All articles tagged with #johnson space center
NASA's new administrator Jared Isaacman is exploring options to move the historic Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston's Johnson Space Center, but if the move proves too costly or risky, he plans to send a different spacecraft like an Orion capsule instead, balancing political pressures, safety, and budget considerations.
NASA's newest astronaut candidates began rigorous training at Johnson Space Center, preparing for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars through comprehensive coursework, simulations, and practical exercises, with many opportunities for future space exploration roles.
NASA's official podcast, "Houston, We Have a Podcast," features the CHAPEA crew's eighth audio log from their Mars simulated habitat, along with a discussion with NASA biostatistician Dr. Millennia Young. The crew reports on their activities and milestones, including celebrating the Super Bowl and completing unique construction projects. Commander Kelly Haston shares her background in stem cell biology and her interest in conducting automated miniature systems experiments on Mars. Flight Engineer Ross Brockwell discusses his passion for engineering and shares an important lesson from his experience. Applications for the next CHAPEA Mission 2 are open until April 2, 2024.
George W.S. Abbey, former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center and known as the "father of modern spaceflight," has passed away at the age of 91. Abbey, a key figure in the Apollo program and the development of the space shuttle, is remembered as a brilliant and humble man who made significant contributions to space exploration. He leaves behind a legacy of accomplishments and is mourned by his family, friends, and colleagues.
NASA is seeking volunteers for a one-year simulated Mars mission at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, starting in spring 2025. The mission involves a four-person crew living and working in a 3D-printed, 1,700 square foot space called the Mars Dune Alpha, performing tasks such as spacewalks, operating robots, and maintaining the habitat. Eligible participants must be healthy U.S. citizens or permanent residents aged 30-55, proficient in English, and have a master's degree in a STEM field with professional experience, among other qualifications. The deadline to apply is April 2, 2024.
NASA is seeking a four-person crew to participate in a year-long Mars simulation at Johnson Space Center in Houston, as part of the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog program. The first crew is currently halfway through their mission, and the second simulation is set to begin in 2025. The selected crew will face challenges simulating life on Mars, and NASA is looking for candidates with science and engineering backgrounds. The simulation aims to gather data to prepare for human exploration of Mars, and the habitat will be equipped with supplies for the crew to practice personal hygiene, healthcare, exercise, and more.
NASA has successfully disassembled the canister containing rocks collected from the asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, marking the first time a NASA mission has grabbed a chunk of a space rock. The sample, containing some of the earliest precursors to life, was taken to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where scientists overcame challenges to open the capsule and reveal roughly 4.5 billion-year-old rocks from the earliest years of the solar system, with hopes of finding biological precursors inside.
NASA has successfully opened the metal canister containing rocks from asteroid Bennu, collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. These pristine samples, which are around 4.5 billion years old, are invaluable for providing insight into the formation of planets and the origins of Earth's water. Over the next two years, NASA's science team will intensively study the samples, with over 200 scientists globally participating in the research. Additionally, some of the asteroid sample will be preserved for future analysis with advanced technology.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, which aims to collect a sample from the asteroid Bennu and bring it back to Earth, is preparing for the arrival of the sample in September. Media are invited to visit NASA's newly-built OSIRIS-REx Sample Curation Laboratory at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the sample will be studied. The mission hopes to gain insights into the early history of our solar system, the origins of life, and planet formation. The spacecraft has successfully collected the sample and is expected to drop it in the Utah desert on September 24 for recovery and transport to the curation lab.
NASA officials found it more difficult than they expected to surprise the astronauts of the Artemis II mission with the news that they were going to the moon. The three NASA astronauts were late or missed the announcement in some fashion, inadvertently thwarting the plans of the organizers. The fourth member of the crew is Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency, and he was told separately.