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This Week at NASA | New Views of Pluto, Earth Science, More

Uploaded 02/06/2015

New Views of Pluto, Earth Science, More

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, speaking during his Feb. 2 “State of NASA” address at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the release of President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016 $18.5 billion budget proposal for NASA said, “I can unequivocally say that the State of NASA is strong.” The proposed budget is a half-billion-dollar increase over last year’s enacted budget, which, the Administrator noted, “is a clear vote of confidence to you – the employees of NASA and the ambitious exploration program you are executing.” The budget facilitates NASA’s plan moving forward, which includes development of new vehicles and technologies needed for unprecedented human missions to an asteroid and to Mars, commercial partnerships to provide transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States and research on the station for the benefit of future deep space travelers and people living on our home planet. Also, New views of Pluto, Soil moisture mission underway and Virginia Aerospace Day.

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

The State of NASA

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“I can unequivocally say that the State of NASA is strong.”

That assertion by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden came during his Feb. 2 “State of NASA” address at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, following the release of President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2016 $18.5 billion budget proposal for NASA earlier the same day.

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“That’s a half billion-dollar increase over last year’s enacted budget, and it is a clear vote of confidence to you – the employees of NASA and the ambitious exploration program you are executing.”

And, a vote of confidence for NASA’s plan moving forward, which includes development of new vehicles and technologies needed for unprecedented human missions to an asteroid and to Mars, commercial partnerships to provide transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States and research on the station for the benefit of future deep space travelers and people living on our home planet.

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“As we advance our journey to Mars, we’re also focusing here on Earth on making aviation greener, quieter and more efficient.”

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“NASA is a leader in Earth and climate science and our constantly expanding view of our planet from space is helping us understand Earth and its changes.”

And as the Administrator noted, although Mars is a key destination, it’s only one point on NASA’s journey of discovery throughout our solar system and beyond – across the farthest reaches of the universe.

Charlie Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“I couldn’t be more excited about our future! We’re making steady progress and continuing to reach for new heights.”

New views of Pluto

New views of Pluto and its largest moon Charon, captured by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft were released on Feb. 4, the 109th birthday of late astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who first spotted the small planet in 1930. New Horizons’ telescopic Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) took the pictures on Jan. 25 and Jan. 27 from more than 126 million miles away. New Horizons will make a close flyby of Pluto and its moons on July 14.

Soil moisture mission underway

On Jan. 31, NASA successfully launched its Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) spacecraft from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. SMAP, the first Earth satellite designed to collect global observations of the vital soil moisture hidden just beneath our feet, is the agency’s fifth Earth Science mission to be launched in the last 11 months.

Virginia Aerospace Day

Representatives from NASA, industry and academia participated in the annual Virginia Aerospace Day in and around the Virginia General Assembly building in Richmond, recently. It was an opportunity to showcase for elected officials the significant economic and technological impact that Langley Research Center and Wallops Flight Facility have on the Commonwealth and to promote science, technology, engineering and math-related education.

And that’s what’s up this week @NASA.

 

 

(c)2015 NASA | SCVTV
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