Monday, March 18, 2024

[NASA HQ News] NASA Administrator Pays Tribute to Space Pioneer Thomas Stafford

NASA Administrator Pays Tribute to Space Pioneer Thomas Stafford 

MAR 18, 2024

RELEASE 24-042

 

(1966) — Portrait of astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, wearing his spacesuit.

Credits: NASA

The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Monday’s passing of Thomas Stafford, a lifelong space exploration advocate, former NASA astronaut, and U.S. Air Force general: 

“Today, General Tom Stafford went to the eternal heavens, which he so courageously explored as a Gemini and Apollo astronaut as well as a peacemaker in the Apollo-Soyuz mission. Those of us privileged to know him are very sad but grateful we knew a giant.

“Tom was critical to the earliest successes of our nation’s space program and was instrumental in developing space as a model for international cooperation. He also helped us learn from our tragedies and grow and reach for the next generation of achievement. He was intimately involved with the space program, sharing his thoughts and suggestions on NASA missions until the end of his life. 

“Tom was a gentleman and a daredevil. He flew our first rendezvous in space on Gemini 6, and piloted Gemini 9’s path to Earth with pencil and paper when the spacecraft’s guidance computer failed in orbit. He commanded Apollo 10, the first flight of the lunar module to the Moon, a critical test flight that resulted in the successful landing on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Tom also flew more than 100 different types of aircraft throughout his career as he pushed the edge of the envelope of our achievement in air and space. He was an extraordinary peacemaker who commanded NASA’s first rendezvous of an international spacecraft on the Apollo-Soyuz mission. His counterpart, General Alexei Leonov, became a best friend over the years. Tom gave Alexei’s eulogy in 2019 at the Russian state funeral.

“Tom’s dedication to NASA never wavered. In later years, he chaired a team to independently advise NASA on how to carry out President H.W. Bush’s space policy and completed the study ‘America at the Threshold’ about the nation’s potential future with humans in space. He also was co-chairman of the Stafford-Covey Space Shuttle Return to Flight Task Group that assessed NASA’s implementation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Space Shuttle Return to Flight recommendations.

“Our nation will be forever grateful to an explorer who never lost his sense of wonder. About his time in space, he said, ‘It changes you, oh sure. Changes your outlook…As you look back, you see a little blue and white baseball, actually, it’s smaller than a baseball. But it’s hard to envision that is where all the people you’ve known all your life are, where you went to school, your friends, your family. It’s also hard to envision that there are three billion people on that blue and white baseball.’ 

“Godspeed, Tom Stafford.”  

For more information about Stafford’s NASA career, and his agency biography, visit: 

https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-thomas-stafford/

-end-

 

[NASA HQ News] NASA Sets Coverage for Crew Launch; Trio to Join Expedition 70

NASA Sets Coverage for Crew Launch; Trio to Join Expedition 70

MAR 18, 2024

MEDIA ADVISORY M24-041

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus pose for a portrait at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center on Nov. 2, 2023

Credits: GCTC/Andrey Shelepin

Three crew members will blast off on Thursday, March 21, to support Expedition 70 aboard the International Space Station. NASA will provide full coverage of launch and crew arrival at the microgravity laboratory.

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, are scheduled to lift off on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:21 a.m. EDT (6:21 p.m. Baikonur time).

Launch coverage will begin at 8:20 a.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA appYouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Dyson, Novitskiy, and Vasilevskaya will journey to the station on a two-orbit, three-hour trajectory that will result in a docking to the station’s Prichal module at 12:39 p.m.

Shortly after, hatches between the station and the Soyuz will open and the new crew members will connect with NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara, Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, already living and working aboard the space station.

NASA coverage of the mission is as follows (all times Eastern and are subject to change based on real-time operations):

Thursday, March 21:

  • 8:20 a.m. – Launch coverage begins
  • 9:21 a.m. – Launch
  • 11:30 a.m. – Rendezvous and docking coverage begins
  • 12:39 p.m. – Docking
  • 2:50 p.m. – Hatch opening and welcome remarks coverage begins

Dyson will spend six months aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, returning to Earth in September with Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub of Roscosmos, who will complete a year-long mission on the laboratory.

Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days, providing the ride home for O’Hara on Tuesday, April 2, aboard Soyuz MS-24 for a parachute-assisted landing on steppe of Kazakhstan. O’Hara will have spent 200 days in space when she returns.

This will be the third spaceflight for Dyson, the fourth for Novitskiy, and the first for Vasilevskaya.

To read more about the International Space Station, its research, and crew, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

 

Friday, March 15, 2024

[NASA HQ News] NASA to Send Research to Station Aboard 30th SpaceX Resupply Mission

NASA to Send Research to Station Aboard 30th SpaceX Resupply Mission

MAR 15, 2024

MEDIA ADVISORY M24-039

 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, on the company’s 29th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station.

Credits: SpaceX

New research and technology demonstrations for NASA are set to launch aboard the agency’s SpaceX 30th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 4:55 p.m. EDT Thursday, March 21, lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Live launch coverage will air on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website, with prelaunch events starting Tuesday, March 19. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will deliver new scientific investigations, food, supplies, and equipment to the international crew. NASA and its partners will send studies aboard the mission on plant metabolism in space and a set of new sensors for free-flying Astrobee robots to provide 3D mapping capabilities. Other research includes a fluid physics study that could benefit solar cell technology and a university project from CSA (Canadian Space Agency) that will monitor sea ice and ocean conditions.

Arrival at the station is scheduled for approximately 7:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the zenith port of the station’s Harmony module.

The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

Full mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on operations):

Tuesday, March 19

3 p.m. – Prelaunch media teleconference with the following participants:

  • Kristi Duplichen, deputy manager, NASA’s International Space Station Transportation Integration Office
  • Heidi Parris, associate program scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program Research Office
  • Sarah Walker, director, SpaceX Dragon mission management
  • Melody Lovin, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron

Media may ask questions during the media teleconference by phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida no later than 2 p.m. EDT March 19, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Thursday, March 21

  • 4:35 p.m. – Launch coverage begins
  • 4:55 p.m. – Launch

Saturday, March 23

  • 5:30 a.m. – NASA arrival coverage begins
  • 7:30 a.m. – Targeted docking to the zenith port of the station’s Harmony module

NASA’s coverage is subject to change based on real-time operational activities. Follow the International Space Station blog for updates.

NASA Television launch coverage

Live coverage of the launch on NASA Television will begin at 4:35 p.m. Thursday, March 21. For downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, or -7135. On launch day, the full mission broadcast can be heard on -1220 and -1240, while the countdown net only can be heard on -7135 beginning approximately one hour before the mission broadcast begins.

On launch day, live coverage of the launch without NASA Television commentary will be carried on the NASA Television media channel.

NASA website launch coverage

Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 4:35 p.m. Thursday, March 21, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our commercial resupply services mission blog for updates.

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. Registrants will receive mission updates and activities by email. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities, and a virtual guest passport stamp following a successful launch.

Watch, engage on social media

Let people know you’re watching the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_StationISS_Research, @ISS National Lab

Facebook: NASANASAKennedyISSISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.

Learn more about NASA commercial resupply services missions at:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/commercial-resupply/

-end-

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

[NASA HQ News] NASA Invites Media to Meet Space Station Astronauts at Headquarters

NASA Invites Media to Meet Space Station Astronauts at Headquarters

MAR 14, 2024

MEDIA ADVISORY M24-040

 

(Nov. 8, 2021) — The International Space Station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a fly around of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port.

Credits: NASA

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.

NASA will host a media availability with four astronauts at 9:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, March 19, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. The crew, including record-breaking NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, will discuss their recent mission aboard the International Space Station where they conducted a broad range of science experiments to benefit life on Earth and human space exploration.

Rubio, as well as fellow NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, and UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, served as part of space station Expedition 69 and will participate in the media opportunity.

During his first spaceflight mission, Rubio completed approximately 5,936 orbits and a journey of more than 157 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 328 trips to the Moon and back. Rubio’s extended mission provided researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on humans as the agency plans to return to the Moon through the Artemis campaign and prepare for exploration of Mars. He returned to Earth in September 2023 aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft after spending an American record-breaking 371 days in space.

As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission, Bowen, Hoburg, and Alneyadi returned to Earth in September 2023 aboard a Dragon spacecraft after spending 186 days aboard the microgravity laboratory. During the mission, Bowen and Hoburg completed two spacewalks, and Alneyadi became the first UAE astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. With 10 spacewalks throughout his missions, Bowen ties the record for most excursions by a U.S. astronaut, also held by four others. He ranks third on the all-time list for cumulative hours of spacewalking.

In addition to their research, crew members also conducted technology demonstrations, and space station maintenance activities. Bowen, Hoburg, and Alneyadi traveled 78,875,292 miles during their mission and completed 2,976 orbits around Earth. The Crew-6 mission was the first spaceflight for Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev. Bowen has logged 227 days in space over four flights.

Media interested in participating must RSVP by 5 p.m., Monday, March 18, to Joshua Finch at joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

The media opportunity will take place in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E. Street SW in Washington.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/

-end-

 

Inbox Astronomy: Hubble Tracks Jupiter's Stormy Weather

INBOX ASTRONOMY

Hubble Tracks Jupiter's Stormy Weather

Release date: Thursday, March 14, 2024 10:00:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Hubble Tracks Jupiter's Stormy Weather



Cyclones, Wind Shear, Violent Storms Churn in Jupiter's Atmosphere

The largest and nearest of the giant outer planets, Jupiter's colorful clouds present an ever-changing kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. This is a planet where there is always stormy weather: cyclones, anticyclones, wind shear, and the largest storm in the solar system, the Great Red Spot. Jupiter has no solid surface and is perpetually covered with largely ammonia ice-crystal clouds that are only about 30 miles thick in an atmosphere that's tens of thousands of miles deep and give the planet its banded appearance. The bands are produced by air flowing in different directions at various latitudes with speeds approaching 350 miles per hour. Lighter-hued areas where the atmosphere rises are called zones. Darker regions where air falls are called belts. When these opposing flows interact, storms and turbulence appear. Hubble tracks these dynamic changes every year with unprecedented clarity, and there are always new surprises. The many large storms and small white clouds seen in Hubble's latest images are evidence for a lot of activity going on in Jupiter's atmosphere right now.



Find additional articles, images, and videos at HubbleSite.org



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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

[NASA HQ News] NASA’s Space Tech Prize Bolsters Diversity, Inclusivity Champions

NASA's Space Tech Prize Bolsters Diversity, Inclusivity Champions 

MAR 13, 2024

RELEASE 24-039

 

Credits: NASA

NASA selected the first winners of the agency's Space Tech Catalyst prize to expand engagement with underrepresented and diverse individuals in the space technology sector as part of the agency's broader commitment to inclusivity and collaboration. The winners are receiving $25,000 each to create more inclusive space technology ecosystems.

"As NASA continues to explore the unknown, making the impossible possible, we are committed to engaging talents from all backgrounds to advance exploration," said Shahra Lambert, NASA senior advisor for engagement. "By providing funding to this space technology community, NASA is ensuring the Artemis Generation will have the necessary tools to expand humanity's reach."

Winning individuals and organizations demonstrate the best collaboration practices with diverse researchers, technologists, and entrepreneurs. The champions also bring effective strategies that contribute to NASA's ongoing efforts to develop a representative space technology landscape, while enhancing its ability to find creative solutions to technical challenges.

The winners are:

  • Caitlin O'Brien, SciAccess, Inc.
  • Zainab Abbas, SciTech@U
  • Bahiy Watson, The 1881 Institute
  • Amber Imai-Hong, Mahina Aerospace
  • Marta Miletic, San Diego State University
  • Felecia Brown, NorthStar of GIS
  • Diego Sandoval, Cyncrocity
  • Arif Rahman, Hawaii Pacific University
  • Sierra Brown
  • Denise Thorsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Joshua Neubert, Institute of Competition Sciences
  • Madison Feehan, Space Copy, Inc.
  • Johnie Turnage, Black Tech Saturdays
  • Athip Thirupathi Raj, University of Arizona SpaceTREx Lab
  • Janeya Griffin, Equity Space Alliance, Inc.
  • Annika Rollock, Aurelia Institute
  • M. von Nkosi, Institute for Local Innovations, Inc.
  • Joseph Grant, New Generation Solutions SST
  • Sambit Bhattacharya, Fayetteville State University
  • Dalia David, Honest Eating, LLC

Each winner was selected for proving their ability to engage and develop underrepresented groups in space technology development, broaden NASA's outreach efforts to diverse sources of developers, and build a community of emerging innovators equipped to compete for the agency's technology development opportunities.

"We are proud to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of these exceptional individuals and organizations leading the way in building an inclusive community in space technology for the benefit of humanity," said Denna Lambert, inclusive innovation team lead, Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Their dedication and success in engaging underrepresented groups will undoubtedly inspire others to join us in advancing the frontiers of space exploration and innovation."

To increase collaboration between NASA and its community partners, each winner will attend an in-person event at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Representatives from NASA and the winning organizations will participate in community-building activities to emphasize knowledge sharing, increase awareness of NASA's competitive research and development environment, and expand the agency's reach into diverse innovator communities.

The Space Tech Catalyst Prize, funded by STMD, is part of a commitment to expand NASA's network of competitive proposers and enhance engagement approaches.

For more information, visit: 

https://www.spacetechcatalystprize.org/

-end-

 

Inbox Astronomy: Cheers! NASA's Webb Finds Ethanol, Other Icy Ingredients for Worlds

INBOX ASTRONOMY

Cheers! NASA's Webb Finds Ethanol, Other Icy Ingredients for Worlds

Release date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024 9:00:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cheers! NASA's Webb Finds Ethanol, Other Icy Ingredients for Worlds



Newfound carbon-containing molecules are key ingredients for potentially habitable planets.

Stars and their planets form from swirling clouds of gas and dust enriched with chemical elements and compounds from previous generations of stars. One long-standing question in astronomy is: How ubiquitous are the elements crucial to life as we know it?

A new Webb study of two protostars, so young that they have not yet formed planets, has found a variety of molecules ranging from relatively simple ones like methane to complex compounds like acetic acid (familiar to cooks as an ingredient in vinegar). These molecules constitute key ingredients for worlds that might one day host life.



Find additional articles, images, and videos at WebbTelescope.org



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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

[NASA HQ News] Splashdown! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Finishes Mission, Returns to Earth

March 12, 2024

 

RELEASE: 24-040

 

Splashdown! NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Finishes Mission, Returns to Earth

 

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is seen as it lands with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov aboard in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov are returning after nearly six-months in space as part of Expedition 70 aboard the International Space Station.

NASA/Joel Kowsky

 

 

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 completed the agency's seventh commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday after splashing down safely in a Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The international crew of four spent 199 days in orbit.

 

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, returned to Earth splashing down at 5:47 a.m. EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

 

"After more than six months aboard the International Space Station, NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 has safely returned home," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "This international crew showed that space unites us all. It's clear that we can do more – we can learn more – when we work together. The science experiments conducted during their time in space will help prepare for NASA's bold missions at the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity here on Earth."

 

The Crew-7 mission lifted off at 3:27 a.m. Aug. 26, 2023, on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About 30 hours later, Dragon docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port. Crew-7 undocked at 11:20 a.m. Monday, March 11, to begin the trip home.

Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov traveled 84,434,094 miles during their mission, spent 197 days aboard the space station, and completed 3,184 orbits around Earth. The Crew-7 mission was the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov. Mogensen has logged 209 days in space over his two flights, and Furukawa has logged 366 days in space over his two flights.

 

Throughout their mission, the Crew-7 members contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Moghbeli conducted one spacewalk, joined by NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, replacing one of the 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the Sun and generate electricity to power the station.

 

The crew contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an experiment growing food on the space station.

 

This was the third flight of the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance. It also previously supported the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The spacecraft will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX's refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where teams will inspect the Dragon, analyze data on its performance, and process it for its next flight.

 

The Crew-7 flight is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 launch, which docked to the station March 5, beginning another science expedition.

 

The goal of NASA's Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. This already is providing additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's microgravity testbed for exploration, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

 

Learn more about NASA's Commercial Crew program at:

 

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

 

-end-

 

Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov


Steve Siceloff

Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468

steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov

 

Leah Cheshier
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov