The first space station spacewalk of the new year …

Launching GOLD to study Earth’s near-space environment …

And – read all about it … there’s NASA tech you probably use every day … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

Space Station Spacewalk

On Jan. 23, our astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Scott Tingle conducted the International Space Station’s first spacewalk of the year…

[Astronaut Mark Vande Hei]: “I’m seeing the head of the bolt going down past the groove.”

… replacing hardware that enables the station’s robotic arm to grab onto visiting spacecraft and other objects. Mission controllers are diagnosing a communications issue with the hardware, and could address it in the next spacewalk on Jan. 29.

GOLD Mission Launches

Our Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk, or GOLD mission launched aboard a commercial communications satellite, Jan. 25 from French Guiana. Despite a launch issue that will delay it reaching its proper orbit, GOLD is in good shape and on  track to study the physics or our planet’s near-space environment. GOLD data will help us better understand how astronauts, and guidance and communications signals are affected by this region of space.

2018 Spinoff Publication Released

Our annual Spinoff publication is now available online, highlighting NASA initiatives that have led to technology with commercial and societal benefits – used by many of us every day. Download now at spinoff.nasa.gov.

Day of Remembrance

On Jan. 25, our Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot, and other senior officials led an observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, as part of the agency’s Day of Remembrance. The annual event pays tribute to the fallen astronauts of Apollo 1, space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, and other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting the agency’s mission of exploration and discovery.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA …