This Week @NASA: Mars Sample Return, Benefits of Space Station Research and Development

The benefits of space station research and development…

Refining the architecture for the Mars Sample Return mission…

And a solid rocket booster test fire for our Moon mega rocket… a few stories to tell you – This Week at

NASA

Founded in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that replaced the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). He is in charge of the civil space program, as well as aeronautical and aerospace research. The vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core value is "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence and inclusion."

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Benefits of Space Station Research and Development

The 11th International Space Station Research and Development Conference takes place July 25-28 in Washington. The conference was organized by the American Astronautical Society and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, in collaboration with NASA. The event coincides with the release of the 2022 edition of the publication International Space Station Benefit for Humanity. The digital book, which is available online, is filled with examples of how people on Earth have benefited from research conducted in the space station’s microgravity environment. For more information about innovative discoveries, benefits to humanity, and how the agency and its commercial and international partners are maximizing research and development on the space station, see nasa.gov/stationbenefits.

This illustration shows the concept of several robots working together to transport samples to Earth collected from the surface of Mars by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Mars

Mars is the second smallest planet in our solar system and the fourth planet from the sun. It is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Iron oxide is abundant on the surface of Mars, giving it its reddish color and its nickname "Red Planet." The name Mars comes from the Roman god of war.

” data-gt-translate-attributes=”[{” attribute=””>Mars Sample Return Mission’s 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 scientifically selected samples currently being collected on Mars by our Perseverance rover. Refinements to the mission architecture include using Perseverance to replace the Sample Fetch Rover as the primary means of transporting the samples to our Sample Retrieval Lander. The program has also added two sample recovery helicopters, based on the design of our Ingenuity helicopter, that will provide a secondary capability to fetch cached samples from the Martian surface.

NASA and Northrop Grumman, the Space Launch System (SLS) booster lead contractor, conducted the full-scale Flight Support Booster-2 (FSB-2) test in Promontory, Utah, on July 21 to support future flights of NASA’s mega Moon rocket. The SLS uses two, five-segment solid rocket boosters to help launch NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. A single solid rocket booster motor 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 Firing a Booster Engine for a Future Artemis Mission

Teams from NASA’s Space Launch System or

The VIPER engineering test team uses lunar soil simulants and hand-picked rocks to carefully shape the terrain to realistically mimic actual features at the surface of the Moon’s South Pole. Credit: NASA

VIPER Motors Through Moon-like Obstacle Course

NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover or VIPER prototype recently faced the most realistic tests to date of its ability to navigate the most difficult terrain it might encounter at the Moon’s South Pole. The VIPER team used the Simulated Lunar Operations or SLOPE Lab at our Glenn Research Center to create an assortment of tricky soil conditions. They also tested the prototype’s ability to use its wheels to “inch-worm” its way out of being stuck. VIPER is targeted for delivery to the Moon in November 2024 to search for water and other resources that could eventually be harvested to sustain human exploration on the Moon, Mars — and beyond.

Visitors to the 2022 Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, can find a wide range of aeronautical exhibits, activities, and experts to engage with at NASA’s pavilion. Credit: NASA

NASA Technologies Showcased at AirVenture 2022

We participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 event. Our NASA pavilion included exhibits and hands-on demonstrations showcasing aviation inspired technology, and the latest in NASA aeronautics research, space exploration, science, and more. One of the goals of the annual event, which is often called the world’s greatest aviation celebration, is to inspire the next generation of innovators.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA