“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!”

Preparing for Eclipse 2017

The Aug. 21 total solar eclipse across America is generating a lot of interest – and a lot of questions. You’ll find answers to many of your eclipse questions at NASA’s Eclipse 2017 website —eclipse2017.nasa.gov. The site is full of information to help you prepare for this rare celestial event – including eclipse-related activities, events, viewing safety tips, and other resources. Then, on the day of the eclipse, you can see the event “Through the Eyes of NASA” – during a special NASA TV broadcast that includes coast-to-coast coverage from the ground, from the air and from space. Coverage begins with a special pre-show at noon eastern – followed by in-depth coverage at 1pm. You can also watch on Aug. 21 at www.nasa.gov/eclipselive

TDRS-M Update

The damaged Omni S-band antenna on our Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-M, has been successfully replaced at Astrotech Space Operations, near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Processing has resumed and the new target launch date is no earlier than Aug. 18, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. TDRS-M will join the fleet of Earth-orbiting satellites providing near-constant communication between the ground and spacecraft such as the Hubble telescope, and the International Space Station, as part of the Space Network.

Webb’s Sunshield Layers Installed

The five sunshield layers responsible for protecting the optics and instruments of our James Webb Space Telescope were fully installed recently at NASA industry partner, Northrop Grumman Corporation in Redondo Beach, California. The sunshield layers, which are made of kapton, will help prevent the Sun’s background heat from interfering with the telescope’s infrared sensors. The layers are capable of reducing the temperatures between the hot and cold sides of the observatory by approximately 570 degrees Fahrenheit. Targeted for launch in 2018, Webb is the most powerful space telescope ever built.

RS-25 Engine Testing Rolls On

On Aug. 9, engineers at our Stennis Space Center conducted another hot-fire test of an RS-25 Engine flight controller. The objective of the test was to “green run” or flight certify the engine controller – which is the brain of the engine. Once proven flight-worthy, the controller will be installed on an RS-25 engine that will help power the first integrated flight of our Space Launch System rocket with our Orion spacecraft, known as Exploration Mission One. SLS is designed to power our astronauts deeper into the solar system than ever before.

Chief Technologist Visits Industry Partner

On Aug. 10, our Acting Chief Technologist Douglas Terrier visited industry partner Jacobs, near the Johnson Space Center in Houston. While there, he got a firsthand look at some of the more than 100 NASA space exploration projects Jacobs is working on. These include systems for the Orion spacecraft; hardware and engineering services for the International Space Station; and technology development for deep space exploration.

And that’s what’s up this week @NASA..