Astronauts Assigned to First Commercial Crew Flights 

The next astronauts to launch from American soil were announced on Aug. 3 at our Johnson Space Center in Houston, with assignments for the first flight tests and missions on American-made, commercial spacecraft flying to and from the International Space Station. Our Eric Boe and Nicole Mann will join Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson on the first test of the company’s CST-100 Starliner. Meanwhile, our Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are scheduled to fly aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon. Spaceflight veterans Suni Williams and Mike Hopkins, and first time fliers Victor Glover and Josh Cassada were named to fly on later missions on the commercial spacecraft. Our administrator, Jim Bridenstine, was on hand for the event.

NASA Administrator, Jim Bridenstine:
“For the first time since 2011 we are on the brink of launching American astronauts, on American rockets, from American soil … (applause).”

For more details on the commercial crew astronauts, spacecraft and missions, go to nasa.gov/commercialcrew.

Administrator Bridenstine also got a first-hand look at some future spaceflight hardware and participated in a media roundtable with Johnson Center Director Mark Geyer, during the visit to Houston. Earlier in the week, he visited our Langley Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia where he met with employees and saw the work being done in Langley’s hangar, the National Transonic Facility wind tunnel, the Structures and Materials Lab and the new Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.

Earth Science Innovators Demonstrate Benefits to Society

“So, great project …”

On Aug. 1 at our headquarters, young research professionals discussed results of more than 20 projects that used NASA Earth satellite data to address real-world issues, from flooding in New Orleans to coffee cultivation in Guatemala to wildfires in Alaska. The talks and poster sessions were part of the annual Earth Science Applications Showcase hosted by a national NASA program designed to extend research results to local communities.

NASA Satellite Shows California Shrouded in Smoke

Multiple wildfires burning in California – many of them threatening life and property – were seen from space. This natural-color satellite image captured on July 29 by our Aqua satellite shows areas actively burning at the time – outlined in red – and the smoke that could be seen shrouding the state and sweeping as far eastward as Salt Lake City.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA …