An Oct. 11 opinion article written by President Barack Obama and published by CNN, outlined a vision for the future of space exploration. In it, the president echoed the words in his 2015 State of the Union address about the importance of sending humans on a roundtrip mission to Mars by the 2030s, and developing technology to help us stay on the Red Planet for an extended time. That same day in a blog post, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and John Holdren, assistant to the President for Science and Technology, discussed two NASA initiatives that build on the president’s vision and use public-private partnerships to enable humans to live and work in space in a sustainable way. The first was the selection of six companies to develop habitation systems as part of the agency’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships or “NextSTEP” program, designed to lay the groundwork for deep space missions. And this fall as part of the second initiative, NASA will start the process of providing companies with a potential opportunity to add their own modules and other capabilities to the International Space Station. The move is in-line with NASA’s plan to support and foster the growing community of scientists and entrepreneurs conducting research and growing businesses in space. Also, White House Frontiers Conference, Kennedy Reopens After Hurricane Matthew, Orion Service Module Vibration Tests, SLS Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Tank Completed, and Aviation Safety Reporting System Turns 40.

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Making Human Settlement of Space a Reality

An Oct. 11 opinion article written by President Barack Obama and published by CNN, outlined a vision for the future of space exploration. In it, the president echoed the words in his 2015 State of the Union address about the importance of sending humans on a roundtrip mission to Mars by the 2030s, and developing technology to help us stay on the Red Planet for an extended time. That same day in a blog post, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and John Holdren, assistant to the President for Science and Technology, discussed two NASA initiatives that build on the president’s vision and use public-private partnerships to enable humans to live and work in space in a sustainable way. The first was the selection of six companies to develop habitation systems as part of the agency’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships or “NextSTEP” program, designed to lay the groundwork for deep space missions. And this fall as part of the second initiative, NASA will start the process of providing companies with a potential opportunity to add their own modules and other capabilities to the International Space Station. The move is in-line with NASA’s plan to support and foster the growing community of scientists and entrepreneurs conducting research and growing businesses in space.

White House Frontiers Conference

On Oct. 13, NASA and the Journey to Mars were among the featured topics at the White House Frontiers Conference. The national gathering, convened and co-hosted by President Obama, the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, focused on building U.S. capacity in science, technology, and innovation, and the new technologies, challenges and goals that will continue to shape the 21st century and beyond. NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman, Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan and astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor were among the agency representatives at the event, which also included several NASA exhibits and displays.

Kennedy Reopens After Hurricane Matthew

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center resumed operations on Oct. 11 after being closed for several days due to Hurricane Matthew. During a news briefing, Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana and his Damage Assessment and Recovery Team (DART) chief, Bob Holl gave an update on the center’s status and recovery efforts. The hurricane passed close to Kennedy as it moved up Florida’s east coast Oct. 7, causing some isolated roof damage, a few downed power lines, and limited water intrusion. There were no reports of any injuries.

Orion Service Module Vibration Tests

Engineers at Glenn Research Center’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio recently completed a series of vibration tests with a full-size test version of the service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. A mechanical vibration table was used to test the 55,000-pound service module to ensure it can withstand the forces it will encounter when it launches on the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket in 2018. Provided by ESA, (the European Space Agency) and built by Airbus Defence & Space, the service module is designed to power and cool Orion, in addition to providing air and water for the astronauts onboard.

SLS Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Tank Completed

At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, teams have finished welding the liquid hydrogen tank that will hold the rocket fuel SLS and Orion’s first spaceflight test will use in 2018. Standing more than 130 feet tall, the liquid hydrogen tank is the largest cryogenic fuel tank for a rocket in the world. It and a liquid oxygen tank will hold about 733,000 gallons of propellant and feed the rocket’s four RS-25 engines – to produce a total of 2 million pounds of thrust. SLS will have the power and payload capacity needed to carry crew and cargo on future exploration missions to deep space, including NASA’s Journey to Mars.

Aviation Safety Reporting System Turns 40

A video message from NASA Administrator Bolden was played during a recent open house at the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) facility near NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, to congratulate ASRS on its 40th anniversary. The ASRS is a joint-partnership between NASA and the FAA that provides pilots, ground crews, air traffic controllers, and other aviation professionals a confidential way to report potential risks. In the past decades, over 1.6 million reports have been filed, resulting in more than 6,200 alerts – many of which have led to safety improvements.

And that’s what’s up this week @NASA.