OSIRIS-REx diverts away from Earth after releasing its sample return capsule in this illustration. The spacecraft will release an asteroid sample capsule on September 24, aiming for a landing in the Great Salt Lake Desert. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab
A new long-duration spaceflight record …
NASAEstablished in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>NASA’s SpaceXCommonly known as SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company that was founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, the company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX's ultimate goal is to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>SpaceX Crew-6 mission is back home …
And NASA’s asteroid sample return mission is on target …
A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
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Rubio Sets U.S. Record for Longest Single Spaceflight
On September 11, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio completed his 355th day onboard the International Space StationThe International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft in orbit around the Earth that serves as a research laboratory and spaceport for international collaboration in space exploration. It was launched in 1998 and has been continuously occupied by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts from around the world since 2000. The ISS is a joint project of five space agencies: NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles), and provides a unique platform for scientific research, technological development, and human space exploration.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>International Space Station – surpassing the record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, which was previously held by NASA’s Mark Vande Hei.
“Frank, you’ve made all kind of records.”
— Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator
Agency leadership congratulated Rubio on the accomplishment during a call to the station. By the time Rubio returns home on September 27, he will have spent about 371 days in space.
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Crew Reflects on Its Mission
The crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is back home after spending about six months on the space station. On September 12, a few crew members, including NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg, talked about the mission during a news conference at our Johnson Space Center. The highlights of the flight included Bowen’s U.S. record-tying 10th career spacewalk.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft adjusted its course to ensure the successful return of an asteroid sample to Earth on September 24, before heading to its next mission at asteroid Apophis. Credit: NASA
OSIRIS-RExLaunched in 2016, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will help astronomers investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve our understanding of near-Earth asteroids.” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>OSIRIS-REx Adjusts Course to Target Sample Capsule’s Landing Zone
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft recently made a course adjustment to better position itself to release a capsule carrying sample material from asteroid Bennu toward the designated landing zone in the Utah desert. The capsule is scheduled to make a parachute-assisted landing on September 24. OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.
June – August 2023
NASA Announces Summer 2023 Was the Hottest on Record
According to NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, the summer of 2023 was our planet’s hottest summer since global records began in 1880. June through August was a combined 0.41 degrees FahrenheitThe Fahrenheit scale is a temperature scale, named after the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit and based on one he proposed in 1724. In the Fahrenheit temperature scale, the freezing point of water freezes is 32 °F and water boils at 212 °F, a 180 °F separation, as defined at sea level and standard atmospheric pressure. ” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]”>Fahrenheit warmer than any other summer in NASA’s record. This new record comes as exceptional heat has swept across much of the world – exacerbating deadly wildfires, resulting in searing heat waves, and likely contributing to severe weather.
That’s what’s up this week @NASA
Source: SciTechDaily
