The Latest Private Astronaut Mission to the Space Station on This Week

The latest private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

Preparing to launch more research to the space station. And how climate change is affecting our oceans and atmosphere. A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! On Jan. 18, Axiom Mission 3, the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from our Kennedy Space Center. The mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría.

NASA will provide integrated operations support, which starts during the Dragon’s approach to the station, continues while the crew is aboard the orbiting laboratory, and concludes when Dragon leaves the area of the space station.

The research heading to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA includes the first surgical robot on the station, an inexpensive orbit re-entry platform to collect thermal protection systems data, and a new Metal 3D printer.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than Jan. 29 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Our Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem, or PACE mission is targeted for launch no earlier than Feb. 6. The Earth observing science mission will help us understand how our oceans and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, measure key atmospheric variables associated with air quality and Earth’s warming climate, and monitor ocean health.

We resumed a critical test series with our RS-25 rocket engine on Jan. 17 at our Stennis Space Center. Data from the testing will be used to certify production of new RS-25 engines to help power our Space Launch System, or SLS rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V.

https://youtu.be/RAfus0S1Y6s?si=Zkzl9k84fM36rUqT

That’s what’s up this week @NASA.

For more about what else we’re up to, check out nasa.gov.

A New Name and New Journey for an Asteroid Mission on This Week @NASA – December 29, 2023

A new name and new journey for an asteroid mission. Testing the self-flying capabilities of some drones. And test firing a 3D-printed rocket engine. A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! After the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered the sample material it collected from asteroid Bennu to Earth, the spacecraft still had some fuel left. So, the team decided to give the spacecraft a new name and a new mission. It is now called OSIRIS-APEX, and is on its way to study asteroid Apophis, which is expected to make an extremely rare and extremely close flyby of Earth in April 2029. Researchers at our Langley Research Center recently flew multiple drones beyond visual line of sight with no visual observer. The drones flew around obstacles and each other during takeoff, along a planned route, and while landing – all without a pilot controlling the flight. This test marks an important step toward advancing self-flying capabilities for air taxis. Engineers at our Marshall Space Flight Center successfully tested a novel, 3D-printed Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine. The 251-second test produced more than 5,800 pounds of thrust. That kind of sustained burn emulates typical requirements for a lander touchdown or a deep-space burn that could set a spacecraft on course from the Moon to Mars. The holiday season has been busy for the crew aboard the International Space Station. Two spaceships recently departed the station on back-to-back days. The SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft left on Dec. 21 and 22, respectively. But, in the spirit of the season - the astronauts did find some time to share some cheer with all of us on Earth. For more about what else we’re up to, check out nasa.gov.

https://youtu.be/lLW6t8z1REI?si=aIa6AccS_VjsYmYz