
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, left, and NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen, right, pose for a photograph with the representatives of the nine U.S. companies that are eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The representatives of the companies are: Steve Altemus, President and CEO of Intuitive Machines; 2nd from left, Sean Mahoney, CEO, Masten Space Systems Inc; Eric Salwan, Director of Commercial Business Development, Firefly Aerospace; Jennifer Jensen, Vice President, National Security & Space, Draper; Joe Landon, VP of Advanced Programs, Commercial Civil Space, Lockheed Martin Space; Steve Bailey, Deep Space Systems Inc; Daven Maharaj, Chief Operating Officer, Moon Express Inc; John Thornton, CEO, Astrobotic Technology Inc; and Jeff Patton, Chief Engineering Advisor, Orbit Beyond Inc, 2nd from right. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Justin Link, left, Red Jensen and Derek Abramson prepare for an Alta-X aircraft flight as part of the Advanced Exploration of Reliable Operation at Low Altitudes: Meteorology, Simulation and Technology campaign. In the background are Grady Koch and Jennifer Fowler. The campaign was at NASA Armstrong to study wind from the ground to 2,000 feet to provide data to assist future drones to safely land on rooftop hubs called vertiports and to potentially improve weather prediction.

Jennifer Fowler talks to Red Jensen prior to a flight for the Advanced Exploration of Reliable Operation at Low Altitudes: Meteorology, Simulation and Technology campaign. Tyler Willhite completes some equipment checks for the research in the background. The weather study was at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The focus was to study wind from the ground to 2,000 feet to provide data to assist future drones to safely land on rooftop hubs called vertiports and to potentially improve weather prediction.