New findings by NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission indicate that solar wind is currently stripping away the equivalent of about 1/4 pound of gas every second from the Martian atmosphere. MAVEN tracked a series of dramatic solar storms passing through the Martian atmosphere in March and found the loss was accelerated. This could suggest that violent solar activity in the distant past may have played a key role in the transition of the Martian climate from an early, warm and wet environment that might have supported surface life, to the cold, arid planet Mars is today. Also, 15 Years on space station, and counting!, Spacewalk for space station maintenance, NASA seeking future astronauts, Commercial Crew access tower progress and First SLS flight engine placed for testing.

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How Mars is losing its atmosphere

New findings by NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission indicate that solar wind is currently stripping away the equivalent of about 1/4 pound of gas every second from the Martian atmosphere. MAVEN tracked a series of dramatic solar storms passing through the Martian atmosphere in March and found the loss was accelerated. This could suggest that violent solar activity in the distant past may have played a key role in the transition of the Martian climate from an early, warm and wet environment that might have supported surface life, to the cold, arid planet Mars is today.

15 Years on space station, and counting!

November 2 was the 15^th anniversary of the arrival to the International Space Station of Expedition 1 – the first resident crew – and the start of 15 years of continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory. Since opening for business in 2000, the station has enabled NASA and its international partners to advance scientific knowledge, demonstrate new technologies and make research breakthroughs not possible on Earth – to benefit our home planet and enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space, including the journey to Mars.

Spacewalk for Space Station Maintenance

On Nov. 6, Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly and Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren of NASA ventured outside the International Space Station for their second spacewalk in nine days. The pair performed work to restore a segment of the external ammonia cooling system on the orbiting laboratory back to its original configuration. The spacewalk was the second for both crew members and the 190th in support of space station assembly and maintenance.

NASA seeking future astronauts

NASA will soon begin accepting applications for its next class of astronaut candidates. The agency made that announcement on Nov. 4 in preparation for NASA’s journey to Mars and future launches of humans from American soil. Future astronauts will launch on spacecraft currently being developed by two U.S. companies, and on NASA’s Orion deep-space exploration vehicle. The agency will accept applications from Dec. 14 through mid-February and expects to announce the selected candidates in mid-2017. Applications will be accepted at: www.usajobs.gov.

Commercial Crew access tower progress

Construction of the crew access tower that U.S. astronauts will use on future launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is speedily moving along. It took only 35 days to build the main column of the 200-foot-tall structure. The tower, scheduled for completion in Fall 2016, will eventually be used to launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket.

First SLS flight engine placed for testing

On Nov. 4, engineers at Stennis Space Center helped NASA take another big step on the journey to Mars by placing the first RS-25 flight engine on the A-1 Test Stand, in preparation to certify it for use with the agency’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. These former space shuttle main engines are being upgraded to meet the requirements of the massive SLS. The first RS-25 flight engine is scheduled for testing in the first part of 2016.

And that’s what’s up this week @NASA.