NASA News – Week Ending January 19th 2024

NASA News – Week Ending January 19th 2024

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On Jan. 18, Axiom Mission 3, the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from our Kennedy Space Center. The mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría. NASA will provide integrated operations support, which starts during the Dragon’s approach to the station, continues while the crewis aboard the orbiting laboratory, and concludes when Dragon leaves the area of the space station.

The research heading to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station for NASA includes the first surgical robot on the station, an inexpensive orbit re-entry platform to collect thermal protection systems data, and a new Metal 3D printer. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than Jan. 29 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Our Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem, or PACE mission is targeted for launch no earlier than Feb. 6. The Earth observing science mission will help us understand how our oceans and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide, measure key atmospheric variables associated with air quality and Earth’s warming climate, and monitor ocean health.

We resumed a critical test series with our RS-25 rocket engine on Jan. 17 at our Stennis Space Center. Data from the testing will be used to certify production of new RS-25 engines to help power our Space Launch System, or SLS rocket on future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond, beginning with Artemis V.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA. For more about what else we’re up to, check out nasa.gov.