Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones gives senior leaders from around NASA a familiarization tour onboard a U.S. Navy ship on Oct. 29, 2018, as the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team prepares for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7). EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Senior leaders from around NASA receive a familiarization tour by the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team on Oct. 29, 2018, as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) aboard a U.S. Navy ship. EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Captain Anthony Roach, at right, commanding officer in the U.S. Navy, speaks with NASA's Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) Mission Manager Mike Sarafin during a familiarization tour with the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team on Oct. 29, 2018, as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) onboard a U.S. Navy ship. The team is responsible for recovering the Orion crew capsule after it flies farther than any human-rated spacecraft has flown, with EM-1. EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

NASA Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones briefs the media on the success of Underway Recovery Test-7 on Nov. 7, 2018, at U.S. Naval Base San Diego. Behind her is the test version of the Orion crew module. All of the recovery equipment that was created to safely bring Orion home passed verification and validation testing. The Recovery Team, along with the U.S. Navy, practice recovering the Orion test version as part of URT-7 in the Pacific Ocean. URT-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

NASA Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones briefs the media on the success of Underway Recovery Test-7 on Nov. 7, 2018, at U.S. Naval Base San Diego. Behind her is the test version of the Orion crew module. All of the recovery equipment that was created to safely bring Orion home passed verification and validation testing. The Recovery Team, along with the U.S. Navy, practice recovering the Orion test version as part of URT-7 in the Pacific Ocean. URT-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

NASA Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones briefs the media on the success of Underway Recovery Test-7 on Nov. 7, 2018, at U.S. Naval Base San Diego. Seated, to the right of Jones is NASA astronaut Don Pettit. All of the recovery equipment that was created to safely bring Orion home passed verification and validation testing. The Recovery Team, along with the U.S. Navy, practice recovering the Orion test version as part of URT-7 in the Pacific Ocean. URT-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Exploration Mission-1 Mission Manager Mike Sarafin and other senior leaders from around NASA received a familiarization tour by the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team on Oct. 29, 2018, as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) on a U.S. Navy ship. EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

A prototype of the Lander Vision System for NASA Mars 2020 mission was tested in this Dec. 9, 2014, flight of a Masten Space Systems Xombie vehicle at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20848

NASA Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones talks to students, members of the media and the general public about the success of Underway Recovery Test-7 on Nov. 7, 2018, at U.S. Naval Base San Diego. All of the recovery equipment that was created to safely bring Orion home passed verification and validation testing. The Recovery Team, along with the U.S. Navy, practice recovering the Orion test version as part of URT-7 in the Pacific Ocean. URT-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Captain Anthony Roach, at right, commanding officer in the U.S. Navy, welcomes Shawn Quinn and other senior leaders from around NASA onto his ship on Oct. 29, 2018. The visit is a familiarization tour coordinated by the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7). EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Senior leaders from around NASA receive a familiarization tour by the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team on Oct. 29, 2018, as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) aboard a U.S. Navy ship. From left, Kennedy Space Center's Russ Deloach, Shawn Quinn and Scott Colloredo learn more about how the front porch will be used to help pull crew out of Orion after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones, standing in center, gives senior leaders from around NASA a familiarization tour onboard a U.S. Navy ship on Oct. 29, 2018, as the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team prepares for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7). EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

A stabilization collar and front porch are in the well deck of a U.S. Navy ship on Oct. 29, 2018. They will be used to stabilize and recover the Orion capsule and future crew onboard. The Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team are preparing for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7). EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

NASA Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones briefs the media on the success of Underway Recovery Test-7 on Nov. 7, 2018, at U.S. Naval Base San Diego. Behind her is the test version of the Orion crew module. All of the recovery equipment that was created to safely bring Orion home passed verification and validation testing. The Recovery Team, along with the U.S. Navy, practice recovering the Orion test version as part of URT-7 in the Pacific Ocean. URT-7 is one in a series of tests to verify and validate procedures and hardware that will be used to recover the Orion spacecraft after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean following deep space exploration missions. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

NASA Landing and Recovery Director Melissa Jones, at right, and Exploration Mission-1 Mission Manager Mike Sarafin discuss the benefits that the front porch will provide to astronauts after splashing down in the Orion crew capsule on future missions. Senior leaders from around NASA receive a familiarization tour by the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) recovery team on Oct. 29, 2018, as they prepare for Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7). EGS and the U.S. Navy will use a test version of the Orion crew module, several rigid hull inflatable boats and support equipment to verify and validate processes, procedures, hardware and personnel during recovery of Orion in open waters. URTs are a series of tests to ensure all systems are go when recovering the Orion crew capsule and astronauts onboard in the future. Orion will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Joey Mercer, principle investigator for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen making a radio call during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX launch and entry suit bears a Japanese flag, and the name of JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata – a crewmember of NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station.

Bryan Petty, autonomy researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Langley Research Center, left, and Robert McSwain, co-principle investigator and autonomy researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Langley Research Center, right, are seen during simulated drone operations as part of STEReO field testing, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Joey Mercer, principle investigator for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center speaks with Richard Barhydt, station director of the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station and Huy Tran, director of aeronautics at NASA's Ames Research Center, during STEReO test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Josh Baculi, autonomy researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, makes a radio call during simulated drone operations as part of STEReO field testing, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

This archival image was released as part of a gallery comparing JPL’s past and present, commemorating the 80th anniversary of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Oct. 31, 2016. This photograph shows the first pass of Echo 1, NASA's first communications satellite, over the Goldstone Tracking Station managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, California, in the early morning of Aug. 12, 1960. The movement of the antenna, star trails (shorter streaks), and Echo 1 (the long streak in the middle) are visible in this image. Project Echo bounced radio signals off a 10-story-high, aluminum-coated balloon orbiting the Earth. This form of "passive" satellite communication -- which mission managers dubbed a "satelloon" -- was an idea conceived by an engineer from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and was a project managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. JPL's role involved sending and receiving signals through two of its 85-foot-diameter (26-meter-diameter) antennas at the Goldstone Tracking Station in California's Mojave Desert. The Goldstone station later became part of NASA's Deep Space Network. JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Deep Space Network for NASA. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21114

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 is photographed at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California during a training session Imagery provided by SpaceX.

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, performs pre-flight checks on a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, foreground, and Karen St. Germain, director of the agency’s Earth Science Division, participate in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

Engineers work inside the ECLSS module at SpaceX’s headquarters and factory in Hawthorne, California. The module is the same size as the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and is built to test the Environmental Control and Life Support System, or ECLSS, that is being built for missions aboard the Crew Dragon including those by astronauts flying to the International Space Station on flights for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: SpaceX

The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission is moved into a processing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on June 14, 2021. The Landsat 9 mission will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Vandenberg in September 2021. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center. The Landsat 9 satellite will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit. Landsat 9 is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The satellite will carry two instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2, which collects images of Earth’s landscapes in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared light, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, which measures the temperature of land surfaces. Like its predecessors, Landsat 9 is a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena moderates a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata wears a SpaceX launch and entry suit while becoming familiar with the Crew Dragon spacecraft that will take Wakata and his crewmates to the International Space Station as part of NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station.

Bill McCarthy, software engineer and research laptop operator for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen as the STEReO teams works through scenarios, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Marina Jurica of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena moderates a prelaunch news conference for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew traveled to SpaceX in Hawthorne, California during a trip to train for their International Space Station mission. Andreas Mogensen poses for a photograph. Imagery provided by SpaceX

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew participates in a training at SpaceX. Satoshi Furuwaka poses for a photo. Imagery provided by SpaceX

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 is photographed at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California during a training session. Imagery provided by SpaceX.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California before their mission to the International Space Station. Andreas Mogensen poses for a photo. Imagery provided by SpaceX

CSUNSat-1 Team (Adam Kaplan, James Flynn, Donald Eckels) working on their CubeSat at California State University Northridge. The primary mission of CSUNSat1 is to space test an innovative low temperature capable energy storage system developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, raising its TRL level to 7 from 4 to 5. The success of this energy storage system will enable future missions, especially those in deep space to do more science while requiring less energy, mass and volume. This CubeSat was designed, built, programmed, and tested by a team of over 70 engineering and computer science students at CSUN.  The primary source of funding for CSUNSat1 comes from NASA’s Smallest Technology Partnership program. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative NET April 18, 2017 ELaNa XVII mission on the seventh Orbital-ATK Cygnus Commercial Resupply Services (OA-7) to the International Space Station and deployed on tbd.

Marie Lewis, NASA Communications, moderates a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. Participants include Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate; Karen St. Germain, director, NASA’s Earth Science Division; Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science, U.S. Department of the Interior; Michael Egan, Landsat program executive, NASA’s Earth Science Division; Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program; Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance program manager, NASA Launch Services Program; and Capt. Addison Nichols, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 30. Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:12 p.m. EDT (11:12 a.m. PDT) on Monday, Sept. 27, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit in collecting images from across the planet every eight days. This calibrated data will continue the Landsat program’s critical role in monitoring the health of Earth and helping people manage essential resources, including crops, irrigation water, and forests.

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight as part of STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, team members watch as a Cal Fire UH-1H Super Huey helicopter drops water on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lauren Claudatos, researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, poses for a portrait, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, team members watch as a Cal Fire S2-T airtanker drops water on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, before their mission to the International Space Station. Konstantin Borisov is photographed here. Imagery provided by SpaceX

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, performs pre-flight checks on a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen during STEReO test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lauren Claudatos, researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen during simulated drone operations during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lauren Claudatos, researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen during simulated drone operations during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Joey Mercer, principle investigator for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, points to a location on a tablet running a version of theUnmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management System (UTM) during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lauren Claudatos, researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen during simulated drone operations during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 16, 2022. SWOT is the first mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean. The satellite is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is managing the launch service.

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight during STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew traveled to SpaceX in Hawthorne, California during a trip to train for their International Space Station mission. Konstantin Borisov smiles for a photograph. Imagery provided by SpaceX

Tylar Greene, NASA Communications, moderates a mission and science briefing for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sept. 24, 2021. Virtual participants (not shown) are Jeff Masek, Landsat 9 project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; Chris Crawford, Landsat 9 project scientist at USGS; Inbal Becker-Reshef, director of NASA’s Harvest food security and agriculture program; Del Jenstrom, Landsat 9 project manager at Goddard; Brian Sauer, Landsat 9 project manager at USGS; Sabrina Chapman, manager, system engineering, Northrop Grumman Space Systems; and Sarah Lipscy, OLI-2 senior engineer, Ball Aerospace & Technologies. Landsat 9 is scheduled to launch at 2:11 p.m. EDT (11:11 a.m. PDT) on Monday, Sept. 27, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg. The launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit in collecting images from across the planet every eight days. This calibrated data will continue the Landsat program’s critical role in monitoring the health of Earth and helping people manage essential resources, including crops, irrigation water, and forests.

jsc2023e045334 - JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, mission specialist of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission, is pictured in his pressure suit during a crew equipment integration test at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams, fully suited in SpaceX’s spacesuit, interfaces with the display inside a mock-up of the Crew Dragon spacecraft in Hawthorne, California, during a testing exercise on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, participates in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

A Cal Fire S2-T airtanker follows a U.S. Forest Service King Air 200 during an aerial attack on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A smokejumper is seen during a training jump onto a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lauren Claudatos, researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen during simulated drone operations during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen prior to the flight of a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone as part of STEReO test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021, as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Pierrik Vuilleumier, project manager, European Space Agency (ESA), participates in a prelaunch news conference for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on June 14, 2021. The Landsat 9 mission will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Vandenberg in September 2021. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center. The Landsat 9 satellite will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit. Landsat 9 is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The satellite will carry two instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2, which collects images of Earth’s landscapes in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared light, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, which measures the temperature of land surfaces. Like its predecessors, Landsat 9 is a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California before their mission to the International Space Station. Jasmin Moghbeli is seated at the controls. Imagery provided by SpaceX

NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite arrives from France aboard a U.S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircraft at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on Oct. 16, 2022. Teams will transport the satellite to Astrotech Space Operations facility to begin final preparations for the spacecraft’s December launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Center-4 East. Jointly developed by NASA and Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales, with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and United Kingdom Space Agency, SWOT is the first satellite mission that will observe nearly all water on Earth’s surface, measuring the height of water in the planet’s lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the ocean.

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen moving a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone following a flight during STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lynne Martin, human factors researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, right, Huy Tran, director of aeronautics at NASA's Ames Research Center, second from right, Richard Barhydt, station director of the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station, second from left, and Joey Mercer, principle investigator for STEReO at NASA's Ames Research Center, right, as seen with tablets displaying live flight information in conjunction with simulated drone operations, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A pair of Cal Fire UH-1H Super Huey helicopters are seen during an aerial attack on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, before their mission to the International Space Station. Imagery provided by SpaceX

NASA Astronaut Nicole Mann becomes familiar with the spacecraft and its displays during a training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California.

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

jsc2023e045333 - NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission specialist Satoshi Furukawa is pictured during a training at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, prior to his mission. Credit: SpaceX

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California before their mission to the International Space Station. Imagery provided by SpaceX

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, participates in a prelaunch news conference for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

A Cal Fire S2-T airtanker is seen during an aerial attack on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A computer displays the flight path of a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone during a flight as part of STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, before their mission to the International Space Station. Konstantin Borisov is photographed here. Imagery provided by SpaceX

A Cal Fire S2-T airtanker is seen as it drops water on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 is photographed during a training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. Jasmin Moghbeli is photographed here. Imagery provided by SpaceX.

Karen St. Germain, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, participates in a science briefing for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Nov. 20, 2020. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission consists of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which will be followed by its twin, the Sentinel-6B satellite, in 2025. The Sentinel-6/Jason-CS mission is part of Copernicus, the European Union’s Earth observation program, managed by the European Commission. Continuing the legacy of the Jason series missions, Sentinel-6/Jason-CS will extend the records of sea level into their fourth decade, collecting accurate measurements of sea surface height for more than 90% of the world’s seas, and providing crucial information for operational oceanography, marine meteorology, and climate studies. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich launched Nov. 21, 2020, at 9:17 PST (12:17 EST). NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center was responsible for launch management.

STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, team members watch as a Cal Fire UH-1H Super Huey helicopter drops water on a simulated wildfire, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California before their mission to the International Space Station. Jasmin Moghbeli smiles for a photograph. Imagery provided by SpaceX

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew particpates in a training at SpaceX. Konstantin Borisov is photographed here. Imagery provided by SpaceX

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 crew poses for a photograph at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. Imagery provided by SpaceX.

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight during STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on June 14, 2021. The Landsat 9 mission will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Vandenberg in September 2021. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center. The Landsat 9 satellite will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit. Landsat 9 is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The satellite will carry two instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2, which collects images of Earth’s landscapes in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared light, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, which measures the temperature of land surfaces. Like its predecessors, Landsat 9 is a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission arrives at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on June 14, 2021. The Landsat 9 mission will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Vandenberg in September 2021. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center. The Landsat 9 satellite will continue the nearly 50-year legacy of previous Landsat missions. It will monitor key natural and economic resources from orbit. Landsat 9 is managed by the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The satellite will carry two instruments: the Operational Land Imager 2, which collects images of Earth’s landscapes in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared light, and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2, which measures the temperature of land surfaces. Like its predecessors, Landsat 9 is a joint mission between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.

jsc2023e045329 Cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos, mission specialist of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission, is pictured in his pressure suit during a crew equipment integration test at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California before their mission to the International Space Station. Jasmin Moghbeli is photographed in this portrait. Imagery provided by SpaceX

Joey Mercer, principle investigator for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, center, speaks with Richard Barhydt, station director of the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station, left, and Huy Tran, director of aeronautics at NASA's Ames Research Center, right, during STEReO test activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A Cal Fire S2-T airtanker is seen flying past the FreeFly Systems Alta X drone used during STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, performs pre-flight checks on a FreeFly Systems Alta X drone, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Members of the STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, team are seen during a meeting before starting activities, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A FreeFly Systems Alta X drone is seen in flight under the control of Jonas Jonsson, pilot in command for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, as part of STEReO test activities, Wednesday, May 5, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Lauren Claudatos, researcher for STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, at NASA's Ames Research Center, is seen during simulated drone operations during STEReO field testing, Tuesday, May 4, 2021 as Cal Fire conducts aerial fire fighting training exercises near Redding, California. STEReO, the Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations project, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center, builds on NASA’s expertise in air traffic management, human factors research, and autonomous technology development to apply the agency’s work in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM, to public safety uses. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The primary mission of CSUNSat1 is to space test an innovative low temperature capable energy storage system developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, raising its TRL level to 7 from 4 to 5. The success of this energy storage system will enable future missions, especially those in deep space to do more science while requiring less energy, mass and volume. This CubeSat was designed, built, programmed, and tested by a team of over 70 engineering and computer science students at CSUN.  The primary source of funding for CSUNSat1 comes from NASA’s Smallest Technology Partnership program. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative on the NET April 18, 2017 ELaNa XVII mission on the seventh Orbital-ATK Cygnus Commercial Resupply Services (OA-7) to the International Space Station and deployed on tbd.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 in training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California before their mission to the International Space Station. Satoshi Furukawa is photographed on the right. Imagery provided by SpaceX