Each May, NASA commemorates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month to recognize the significant contributions of past and present employees of AAPI descent. Each of them embody the enduring and resilient spirit this community brings to advancing science, research, and discovery. Hear their stories.
Featured in the video: Anthony Arviola – Langley Research Center Han Woong (Brian) Bae – Marshall Space Flight Center Kelly Busquets – Goddard Space Flight Center Sarat Calmur – Langley Research Center Gemma Flores – NASA Headquarters Wensheng Huang – Glenn Research Center Miki Kenji – Glenn Research Center Alex Lin – Langley Research Center Rita Melvin – Goddard Space Flight Center Kartik Sheth – NASA Headquarters Steve Shih – NASA Headquarters Emilie Siochi – Langley Research Center Jenny Staggs – Armstrong Flight Research Center Githika Tondapu – Marshall Space Flight Center Sara Tsui – Kennedy Space Center Jennifer Turner – Johnson Space Center
Video Credit: NASA 360 – Jessica Wilde, David Shelton, and Scott Bednar
Sen. Bill Nelson took office as the 14th administrator of NASA on May 3, 2021, after he was given the oath of office by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington.
As part of the swearing-in ceremony, Vice President Harris and Nelson were joined via video conference by Jim Bridenstine, who preceded Nelson as administrator, and in-person by Charles F. Bolden, who served as administrator from 2009 to 2017. Nelson’s family and Pam Melroy, nominee for NASA deputy administrator, were guests at the ceremony.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Nelson to serve as the NASA administrator April 29.
Nelson has an extensive history of working with NASA and has been integral to the agency’s current successes. Prior to his nomination, was a member-at-large on NASA’s advisory council. From 2001 to 2019, Nelson represented Florida in the U.S. Senate, where he served as ranking member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and led its Subcommittee on Science and Space.
Previously, Nelson represented Florida’s 9th and 11th districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. While chair of the House space subcommittee, Nelson flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist on the STS-61C mission in 1986. The mission also included Bolden, as pilot.
Crew-1 is home! Four astronauts are back on Earth after SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida Sun., May 2 at 2:56 a.m. EDT (6:56 UTC). This was the first night splashdown of a U.S. crewed spacecraft since Apollo 8’s predawn return in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 27, 1968.
Tune in at 5 a.m. EDT (9:00 UTC) for a return to Earth news update with experts from NASA, SpaceX, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from our Johnson Space Center in Houston.Participants are:
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy Space Center Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson Holly Ridings, chief flight director, Johnson Hans Koenigsmann, senior advisor, Flight Reliability, SpaceX Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
Four astronauts are on their way home. Join us for the final leg of their journey from the International Space Station back to Earth, as the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and splashes down at about 2:57 a.m. EDT (6:57 UTC) Sun., May 2, in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.
Aboard the Crew Dragon are NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
This will be the first night splashdown of a U.S. crewed spacecraft since Apollo 8’s predawn return in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 27, 1968, with NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders.
Undocking from the International Space Station is scheduled at approximately 8:35 p.m. EDT Sat., May 1 (00:35 UTC Sun., May 2). NASA and SpaceX decided to move Crew-1’s undocking from Fri., April 30, following a review of the forecast weather conditions in the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida. Splashdown is now targeted for approximately 2:57 a.m. EDT (6:57 UTC) Sun., May 2.
During their six-month stay in orbit, the crew worked on hundreds of science experiments to benefit humans in space and on Earth. Here are just a few: https://go.nasa.gov/3aoWxGn
The mission that certified the return of astronaut launches from the U.S. is coming home. Starting at 6 p.m. EDT (22:00 UTC) on Sat., May 1, join us LIVE from space to bid farewell to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 crew members: NASA Astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi.
The hatch of their Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft is targeted to close at approximately 6:20 p.m. EDT (22:20 UTC).
NASA and SpaceX decided to move Crew-1’s undocking from Fri., April 30, following a review of the forecast weather conditions in the splashdown zones off the coast of Florida.
During their six-month stay in orbit, the crew worked on hundreds of science experiments to benefit humans in space and on Earth. Here are just a few: https://go.nasa.gov/3aoWxGn
Confirming the nomination of NASA’s next administrator, an update on a commercial crew mission, and remembering a spaceflight pioneer … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
It’s been a busy 100 days! Since Jan. 20, we’ve landed our Perseverance rover on Mars, and flown our Ingenuity helicopter, a technology demonstration that caught a ride with the rover to the Red Planet. A ceremony marked the naming of our Mary W. Jackson Headquarters in Washington after the agency’s first Black female engineer, honoring her contributions to our mission of exploration. Vice President Harris spoke with NASA astronauts on the International Space Station. Our Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon completed a successful Green Run hot fire test for our Space Launch System rocket core stage, which arrived this week at Kennedy Space Center. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched four astronauts to the space station, and we selected SpaceX as partner to build landers for Artemis missions. We made addressing climate change a priority, and celebrated Earth Day on and off the planet.
We are heartbroken to share that astronaut Michael Collins, the command module pilot of the historic Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, has passed away at the age of 90.
Collins was one of the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. In 1966, he served as the pilot on the 3-day Gemini 10 mission, during which he set a world altitude record and became the nation’s third spacewalker, completing two extravehicular activities. His second flight was as command module pilot of the historic Apollo 11 mission in July 1969. He remained in lunar orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the Moon.
There’s a helpful concept we use to help understand what distance from a given star you might expect to find planets with liquid water on their surface – liquid water being essential for life as we know it. It’s called the habitable zone. Every star has a habitable zone, but where that zone lies is different for stars of different sizes and brightness.
A timelapse from various angles of the launch of @SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon Endeavour leaving Earth from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.
The rocket lifted off at 10:49 BST (11:49 CEST, 05:49 local time) on 23 April 2021 from Launchpad 39A in Cape Canaveral with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, @NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, and @JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構 astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. On 24 April at 11:08 CEST the Crew-2 caught up with the International Space Station and docked with its Harmony module, marking the start of Thomas’ Alpha mission.
Thomas is the first ESA astronaut to fly in space in a vehicle other than the Russian Soyuz or the US Space Shuttle, and the first ESA astronaut to leave Earth from Florida, USA, in over a decade. This is his second flight, his first mission called Proxima saw Thomas fly to the Space Station on a Soyuz from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and his expedition broke records for amount of hours spent on research at the time.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Hear from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts ahead of their return to Earth! At 12:30 p.m. EDT, join NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi for a Q&A about their six-month mission and upcoming departure from the International Space Station.
The next commercial crew mission to the space station, a historic milestone on Mars, and a hearing to confirm NASA’s next administrator … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
Highlights of the launch and first day in space of ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet on the Alpha mission.
On 24 April at 11:08 CEST the Crew Dragon spacecraft with ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, @NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, and @JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構 astronaut Akihiko Hoshide docked with the International Space Station’s Node-2 Harmony module, marking the start of ESA’s six-month mission Alpha.
The crew spent around 23 hours orbiting Earth and catching up with the International Space Station after their launch on 23 April at 10:49 BST (11:49 CEST, 05:49 local time). The launch to docking went smoothly in Crew Dragon Endeavour.
Thomas is the first ESA astronaut to fly in space in a vehicle other than the Russian Soyuz or the US Space Shuttle, and the first ESA astronaut to leave Earth from Florida, USA, in over a decade. This is his second flight, his first mission called Proxima saw Thomas fly to the Space Station on a Soyuz from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and his expedition broke records for amount of hours spent on research at the time.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher congratulates the Dragon Crew 2 shortly after they enter the Space Station. ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, @NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, and @JAXA-HQ astronaut Akihiko Hoshide arrived at the Station one day after their launch on 23 April at 10:49 BST (11:49 CEST, 05:49 local time).
Thomas is the first ESA astronaut to fly in space in a vehicle other than the Russian Soyuz or the US Space Shuttle, and the first ESA astronaut to leave Earth from Florida, USA, in over a decade. This is his second flight, his first mission called Proxima saw Thomas fly to the Space Station on a Soyuz from Baikonur in Kazakhstan and his expedition broke records for amount of hours spent on research at the time.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Tune in live as the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docks to the International Space Station with astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency), and Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) aboard. The four astronauts will begin a six-month science mission on the station. Docking is scheduled to occur at 5:10 a.m. EDT (9:10 a.m. UTC), Saturday, April 24, followed by the hatch opening at 7:15 a.m. EDT (11:15 a.m. UTC), and a welcome ceremony at 7:45 a.m. EDT (11:45 a.m. UTC) Saturday, April 24.
The Ingenuity helicopter made history on April 19, 2021, with the first powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. How do engineers talk to a helicopter all the way out on Mars? We’ll hear about it from Nacer Chahat of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who worked on the helicopter’s antenna and telecommunication system. He chats with NASA’s Chief Scientist Jim Green in this episode of the “Gravity Assist” podcast. Subscribe and listen to the full episode at https://www.nasa.gov/gravityassist.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts are in orbit following their early morning launch bound for the International Space Station for the second commercial crew rotation mission aboard the microgravity laboratory. The international crew of astronauts lifted off at 5:49 a.m. EDT Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Crew Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, into orbit to begin a six-month science mission on the space station.
During Crew Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will command the spacecraft from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California, and NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“It has been an incredible year for NASA and our Commercial Crew Program, with three crewed launches to the space station since last May,” said NASA Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk. “This is another important milestone for NASA, SpaceX, and our international partners at ESA and JAXA, and for the future of scientific research on board the space station. It will be an exciting moment to see our crews greet one another on station for our first crew handover under the Commercial Crew Program.”
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, will dock autonomously to the forward port of the station’s Harmony module about 5:10 a.m. Saturday, April 24. NASA Television, the NASA App, and the agency’s website are providing ongoing live coverage through docking, hatch opening, and the ceremony to welcome the crew aboard the orbital outpost.
At 5:49 a.m. EDT, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft with four astronauts aboard is safely in orbit, on the way to the International Space Station for docking on Saturday, April 24.
Tune in at 7:30 a.m. EDT for a post launch news update. Participants are:
• Steve Jurczyk, acting NASA administrator • Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters • Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program • Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate • Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA • A SpaceX representative
At 5:49 a.m. EDT (9:49 UTC), the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will join the station’s crew, for a mission of approximately six months.
This will be the first launch through our Commercial Crew Program to fly two international partner astronauts, and the first reuse of a Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket for a crew mission.
Once aboard the station, the Crew-2 astronauts will spend a lot of time on science — in areas such as medical technology, human health, and materials to benefit life on Earth. The space station is a unique scientific platform, enabling researchers from all over the world to put their talents to work on innovative experiments. It has instruments that monitor our home planet’s global climate, environmental changes, and natural hazards.
“I have dreamt of becoming an astronaut since my childhood.”
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide was born on December 28th, 1968 in Tokyo, Japan. He received a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Keio University in 1992, and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering in 1997. He is the third Japanese astronaut to walk in space and has flown on both the Space Shuttle and Soyuz spacecraft. He launches on April 23rd at 5:49 a.m. aboard the NASA SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station.
“I like new experiences. I like to learn all the time.”
Born in Rouen, France, Thomas Pesquet is a European Space Agency Astronaut and is assigned as a Crew-2 Mission Specialist.
Thomas was selected as an ESA astronaut in May 2009. In 2016, he launched to the International Space Station for his six-month Proxima mission, as a flight engineer for Expeditions 50 and 51. His busy mission was the first to see all four cargo vehicles in operation at the time (HTV, Cygnus, Dragon and Progress). He tracked and captured two of them using the Station’s robotic arm.
During his stay in space, he took part in over 50 experiments and the six crew members set a record for hours of time spent working on science. Other highlights of his mission included two spacewalks to maintain the Station: one to replace batteries on an electrical channel, and one to fix a cooling leak and service the robotic arm.
Thomas is a black belt in judo and enjoys basketball, jogging, swimming, squash and outdoor sports such as mountain biking, kite surfing, sailing, skiing and mountaineering. He also has extensive experience in scuba diving and skydiving. His other interests include travelling, playing the saxophone and reading. Get to know Thomas Pesquet, Crew-2 Mission Specialist.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, NASA Astronaut Megan McArthur is currently assigned as Pilot of the NASA SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station.
Her previous spaceflight experience includes STS-125 for the servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. McArthur worked as the flight engineer and robotic arm operator. She carefully retrieved the Hubble Space telescope and placed it in the shuttle’s cargo bay. The STS-125 mission was accomplished in 12 days, 21 hours, 37 minutes and 9 seconds, traveling 5,276,000 miles in 197 Earth orbits.
Megan enjoys SCUBA diving, backpacking, and cooking. Get to know Megan McArthur, Crew-2 Pilot.
“I love it, it doesn’t matter what I’m flying, it’s just incredible.”
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough was born June 4, 1967, in Killeen, Texas. He graduated from The Lovett School, Atlanta, Georgia, in 1985; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, in 1989 and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1998. He has completed 6 spacewalks and logged 189 days in space. He has flown on both the Space Shuttle and Soyuz spacecraft. He launches on April 23nd at 5:49 a.m. aboard the NASA SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International space station.
This year at NASA, EarthDay is about connections—to our planet and to each other. Our planet is home to over 7 billion people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, but we are all #ConnectedByEarth. Join NASA climate experts to learn about the connections between human activity and climate change.
Dr. Kimberley R. Miner will host this episode and is a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). While she’s been at JPL since July 2020, she has been studying and exploring the Earth since…forever! Dr. Miner loves working outside, asking questions about nature and protecting the animals and plants all around us. She loves that being an Earth Scientist lets her do all these things.
Dr. Lesley Ott is a climate scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center where she’s worked since getting her PhD 15 years ago. She studies the processes that control greenhouse gas concentrations and always loves seeing the ways that springtime changes in vegetation show up in satellite data.
Ms. Equisha Glenn is a graduate student research assistant at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA GISS) and is finishing her PhD in Civil Engineering. Growing up, Ms. Glenn used to watch TV shows about the environment and loves how diverse Earth is, yet everything works together. Ms. Glenn is passionate about bridging the gap between data, climate and end users to help build a more resilient future for cities and society.
We are all connected to and by Earth — whether it’s the trees and plants that give us the oxygen we breathe, the snow-capped mountains that provide the water we drink, or the breathtaking geophysical forces that shape the land beneath our feet. NASA has over 20 satellites measuring the height of oceans and inland water, clouds and precipitation, carbon dioxide and much more. By understanding our changing world, we improve lives and safeguard our future.
Need Earth Day plans? 😎 We’ve got you covered. On April 22 at 11 a.m. EDT, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mark Vandehei, and Soichi Noguchi of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will go LIVE from space for a special Earth focused Q&A with guest host Shawn Mendes!
The International Space Station live stream will feature your questions sent in from around the world! Don’t miss this opportunity to hear how NASA Earth and astronauts use space to monitor the health of our planet, what life is like on the orbiting lab, and more!
Our planet is surrounded by spacecraft helping us study our changing climate, save lives following disasters, deliver global communication and navigation services and help us answer important scientific questions.
But these satellites are at risk. Accidental collisions between objects in space can produce huge clouds of fast-moving debris that can spread and damage additional satellites with cascading effect.
In this animation, find out how teams at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, take action to keep satellites safe after receiving an alert warning of a possible collision between an active satellite and a piece of space debris.
When the alert is raised, ESA experts determine the risk of a collision and plan a collision avoidance manoeuvre that can be used to get the satellite out of harm’s way if necessary.
Additional observations of the piece of space debris help the team better understand its path and the risk of collision. If that risk remains too high (typically 1 in 10 000), the planned manoeuvre is carried out to temporarily change the orbit of the satellite until the threat has passed.
Each manoeuvre comes at a price. They take skill and time to plan, cost precious fuel – shortening the lifetime of the mission – and often require instruments to be temporarily shut off, preventing them from collecting important data.
While most alerts do not end up requiring evasive action, the number of alerts is rapidly increasing. Hundreds are already issued every week. Several companies have begun to launch large constellations into low-Earth orbit to provide global internet access. They have great benefits, but could be a source of huge disruption if we do not change our behaviour.
In just a few years, our current methods for avoiding collisions in space will no longer be enough. To safeguard humankind’s continued access to space for future generations, ESA is developing technologies for an automated collision avoidance system.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
On April 23, 2021, NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission headed for the International Space Station. Once there, they will perform space station upgrades, conduct science experiments to benefit life on Earth, and continue preparing humanity for future missions to the Moon – and eventually Mars.
This is the second crew rotation mission with four astronauts flying on a commercial spacecraft, and the first with two international partners. It’s time to #LaunchAmerica!
Producer/Editor: Lacey Young Music: Universal Production Music
On 19 April, 2001, Umberto Guidoni was launched to the International Space Station, becoming the first European astronaut on board. In April 2021, ESA celebrates 20 years of European astronaut missions to this unique orbital outpost.
In this video, ESA astronauts past and present share their experiences of the International Space Station and spaceflight more generally. They identify some of their favourite moments and voice their hopes for the future of space exploration.
Here are the timestamps for each message:
0:00 – Intro 0:39 – Umberto Guidoni 3:31 – Claudie Haigneré 6:31 – Frank De Winnie 7:42 – Pedro Duque 10:36 – André Kuipers 11:38 – Thomas Reiter 14:38 – Christer Fuglesang 16:58 – Hans Schlegel 19:39 – Luca Parmitano 20:29 – Alexander Gerst 22:29 – Samantha Cristoforetti 28:20 –Thomas Pesquet 29:07 – Andreas Mogensen 30:05 – Tim Peake 31:02 – Matthias Maurer 32:57 – Jean François Clervoy 38:49 – Michel Tognini 42:23 – Reinhold Ewald
The International Space Station is humankind’s science laboratory in space. Its unique microgravity environment enables researchers to study phenomena and carry out experiments that would not be possible on Earth. Around 400 ESA investigations have been performed since the first module was launched and thousands more are led by the four other space agencies that work together to keep the Space Station aloft: @NASA, Russia’s @Роскосмос ТВ, Japan’s @JAXA | 宇宙航空研究開発機構, and the @Canadian Space Agency.
Scientific discoveries made on Station are applied widely from health to metallurgy, while the increased knowledge we gain about our solar system helps build a deeper understanding of Earth and life itself.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
We are counting down to #LaunchAmerica at Kennedy Space Center! At 8:30 a.m. EDT (12:30 UTC), join acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk and officials from NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) live from Kennedy Space Center, for a preview of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission.
Crew-2 is now set for liftoff on Fri., April 23 at 5:49 a.m. EDT. Astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of ESA, and Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA will launch aboard the Crew Dragon ‘Endeavour’ spacecraft to the International Space Station. A Thursday launch attempt was rescheduled due to unfavorable weather conditions along the flight path.
Join us live at 8 a.m. EDT (12:00 UTC) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a news update on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission, targeted for liftoff Thurs., April 22 at 6:11 a.m. EDT (10:11 UTC).
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft will carry astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to the International Space Station.
Experts from NASA, SpaceX, ESA, JAXA, and the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron will discuss the launch. Participants are:
• Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy • Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson • Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson • Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson • Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX • Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA • Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA • Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron
The launch of Sputnik, humankind’s first satellite, in 1957 marked the dawn of a new era for the people of the ‘Pale Blue Dot’.
Decades later, our planet is now surrounded by spacecraft carrying out extraordinary work to study our changing climate, save lives following disasters, deliver global communication and navigation services and help us answer important scientific questions.
But these satellites are at risk. Accidental collisions between objects in space can produce huge clouds of fast-moving debris. These clouds can spread and damage additional satellites with cascading effect, eventually making the most useful orbits around Earth no longer safe for spacecraft or people.
Satellites today have to carry out collision avoidance manoeuvres to avoid possible impact with debris. These are costly, and hundreds of collision avoidance alerts are already issued every week. [add para space}
And this is nothing compared to what is coming. Several companies have begun to launch mega-constellations into low-Earth orbit to provide global internet access. They have great benefits, but could be a source of huge disruption if we do not change our behaviour.
Our current methods for avoiding collisions in space will become inadequate in just a few years – and even compliance with space debris mitigation guidelines may no longer be enough.
It’s time to act.
ESA is developing technologies for an automated collision avoidance system, as well as methods for refuelling, repairing and upgrading satellites in orbit, extending the lifetime of missions and potentially reducing the number of new satellites that need to be launched.
ESA is also working on debris removal missions that will fly up to dead spacecraft and debris objects, capture them and move them to safety – either by sending them down to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere or up into ‘graveyard orbits’.
By reaching into space, we have brought huge benefits down to Earth, providing technologies that enrich our societies, connect people in previously unimaginable ways and give us an incredible perspective and understanding of our planet.
We know what will happen if we continue on our current path, but we also know exactly what we need to do to change that fate and ensure humankind’s access to space is guaranteed for future generations.
We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
Today, the Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Join us for a news briefing at 2 p.m. ET (1800 UTC) for an analysis of Ingenuity’s first flight and what this means for NASA.
The participants are: * Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate * Michael Watkins, JPL director * MiMi Aung, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL * Bob Balaram, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter chief engineer at JPL * Håvard Grip, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter chief pilot at JPL * Justin Maki, Perseverance Mars rover imaging scientist and deputy principal investigator of Mastcam-Z instrument at JPL
Up, up, and away! The Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter is set to make history. It will make the first attempt at powered flight on another planet on Monday, April 19. Don’t miss your chance to watch live with helicopter team in mission control beginning at 6:15 a.m. EDT (10:15 a.m. UTC) as they receive the data and find out if they were successful.
We’re doing science at 17,500 miles per hour! The International Space Station is a state-of-the-art microgravity laboratory that is unlocking discoveries not possible on Earth, and helping us push farther into deep space. We’re testing technologies that are critical to our return to the Moon and great leap to Mars. Station research has contributed to medical and social benefits on our home planet, allowing us to find new ways to combat disease back on Earth, and develop technologies to deliver clean water to remote communities in need. We’re inspiring future generations, from a platform that is one of the largest international collaborations of our time.
More than two billion smartphones, with users worldwide are now making use of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellite constellation. But how do satellites thousands of kilometres away in space manage to tell you where you are and where you’re going? Simply being so far away is part of the answer – learn the details of the world’s most precise navigation system in this new video.
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We are Europe’s gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.
A safe return to Earth from the space station, greeting the astronauts of the next Commercial Crew flight, and an update on the development of a human lunar landing system … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
Tune in at 9:45 a.m. EDT (1:45 p.m. UTC) as four NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts discuss their April 22 launch and mission in space. They’ll speak from the Crew Quarters at our Kennedy Space Center in Florida, just five days before liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft that will carry them to the International Space Station.
Astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will join live.
