During an Oct. 28 keynote speech at the Center for American Progress in Washington, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden spoke about the advancement made on the journey to Mars and what lies ahead for future administrations and policy makers. NASA’s recently released report “Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration,” outlines its plan to reach Mars in phases – with technology demonstrations and research aboard the International Space Station, followed by hardware and procedure development in the proving ground around the moon, before sending humans to the Red Planet. Also, Space station spacewalk, Another record in space for Kelly, Mars Landing Sites/ Exploration Zones Workshop, Cassini’s “deep dive” flyby and more.

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Advancing the Journey to Mars

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“I want to talk with you, just a little bit today, about where I believe we can be headed as a country when it comes to space exploration and to Earthly benefits that come from it”

During an Oct. 28 keynote speech at the Center for American Progress, in Washington, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden spoke about the advancement made on the journey to Mars and what lies ahead for future administrations and policy makers.

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator:
“The astronaut who will take the first human steps on Mars and the scientists who will discover the next great breakthrough that makes that step possible might very well be sitting in a classroom right here in Washington, DC”

NASA’s recently released report “Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration,” outlines its plan to reach Mars in phases – with technology demonstrations and research aboard the International Space Station, followed by hardware and procedure development in the proving ground around the moon, before sending humans to the Red Planet.

Space station spacewalk

The Oct. 28 spacewalk outside the International Space Station by Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren, was the first spacewalk for both astronauts. During the X-hour XX-minute outing, they installed a thermal cover over the station’s Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, routed cables for the future arrival of an International Docking Adapter for commercial crew spacecraft and lubricated components on the Canadarm2 robotic arm. The two go back out for a another spacewalk on Nov. 6 to reconfigure coolant lines on the station’s structure.

Another record in space for Kelly

A day after the spacewalk, Kelly completed his 216^th consecutive day in space – a new record for an American astronaut – and his second record in two weeks. Oct. 16 was Kelly’s U.S. record 383^rd cumulative day in space. He and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko’s year-long mission aboard the station is providing data on the physical and mental effects of long duration spaceflight, as part of NASA’s journey to Mars.

Mars Landing Sites / Exploration Zone Workshop  

NASA’s Landing Sites/Exploration Zones Workshop for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars took place Oct. 27-30 at Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute. It was the agency’s first workshop to collect ideas about locations on Mars that could potentially provide high scientific research value and natural resources for humans to land, live and explore on the Red Planet. NASA plans to use existing assets at Mars, such as the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the Odyssey spacecraft, to support the selection process of potential landing sites and exploration zones.

Cassini’s “deep dive” flyby

The Oct. 28 flyby of Saturn’s moon Enceladus by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, took it a mere 30 miles above the moon’s South Polar Region – directly through the plume of icy spray that comes from the global ocean beneath the moon’s frozen surface. This deepest-ever dive through the plume by Cassini is expected to provide valuable scientific data about the subsurface ocean.

von Braun symposium

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center held the 8^th Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium Oct. 28-29 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The event featured remarks by NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot; Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, Bill Gerstenmaier; Associate Administrator for Space Technology Steve Jurczyk; and other agency leaders. This year’s symposium focused on benefits, challenges and opportunities in advancing space activities, and recent progress in science, engineering and technology.

And that’s what’s up this week @NASA.