As Artemis Moves Forward, NASA Picks SpaceX to Land Next Americans on Moon
NASA is getting ready to send astronauts to explore more of the Moon as part of the Artemis program, and the agency has selected SpaceX to continue development of the first commercial human lander that will safely carry the next two American astronauts to the lunar surface. SpaceX has been working closely with NASA experts during the human landing system base period of performance to inform its lander design and ensure it meets NASA’s performance requirements and human spaceflight standards.
Telescopes Unite in Unprecedented Observations of Famous Black Hole
In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in the galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope. However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told. Learn how data from 19 observatories are being used to give unparalleled insight into this black hole and the system it powers, and to improve tests of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.
Astronaut Kate Rubins’ Scientific Journey Aboard the Space Station
During the past six months, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins has embodied what it means to be an International Space Station scientist. She spent hundreds of hours working on space station experiments, talking with the researchers behind the studies, and serving as an ambassador for science in downlinks with the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others.
Malene McElroy, Marshall Sustainability Coordinator, Promotes Environmental Action
With spring in the air and Earth Day fast approaching, Malene McElroy, sustainability coordinator in the Environmental Engineering & Occupational Health Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, says it doesn’t take a green thumb to promote environmental awareness in the workplace and at home. Instead, you just need a green heart, she said.
NASA Certifies New Launch Control System for Artemis I
When NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lift off from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Artemis I mission, the amount of data generated by the rocket, spacecraft, and ground support equipment will be about 100 megabytes per second. The volume and speed of this information demands an equally complex and robust computer system to process and deliver that data to the launch team and corresponding mission systems in real time. In this story, discover more about the computer software and hardware – called the spacecraft command and control system – that is now certified for use on Artemis I.
For more information or to learn about other happenings at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, visit NASA Marshall. For past issues of the ICYMI newsletter, click here.