the Titan II during the ascent. Fueling of the rocket began late on Dec. 8, and following three brief holds in the countdown, the Titan’s two first stage engines ignited at 11:41 a.m. EST on Dec. 9. and promptly shut down one second later. Engineers later determined that a cracked valve resulted in loss of hydraulic pressure, causing the malfunction detection system to switch to its backup mode, forcing a shutdown of the engines. Repairs meant a delay into the new year. On Jan. 19, 1965, following a mostly smooth countdown, Gemini 2 lifted off from Pad 19 at 9:04 a.m. EST.
The Mission Control Center (MCC) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the MCC, astronauts Eugene Cernan, left, Walter Schirra, Gordon Cooper, Donald “Deke” Slayton, and Virgil “Gus” Grissom monitor the Gemini 2 flight. In the Gemini Mission Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Flight Director Christopher C. Kraft led a team of flight controllers that monitored all aspects of the flight. At the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, a team of controllers led by Flight Director John Hodge passively monitored the flight from the newly built Mission Control Center. They would act as observers for this flight and Gemini 3, the first crewed mission, before taking over full control with Gemini IV, and control all subsequent American human spaceflights. The Titan rocket’s two stages placed Gemini 2 into a suborbital trajectory, reaching a maximum altitude of 98.9 miles, with the vehicle attaining a maximum velocity of 16,709 miles per hour. Within a minute after separating from the Titan’s second stage, Gemini 2 executed a maneuver to orient its heat shield in the direction of flight to prepare for reentry. Flight simulators installed where the astronauts normally would sit controlled the maneuvers. About seven minutes after liftoff, Gemini 2 jettisoned its equipment section, followed by firing of the retrorockets, and then separation of the retrorocket section, exposing the spacecraft’s heat shield.
View from a camera mounted on a cockpit window during Gemini 2’s reentry. View from the cockpit window during Gemini 2’s descent on its parachute. Gemini 2 then began its reentry, the heat shield protecting the spacecraft from the 2,000-degree heat generated by friction with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. A pilot parachute pulled away the rendezvous and recovery section. At 10,000 feet, the main parachute deployed, and Gemini 2 descended to a splashdown 2,127 miles from its launch pad, after a flight of 18 minutes 16 seconds. The splashdown took place in the Atlantic Ocean about 800 miles east of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 25 miles from the prime recovery ship, the U.S.S. Lake Champlain (CVS-39).
A U.S. Navy helicopter hovers over the Gemini 2 capsule following its splashdown as a diver jumps into the water. Sailors hoist Gemini 2 aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain. U.S. Navy helicopters delivered divers to the splashdown area, who installed a flotation collar around the spacecraft. The Lake Champlain pulled alongside, and sailors hoisted the capsule onto the carrier, securing it on deck one hour forty minutes after liftoff. The spacecraft appeared to be in good condition and arrived back at Cape Kennedy on Jan. 22 for a thorough inspection. As an added bonus, sailors recovered the rendezvous and recovery section. Astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom, whom along with John Young NASA had selected to fly the first crewed Gemini mission, said after the splashdown, “We now see the road clear to our flight, and we’re looking forward to it.” Flight Director Kraft called it “very successful.” Gemini Program Manager Charles Matthews predicted the first crewed mission could occur within three months. Gemini 3 actually launched on March 23.
Enjoy this NASA video of the Gemini 2 mission.
Postscript
The Gemini-B capsule and a Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) mockup atop a Titan-IIIC rocket in 1966. The flown Gemini-B capsule on display at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum in Florida. Former MOL and NASA astronaut Robert Crippen stands beside the only flown Gemini-B capsule – note the hatch in the heat shield at top. Gemini 2 not only cleared the way for the first crewed Gemini mission and the rest of the program, it also took on a second life as a test vehicle for the U.S. Air Force’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). The Air Force modified the spacecraft, including cutting a hatch through its heat shield, renamed it Gemini-B, and launched it on Nov. 3, 1966, atop a Titan IIIC rocket. The test flight successfully demonstrated the hatch in the heat shield design during the capsule’s reentry after a 33-minute suborbital flight. Recovery forces retrieved the Gemini-B capsule in the South Atlantic Ocean and returned it to the Air Force for postflight inspection. This marked the only repeat flight of an American spacecraft intended for human spaceflight until the advent of the space shuttle. Visitors can view Gemini 2/Gemini-B on display at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
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By NASA
Credit: NASA With Finland’s signing of the Artemis Accords on Tuesday, NASA celebrates the 53rd nation committing to the safe and responsible exploration of space that benefits humanity. The signing ceremony took place on the margins of the Aalto University’s Winter Satellite Workshop 2025 in Espoo, Finland.
“Today, Finland is joining a community of nations that want to share scientific data freely, operate safely, and preserve the space environment for the Artemis Generation,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free, who provided pre-recorded virtual remarks for the ceremony. “By signing the Artemis Accords, Finland builds on its rich history in space, excelling in science, navigation, and Earth observation. Forging strong partnerships between our nations and among the international community is critical for advancing our shared space exploration goals.”
Wille Rydman, Finland’s minister of economic affairs, signed the Artemis Accords in front of an audience of Finnish space officials and workshop attendees.
“Finland has been part of the space exploration community for decades with innovations and technology produced by Finnish companies and research institutions,” said Rydman. “The signing of the Artemis Accords is in line with Finland’s newly updated space strategy that highlights the importance of international cooperation and of strengthening partnerships with the Unites States and other allies. We aim for this cooperation to open great opportunities for the Finnish space sector in the new era of space exploration and in the Artemis program.”
NASA and Finland have a long history of collaboration, and most recently, Finland is contributing to the upcoming Intuitive Machines-2 delivery to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign and CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. Intuitive Machines will deliver a lunar LTE/4G communications system developed by Finnish company, Nokia. Its U.S. subsidiary, Nokia of America, was selected as part of NASA’s Tipping Point opportunity through the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, to advance a lunar surface communications system that could help humans and robots explore more of the Moon than ever before.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute also provided the pressure and humidity measurement instruments for the Environmental Monitoring Station instrument suite aboard the Curiosity Rover, operating on Mars now.
In 2020, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity.
The Artemis Accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices for responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
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Kathryn Hambleton / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
kathryn.a.hambleton@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jan 21, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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