Lightfoot Discusses FY 2019 Budget Proposal

During a Feb. 12 State of NASA address at Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, our acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot discussed the significance of President Trump’s $19.9 billion Fiscal Year 2019 budget request for the agency.

Robert Lightfoot, Acting NASA Administrator:
“It really reflects the administration’s confidence that America will lead the way back to the Moon, and take that next giant leap from where we made the first small step for humanity some fifty years ago.”

Lightfoot thanked employees and attributed the confidence reflected in the budget to the work of thousands of people.

Robert Lightfoot, Acting NASA Administrator:
“You always come through. We have one mission success after another. And because of that, I say, ‘the state of NASA is strong!’ (Applause)”

Spacewalk Aboard the Space Station

On Feb. 16, our Mark Vande Hei teamed with Japan’s Norishige Kanai to conduct the International Space Station’s third spacewalk of the year …

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei:
“I’m standing by for your ‘go’ before I install this.”

… the spacewalkers’ goal was to move several components for the station’s robotic system into long-term storage.

Resupply Cargo Spacecraft Launches to Space Station

A Progress cargo spacecraft launched to the space station from Kazakhstan on Feb. 13. Two days later, it docked to the orbital outpost with more than three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the Expedition 54 crew onboard. The Progress will remain at the station until late August.

NASA’s Next Planet Hunting Spacecraft Arrives at Kennedy

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS – our next planet-hunting mission – arrived Feb. 12 at our Kennedy Space Center in Florida. TESS is the next step in our search for planets outside this solar system, including those that could support life. The spacecraft is set to launch later this year from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA …