
The NASA-funded Ground-to-Rocket Electron-Electrodynamics Correlative Experiment, or GREECE, wants to understand aurora. Specifically, it will study classic auroral curls that swirl through the sky like cream in a cup of coffee. The GREECE instruments travel on a sounding rocket that launches for a ten-minute ride right through the heart of the aurora reaching its zenith over the native village of Venetie, Alaska. To study the curl structures, GREECE consists of two parts: ground-based imagers located in Venetie to track the aurora from the ground and the rocket to take measurements from the middle of the aurora itself. At their simplest, auroras are caused when particles from the sun funnel over to Earth's night side, generate electric currents, and trigger a shower of particles that strike oxygen and nitrogen some 60 to 200 miles up in Earth's atmosphere, releasing a flash of light. But the details are always more complicated, of course. Researchers wish to understand the aurora, and movement of plasma in general, at much smaller scales including such things as how different structures are formed there. This is a piece of information, which in turn, helps paint a picture of the sun-Earth connection and how energy and particles from the sun interact with Earth's own magnetic system, the magnetosphere. GREECE is a collaborative effort between SWRI, which developed particle instruments and the ground-based imaging, and the University of California, Berkeley, measuring the electric and magnetic fields. The launch is supported by a sounding rocket team from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. The Poker Flat Research Range is operated by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Credit: NASA Goddard <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

The NASA-funded Ground-to-Rocket Electron-Electrodynamics Correlative Experiment, or GREECE, wants to understand aurora. Specifically, it will study classic auroral curls that swirl through the sky like cream in a cup of coffee. The GREECE instruments travel on a sounding rocket that launches for a ten-minute ride right through the heart of the aurora reaching its zenith over the native village of Venetie, Alaska. To study the curl structures, GREECE consists of two parts: ground-based imagers located in Venetie to track the aurora from the ground and the rocket to take measurements from the middle of the aurora itself. At their simplest, auroras are caused when particles from the sun funnel over to Earth's night side, generate electric currents, and trigger a shower of particles that strike oxygen and nitrogen some 60 to 200 miles up in Earth's atmosphere, releasing a flash of light. But the details are always more complicated, of course. Researchers wish to understand the aurora, and movement of plasma in general, at much smaller scales including such things as how different structures are formed there. This is a piece of information, which in turn, helps paint a picture of the sun-Earth connection and how energy and particles from the sun interact with Earth's own magnetic system, the magnetosphere. GREECE is a collaborative effort between SWRI, which developed particle instruments and the ground-based imaging, and the University of California, Berkeley, measuring the electric and magnetic fields. The launch is supported by a sounding rocket team from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. The Poker Flat Research Range is operated by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Credit: NASA Goddard <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

The NASA-funded Ground-to-Rocket Electron-Electrodynamics Correlative Experiment, or GREECE, wants to understand aurora. Specifically, it will study classic auroral curls that swirl through the sky like cream in a cup of coffee. The GREECE instruments travel on a sounding rocket that launches for a ten-minute ride right through the heart of the aurora reaching its zenith over the native village of Venetie, Alaska. To study the curl structures, GREECE consists of two parts: ground-based imagers located in Venetie to track the aurora from the ground and the rocket to take measurements from the middle of the aurora itself. At their simplest, auroras are caused when particles from the sun funnel over to Earth's night side, generate electric currents, and trigger a shower of particles that strike oxygen and nitrogen some 60 to 200 miles up in Earth's atmosphere, releasing a flash of light. But the details are always more complicated, of course. Researchers wish to understand the aurora, and movement of plasma in general, at much smaller scales including such things as how different structures are formed there. This is a piece of information, which in turn, helps paint a picture of the sun-Earth connection and how energy and particles from the sun interact with Earth's own magnetic system, the magnetosphere. GREECE is a collaborative effort between SWRI, which developed particle instruments and the ground-based imaging, and the University of California, Berkeley, measuring the electric and magnetic fields. The launch is supported by a sounding rocket team from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. The Poker Flat Research Range is operated by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Credit: NASA Goddard <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

A new NASA-funded study has identified which glaciers in West Greenland are most susceptible to thinning in the coming decades by analyzing how they’re shaped. The research could help predict how much the Greenland Ice Sheet will contribute to future sea level rise in the next century, a number that currently ranges from inches to feet. “There are glaciers that popped up in our study that flew under the radar until now,” said lead author Denis Felikson, a graduate research assistant at The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and a Ph.D. student in The University of Texas Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Felikson’s study was published in Nature Geoscience on April 17. Read more: <a href="https://go.nasa.gov/2pJJwNA" rel="nofollow">go.nasa.gov/2pJJwNA</a> Caption: Terminus of Kangerlugssuup Sermerssua glacier in west Greenland Photo credit: Denis Felikson, Univ. of Texas <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

NASA's Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace's rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA's Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace's rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA's Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace's rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace’s rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace’s rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA's Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace's rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace’s rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA's Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace's rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

NASA’s Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace’s rocket poised to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Some key components of a NASA-funded instrument being developed for the payload of the European Space Agency ExoMars mission stand out in thisillustration of the instrument

A NASA-funded disaster decision support system, provided a number of rapid response map data products to decision makers at the California Earthquake Clearinghouse following its activation for the Aug. 24, 2014 magnitude 6.0 earthquake in Napa, California

Graphics (McAlister) Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate 3D Laser Velocimeter for Rotor Flow Studies: Funding of Army 3D Laser Velocimeter Composite.

Portrait; Mary Horne, a NASA reimbursable accountant at Stennis Space Center, performs analysis and budgeting funds for SSC tenants and commercial customers. This photo was taken as part of a monthy feature called “Faces of Stennis.”

NASA - 77M prototype hall thruster built under the High Voltage Hall accelerator development project funded by the Science Mission Directorate ; potential use is propulsion for deep space science missions

Joseph Ladner stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where he leads a team managing the budgets to fund the nation’s premier propulsion test site.

United Negro College Fund Special Programs (UNCFSP) Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) symposium - NASA Harriet G. Jenkins Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Project

Senior Software Engineer Taylor Whitaker reports the results of a drawbar pull run to Astrobotic staff outside of the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith pit at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works facility on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the GMRO lab’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Astrobotic’s mass-offloaded CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – undergoes mobility testing inside the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith pit at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works facility on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the GMRO lab’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Astrobotic’s CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – undergoes mobility testing inside the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith pit at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works facility on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the GMRO lab’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Senior Software Engineer Taylor Whitaker stages Astrobotic’s mass-offloaded CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – for a drawbar pull test inside the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith pit at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works facility on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the GMRO lab’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

A mass-offloaded version of Astrobotic’s CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – is used to simulate mobility in low lunar gravity inside the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith pit at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works facility on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the GMRO lab’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Astrobotic’s CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – is photographed in its benchtop testing configuration at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is planning to use the spaceport’s Swamp Works facility and Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory to conduct mobility testing of their rover. The laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, will help depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Senior Software Engineer Taylor Whitaker (right) and Software Engineering intern Ashten Akemoto create a mobility routine for Astrobotic’s CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – using the company’s ground software at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the spaceport’s Swamp Works facility and the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory to conduct mobility testing of their rover. The laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, will help depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Senior Embedded Software Engineer Aamer Almujahed (left) and Software Engineering intern Ashten Akemoto run the ground software for Astrobotic’s CubeRover drawbar pull test inside the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith pit at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works facility on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the GMRO lab’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Robotics Software Engineer II Chris Rampolla (right) and Software Engineering intern Ashten Akemoto issue commands to Astrobotic’s CubeRover using the company’s ground software during mobility testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is using the spaceport’s Swamp Works facility and the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory to conduct mobility testing of their rover. The laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, will help depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

Robotics Software Engineer II Chris Rampolla runs benchtop verifications on Astrobotic’s CubeRover – a lightweight, modular planetary rover – before delivery to Swamp Works at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 30, 2022. Astrobotic – a Pittsburgh-based space robotics company – is planning to use Swamp Work’s Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant, to depict how the company’s CubeRover would perform on the Moon. NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided the funding for initial development, and a $2 million Tipping Point award from the agency has provided additional funding for continued development into a more mature rover.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the KSC Visitor Complex, past and present recipients of college scholarships awarded by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation stand up to be recognized by the audience. The occasion was the induction ceremony of four Space Shuttle astronauts into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, including Daniel Brandenstein, Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Story Musgrave, and Sally K. Ride. The Foundation awards 17 scholarships annually, each worth $8,500, to students interested in studying science and engineering. Since 1984, more than $1.7 million in scholarship funds have been awarded.

Radish plants are growing inside the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) ground unit inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 13, 2019. The plants are being grown as part of a science verification test for PH-02, a Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications-funded experiment which seeks to determine the effects of spaceflight on radishes. The APH is a highly automated plant growth chamber with 180 sensors and is able to closely regulate variables related to plant growth.

Dr. Dava Newman, NASA's deputy administrator, speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo. The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Construction is under way for the X-33/X-34 hangar complex near the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC. The Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) complex will include facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. It will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, left, and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Dr. John P. Holdren are seen during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden listens to his introduction by Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Dr. John P. Holdren during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Mike Gass, President and Chief Executive, United Launch Alliance is seen during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum Ellen Stofan gives remarks during an event were Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit was unveiled for the first time in 13 years, Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The unveiling of the crowd funded spacesuit conservation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Vice President of the United States Mike Pence gives remarks during an event were Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit was unveiled for the first time in 13 years, Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The unveiling of the crowd funded spacesuit conservation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers remarks during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

This closeup photo shows the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At right is a multi-purpose hangar and to the left is a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and KSC

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers keynote remarks at the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) workshop, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate formulated and funds COSMIC, aiming to create a nationwide aerospace community alliance that provides global leadership in space mobility and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) for use in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, deep space, and on planetary surfaces. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit, left, and Andrew Hunter, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Strategy, Budget, and Performance, right, are seen as NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, right, is seen with Representative Robert Aderholt, R-AL, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee's Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee prior to a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2020 funding request and budget justification for the agency, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Bob Pearce, associate administrator for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, answers a question from a member of the media during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Felisa Wolfe-Simon, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

A worker takes a measurement for construction of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) complex at KSC. Located near the Shuttle Landing Facility, the complex will include facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. It will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Radish plants are growing inside the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) ground unit inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 13, 2019. The plants are being grown as part of a science verification test for PH-02, a Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications-funded experiment which seeks to determine the effects of spaceflight on radishes. The APH is a highly automated plant growth chamber with 180 sensors and is able to closely regulate variables related to plant growth.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Robert Millman of Blue Origin is seen during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- ISS International Partners donate funds to the Combined Federal Campaign and United Way at KSC to benefit the Sept. 11 recovery efforts. From left are Steve Mozes of the Canadian Space Agency, Agostino Verghini of the Italian Space Agency, Frank Ramsey of United way, Center Director Roy D. Bridges Jr. and Director of International Space Station_Payload Processing Tip Talone

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers keynote remarks at the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) workshop, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate formulated and funds COSMIC, aiming to create a nationwide aerospace community alliance that provides global leadership in space mobility and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) for use in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, deep space, and on planetary surfaces. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers remarks during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Dr. Dava Newman, NASA's deputy administrator, speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo. The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A baby alligator is displayed during the dedication of the Sendler Education Outpost, located at Dummit Cove on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR). The outpost is a resource for environmental educational students in the Central Florida area. It is named for Karl Sendler, a space pioneer and manager under Dr. Kurt Debus, KSC's first center director. Funding for the facility was provided by the Merritt Island Wildlife Association with assistance from MINWR and Kennedy Space Center.

Radish plants are growing inside the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) ground unit inside a laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 13, 2019. The plants are being grown as part of a science verification test for PH-02, a Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications-funded experiment which seeks to determine the effects of spaceflight on radishes. The APH is a highly automated plant growth chamber with 180 sensors and is able to closely regulate variables related to plant growth.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a lead researcher and NASA astrobiology research fellow, speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Dr. Dava Newman, NASA's deputy administrator, speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo. The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers remarks during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Pamela Conrad, an astrobiologist from Goddard Space Flight Center, speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA-funded astrobiology research has changed the fundamental knowledge about what comprises all known life on Earth. Researchers conducting tests in the harsh environment of Mono Lake in California have discovered the first known microorganism on Earth able to thrive and reproduce using the toxic chemical arsenic. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Dr. Dava Newman, NASA's deputy administrator, speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo. The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

S98-04906 (23 Jan. 1998) --- A three-quarter frontal view of the flight article of the Service Module (SM) for the International Space Station (ISS). The first fully Russian contribution to ISS, the SM will provide early power, propulsion, life support, communications and living quarters for the station. It will be the third station element to be launched and join the United States-funded, Russian-built Functional Cargo Block (FGB) and the United States connecting module Node 1 in orbit.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers keynote remarks at the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) workshop, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate formulated and funds COSMIC, aiming to create a nationwide aerospace community alliance that provides global leadership in space mobility and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) for use in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, deep space, and on planetary surfaces. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Bob Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, gives a thumbs up as he speaks to NASA workers and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An owl is held just before its release during the dedication of the Sendler Education Outpost, located at Dummit Cove on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR). The outpost is a resource for environmental educational students in the Central Florida area. It is named for Karl Sendler, a space pioneer and manager under Dr. Kurt Debus, KSC's first center director. Funding for the facility was provided by the Merritt Island Wildlife Association with assistance from MINWR and Kennedy Space Center.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers remarks during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Daniel Perez, Ph.D., a graduate student from the University of Miami, prepares layers of the prototype structure for a new solid-state battery in the Prototype Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The size of the battery is so small that it could be a prime candidate for use in microsatellites, including CubeSats. Researchers at Kennedy are collaborating with experts at the University of Miami. The university partnership is funded through the Small Spacecraft Technology Program, in NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies during a hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

STS113-370-012 (2 December 2002) --- The horizon of a blue and white Earth and the blackness of space form the backdrop for this view, as two miniature satellites are released from the Space Shuttle Endeavour as part of an experiment referred to as MEPSI. Funded by the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the two small satellites, which are tethered together, were released from Endeavour’s payload bay (visible in foreground) to fly free for three days as a technology demonstration of the launcher and use of micro- and nano-technologies in space systems.

Bob Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to NASA workers across the nation and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost.

A model of an aircraft with a Transsonic Truss-Braced Wing is seen during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers keynote remarks at the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) workshop, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate formulated and funds COSMIC, aiming to create a nationwide aerospace community alliance that provides global leadership in space mobility and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) for use in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, deep space, and on planetary surfaces. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Vice President of the United States Mike Pence gives remarks during an event were Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit was unveiled for the first time in 13 years, Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The unveiling of the crowd funded spacesuit conservation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Bob Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks toNASA workers and members of the news media, during a Moon to Mars event in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay on March 11, 2019. The event followed the delivery of President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal to U.S. Congress, which includes funding for the agency’s Moon to Mars initiative and Gateway lunar outpost.

Daniel Perez, Ph.D., a graduate student from the University of Miami, displays a piece of the prototype structure for a new solid-state battery in the Prototype Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The size of the battery is so small that it could be a prime candidate for use in microsatellites, including CubeSats. Researchers at Kennedy are collaborating with experts at the University of Miami. The university partnership is funded through the Small Spacecraft Technology Program, in NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Todd Citron, chief technology officer, The Boeing Company, answers a question from a member of the media during a news conference on NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, DC. Through a Funded Space Act Agreement, The Boeing company and its industry team will collaborate with NASA to develop and flight-test a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing demonstrator aircraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Vice President of the United States Mike Pence gives remarks during an event were Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit was unveiled for the first time in 13 years, Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The unveiling of the crowd funded spacesuit conservation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers keynote remarks at the Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) workshop, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate formulated and funds COSMIC, aiming to create a nationwide aerospace community alliance that provides global leadership in space mobility and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) for use in Earth orbit, lunar orbit, deep space, and on planetary surfaces. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gives remarks during an event were Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit was unveiled for the first time in 13 years, Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The unveiling of the crowd funded spacesuit conservation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gives remarks during an event were Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 spacesuit was unveiled for the first time in 13 years, Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The unveiling of the crowd funded spacesuit conservation marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission.Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, where it was announced that NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)