The benefits of space station research and development…
Architecture Refinement for the Mars Sample Return Mission…
And test fire a solid rocket booster for our mega rocket to the moon… a few of the stories to tell you about – this week at NASA!
The benefits of space station research and development
The 11th annual International Conference on Space Station Research and Development was held July 25-28 in Washington, D.C. The conference was hosted by the American Astronautical Society and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, in cooperation with NASA. The event coincided with the launch of the 2022 edition of the International Space Station’s Benefits to Humanity publication. The digital book, which is available online, is full of examples of how people on Earth have benefited from research conducted in the microgravity environment of the space station. For more information about the groundbreaking discoveries, the benefits to humanity, and how the agency and its commercial and international partners are maximizing research and development aboard the space station, see nasa.gov/stationbenefits.
This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that will team up to transport samples collected from the surface of Mars by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover to Earth. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Refinement of the Mars Sample Return Mission Architecture
The Mars sample return program is nearing completion of the conceptual design phase of the mission. The program has reviewed, evaluated and refined the mission architecture that will be used to return the science-selected samples currently being collected on Mars by our Perseverance rover. Refinement of the mission architecture includes the use of Perseverance to replace the sample rover as the primary means of transporting the samples to our sample retrieval module. The program also added two sample recovery helicopters, based on our Ingenuity helicopter design, which will provide a secondary capability to retrieve cached samples from the Martian surface.
NASA and Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS), conducted a full-scale test of the Flight Support Booster-2 (FSB-2) in Promontory, Utah, on July 21 to support future flights of the Moon mega rocket on NASA. The SLS uses two five-segment solid rocket boosters to help launch NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. A single solid-fuel rocket booster will fire during the FSB-2 test and evaluate improvements and new materials in the boosters for missions beyond Artemis III. Credit: NASA/Kevin O’Brien
Test booster engine firing for a future Artemis mission
Teams from NASA’s Space Launch System, or SLS program, recently tested a ground-based version of a booster for our SLS mega-rocket Moon at Northrop Grumman’s test facility in Promontory, Utah. Engineers are using test data to evaluate improvements and new materials in boosters for missions beyond Artemis III. Together, two SLS rocket boosters will provide more than 75% of the initial thrust during Artemis launch.
VIPER’s engineering test team used lunar soil simulants and hand-picked rocks to carefully shape the terrain to realistically mimic the actual surface characteristics of the Moon’s South Pole. Credit: NASA
VIPER Motors through a moon-like obstacle course
NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover prototype, or VIPER prototype, recently faced the most realistic tests yet of its ability to navigate the toughest terrain it might encounter at the Moon’s South Pole. The VIPER team uses Simulated Lunar Operations, or SLOPE Lab, at our Glenn Research Center to create a range of difficult soil conditions. They also tested the prototype’s ability to use its wheels to “inch worm” its way out of a stall. VIPER is slated for delivery to the Moon in November 2024 to search for water and other resources that could eventually be harvested to support human exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Visitors to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2022 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin can find a wide range of aeronautical exhibits, activities and experts to connect with at the NASA Pavilion. Credit: NASA
NASA technologies presented at AirVenture 2022
We participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 event. Our NASA Pavilion featured exhibits and hands-on demonstrations showcasing aviation-inspired technology and the latest research in aeronautics, space exploration, science and more. One of the goals of the annual event, often called the world’s largest aviation celebration, is to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Here’s what’s happening this week @NASA
Add Comment