Another successful parachute test for Orion … How we’re getting back to the Moon … And an Apollo 11 virtual experience … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

Another Successful Orion Parachute Test

We successfully tested our Orion spacecraft’s parachute system recently at the U.S. Army Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona. It’s the seventh in a series of eight tests to certify the parachutes for missions with astronauts. Meanwhile, another milestone for the program in Houston – the mock crew module for use in the upcoming Ascent Abort-2 test was powered on for the first time. Ascent Abort-2 is a full-stress test of Orion’s Launch Abort System planned for April 2019.

Instagram Video: 5 Ways We’re Getting Back to the Moon

“In case you hadn’t heard, NASA is going back to the Moon.”

A new vertical video on our Instagram takes you behind the scenes to show five ways we’re working to get astronauts back to the Moon, in preparation for missions even farther into the solar system. To learn more about our Moon and the agency’s exploration campaign to return to the lunar surface and eventually send humans to Mars, go to nasa.gov/moontomars.

NASA Spinoff Provides Virtual Experience of Apollo 11 Mission

Apollo 11 Moon Landing:
“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

July 20 marks the 49^th anniversary of Apollo 11’s historic landing on the Moon.

Apollo 11 Moon Landing:
“That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Credit: Immersive VR Education

Earlier this year, our Spinoff publication highlighted “Apollo 11 VR”, a virtual experience made with NASA data. To mark the anniversary, here’s a look at it in action. Immersive VR Education, a virtual reality based education company, created “Apollo 11 VR.” The company used the trove of online NASA data, audio and visual files from the Apollo missions to recreate the sights and sounds of the first Moon landing, in authentic detail. Developers also worked with Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, who tested an early version and helped improve the accuracy of the control panel for the final release. “Apollo 11 VR” is one of the many NASA Spinoff products developed as a result of the agency’s long history of transferring technology to the private sector.

SOFIA’s Recent Celestial Observations

The SOFIA flying telescope completed seven weeks of celestial observations from Christchurch, New Zealand. This deployment marked the first time the observatory’s instrument that studies celestial magnetic fields was used in the Southern Hemisphere. The research could help astronomers better understand how magnetic fields affect processes that occur at the center of the galaxy and around newly-forming stars. Observations made during the flights included the black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, the Tarantula Nebula, Supernovae, and more.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA …