NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have selected three astronauts to serve as crew members for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2021. The trio will consist of NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn, who will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, and ESA astronaut…
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President Donald J. Trump issued the National Space Policy Wednesday. Through this policy, the president reaffirms his commitment to move space exploration goals beyond low-Earth orbit and return humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations. “The National Space Policy reflects bold leadership in this resurgent era of…
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The annual Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night of December 13-14, 2020 which is Sunday evening to Monday morning. These colorful meteors tend to be bright, so on a dark night, you can easily spot 50 or more meteors per hour. The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower caused by the object 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid with a “rock comet”…
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Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, a joint U.S.-European satellite built to measure global sea surface height, has sent back its first measurements of sea level. The data provide information on sea surface height, wave height, and wind speed off the southern tip of Africa. “We’re excited for Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich to begin its critical work studying sea level and helping…
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NASA’s Science Mission Directorate has awarded prize funding of $100,000 each to six entrepreneurial startup companies under its pilot Entrepreneur’s Challengeprogram for concepts ranging from machine learning to enable exploration and other technologies to new ways to build instruments to study the universe. NASA partnered with Starburst, the global aerospace hub, to jointly launch a pilot program to engage…
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The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on the passing of Gen. Chuck Yeager: Today’s passing of Gen. Chuck Yeager is a tremendous loss to our nation. Gen. Yeager’s pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America’s abilities in the sky and set our nation’s dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age. He said, ‘You…
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The latest SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station with more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations, a new airlock, and other cargo after launching at 11:17 a.m. EST Sunday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy and is scheduled…
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Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Stelfonta (tigilanol tiglate injection) to treat dogs with non-metastatic, skin-based (cutaneous) mast cell tumors (MCTs). The FDA is also approving Stelfonta to treat non-metastatic MCTs located under the dog’s skin (subcutaneous), in particular areas of a dog’s leg. Stelfonta is injected directly into the MCT (intratumoral injection). Stelfonta works by activating a…
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NASA has received an unmodified audit opinion on its Fiscal Year 2020 financial statements, marking the 10th consecutive “clean” opinion from an external auditor – the highest opinion that may be received. The auditor’s unmodified opinion is that NASA’s financial statements fairly present the agency’s financial position and results of operations. “Our prudent management of taxpayer resources, and…
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NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has successfully stowed the spacecraft’s Sample Return Capsule (SRC) and its abundant sample of asteroid Bennu. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the mission team sent commands to the spacecraft, instructing it to close the capsule – marking the end of one of the most challenging phases of the…
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