| February 28, 2022 CONTRACT RELEASE C22-005 NASA Awards Contract for Safety and Mission Assurance Services NASA has selected KBR Wyle Services LLC of Greenbelt, Maryland, to provide safety and mission assurance services to the agency in various locations across the country. The Safety and Mission Assurance, Audits, Assessments, and Analysis (SA3) Services contract is a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity provision and a maximum potential value of approximately $71.7 million. The three-year base performance period of this contract begins April 1, 2022, and is followed by a two-year option, which would end March 31, 2027. SA3 will provide safety and mission assurance services to NASA Headquarters in Washington and other NASA centers, programs, projects, and activities through the NASA Safety Center in Cleveland. These services include:
For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit: -end- | |
| Press Contacts J.D. Harrington Jan Wittry | |
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Monday, February 28, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA Awards Contract for Safety and Mission Assurance Services
[NASA HQ News] NASA Promotes Howard Hu to Lead Orion Ahead of First Artemis Mission
| February 28, 2022 RELEASE 22-022 NASA Promotes Howard Hu to Lead Orion Ahead of First Artemis Mission
NASA has selected Howard Hu as the Orion Program manager, based at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. In this role, he will be responsible for the design, development, production, and operations of the agency's Orion, which is poised to make its first uncrewed flight test around the Moon in the coming months. Hu begins his new position effective Monday. Hu succeeds Catherine Koerner, who has accepted a position as deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The Orion team is comprised of highly talented and dedicated individuals across NASA, the European Space Agency, and industry," Hu said. "It is an honor to have the opportunity to help lead our teams as we are set to begin our Artemis voyages to deep space. With the upcoming Artemis I mission, we are on the cusp of another major milestone toward NASA's goals of landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and preparing for human missions to Mars." Hu brings more than 30 years of NASA experience to this role, most recently serving as the Orion Program's deputy manager. He has also served in a number of key Orion leadership positions, including manager of avionics, power, and software, as well as deputy manager of the Vehicle Integration Office. Prior to joining the Orion Program, Hu held several key technical and leadership positions in support of NASA human exploration initiatives, the International Space Station, and Space Shuttle Program. "With Howard's many years of technical and leadership experience within key NASA programs, I'm confident he will have a bright future leading the Orion team through the challenges and rewards of successfully sending the spacecraft and astronauts to the Moon," said Vanessa Wyche, Johnson director. "Working with our partners, NASA is working to build a long-term human presence on and around the Moon that will benefit people on Earth." A native of Seattle, Hu holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington. Throughout his career, Hu has been recognized for his achievements, including two Johnson Director's Innovation Awards, the Orion EFT-1 Outstanding Leadership Award, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation's Stellar Team Award, and the Johnson Director's Commendation Award. Orion, the Space Launch System, and Exploration Ground Systems programs are foundational elements of Artemis. NASA's Artemis missions at the Moon will allow the agency and its partners to practice procedures and test technologies needed to explore farther into the solar system in preparation for human missions to Mars. For more information about Orion, visit: -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Kathryn Hambleton Laura Rochon | ||
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Friday, February 25, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA Selects Futuristic Space Technology Concepts for Early Study
| February 25, 2022 RELEASE 22-022 NASA Selects Futuristic Space Technology Concepts for Early Study An astronaut steps into a body scanner and, hours later, walks on Mars in a custom-made spacesuit, breathing oxygen that was extracted from Mars' carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. On Venus, an inflatable bird-like drone swoops through the sky, studying the planet's atmosphere and weather patterns. Ideas like these are currently science fiction, but they could one day become reality, thanks to a new round of grants awarded by NASA. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program fosters exploration by funding early-stage studies to evaluate technologies that could support future aeronautics and space missions. A new slate of awards will provide a total of $5.1 million to 17 researchers from nine states. "As we set our sights on ever more challenging destinations for exploration with humans and robots, innovative ideas and future thinking will be critical to helping us reach new milestones," said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. "Concepts like those being studied with this new round of NIAC funding are helping us expand the scope of the possible so we can make it reality." The selected concepts include 12 new projects for Phase I study, as well as five Phase II awards that will allow researchers to continue their prior work on innovative concepts. The projects are still in the early stages of development and are not considered official NASA missions. Phase I fellows will each receive $175,000 for a nine-month study, and Phase II fellows will receive $600,000 each for study over a two-year period. "NASA's mission to explore the universe requires new technologies and new ways of doing things," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "Studying these creative ideas is the first step to turn science fiction into science fact." The new Phase I projects include a novel design for a crewed spacecraft that provides more protection from radiation on long journeys than conventional crew modules, a concept for a completely silent electric airplane, and an idea for a spacecraft that could harness the Sun's heat to propel it out of the solar system at unprecedented speeds. John Mather, Nobel laureate and astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, proposes a concept that could help humanity study distant, Earth-like exoplanets. A football field-size starshade in space would be aligned with ground-based telescopes, blocking out the light from distant stars and allowing astronomers to search for signs of life in the atmospheres of planets in other star systems. A concept proposed by Sara Seager of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would help scientists study a planet much closer to home: Venus. A probe would parachute into the planet's atmosphere to capture a sample of gas and clouds. The sample would be brought to Earth, where scientists could look for signs of life in Venus' atmosphere – one of the few potential places it could survive on the otherwise hot, high-pressure planet. "As in years past, our new group of NIAC fellows showcases the creativity and vision of the space community at large," said Michael LaPointe, acting program executive for the NIAC program at NASA Headquarters. The selected Phase II projects include a design for small climbing robots that could explore subsurface caves on Mars, a novel way of using nuclear power for spacecraft, and a concept for a swarm of 3D-printed swimming micro-robots that could explore ocean worlds like Enceladus, Europa, and Titan. Phase II fellow Zac Manchester of Carnegie Mellon University will continue his work on a concept for artificial gravity in space using a kilometer-size rotating structure. After launching on a single rocket, the proposed structure would deploy to 150 times its original size, becoming a huge rotating habitat that would provide artificial gravity equal to Earth's gravity in some parts of the structure. The researchers selected to receive NIAC Phase I grants in 2022, their institutions, and the titles of their proposals are:
The researchers selected to receive Phase II grants in 2022, their institutions, and the titles of their proposals are:
NIAC is funded by STMD, which is responsible for developing the new cross-cutting technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions. Learn more about the NIAC program at: -end- | |
| Press Contacts Sarah Frazier | |
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Wednesday, February 23, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA to Host Virtual Future of Aviation Showcase
| February 23, 2022 MEDIA ADVISORY M22-028 NASA to Host Virtual Future of Aviation Showcase
Members of the media and public are invited to participate in NASA's imaginAviation, a three-day virtual event that will focus on the future transformation of aviation that begins Tuesday, March 1. Notable speakers include NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Bob Pearce, associate administrator for the agency's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Simon Sinek, author of The Unshakable Optimist, and Kathryn Jablokow, from the National Science Foundation. Among other topics, NASA researchers will discuss efforts to improve the sustainability of aviation while contributing to the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to tackle climate change. Participants will have opportunities to learn how NASA aeronautics projects and technologies are building a safer flying experience for all. They will engage real-time with agency subject matter experts and industry leaders, learn about NASA STEM engagement with K-12 and university students, and hear how NASA will transform the future of aviation. The showcase will provide attendees an opportunity to experience NASA's "Gateway to Aviation Transformation" through the eyes of the University Innovation, Convergent Aeronautics Solutions, and the Transformational Tools and Technologies projects, all within NASA's Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program. This year's event will include technology maturation and market infusion potential with support from industry, other government agencies, and NASA Aeronautics' Advanced Air Vehicles, Airspace Operations and Safety, and Integrated Aviation Systems Programs. For more information on the imaginAviation event or to sign up to attend, visit: https://nari.arc.nasa.gov/imaginaviation/ -end- | ||
| Press Contacts J.D. Harrington Angela Surgenor | ||
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[NASA HQ News] NASA, Axiom to Discuss First Private Astronaut Space Station Mission
| February 23, 2022 MEDIA ADVISORY M22-027 NASA, Axiom to Discuss First Private Astronaut Space Station Mission
NASA experts will join a virtual news conference hosted by Axiom Space to preview the launch of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. The briefing will take place at 11 a.m. EST Monday, Feb. 28. The virtual press conference will be available on Axiom Space's YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/axiomspace The Ax-1 launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft is targeted for 2:46 p.m. EDT Wednesday, March 30, at from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the 10-day mission, which includes eight days aboard the space station, the four-person multi-national crew will complete more than 25 research experiments developed for microgravity in collaboration with health and science organizations across the globe. Briefing participants are:
To participate in call, media must contact: media@axiomspace.com by 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, to receive call-in details. Axiom Space astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe, are prime crew members of the Ax-1 mission. López-Alegría, who was born in Spain, raised in California, and is a former NASA astronaut, will serve as the mission commander. Connor, of Dayton, Ohio, will serve as pilot. Pathy, from Canada, and Stibbe, from Israel, will serve as mission specialists. NASA continues to make rapid progress in its efforts to build a robust low-Earth orbit economy. The agency recently announced its selection of Axiom Space to begin negotiations for the second private astronaut mission. NASA also recently announced its selection of companies to develop designs of space stations and other commercial destinations in low-Earth orbit. Prior to these new awards, NASA selected Axiom Space in January 2020 to design and develop commercial modules to attach to the station. Axiom recently completed the preliminary design review of two modules as well as the critical design review of the modules' primary structure with NASA participation. Flight hardware for the first Axiom module is currently undergoing fabrication. For more information about NASA's low-Earth orbit commercialization activities, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/leo-economy/ -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Stephanie Schierholz / Josh Finch Gary Jordan Bettina Inclán | ||
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Tuesday, February 22, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA to Provide Media Update on Artemis I Moon Mission
| February 22, 2022 MEDIA ADVISORY M22-026 NASA to Provide Media Update on Artemis I Moon Mission
NASA will host a media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 24, to provide an update on progress toward the launch of the agency's uncrewed Artemis I mission. Artemis engineers are working through final closeout tasks for the launch, as well as integrated testing before the rocket rolls out to the pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first time in mid-March. Audio of the teleconference will stream live online at: Participating in the briefing are:
To participate in the call, media must RSVP by at least two hours prior to the event to Madison Tuttle at: madison.e.tuttle@nasa.gov. The agency will roll the combined Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy for testing next month. This final test, known as the wet dress rehearsal, will run the launch team through operations to load propellant into the rocket's tanks and conduct a full launch countdown. Following a successful rehearsal, NASA will roll the rocket stack back into the Vehicle Assembly Building for final checks and set an official target date for launch. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars. Learn more about NASA's Artemis I mission at: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1 -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Kathryn Hambleton | ||
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Inbox Astronomy: Galaxy Collision Creates 'Space Triangle' in New Hubble Image
Interactions Between These Two Galaxies Is Creating a Tsunami of Starbirth
If you like looking at weirdly shaped galaxies, there's no better place than the "Arp Catalogue of Peculiar Galaxies."
Compiled by astronomer Halton Arp in 1966, the catalogue is a compendium of 338 oddball interacting galaxies. But Arp didn't compile the catalogue just to show off galaxies that look strange. He thought these peculiar galaxies were excellent laboratories to study the physical processes that distort normal-looking elliptical and spiral galaxies. He was one of the first to suggest galactic encounters could form stars in bursts.
His view contrasted with those of many astronomers during the 1960s, who wrote off misshapen galaxies as mere oddities. They believed in a "cookie-cutter" universe, that most galaxies were orderly and symmetrical. But Arp believed in a different kind of universe, one filled with violence and birth.
One such Arp galaxy that is exploding with new stars is in this Hubble Space Telescope image of the Arp 143 system. The two galaxies in this system collided head-on, fueling the triangular-shaped burst of star formation. The pair contains the distorted, star-forming spiral galaxy NGC 2445 at right, along with its less flashy companion, NGC 2444 at left.
Find additional articles, images, and videos at HubbleSite.org
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Saturday, February 19, 2022
[NASA HQ News] Northrop Grumman Sends NASA Science, Cargo to International Space Station
| February 19, 2022 22-019 Northrop Grumman Sends NASA Science, Cargo to International Space Station
A fresh supply of 8,300 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 12:40 p.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 19, aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply spacecraft, and is now traveling to the International Space Station. The Cygnus spacecraft, which was launched on an Antares rocket, is scheduled to arrive at the space station around 4:35 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 21. NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency's website will provide live coverage of the spacecraft's approach and arrival beginning at 3 a.m. NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron will capture Cygnus with the station's robotic Canadarm2 upon its arrival. The spacecraft will then be installed on the Earth-facing port of the station's Unity module. This is Northrop Grumman's 17th contracted resupply mission under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The delivery includes critical materials to support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations occurring during NASA's Expedition 66 mission aboard the space station. The scientific investigations Cygnus is carrying include: Protecting our skin Deterioration of skin tissue, a normal part of aging, occurs over decades. Microgravity leads to changes in the body like aging but that occur much more quickly, so they can be more easily studied. Colgate Skin Aging will evaluate cellular and molecular changes in engineered human skin cells in microgravity. Results may help speed development of products aimed at protecting skin from the aging process on Earth. Testing tumor drugs MicroQuin 3D Tumor will examine the effects of a therapeutic on breast and prostate cancer cells. These cells can grow in a more natural 3D model in microgravity, which makes it easier to characterize their structure, gene expression, cell signaling, and response to the treatment. Results could provide new insight into the cell protein targeted by the drug and help advance development of other cancer drugs. Improving hydrogen sensors The Advanced Hydrogen Sensor Technology Demonstration will test new sensors for the space station's oxygen generation system. Current sensors ensure that none of the hydrogen enters the cabin oxygen but can be sensitive to moisture, nitrogen, and other issues that require them to be swapped out every 201 days. This technology could provide more durable sensors for situations where rapid replacement is not practical, reducing the number of spares needed on longer space missions such as to the Moon or Mars.
Space Demonstration for All Solid-State Li Ion Battery (Space As-Lib), an investigation from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, will feature the operation of a lithium-ion secondary battery capable of safe, stable operation under extreme temperatures and in a vacuum environment. The battery uses solid, inorganic, and flame-retardant materials that do not leak, making it safer and more reliable. Results could demonstrate the battery's performance for various potential uses in space and other planetary environments. Solid-state batteries also have potential applications in harsh environments and the automotive and aerospace industries. Plants in space Current systems for growing plants in space use soil or a growth medium. These systems are small and do not scale well in a space environment due to mass, containment, maintenance, and sanitation issues. To address these issues, eXposed Root On-Orbit Test System (XROOTS) will use water- and air-based methods instead, reducing overall system mass. Results could provide insight into the development of larger-scale systems to grow food crops for future space exploration and habitats. Components of the system could also enhance plant cultivation in greenhouses on Earth and contribute to better food security. Improving fire safety Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction (SoFIE) will enable studies of the flammability of materials and ignition of fires in realistic atmospheric conditions. This facility uses the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR), which allows for testing at different oxygen concentrations and pressures that represent current and planned space exploration missions. Gravity influences flames on Earth, but in microgravity, fire acts differently and can behave in unexpected ways aboard the space station. Some evidence suggests that fires may be more hazardous in reduced gravity. Results could help ensure crew safety by improving design of extravehicular activity suits, and cabin materials, improve our ability to determine the best techniques for suppressing fires in space. Findings from these and other investigations aboard the space station will contribute to keeping astronauts healthy during long-duration space travel and demonstrate technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions as part of NASA's Moon and Mars efforts, including lunar missions through the agency's Artemis program. Cygnus will also deliver critical hardware to be installed during the upcoming ISS Roll-Out Solar Array (IROSA) spacewalks, as well as other components for the successful functioning of astronaut life on the space station, such as a trash deployer and acoustic covers for the waste management system. This Cygnus mission is the first to feature enhanced capabilities that will allow the spacecraft to perform a reboost, using its engines to adjust the space station's orbit as a standard service for NASA. The agency has one reboost is planned while Cygnus is connected to the orbiting laboratory. A test of the maneuver was performed in 2018 during Cygnus' ninth resupply mission. Cygnus will remain at the space station until May before it deploys CubeSats, then disposes of several thousand pounds of trash during its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, which will result in its destruction. Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter. Learn more about the mission at: http://www.nasa.gov/northropgrumman/ -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Gina Anderson Dylan Connell Keith Koehler | ||
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Friday, February 18, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA TV to Air NOAA’s GOES-T Launch, Prelaunch Activities
| February 18, 2022 MEDIA ADVISORY M22-025 NASA TV to Air NOAA's GOES-T Launch, Prelaunch Activities
NASA will provide coverage of the prelaunch and launch activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) next weather observing and environmental monitoring system satellite. Currently known as GOES-T, this is the third satellite in NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) – R series. GOES-T is scheduled to launch at 4:38 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 1, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. There is a two-hour launch window. Live launch coverage will begin at 4 p.m. on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website. NASA will hold a science briefing at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, followed by a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18 once it reaches geostationary orbit. Following a successful orbital checkout of its instruments and systems, GOES-18 will go into operational service as GOES West. In this position, the satellite will provide critical data for the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean. All media participation in news conferences will be remote except where noted otherwise. Full mission coverage is as follows: Friday, Feb. 25 1 p.m. – GOES-T Science Briefing with the following participants:
For the science briefing dial-in number and passcode, please contact the newsroom at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov no later than 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. Members of the media, as well as the public, also may ask questions, which may be answered in real-time during the segment, by using #AskNASA on social media. Saturday, Feb. 26 1 p.m. – GOES-T Prelaunch News Conference, with the following participants:
For the prelaunch news conference dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov no later than noon Friday, Feb. 25. Members of the media, as well as the public, also may ask questions, which may be answered in real-time during the segment, by using #AskNASA on social media. Monday, Feb. 28 10 a.m. – NASA EDGE will host the GOES-T rollout show. The rollout show will air live on NASA TV and YouTube. Tuesday, Mar. 1 4 p.m. - NASA TV live launch coverage begins. 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, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135. A "clean feed" of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the GOES-T launch blog at: https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/tag/goes-t/ Public Participation Members of the public can register to attend the GOES-T launch virtually. The virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the virtual guest passport following a successful launch. GOES-T Virtual Social As launch preparations are finalized, the public is invited to join a virtual GOES-T Social on Facebook. Stay up to date on the latest mission activities, interact with NOAA, NASA and GOES-T team members in real-time, and watch the launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket that will boost GOES-T toward its destination. Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425. NOAA oversees the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, managing the ground system, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. The launch is managed by NASA's LSP, based at Kennedy. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R satellite and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, and the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception. Watch, Engage Online Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you're following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #GOEST. Also follow online at: Twitter: @NASA, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASAKennedy, @NOAASatellites Facebook: NASA, NASA LSP, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites Instagram: NASA, NASA Kennedy, NOAA Satellites For more information about the launch of GOES-T, visit: https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/tag/goes-t/ -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Tylar Greene Mary MacLaughlin John Leslie | ||
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Wednesday, February 16, 2022
[NASA HQ News] Colorado Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts Aboard Space Station
| February 16, 2022 MEDIA ADVISORY M22-024 Colorado Students to Hear from NASA Astronauts Aboard Space Station
Students from Colorado will have an opportunity this week to hear from a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 10:35 a.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 18, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website. NASA astronaut Raja Chari will answer prerecorded video questions from students in grades nine through 12 at Wheat Ridge High School in Jefferson County Public School district in Wheatridge, Colorado. The downlink will support continuing efforts to encourage students to pursue aerospace and STEM careers. Media interested in covering the event should contact Maggie Wells with the Jefferson County Public School district at: media@jeffco.k12.co.us. Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance, and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Astronauts living in space aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Near Space Network Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). For more than 21 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through Artemis, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery. See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Katherine Brown Sandra Jones | ||
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Inbox Astronomy: Studying the Next Interstellar Interloper with Webb
Scientists will learn about objects trespassing on our cosmic turf
So far, only two interstellar objects have been spotted buzzing through our solar system, but scientists think many more are lurking. When the next one is discovered, NASA's powerful new James Webb Space Telescope may have a ringside seat for analyzing this interloper. Webb will help astronomers learn about its composition, formation history, and home system. For the first time, scientists will get an up-close-and-personal view of something born outside our solar system.
Find additional articles, images, and videos at WebbTelescope.org
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[NASA HQ News] NASA Advisory Council Welcomes New Members, Sets 2022 Goals
| February 16, 2022 NASA Advisory Council Welcomes New Members, Sets 2022 Goals
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced Wednesday he appointed new members to the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), which provides leadership counsel and advice on a variety of important and complex agency programs and topics. Retired Gen. Lester Lyles will continue to chair the NAC and its more than 50 members appointed across the council and five committees supporting aeronautics, human spaceflight, science, and STEM, as well as technology, innovation, and engineering. Among the new council members are former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, former Rep. Jane Harman, and former Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning. Additional council appointments include former NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Waleed Abdalati, former NASA astronaut Dr. Danny Olivas, and former director of the Defense Contract Management Agency Charlie Williams Jr. New NAC council chair appointments include Darin DiTommaso as chair of the NAC Aeronautics Committee and Michael Johns as chair of the NAC Technology, Innovation and Engineering Committee, plus numerous new committee members. Additional members may be added in the future. "I take great pride in our team at NASA and the incredible accomplishments we achieve every day as a global leader in exploration. NASA attracts the best and the brightest – which makes it easy to attract high-caliber talent to the NAC," said Nelson. "As we push forward into yet another busy year for the agency, I look forward to hearing the recommendations from new and existing experts serving on the NASA Advisory Council." The NAC usually meets three times per year and the first virtual meeting of 2022 is slated for Tuesday, March 1, and Wednesday, March 2. This year, the NAC will align its work across the following agency priorities:
For more information about the NAC, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/offices/nac/ -end- | ||
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Tuesday, February 15, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA Offers Up to $200 Million to Help Push New Technologies to Market
| February 15, 2022 22-018 NASA Offers Up to $200 Million to Help Push New Technologies to Market
Companies with technologies that may advance exploration but need a little extra push to finalize development have two new opportunities to partner with NASA to make it over the finish line. Through Tipping Point, NASA seeks to support space technologies that can foster the growth of commercial space capabilities and benefit future agency missions. NASA is also offering businesses a chance to work with agency experts or use facilities to complete their work through a separate Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity. "NASA's investment and support at this pivotal stage in development can be the key to ultimately bringing new technologies to market," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Public-private partnerships established through these opportunities will combine agency resources with industry contributions, a benefit that will unlock new ideas to advance how we live and work in space while providing greater value to the American people." These opportunities focus on technology development for space infrastructure and capabilities for the Moon and near-Earth space. Selected proposals for working on and near the Moon could include infrastructure for power distribution on the lunar surface, solutions for using lunar resources, or autonomous construction – key components for long-term lunar exploration under Artemis. NASA will also consider proposals for infrastructure and capabilities in Earth orbit – which could range from climate research tools to in-space manufacturing and advanced propulsion. "Forging strong partnerships with the commercial space economy is critical for driving our nation's space exploration further and faster," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA's Headquarters in Washington, which manages the new opportunities. "I look forward to the new slate of public-private partnerships that will come from these new opportunities." Under the Tipping Point opportunity, NASA will award a total of up to $200 million to multiple companies using funded Space Act Agreements. The opportunity also includes incentives for small businesses, allowing companies with fewer than 500 employees to contribute less to the cost of the technology development. "A funded Space Act Agreement provides more flexibility for commercial partners in intellectual property, private sector contribution, and accounting requirements," said LK Kubendran, STMD lead on Tipping Point and Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity. More than half a billion dollars have been awarded to 50 projects since NASA announced the first Tipping Point opportunity in 2015. Space technologies advanced through this funding are now part of current and future mission plans. They include:
The Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity allows companies to use NASA facilities and expertise to aid in technology development without a monetary award. More information about NASA's technology investments is available online. The deadline to submit initial proposals is March 31, 2022. Companies interested in submitting proposals can also attend an industry information session on Feb. 28. Details on the event are available online. Learn more and submit to the new opportunities at: -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Sarah Frazier | ||
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Thursday, February 10, 2022
[NASA HQ News] NASA Awards Mission Operations Center Support Contract
| February 10, 2022 CONTRACT RELEASE C22-004 NASA Awards Mission Operations Center Support Contract
NASA has awarded the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation-2 (ICESat-2) Mission Operations Center Support contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation of Dulles, Virginia. This is a cost-plus award-fee, contract that includes a nine-month base period and four one-year options with a total contract value of $33,348,387. The four-year, nine-month period of performance begins Monday, Feb 14. The work will be performed at the contractor's facility in Dulles, Virginia. Under this follow-on contract, Northrup Grumman Space Systems will continue to provide ICESat-2 mission operations; data processing and analysis; mission planning; commanding; Solid State Recorder management and monitoring; orbit and attitude determination and control; flight software maintenance; anomaly identification and resolution; and delivery of science and engineering data products. NASA's ICESat-2 mission, launched in 2018, allows scientists to investigate why and how much of the frozen parts of our world are changing as a result of climate change. All ICESat-2 data are housed and managed at the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC). For information about ICESat-2, visit: https://icesat.gsfc.nasa.gov/icesat2/ -end- | ||
| Press Contacts Tylar Greene Cynthia M. O'Carroll | ||
| NASA news releases and other information are available automatically by sending an e-mail to hqnews-join@newsletters.nasa. To unsubscribe from the list, send an e-mail message to hqnews-leave@newsletters.nasa. |