NASA : Falcon Heavy.- Una Historia Exitosa del Puerto Espacial Multiusuario de la NASA

http://www.lanasa.net/
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/falcon-heavy-a-multi-user-spaceport-success-story

Falcon Heavy: Una Historia Exitosa del Puerto Espacial Multiusuario de la NASA

 

07.02.18.- El lanzamiento del cohete Falcon Heavy de SpaceX en su vuelo de demostración es otra señal de que el Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA en Florida continúa creciendo como el principal puerto espacial multiusuario de la nación. El nuevo vehículo despegó desde el histórico Complejo de Lanzamiento Espacial 39A de la NASA en Kennedy el martes 6 de Febrero a las 20:45 GMT.

El administrador en funciones de la NASA, Robert Lightfoot, felicitó a todo el equipo de SpaceX por el exitoso lanzamiento del Falcon Heavy.

"Todos nosotros en este negocio sabemos el esfuerzo que se requiere para llegar a un primer vuelo de cualquier vehículo nuevo y reconocemos el tremendo logro que presenciamos hoy", dijo. "Estoy realmente orgulloso del arduo trabajo de nuestro equipo de la NASA, en particular en Kennedy, por la transformación en un puerto espacial multiusuario. Mirar el Falcon Heavy alzarse por encima de la histórica plataforma que ha sido el punto de lanzamiento para tantas misiones críticas es un verdadero testimonio del arduo trabajo de transición de la infraestructura de lanzamiento de nuestra nación en apoyo de la industria del lanzamiento comercial".

Lanzamiento del cohete Falcon Heavy de SpaceX desde el histórico Complejo de Lanzamiento Espacial 39A de la NASA. Image Credit: NASA/SpaceX

 

El Director del Centro Espacial Kennedy, Bob Cabana, también expresó sus felicitaciones a Space X por el lanzamiento del Falcon Heavy.

"El lanzamiento exitoso de un nuevo vehículo en su primer vuelo es un logro significativo del que pueden estar muy orgullosos", dijo. "Como puerto espacial multiusuario, espero ansiosamente la continua expansión de los vuelos espaciales comerciales de Kennedy y la integración de una nueva clase de vehículos de lanzamiento en el programa espacial de nuestra nación".

En 2014, la NASA firmó un acuerdo de propiedad de 20 años con SpaceX para el uso y operaciones de la plataforma de lanzamiento.

A partir de 2011, Kennedy buscó alianzas con la industria aeroespacial de los EE.UU. para utilizar las antiguas instalaciones del transbordador espacial. En la actualidad, la NASA tiene alianzas con más de 90 compañías que permiten la fabricación de espacios comerciales, el procesamiento y las operaciones de lanzamiento a lo largo de la Costa Espacial de Florida.

La primera asociación significativa de Kennedy con la industria le permitió a Boeing usar las instalaciones Orbiter Processing Facility 3, ahora conocidas como Instalaciones de Procesamiento de Carga y Tripulación Comercial, o C3PF. Aquí, Boeing fabrica y procesa su nave espacial CST-100 Starliner, que está programada para transportar astronautas a la Estación Espacial Internacional para el Programa de Tripulación Comercial de la NASA. De manera similar, SpaceX lanzará astronautas desde el Complejo de Lanzamiento 39A para la NASA.

Un puñado de empleados de la NASA actúan como defensores de los clientes y apoyan a los socios comerciales del centro espacial. A través de los Acuerdos de la Ley del Espacio reembolsables, la NASA proporciona los servicios que se necesitan en un puerto espacial.

"Apoyamos las actividades de campaña de lanzamiento, como propelentes y servicios de soporte vital, que incluyen el suministro de productos como helio y nitrógeno para respaldar el lanzamiento, el transporte de hardware de vuelo y el respaldo de seguridad de las barricadas cerca de la plataforma de lanzamiento", dijo Robyn Mitchell, defensor del cliente de la NASA que apoya a SpaceX.

En su papel de defensor del cliente, Mitchell monitorea el procesamiento del socio y los horarios de las instalaciones para ayudar a garantizar que se cumplan sus operaciones y los objetivos de la misión. Esto incluye la integración de planes de soporte en respuesta a las solicitudes de servicios del socio.

"Cuando los socios, como SpaceX, se preparan para un lanzamiento, tenemos revisiones de preparación de soporte", dijo Mitchell. "Mientras que SpaceX es responsable del vehículo de lanzamiento y de la carga útil, las organizaciones de la NASA verifican que las solicitudes de soporte estén completas y confirman la disposición de las instalaciones, el equipamiento y la infraestructura de Kennedy para su lanzamiento".

Mitchell señaló que las responsabilidades actuales de su oficina son clave para establecer y mantener una capacidad de puerto espacial multiusuario en Kennedy, específicamente trabajando con socios comerciales para ayudarlos a identificar requisitos técnicos, anticipar impactos operacionales y desarrollar soluciones aprovechando la infraestructura de lanzamiento única del centro y capacidades.

La prueba es evidencia de la transformación del Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA como un puerto espacial multiusuario. La NASA y sus socios comerciales e internacionales buscan volver a llevar a los humanos a la Luna y más allá, y habrá oportunidades para una amplia gama de cohetes y capacidades.

El cohete del Sistema de Lanzamiento Espacial (SLS) de la NASA y la nave espacial Orión están programadas para despegar el próximo año desde el cercano Complejo de Lanzamiento 39B. Se espera que el cohete SLS inicial tenga un empuje de despegue de 8.8 millones de libras, y está diseñado para ser un vehículo de lanzamiento evolutivo capaz de cumplir con las necesidades más desafiantes de la tripulación y la carga en el espacio profundo.

"A medida que SpaceX continúe perfeccionando las operaciones de su cohete Falcon Heavy, agradecemos que esta capacidad se agregue a las disponibles pronto en el SLS de la NASA", dijo Tom Engler, director de planificación y desarrollo de Centros de Kennedy.

 

Falcon Heavy: A Multi-User Spaceport Success Story

Lifting off at 3:45 p.m. from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy begins its demonstration flight. This is a significant milestone for the world's premier multi-user spaceport. In 2014, NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX for the use and operation of the center's pad 39A, where the company has launched Falcon 9 rockets and prepared for the first Falcon Heavy. NASA also has Space Act Agreements in place with partners, such as SpaceX, to provide services needed to process and launch rockets and spacecraft.

Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

In a photograph taken Dec. 28, 2017, the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy stands at Launch Complex 39A during testing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Credits: SpaceX

aunch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center has undergone modifications by SpaceX to adapLt to the needs of the company's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. A horizontal integration facility has been constructed for processing rockets prior to rolling out for liftoff. In 2014 NASA signed a property agreement with SpaceX for the use and operation of the historic pad used during the Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs.

Credits: NASA

By Bob Granath
NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on its demonstration flight is another sign that NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is continuing to grow as the nation’s premier, multi-user spaceport. The new vehicle lifted off from NASA’s historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy at 3:45 p.m. EST on Feb. 6.

Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot congratulated the entire SpaceX team on the successful launch of the Falcon Heavy.

"All of us in this business know the effort it takes to get to a first flight of any new vehicle and recognize the tremendous accomplishment we witnessed today," he said. "I am really proud of the hard work of our NASA team, in particular at Kennedy, for the transformation into a multi-user spaceport. Watching the Falcon Heavy rise above the historic pad that has been the launch point for so many critical missions is a true testament to the hard work transitioning our nation’s launch infrastructure in support of the commercial launch industry."

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana also expressed congratulations to Space X on the launch of the Falcon Heavy.

"The successful launch of a new vehicle on its first flight is a significant accomplishment they can be very proud of," he said. "As a multi-user spaceport, I look forward to the continued expansion of commercial spaceflight from Kennedy and the integration of a new class of launch vehicle into our Nation’s space program."

In 2014, NASA signed a 20-year property agreement with SpaceX for the use and operation of the launch pad.

Beginning in 2011, Kennedy sought partnerships with the U.S. aerospace industry to use former space shuttle facilities. Today, NASA has partnerships with more than 90 companies that enable commercial space manufacturing, processing and launch operations along Florida’s Space Coast.

Kennedy’s first significant partnership with industry allowed Boeing to use Orbiter Processing Facility 3, now known as the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility, or C3PF. Here Boeing is manufacturing and processing its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, which is slated to carry astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX will similarly launch astronauts from Launch Complex 39A for NASA.

A handful of NASA employees serve as customer advocates and support the space center’s commercial partners. Through reimbursable Space Act Agreements, NASA provides services that are needed at a spaceport.

"We support launch campaign activities such as propellant and life support services, which includes providing commodities such as helium and nitrogen to support launch, flight hardware transport and roadblock security support near the launch pad," said Robyn Mitchell, the NASA customer advocate who supports SpaceX.

In her customer advocate role, Mitchell monitors the partner’s processing and facilities schedules to help ensure their operations and mission milestones are met. This includes integrating support plans in response to the partner's requests for services.

"When partners, such as SpaceX, are preparing for a launch, we have Support Readiness Reviews," Mitchell said. "While SpaceX is responsible for the launch vehicle and payload, NASA organizations verify support requests are complete and confirm the readiness of Kennedy's facilities, equipment and infrastructure for launch."

Mitchell noted that the ongoing responsibilities of her office are key to establishing and maintaining a multi-user spaceport capability at Kennedy, specifically working with commercial partners to help them identify technical requirements, anticipate operational impacts and develop solutions taking advantage of the center's unique launch infrastructure and capabilities.

The test is evidence of the transformation of NASA's Kennedy Space Center as a multi-user spaceport. NASA and its commercial and international partners are looking to return humans to the Moon and beyond, and there will be opportunities for a wide range of rockets and capabilities.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft is targeted to lift off next year from nearby Launch Complex 39B. The initial SLS rocket is expected to have a liftoff thrust of 8.8 million pounds, and is designed to be an evolvable launch vehicle able to meet the most challenging deep space crew and cargo needs.

“As SpaceX continues to refine operations of its Falcon Heavy rocket, we welcome this capability to be added to those available soon from NASA’s SLS,” said Tom Engler, Kennedy’s director of Center Planning and Development.

Last Updated: Feb. 7, 2018

Editor: Bob Granath

Tags:  Commercial Space, Kennedy Space Center,

NASA

Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui

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NASA : NASA Completes Critical Design Review for Space Launch System .- NASA completa la Revisión Crítica del Diseño para el sistema de lanzamiento espacial

Hola amigos: A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., Por primera vez en casi 40 años, un cohete para personas, la NASA ha completado todos los pasos necesarios para eliminar una revisión crítica de diseño (CDR). Espacio sistema de lanzamiento de la agencia (SLS) es el primer vehículo diseñado para cumplir con los desafíos del viaje a Marte y el primer cohete de clase de exploración ya que el Saturno V.SLS será el más potente cohete jamás construido y, con la nave espacial Orion de la agencia, pondrá en marcha a Estados Unidos en una nueva era de la exploración a destinos más allá de la órbita de la Tierra. El CDR proporciona una mirada final en el diseño y desarrollo del vehículo de lanzamiento integrado antes de que comience la fabricación a gran escala."Hemos clavado el diseño del SLS, hemos completado con éxito la primera ronda de pruebas de motores y propulsores del cohete, y todos los componentes principales para el primer vuelo encontramos ahora en la producción", dijo Bill Hill, administrador asociado adjunto de la División de Desarrollo de Sistemas de Exploración de la NASA. "Ha habido desafíos, y habrá más adelante, pero esta revisión nos da la confianza de que estamos en el camino correcto para el primer vuelo de SLS y utilizarlo para extender la presencia humana permanente en el espacio profundo."El CDR examinó la primera de las tres configuraciones previstas para el cohete, denominado SLS Bloque 1. La configuración Bloque I tendrá un mínimo de 70 toneladas métricas (77 toneladas) capacidad de elevación y ser alimentado por Impulsores dobles y cuatro RS- 25 motores. La próxima actualización prevista del SLS, Block 1B, usaría un motor más potente etapa superior de exploración para las misiones más ambiciosas con 105 toneladas métricas (115 toneladas) capacidad de elevación. Bloque 2 agregará un par de refuerzos avanzada propulsante sólido o líquido para proporcionar una 130 toneladas métricas (143 toneladas) capacidad de elevación. En cada configuración, SLS seguirá utilizando la misma etapa de núcleo y cuatro RS-25 motores.El Programa SLS completó la revisión en julio, junto con una revisión independiente por la Junta de Revisión Permanente, que está compuesta por expertos experimentados de la NASA y de la industria que son independientes del programa. A lo largo de 11 semanas, 13 equipos - compuesto por ingenieros y expertos aeroespaciales a través de las agencias y de la industria - revisado más de 1.000 documentos de SLS y más de 150 GB de datos como parte del proceso de evaluación integral al Centro de Vuelo Espacial Marshall de la NASA en Huntsville, Alabama, donde SLS es administrado por la agencia.La Junta de Revisión Permanente examinó y evaluó la preparación del programa y confirmó el esfuerzo técnico está en camino de completar el desarrollo del sistema y cumplir con los requisitos de rendimiento del presupuesto y el calendario previsto.El programa informó a los resultados de la revisión en octubre al Consejo de Administración del Programa Agencia, dirigido por la NASA Administrador Asociado Robert Lightfoot, como el paso final en el proceso de CDR.Esta opinión es la última de las cuatro revisiones que examinan los conceptos y diseños. El siguiente paso para el programa es la certificación de diseño, que tendrá lugar en 2017 después de que se complete la fabricación, integración y pruebas. La certificación del diseño comparará el producto final real al diseño del cohete. La revisión final, la revisión de preparación de vuelo, se llevará a cabo justo antes de la fecha de la disposición 2018 de vuelo."Este es un paso importante en el diseño y la disposición de SLS", dijo John Honeycutt, director del programa SLS. "Nuestro equipo ha trabajado muy duro, y estamos avanzando con la construcción de este cohete. Estamos clasificatoria hardware, construcción de artículos de prueba estructurales, y haciendo un progreso real. "Las revisiones de diseño crítico para el SLS elementos individuales de la etapa central, propulsores y motores se completaron con éxito como parte de este hito. También como parte de los CDR, el programa llegó a la conclusión de la etapa central del cohete y el adaptador de la etapa de Vehículos de Lanzamiento seguirá siendo de color naranja, el color natural del aislamiento que cubrirá esos elementos, en lugar de pintado de blanco. El escenario principal, que se eleva a más de 200 pies de altura y con un diámetro de 27,6 pies, llevará hidrógeno líquido criogénico y combustible de oxígeno líquido para el cohete cuatro RS-25 motores.La nave espacial y cargas útiles integrado están a punto de concluir en su CDR. Hardware Vuelo actualmente está en producción para cada elemento. NASA se prepara para una segunda prueba de calificación para los impulsores de SLS, y artículos de prueba estructurales para el núcleo y las etapas superiores del cohete están ya sea completa o actualmente en producción. La NASA también ha completado recientemente la primera serie de pruebas en el desarrollo de los RS-25 motores.

 

More information...

http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-completes-critical-design-review-for-space-launch-system

Artist concept of the Block I configuration of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS Program has completed its critical design review, and the program has concluded that the core stage of the rocket will remain orange along with the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter, which is the natural color of the insulation that will cover those elements.

Credits: NASA

Credits: NASA/MSFC

For the first time in almost 40 years, a NASA human-rated rocket has completed all steps needed to clear a critical design review (CDR). The agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) is the first vehicle designed to meet the challenges of the journey to Mars and the first exploration class rocket since the Saturn V.

SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built and, with the agency’s Orion spacecraft, will launch America into a new era of exploration to destinations beyond Earth’s orbit. The CDR provided a final look at the design and development of the integrated launch vehicle before full-scale fabrication begins.

“We’ve nailed down the design of SLS, we’ve successfully completed the first round of testing of the rocket’s engines and boosters, and all the major components for the first flight are now in production,” said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Division. “There have been challenges, and there will be more ahead, but this review gives us confidence that we are on the right track for the first flight of SLS and using it to extend permanent human presence into deep space.”

The CDR examined the first of three configurations planned for the rocket, referred to as SLS Block 1. The Block I configuration will have a minimum 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capability and be powered by twin boosters and four RS-25 engines. The next planned upgrade of SLS, Block 1B, would use a more powerful exploration upper stage for more ambitious missions with a 105-metric-ton (115-ton) lift capacity. Block 2 will add a pair of advanced solid or liquid propellant boosters to provide a 130-metric-ton (143-ton) lift capacity. In each configuration, SLS will continue to use the same core stage and four RS-25 engines.

The SLS Program completed the review in July, in conjunction with a separate review by the Standing Review Board, which is composed of seasoned experts from NASA and industry who are independent of the program. Throughout the course of 11 weeks, 13 teams – made up of senior engineers and aerospace experts across the agency and industry – reviewed more than 1,000 SLS documents and more than 150 GB of data as part of the comprehensive assessment process at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where SLS is managed for the agency.

The Standing Review Board reviewed and assessed the program’s readiness and confirmed the technical effort is on track to complete system development and meet performance requirements on budget and on schedule. 

The program briefed the results of the review in October to the Agency Program Management Council, led by NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot, as the final step in the CDR process. 

This review is the last of four reviews that examine concepts and designs. The next step for the program is design certification, which will take place in 2017 after manufacturing, integration and testing is complete. The design certification will compare the actual final product to the rocket’s design. The final review, the flight readiness review, will take place just prior to the 2018 flight readiness date.

“This is a major step in the design and readiness of SLS,” said John Honeycutt, SLS program manager. “Our team has worked extremely hard, and we are moving forward with building this rocket. We are qualifying hardware, building structural test articles, and making real progress.”

Critical design reviews for the individual SLS elements of the core stage, boosters and engines were completed successfully as part of this milestone. Also as part of the CDR, the program concluded the core stage of the rocket and Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter will remain orange, the natural color of the insulation that will cover those elements, instead of painted white. The core stage, towering more than 200 feet tall and with a diameter of 27.6 feet, will carry cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel for the rocket’s four RS-25 engines.

The integrated spacecraft and payloads are nearing completion on their CDR. Flight hardware currently is in production for every element. NASA is preparing for a second qualification test for the SLS boosters, and structural test articles for the core and upper stages of the rocket are either completed or currently in production. NASA also recently completed the first developmental test series on the RS-25 engines. 

Future program reviews will focus on SLS integration and flight readiness. For more information on SLS, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/sls

-end-

Kathryn Hambleton
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov

Shannon Ridinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
shannon.j.ridinger@nasa.gov

Last Updated: Oct. 22, 2015

Editor: Karen Northon

Tags:  ESD (Exploration Systems Development), Journey to Mars, Space Launch System,

NASA's Space Launch System Design 'Right on Track' for Journey to Mars

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Artist concept of the SLS Block 1 configuration.
For the first time in almost 40 years, a NASA human-rated rocket has completed all steps needed to clear a critical design review (CDR). The agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) is the first vehicle designed to meet the challenges of the journey to Mars and the first exploration class rocket since the Saturn V.
SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built and, with the agency’s Orion spacecraft, will launch America into a new era of exploration to destinations beyond Earth’s orbit.
Image Credit: NASA/MSFC
(Artist concept updated Oct. 20, 2015)

Last Updated: Oct. 22, 2015

Editor: Jennifer Harbaug

Tags:  Image of the Day, Journey to Mars,

Artist Concept: Space Launch System Takes Flight

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Artist concept of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 70-metric-ton configuration launching to space. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars. The first SLS mission -- Exploration Mission 1 -- will launch an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to a stable orbit beyond the moon and bring it back to Earth to demonstrate the integrated system performance of the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft’s re-entry and landing prior to a crewed flight.
Image credit: NASA/MSFC
(Artist concept updated Oct. 20, 2015)
› Read press release

Last Updated: Oct. 22, 2015

Editor: Brooke Boen

Tags:  Journey to Mars,

NASA

Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui

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NASA : First Pieces of NASA’s Orion for Next Mission Come Together at Michoud .- Primeras piezas de Orión de la NASA para la siguiente misión se reúnen en Michoud

Hola amigos: A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., NASA es otro pequeño paso más para el envío de astronautas en un viaje a Marte. El sábado, los ingenieros en las instalaciones de la agencia Asamblea Michoud en Nueva Orleans sueldan entre sí los dos primeros segmentos del módulo de la tripulación Orion que volará alto de cohetes de la NASA Espacial Sistema de Lanzamiento (SLS) en una misión más allá de la cara oculta de la luna.

More information.............

 http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/first-pieces-of-nasa-s-orion-for-next-mission-come-together-at-michoud

At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, engineers welded together on Sept. 5, two sections of the Orion spacecraft’s primary structure that will fly on Exploration Mission-1, the first flight of Orion atop the agency’s Space Launch System rocket.

Credits: NASA

 

NASA is another small step closer to sending astronauts on a journey to Mars. On Saturday, engineers at the agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans welded together the first two segments of the Orion crew module that will fly atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on a mission beyond the far side of the moon.

“Every day, teams around the country are moving at full speed to get ready for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), when we’ll flight test Orion and SLS together in the proving ground of space, far away from the safety of Earth,” said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We’re progressing toward eventually sending astronauts deep into space.”

This diagram shows the seven pieces of Orion’s primary structure and the order in which they are welded together.

Credits: NASA

 

The primary structure of Orion’s crew module is made of seven large aluminum pieces that must be welded together in detailed fashion. The first weld connects the tunnel to the forward bulkhead, which is at the top of the spacecraft and houses many of Orion’s critical systems, such as the parachutes that deploy during reentry. Orion’s tunnel, with a docking hatch, will allow crews to move between the crew module and other spacecraft.

“Each of Orion’s systems and subsystems is assembled or integrated onto the primary structure, so starting to weld the underlying elements together is a critical first manufacturing step,” said Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager. “The team has done tremendous work to get to this point and to ensure we have a sound building block for the rest of Orion’s systems.”

Engineers have undertaken a meticulous process to prepare for welding. They have cleaned the segments, coated them with a protective chemical and primed them. They then outfitted each element with strain gauges and wiring to monitor the metal during the fabrication process. Prior to beginning work on the pieces destined for space, technicians practiced their process, refined their techniques and ensured proper tooling configurations by welding together a pathfinder, a full-scale version of the current spacecraft design.

NASA’s prime contractor for the spacecraft, Lockheed Martin, is doing the production of the crew module at Michoud.

Through collaborations across design and manufacturing, teams have been able to reduce the number of welds for the crew module by more than half since the first test version of Orion’s primary structure was constructed and flown on the Exploration Flight Test-1 last December. The Exploration Mission-1 structure will include just seven main welds, plus several smaller welds for start and stop holes left by welding tools. Fewer welds will result in a lighter spacecraft.

During the coming months as other pieces of Orion’s primary structure arrive at Michoud from machine houses across the country, engineers will inspect and evaluate them to ensure they meet precise design requirements before welding. Once complete, the structure will be shipped to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will be assembled with the other elements of the spacecraft, integrated with SLS and processed before launch. 

For more information about Orion, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orion

-end-

Kathryn Hambleton
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100                                                                                                
kathryn.hambleton@nasa.gov
Rachel Kraft
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

Last Updated: Sep. 8, 2015

Editor: Sarah Ramsey

Tags:  Journey to Mars, Orion Spacecraft

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NASA : NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Ground Test.- Lanzamiento Espacial de la NASA System Booster Pasa la prueba de tierra Major

Hola amigos: A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., hemos recibido de la Agencia Espacial NASA, la información que su:  NASA System Booster, pasó la prueba en efectuada en "Tierra Mayor".

NASA, nos dice: "El más grande, más poderoso cohete jamás construido encendió miércoles para una prueba de tierra; constituyendo un  importante hito en la preparación para futuras misiones para ayudar a impulsar el cohete de la NASA Espacial Launch System (SLS) y la nave espacial Orion a destinos del espacio profundo, incluyendo un asteroide y Marte fue todo un  éxito.

For more information read below attached ....

At the Orbital ATK test facility, the booster for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket was fired for a two minute test on March 11. The test is one of two that will qualify the booster for flight before SLS begins carrying NASA’s Orion spacecraft and other potential payloads to deep space destinations.

Image Credit: 

NASA

The largest, most powerful rocket booster ever built successfully fired up Wednesday for a major-milestone ground test in preparation for future missions to help propel NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to deep space destinations, including an asteroid and Mars.

The booster fired for two minutes, the same amount of time it will fire when it lifts the SLS off the launch pad, and produced about 3.6 million pounds of thrust. The test was conducted at the Promontory, Utah test facility of commercial partner Orbital ATK, and is one of two tests planned to qualify the booster for flight. Once qualified, the flight booster hardware will be ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first SLS flight.

"The work being done around the country today to build SLS is laying a solid foundation for future exploration missions, and these missions will enable us to pioneer far into the solar system," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations. "The teams are doing tremendous work to develop what will be a national asset for human exploration and potential science missions."

It took months to heat the 1.6 million pound booster to 90 degrees Fahrenheit to verify its performance at the highest end of the booster’s accepted propellant temperature range. A cold-temperature test, at a target of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the low end of the propellant temperature range, is planned for early 2016. These two tests will provide a full range of data for analytical models that inform how the booster performs. During the test, temperatures inside the booster reached more than 5,600 degrees.

"This test is a significant milestone for SLS and follows years of development," said Todd May, SLS program manager. "Our partnership with Orbital ATK and more than 500 suppliers across the country is keeping us on the path to building the most powerful rocket in the world."

During the test, more than 531 instrumentation channels on the booster were measured to help assess some 102 design objectives. The test also demonstrated the booster meets applicable ballistic performance requirements, such as thrust and pressure. Other objectives included data gathering on vital motor upgrades, such as the new internal motor insulation and liner and an improved nozzle design.

When completed, two five-segment boosters and four RS-25 main engines will power the SLS on deep space missions. The 177-feet-long solid rocket boosters operate in parallel with the main engines for the first two minutes of flight. They provide more than 75 percent of the thrust needed for the rocket to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth.

The first flight test of SLS will be configured for a 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capacity and carry an uncrewed Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit to test the performance of the integrated system. The SLS will later be configured to provide an unprecedented lift capability of 130 metric tons (143 tons) to enable missions farther into our solar system.

For more information on SLS, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/sls

 

Test Firing of Booster for NASA's New Rocket

The largest, most powerful rocket booster ever built successfully fired up Wednesday for a major-milestone ground test in preparation for future missions to help propel NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to deep space destinations, including an asteroid and Mars.

The booster fired for two minutes, the same amount of time it will fire when it lifts the SLS off the launch pad, and produced about 3.6 million pounds of thrust. The test was conducted at the Promontory, Utah test facility of commercial partner Orbital ATK, and is one of two tests planned to qualify the booster for flight. Once qualified, the flight booster hardware will be ready for shipment to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first SLS flight.

More information.

Image Credit: Orbital ATK

 

NASA

Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui

ayabaca@gmail.com

ayabaca@hotmail.com

ayabaca@yahoo.com

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NASA : NASA Takes Giant Leaps on the Journey to Mars, Eyes Our Home Planet and the Distant Universe, Tests Technologies and Improves the Skies Above in 2014 .- NASA Toma pasos de gigante en el viaje a Marte, Ojos Nuestro Planeta Hogar y el Universo distante, Pruebas de tecnologías y mejora los cielos en 2014

Hola amigos : A VUELO DE UN QUINDE EL BLOG., hemos recibido de la Agencia Espacial NASA, la información de los pasos gigantes que está dando la Agencia, preparándose para el próximo viaje a Marte, como primer objetivo en la conquista del espacio.

NASA, nos dice ..."En 2014, la NASA dio pasos significativos en el viaje de la agencia a Marte - Pruebas tecnologías de vanguardia y hacer descubrimientos científicos, mientras que el estudio de nuestra cambiante de la Tierra y el universo infinito como la agencia avanzó en la próxima generación de los viajes aéreos....."

NASA, nos dice ....""Continuamos a hacer grandes progresos en nuestro viaje a Marte este año, la adjudicación de contratos a las empresas estadounidenses que volverán los vuelos espaciales tripulados lanza al suelo estadounidense, impulsar el desarrollo de la tecnología espacial; y completar con éxito el primer vuelo de Orión, la próxima nave espacial espacio profundo en el que nuestros astronautas viajarán ", dijo el administrador de la NASA Charles Bolden. "Avanzamos en nuestro trabajo para crear más silenciosos aviones, más ecológicos y desarrollar tecnologías para hacer los viajes aéreos más eficiente; y avanzamos nuestro estudio de nuestro planeta cambiante, la Tierra, al tiempo que aumenta nuestra comprensión de los demás en nuestro sistema solar y más allá ......".....

Youtube Override: 

NASA 2014 highlights video.

Image Credit: 

NASA

 

In 2014, NASA took significant steps on the agency’s journey to Mars -- testing cutting-edge technologies and making scientific discoveries while studying our changing Earth and the infinite universe as the agency made progress on the next generation of air travel.

“We continued to make great progress on our journey to Mars this year, awarding contracts to American companies who will return human space flight launches to U.S. soil, advancing space technology development; and successfully completing the first flight of Orion, the next deep space spacecraft in which our astronauts will travel,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “We moved forward on our work to create quieter, greener airplanes and develop technologies to make air travel more efficient; and we advanced our study of our changing home planet, Earth, while increasing our understanding of others in our solar system and beyond.”

Journey to Mars

NASA achieved a major milestone in December on its journey to Mars as the agency’s Orion spacecraft completed its first voyage to space during a four-and-a-half-hour flight test.

Orion is part of NASA’s plan to develop new technologies and capabilities to send astronauts farther than ever before, first to an asteroid, and onward to the Red Planet.

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related education soared to new heights with a student-built radiation experiment aboard Orion. NASA’s Office of Education, partnered with the Lockheed Martin Corp., used the Exploration Design Challenge to engage students in STEM by inviting them to help tackle one of the most significant dangers of human space flight -- radiation exposure.

NASA’s parallel path for human spaceflight also took a giant leap forward in September when the agency announced U.S. astronauts once again would travel to and from the International Space Station (ISS) from the United States on American spacecraft under groundbreaking contracts worked by NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The agency selected Boeing and SpaceX to transport U.S. crews to and from the space station using their CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft, respectively, with a goal of ending the nation’s sole reliance on Russia in 2017. NASA’s parallel path for human spaceflight involves U.S. commercial companies providing access to low-Earth orbit while NASA prepares deep space exploration missions with Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

 

Artist concept of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) 70-metric-ton configuration launching to space.

Image Credit: 

NASA/MSFC

 

The SLS rocket, the most powerful ever built, moved from the concept phase to the development phase in 2014. Also this year, all major tools were installed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans where the rocket will be constructed.

For 40 years, increasingly advanced robotic explorers have studied the conditions on Mars. This has dramatically increased our scientific knowledge about the planet, as well as helped pave the way for astronauts on the journey to Mars. In July, NASA announced its Mars Rover 2020, which is based on the successful Curiosity rover. Mars 2020 will carry instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet, including help with data for a human mission to Mars.

NASA’s newest member of its fleet of robotic Red Planet explorers, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN), spacecraft successfully entered Mars’ orbit Sept. 21, where it is beginning its study of the planet’s upper atmosphere as never done before. That extensive fleet of science assets, particularly those orbiting and roving Mars, had front row seats to image and study a once-in-a-lifetime comet flyby of Mars in October.

NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft artist concept.

Image Credit: 

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

 

The agency’s Curiosity rover continued this year to help refine our understanding of Mars. In December, NASA announced Curiosity has measured a tenfold spike in methane, an organic chemical, in the atmosphere around it and detected other organic molecules in a rock-powder sample collected by the robotic laboratory’s drill. Curiosity's findings from analyzing samples of atmosphere and rock powder do not reveal whether Mars has ever harbored living microbes, but the findings do shed light on a chemically active modern Mars and on favorable conditions for life on ancient Mars. Observations by Curiosity also indicate Mount Sharp near the rover’s landing site was built by sediments deposited in a large lake bed over tens of millions of years.

Curiosity component images combined into a self-portrait at drilling target "Windjana."

Image Credit: 

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

 

NASA continues to advance the journey to Mars through progress on the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which will test a number of new capabilities needed for future human expeditions to deep space, including to Mars. This includes advanced Solar Electric Propulsion -- an efficient way to move heavy cargo using solar power, which could help pre-position cargo for future human missions to the Red Planet. As part of ARM, a robotic spacecraft will rendezvous with a near-Earth asteroid and redirect an asteroid mass to a stable orbit around the moon. Astronauts will explore the asteroid mass in the 2020’s, helping test modern spaceflight capabilities like new spacesuits and sample return techniques. Astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston have already begun to practice the capabilities needed for the mission.

Agency officials are studying two robotic capture concepts for the robotic spacecraft that will rendezvous with the asteroid. One option would use an inflatable mechanism to capture an entire small asteroid. Another option would use robotic arms to retrieve a boulder from a much larger asteroid. NASA centers across the country are advancing and testing technologies for both concepts. Mission managers reviewed the two capture concepts in a December meeting and NASA expects to select a concept for the mission in early 2015.

The agency has identified three asteroids that could be good candidates for each capture option so far and anticipates finding one or two per year for each option. Efforts to identify good candidates for the mission are also helping augment NASA's existing work to survey near-Earth objects and identify those that could threaten Earth. In addition to the spaceflight capabilities ARM will advance, the mission will also represent a new opportunity for planetary defense demonstrations, to help mitigate asteroid risks in the future.

NASA has identified almost 12,000 Near Earth Objects to-date, including 96 percent of near Earth asteroids larger than .6 miles (1 kilometer) in size. NASA has not detected any objects of this size that pose an impact hazard to Earth in the next 100 years.

Teams at NASA centers spent 2014 testing various technologies, including solar electric propulsion, new spacesuits designs and sample collection tools, that will be used by astronauts on the journey to Mars and demonstrated on ARM.

NASA’s Asteroid Grand Challenge is an effort to reach beyond traditional boundaries and encourage partnerships and collaboration with a variety of organizations to find all asteroid threats to human population and know what to do about them. The challenge had success in 2014 engaging the public through a variety of new partnerships, such as ECAST, SpaceGAMBIT and the Asteroid Data Hunter contest.

International Space Station

NASA’s journey to Mars includes time aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The agency is using the space station to conduct cutting-edge research and technology development and to increase our knowledge about what it takes to live and work for long periods of time in space. 2014 marked 14 years of continuous human presence on the orbiting laboratory. Recognizing the long-term benefits of the space station, the Obama Administration in January announced it intends to extend operations on the ISS until at least 2024.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman checks his spacesuit in preparation for the first Expedition 41 spacewalk.

Image Credit: 

NASA/ESA/Alexander Gerst

 

A total of 12 crew members lived and worked aboard the ISS in 2014. Two of those crew members, NASA’s Reid Wiseman and Barry Wilmore, carried out in October the first spacewalks to begin reconfiguring the ISS to accommodate future U.S. commercial crewed spacecraft. During his six months aboard the ISS, Wiseman gained a large following on social media, which he used to bring the wonders of human spaceflight directly to the public 140 characters at a time.

ISS crews have seen eight different cargo spacecraft bring more than 50,000 pounds of supplies and science research to the station in 2014. Two of those flights were by SpaceX under contract with NASA. Orbital Sciences Corp., also under contract with NASA, had two supply missions to the space station this year, but in October, its third flight suffered a catastrophic failure during launch. Despite the incident, NASA remains confident U.S. companies will continue to lead the way to resupply the space station and soon send NASA astronauts there.

International Space Station's 3D printer during flight certification and acceptance testing at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Image Credit: 

NASA/Emmett Give

 

Science research aboard the space station reached new heights in 2014. Crew members conducted hundreds of scientific investigations focused on human health and exploration, technology testing for enabling future exploration, research in basic life and physical sciences, and earth and space science. One such experiment, Veggie, is leading the way to allow crews to grow, harvest and eat some of their own food. The station’s EXPRESS Rack 1 -- a multipurpose rack system that has housed and supported research aboard station since 2001 -- exceeded 100,000 hours of operation in October. The week of July 20th, the space station program set a record on how many crew hours used for science in a week – just five minutes shy of 84 hours.

The space station also shined this year as a technology test-bed. This included continuing work with the bowling ball-sized satellites that operate inside the ISS known as SPHERES, Robonaut 2 getting its experimental legs attached in August and the first 3-D printing ever in space in November.

Technology

Technology drives exploration, and it is a significant part of NASA’s endeavors, including the journey to Mars. In June, the agency used a rocket-powered, saucer-shaped vehicle called the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator to test technologies needed for landing large payloads on the surface of Mars.

Hours after the June 28, 2014, test of NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator over the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range.

Image Credit: 

NASA/JPL-Caltech

 

The agency continued its successful small spacecraft technology demonstrations in 2014 with the in-space test of Phonesat 2.5. The small smartphone-controlled spacecraft hitched a ride into orbit on SpaceX’s cargo launch to the International Space Station in April.

Progress was made this year for the 2016 launch of NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission. The small satellite is designed to test a high-performance, non-toxic, “green” fuel in orbit as a potential replacement for highly toxic hydrazine and complex bi-propellant systems currently in use. This past summer, NASA completed a complex series of tests on one of the largest composite cryogenic fuel tanks ever manufactured, bringing the aerospace industry much closer to designing, building, and flying lightweight, composite tanks on rockets.

18-foot-diameter (5.5-meter) composite cryotank is lowered into a structural test stand at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Image Credit: 

NASA/MSFC

 

When NASA develops software for its aeronautics and space missions, the agency knows the code may have uses beyond the original mission. In April, NASA published a new online software catalog with more than 1,000 codes available to the public.

The agency also created a one-stop online shop for all the current opportunities available to the public to contribute to solving tough problems related to NASA’s mission through challenges, prize competitions, and crowdsourcing activities. One such opportunity, the Cube Quest Challenge, was announced in November and is NASA’s first in-space competition that offers the agency’s largest-ever prize purse. Competitors have a chance at a share of $5 million in prize money and an opportunity to participate in space exploration and technology development, to include a chance at flying their very own small satellite, known as a CubeSat, to the moon and beyond as secondary payload on the first integrated flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.

Earth

Our planet is changing, and NASA is on it. Administrator Bolden declared 2014 the year of Earth because for the first time in more than a decade, five NASA Earth Science missions were scheduled to be launched into space within a one year period. Together with NASA's existing fleet of satellites, airborne missions, and researchers, these new missions will help answer some of the critical challenges facing our planet today and in the future: climate change, sea level rise, freshwater resources, and extreme weather events.

An extra-tropical cyclone seen off the coast of Japan, March 10, 2014, by the GPM Microwave Imager.

Image Credit: 

NASA/JAXA

 

Launched on Feb. 27, Global Precipitation Measurement mission is setting a new standard for precipitation measurements from space. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite launched July 2 is NASA’s first spacecraft dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide. NASA’s International Space Station-Rapid Scatterometer (ISS-RapidScat) was launched to the space station Sept. 21 on a SpaceX resupply flight. ISS-RapidScat monitors ocean winds and is the first NASA instrument to use the ISS for full-fledged Earth science research. The Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) instrument also is heading to the space station. It is set to launch on a SpaceX cargo flight targeted for Jan. 6, 2015. Once installed on the outside of the station, CATS will study the distribution of aerosols -- the tiny particles that make up haze, dust, air pollutants, and smoke – in Earth’s atmosphere. The last of these five new Earth science missions is the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), which is targeted to launch Jan. 29, 2015. SMAP will map Earth's soil moisture and provide precise indications of the soil's freeze-thaw state to improve understanding of the cycling of water, energy, and carbon. It also will air aid in predictions of agricultural productivity, weather and climate.

NASA research in 2014 showed new changes our planet is undergoing. A new study published in May by researchers at NASA and the University of California, Irvine, found a rapidly melting section of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet appears to be in an irreversible state of decline, with nothing to stop the glaciers in this area from melting into the sea. Another study announced in July by NASA and the University of California, Irvine, found more than 75 percent of the water loss in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin since late 2004 came from underground resources. The extent of groundwater loss may pose a greater threat to the water supply of the western United States than previously thought.  NASA research published in August shows Earth's atmosphere contains an unexpectedly large amount of an ozone-depleting compound from an unknown source decades after the compound was banned worldwide.

Glaciers and mountains in the evening sun are seen on an Operation IceBridge research flight, returning from West Antarctica on

Image Credit: 

NASA/Michael Studinger

 

Aeronautics

In 2014, NASA showed it is with you when you fly, and continued to make progress in developing the next generation of air transportation systems (NextGen).

In May, NASA -- along with international partners the German Aerospace Center and National Research Council of Canada -- took to the skies over California to begin a series of flight tests to gather critical data that may aid in the development of cleaner aircraft fuels.

 

Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions (ACCESS II) flight test in a DC-8 aircraft.

Image Credit: 

NASA /SSAI Edward Winstead

 

A new NASA-developed computer software tool designed to aid air traffic controllers was presented to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in July. The Terminal Sequencing and Spacing technology will enable air traffic controllers to better manage the spacing between aircraft as they fly more efficient approaches into airports, saving both time and fuel and reducing emissions

NASA also put futuristic new aircraft designs to the test in 2014. The Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge project had a successful flight this summer testing a wing surface that can change shape in the air. The testing could lead to technology to make airliners more fuel-efficient, and quieter during takeoffs and landings. In December, a test center section of a futuristic airplane design, called a hybrid wing body, was delivered to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Much of the test article is made out of a low-weight, damage-tolerant, stitched composite structural concept called Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS). An effective hybrid wing body could simultaneous reduce fuel consumption, noise levels and the emissions produced by tomorrow's transport planes.

Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) flight of NASA's green aviation project.

Image Credit: 

NASA/Ken Ulbrich

 

NASA’s aeronautics research also is being tested as a new tool for early wildfire detection.

In October, the agency announced Langley had signed a one-year agreement with the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to test small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) for the detection of brush and forest fires.

In May, a dedication ceremony was held to mark the renaming of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, formerly the Dryden Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California. Legislation to redesignate the 68-year-old facility, NASA's center of excellence for atmospheric flight research, in honor of the late Neil A. Armstrong was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in early 2013 and by the Senate on Jan. 8, 2014. President Obama signed it into law on Jan. 16. The name change became official March 1.

Solar System and Beyond

Looking out into space on our journey of discovery, a number of new findings were announced in 2014.

In November, NASA announced a rocket experiment found that the universe is brighter than scientists originally thought. NASA's Kepler mission announced in February the discovery of 715 new planets outside our solar system. These newly-verified worlds, known as exoplanets, orbit 305 stars, revealing multiple-planet systems much like our own solar system. Two months later, astronomers using Kepler announced they had discovered the first Earth-size planet orbiting a star in the "habitable zone" -- the range of distance from a star where liquid water might pool on the surface of an orbiting planet.

The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f , the first validated Earth-size planet to orbit a distant star in the habitable zone.

Image Credit: 

NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech

 

One of the biggest mysteries in astronomy, how stars blow up in supernova explosions, finally started to be unraveled in February with the help of NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). The high-energy X-ray observatory has created the first map of radioactive material in a supernova remnant. The results, from a remnant named Cassiopeia A (Cas A), reveal how shock waves likely rip massive dying stars apart.

NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission, which is studying the mysteries of Earth’s radiation belts, celebrated its two-year anniversary on Aug. 30. The twin probes, shortly after launch in 2012, discovered a third radiation belt around Earth when only two had previously been detected.

In October, NASA announced its Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft provided scientists with five new findings into how the sun’s atmosphere, or corona, is heated far hotter than its surface, what causes the sun’s constant outflow of particles called the solar wind, and what mechanisms accelerate particles that power solar flares.

Scientists using NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) announced in February that data from the spacecraft has shown a magnetic field that is nearly perpendicular to the motion of our solar system through the galaxy. In addition to shedding light on our cosmic neighborhood, the results offer an explanation for a decades-old mystery on why we measure more incoming high-energy cosmic rays on one side of the sun than on the other.

On Dec. 6, after a voyage of nearly nine years and three billion miles -- the farthest any space mission has ever traveled to reach its primary target -- NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft came out of hibernation for its long-awaited 2015 encounter with the Pluto system.

The construction and testing of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope was fully underway in 2014. In October, the Integrated Science Instrument Module, or the “heart” that holds the telescope’s instruments, successfully completed a nearly four-month test in a cryogenic thermal vacuum chamber. The test simulated the icy, -387 degrees Fahrenheit conditions the telescope will operate under in space. Webb is considered to be the scientific successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and is on track for a 2018 launch.

The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) of the James Webb Space Telescope emerges from the thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Image Credit: 

NASA/Chris Gunn

STEM Education Collaboration

NASA’s Office of Education continued to leverage opportunities in 2014 with other federal agencies, industry partners and academia to provide unique and compelling agency content as a catalyst for increasing STEM literacy throughout the United States. This year, NASA and Honeywell celebrated a decade of successful STEM collaboration with a west coast city tour of the award-winning science education program FMA LIVE! Forces in Motion. The tour marked an important milestone in the 10-year collaboration: reaching 1,000 schools and more than 400,000 students and teachers.

Social Media

NASA‘s award winning presence on social media remained strong in 2014. The agency’s Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Instagram accounts are the most followed in the federal government on those platforms. This year, NASA also launched an official presence on LinkedIn, Vine and SoundCloud. Further, the agency ranked high in the J.D. Power 2014 Social Media Benchmark Study for Government in two measured focus areas -- servicing and marketing engagement. The agency hosted 22 NASA Socials, bringing hundreds of people who engage with NASA via social media together for unique in-person experiences of exploration and discovery. Since 2009, NASA has hosted more than 100 NASA Socials at more than a dozen locations.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden poses for a quick selfie with students who attended the NASA-sponsored Earth Day event.

Image Credit: 

NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

 

2015 promises to be an exciting year for NASA as it carries out the nation’s ambitious space program. The work NASA does will help United States maintain its world leadership in exploration and scientific discovery. The agency will continue investing in our ‘Launch America’ initiative to return human spaceflight launches to the U.S.; foster groundbreaking technology development and aeronautics; and move forward with the Space Launch System and Orion on our journey to Mars.

For more about NASA’s missions, research and discoveries, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
ayabaca@gmail.com
ayabaca@hotmail.com
ayabaca@yahoo.com
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