Happy Place! #nasa #ksc #kennedyspacecenter #solarsystemambassador (at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center)

State of NASA Address at Marshall Space Flight Center

On February 10, 2020 I was honored to be a part of a group of 30 people who were granted special access to the goings on at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama as part of the NASA Social program.

The day started off with the issuing of our credentials which would allow us access through the main gate.

The pure joy of seeing my name at the bottom of that badge was glorious.

After driving through the main gate, we wound up at the heart of MSFC, Building 4200. This is where we had our first briefing of the day. It was an overview of MSFC by Steve Miley, MSFC Associate Director. Director Miley filled us in on the importance of MSFC to the whole of NASA, and the state of Alabama. Huntsville is a Top 10 city for career opportunities. During this briefing, the topic of ARTEMIS was addressed. ARTEMIS is our country’s new manned lunar landing program. NASA intends to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024.

Next up was the live stream of NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine’s State of NASA address. Administrator Bridenstine detailed the efforts behind the Space Launch System, the Lunar Gateway, the Orion spacecraft, and the ARTEMIS missions to the Moon. There was excitement in the air as budget increases by the current administration were discussed.

After the State of NASA address, we went to the Lunar Lander Lab for a briefing by Logan Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy showed us concepts for the next Moon landings by contrasting with the Apollo program. During the Apollo missions, the astronauts brought all of their supplies with them. This severely limited the amount of time the astronauts had on the Lunar surface. For ARTEMIS, the intent is to land payloads on the Moon ahead of the manned landings. Mr. Kennedy showed us concepts of relatively inexpensive Pallet Landers which payloads could be wheeled off of.

Next up, was a tour of the ISS Payload Operations and Integration Center. Amanda Lowman briefed us on the Payload Control Area. This is where all the science and experiments on the ISS are controlled and monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Vince Vidaurri then briefed our group about the Laboratory Training Complex. The LTC is a mock-up of the U.S. lab on the ISS. Procedures for experiments are ironed out by controllers in the LTC before being communicated to the astronauts on the ISS.

We then went to the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Lab. Engineer Mike Kynard showed us hardware that could replicate the results of testing a nuclear rocket at a fraction of the cost and many times more safely.

Our last stop of the day was the SLS System Integration Lab for a briefing by Dan Mitchell. The SIL contains a full size “control ring” for the SLS rocket. This control ring has all the computers and systems that monitor every aspect of the SLS. Everything is placed exactly where it would be on the actual rockets. Even the wiring is measured to the same distances to avoid any lags or time differences. There are three redundant computers that are the “brains” of the whole deal.

At this time I want to thank the team at Marshall Space Flight Center for hosting our group and giving us the opportunity to report on the progress of the Space Launch System and the ARTEMIS program. I am excitedly looking forward to being a part of ARTEMIS over the next few years as my career develops.

Did you know: NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 is the first NASA Commercial Crew Program mission to fly two international partner astronauts? Both Thomas Pesquet of ESA - European Space Agency and Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) will be aboard the Crew Dragon launching April 22 to the International Space Station. #nasa #crewdragon #iss #solarsystemambassador https://www.instagram.com/p/CNmFBvmj2Qk/?igshid=1vvs39ahvj71a

An American Heritage Girls troop invited me to come speak about astronomy and women in STEM / Space Science. The girls had amazing questions and I got to be dramatic in my teaching. #astronomy #nasa #stem #stemgirls #solarsytemambassador #americanheritagegirls https://www.instagram.com/p/CZN4_eHsAjJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

NASA is asking for volunteers to help find the hypothetical Planet 9. The project, called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, has users check telescope images the same way Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto. So far, volunteers have already found over 100 brown dwarfs.

Full article >>

Welding is underway on the Artemis III Orion! 

At NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, Lockheed Martin technicians welded together 3 cone-shaped panels on Orion’s crew module for the mission that will land the first woman and next man on the Moon.

go.nasa.gov/2YjUoVK

Just spending a lazy afternoon submitting weather observations.

In honor of the Juno Mission being extended, I present my latest work. As the Great Red Spot plows its way around Jupiter, its almost 300mph winds churn incredible vortices in its wake. This image is my enhancement highlighting the violent turbulence of the wake. #missionjuno #jupiter #greatredspot @nasajuno https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ7q0kyDfY1/?igshid=wsluh0w64c7c

Fun iPhone capture this evening... Orion The Hunter, Taurus The Bull, The Planet Mars, The International Space Station, and The Pleiades.

#explorepage #space #astronomy #iss #internationalspacestation #orion #taurus #thepleiades #solarsystemambassador

A lot of eye straining, a little bit of arthritis pain, and some minor cussin’. I’m getting there. She’s over halfway completed. #iss #internationalspacestation #nasa #lego #solarsystemambassadors https://www.instagram.com/p/CbFwn1Bubjb/?utm_medium=tumblr

No test? Oh well, I’ll go look at rockets.

My Brother in-law and I made a day hop to Huntsville this past Saturday. I had originally planned to take a test at MSFC, but the current government shutdown nixed that idea.

Instead, we took in the U. S. Space and Rocket Center. I never get tired of seeing the huge Saturn V or the full shuttle stack on the grounds.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center

U.S. Space & Rocket Center

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) is the largest spaceflight museum in the world. Open 7 days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed Thanksgi