Tammy Long, NASA Communicaions, moderates a Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020. The Mars Perseverance rover is scheduled to launch July 30, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rover will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.
Jeff Sheehy, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, participates in a Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020. The Mars Perseverance rover is scheduled to launch July 30, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rover will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.
A Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing is held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2020. Participating in the briefing from left, are Tammy Long, moderator, NASA Communications, and Jeff Sheehy, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters. The Mars Perseverance rover is scheduled to launch July 30, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rover will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Michael Sims, NASA Ames gives a presentation on 'Operating Rovers on Mars'
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A KbalidAl-Ali CMU - West gives presentation on 'Practical Rover Technology'
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Dr Chris McKay of Ames offers open discussion about rovers in the exporation of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Dr Chris McKay of Ames offers open discussion about rovers in the exporation of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A KbalidAl-Ali CMU - West gives presentation on 'Practical Rover Technology'
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A KbalidAl-Ali CMU - West gives presentation on 'Practical Rover Technology'
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Dr Chris McKay of Ames offers open discussion about rovers in the exporation of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Dr Chris McKay of Ames offers open discussion about rovers in the exporation of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Blsg 943A. Introduction by NASA Astronaut Yvonne Cagle on assignment at Ames Research Center.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Dr Chris McKay of Ames offers open discussion about rovers in the exporation of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Dr Chris McKay of Ames offers open discussion about rovers in the exporation of Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Tech Talk on Extreme Rovers: Unveiling the latest findings of Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments shown in the Immersve Theater NASA Ames Exploration Center Bldg 943A Michael Sims, NASA Ames gives a presentation on 'Operating Rovers on Mars'
iss069e054897 (8/7/2023) --- A view of the Quest Multi Experiment Module #6 aboard the International space Station (ISS). The 9U Space Tango CubeLab carries 14 individual student-designed experiments and a tech demo, including exploration of magnetism, fluidics, microbial behavior, and plant growth in space.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide surveys what students in the tech crew in the Space Shuttle Simulator room are doing during a visit to Arlington Science Focus Elementary School, Friday, June 10, 2022, in Arlington, Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
In the Swamp Works laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns, from the left, Jeremiah House, Thomas Muller and Austin Langdon are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of Exploration Research and Technology. House is studying computer/electrical engineering at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Muller is pursuing a degree in computer engineering and control systems and Florida Tech. Langdon is an electrical engineering major at the University of Kentucky. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.
In the Swamp Works laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Thomas Muller, left, and Austin Langdon are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of Exploration Research and Technology. Muller is pursuing a degree in computer engineering and control systems and Florida Tech. Langdon is an electrical engineering major at the University of Kentucky. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, and Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, shake hands after the signing of the Artemis Accords, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson looks on as Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, signs the Artemis Accords, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Kennedy Space Center’s Luke Roberson, a principal investigator with the flight technology branch, has received several patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Certificates recognizing those patents are on display in his office at the Florida spaceport’s Space Station Processing Facility.
Luke Roberson, a principal investigator with the flight technology branch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, discusses patents and new technology reports for a video that targets internal audiences at NASA. Roberson’s contributions are reflected in multiple U.S. patents.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States Lilit Makunts, pose for a picture after the signing of the Artemis Accords, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States Lilit Makunts, left, delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, second from left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia look on, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, second from left, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States Lilit Makunts look on, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, left, delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony as NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States Lilit Makunts, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, second from left, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States Lilit Makunts look on, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, left, delivers remarks during an Artemis Accords signing ceremony as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer Littlejohn, second from left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States Lilit Makunts, look on, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The Republic of Armenia is the 43rd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
A science instrument flying aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative could help improve our understanding of the Moon. The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity, or LISTER, is one of 10 payloads set to be carried to the Moon by the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander in 2025. Developed jointly by Texas Tech University and Honeybee Robotics, LISTER’s planned mission is to measure the flow of heat from the Moon’s interior using a specialized drill. Investigations and demonstrations, such as LISTER, launched on CLPS flights will help NASA study Earth’s nearest neighbor under Artemis and pave the way for future crewed missions on the Moon. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development and operations for seven of the 10 CLPS payloads that will be carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.
Rising high school juniors and seniors from Ascension Parish, Louisiana, visit the Thad Cochran Test Stand on June 6 during a tour of NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The students are part of the week-long BASF Tech Academy, in coordination with River Parishes Community College, where participants learn about technical careers and education. NASA Stennis is preparing the test stand to test the exploration upper stage, which will fly on future SLS (Space Launch System) missions as NASA continues its mission of exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. The upper stage is being built at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans as a more powerful second stage to send the Orion spacecraft to deep space. It is expected to fly on the Artemis IV mission. Before that, it will be installed on the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-2) at NASA Stennis to undergo a series of Green Run tests of its integrated systems to demonstrate it is ready to fly.
One of three small rovers bound for the Moon took an autonomous test drive in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in December 2023. Along with a base station that will be mounted on a lunar lander, the three rovers make up the agency's CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) technology demonstration. This video was taken during a test of the rovers' ability to drive together as a team without direct commands from engineers. If the CADRE tech demo succeeds on the lunar surface, future missions could include teams of robots spreading out to take scientific measurements from different locations simultaneously, potentially in support of astronauts. In this test, the rover's solar panels were closed, and black plastic covers protected the ultralight aluminum wheels to prevent their grousers from catching on the clean-room floor. Video available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26297
Team members and their advisor, far right, from Montana Tech of the University of Montana, prepare their robot miner on the second day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, May 15, in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Shuttle Main Engine Shop at KSC, the STS-114 crew poses for a photo in front of two of the main engines. Crew members, from left, are Mission Commander Eileen Collins, Mission Specialists Charles Camarda and Wendy Lawrence, Pilot James Kelly, and Mission Specialists Andrew Thomas and Soichi Noguchi, who represents the Japanese Aerospace and Exploration Agency. Behind them are Dan Hausman (director, Product Support, Boeing), Dan Sweety (manager, Safety & Mission Assurance, Boeing) and Matt McClelland (team manager, Tech Ops, Boeing). The STS-114 mission is Logistics Flight 1, which is scheduled to deliver supplies and equipment plus the external stowage platform to the International Space Station.
On the first day of NASA's 9th Robotic Mining Competition, set-up day on May 14, team members from Montana Tech of the University of Montana work on their robot miner in the RobotPits in the Educator Resource Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. More than 40 student teams from colleges and universities around the U.S. will use their mining robots to dig in a supersized sandbox filled with BP-1, or simulated Lunar soil, gravel and rocks, and participate in other competition requirements. The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to encourage students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could be used on NASA's deep space missions.
NASA's Super Guppy aircraft arrives to the U.S. Army’s Redstone Airfield in Huntsville, Alabama, April 2, to pick up flight hardware for NASA’s Space Launch System – its new, deep-space rocket that will enable astronauts to begin their journey to explore destinations far into the solar system. The Guppy will depart on Tuesday, April 3 to deliver the Orion stage adapter to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for flight preparations. On Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of the SLS and the Orion spacecraft, the adapter will connect Orion to the rocket and carry 13 CubeSats as secondary payloads. Rumaasha Maasha, an aerospace engineer in Marshall's Spacecraft & Vehicle Systems Department, tours the cockpit of NASA's Super Guppy aircraft April 3 when it landed at Marshall to pick up the Orion stage adapter for transportation to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Maasha holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering, is a certified aviation maintenance tech and pilot and previously worked as a 747 loadmaster and airline refueler.
Technicians and scientists check out one of the Webb telescope's first two flight mirrors in the clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn ----- The first two of the 18 primary mirrors to fly aboard NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope arrived at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The mirrors are going through receiving and inspection and will then be stored in the Goddard cleanroom until engineers are ready to assemble them onto the telescope's backplane structure that will support them. Ball Aerospace, Boulder, Colo., under contract to Northrop Grumman, is responsible for the Webb’s optical technology and lightweight mirror system. On September 17, 2012, Ball Aerospace shipped the first two mirrors in custom containers designed specifically for the multiple trips the mirrors made through eight U.S. states while completing their manufacturing. The remaining 16 mirrors will make their way from Ball Aerospace to Goddard over the next 12 months as they await telescope integration in 2015. To read more go to: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/webb-tech-mirrors-delivered.html" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/webb-tech-mirrors...</a> <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/NASA_GoddardPix" 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>
Kennedy Space Center employees participate in an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, undergoes vibration testing inside the Vibration Test Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 14, 2021. The tests are part of ongoing preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Gino Carro, a pressure vessels and systems engineer for Kennedy Space Center’s Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract, prepares NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for vibration tests inside the Vibration Test Lab at the Florida spaceport on Jan. 14, 2021. The tests are part of ongoing preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, undergoes vibration testing inside the Vibration Test Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 14, 2021, in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Melanie Pickett, right, a post-doctorate researcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to Center Director Bob Cabana about an Algae Membrane Photobioreactor she and others are working on developing during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. The bioreactor device would eliminate the need for sending pre-treated water – currently used to break down urine – to the International Space Station, reducing the amount of human exposure to toxic chemicals. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Two Kennedy Space Center employees engage in conversation during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
A Kennedy Space Center employee participates in an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
A Kennedy Space Center employee attends an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, undergoes vibration testing inside the Vibration Test Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 14, 2021. The tests are part of ongoing preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Lisa-Watson Morgan, NASA’s Human Landing System program manager, provides an overview of the program to Kennedy Space Center employees in the Florida spaceport’s Training Auditorium on Nov. 19, 2019. Watson-Morgan’s presentation was part of the center’s Innovation Days, one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. In addition to the presentation, Kennedy employees had the opportunity to attend an innovation showcase, where nearly 50 exhibitors demonstrated new technologies and innovations. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to employees during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to participate in the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Plants utilized for ground experiments at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida that complement plant research on the International Space Station are photographed at an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room to participate in the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering an encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Kennedy Space Center Chief Technologist Barbara Brown, left, and Deputy Chief Technologist Kathy Loftin are photographed during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, undergoes vibration testing inside the Vibration Test Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 14, 2021, in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
A Kennedy Space Center employee demonstrates a new technology during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to participate in the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
An interactive augmented reality sandbox, used by Swamp Works personnel to visually demonstrate the work being done in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center to produce high-fidelity models of rocket plume impingement on the lunar surface, is photographed during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room to participate in the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering an encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Kennedy Space Center Associate Director, Technical, Kelvin Manning tries out a virtual reality headset during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Kennedy Space Center employees participate in an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Melanie Pickett, a post-doctorate researcher at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. A first-time participant, Pickett presented information on an Algae Membrane Photobioreactor she and others are developing that would eliminate the need for sending water treated with toxic chemicals – currently used to break down urine – to the International Space Station. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), prepares OSCAR for vibration tests inside the Vibration Test Lab at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 14, 2021. The tests are part of ongoing preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Lisa-Watson Morgan, NASA’s Human Landing System program manager, provides an overview of the program to Kennedy Space Center employees in the Florida spaceport’s Training Auditorium on Nov. 19, 2019. Watson-Morgan’s presentation was part of the center’s Innovation Days, one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. In addition to the presentation, Kennedy employees had the opportunity to attend an innovation showcase, where nearly 50 exhibitors demonstrated new technologies and innovations. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy.
Gino Carro, a pressure vessels and systems engineer for Kennedy Space Center’s Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract, prepares NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for vibration tests inside the Vibration Test Lab at the Florida spaceport on Jan. 14, 2021. The tests are part of ongoing preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Inside the Vibration Test Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) undergoes vibration testing on Jan. 14, 2021, in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Lisa-Watson Morgan, NASA’s Human Landing System program manager, provides an overview of the program to Kennedy Space Center employees in the Florida spaceport’s Training Auditorium on Nov. 19, 2019. Watson-Morgan’s presentation was part of the center’s Innovation Days, one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. In addition to the presentation, Kennedy employees had the opportunity to attend an innovation showcase, where nearly 50 exhibitors demonstrated new technologies and innovations. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy.
A Kennedy Space Center employee participates in an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to demonstrate new technologies and innovations during the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Lisa-Watson Morgan, NASA’s Human Landing System program manager, provides an overview of the program to Kennedy Space Center employees in the Florida spaceport’s Training Auditorium on Nov. 19, 2019. Watson-Morgan’s presentation was part of the center’s Innovation Days, one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. In addition to the presentation, Kennedy employees had the opportunity to attend an innovation showcase, where nearly 50 exhibitors demonstrated new technologies and innovations. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy.
Gino Carro, a pressure vessels and systems engineer for Kennedy Space Center’s Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract, prepares NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for vibration tests inside the Vibration Test Lab at the Florida spaceport on Jan. 14, 2021. The tests are part of ongoing preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications, and ensure waste is no longer biologically active.
Applied Physics Laboratory Lead Physicist Dr. Bob Youngquist demonstrates technology recently used to resolve a technical challenge at Kennedy Space Center during an innovation showcase on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to participate in the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Kennedy Space Center engineers conduct vibration tests inside the Florida spaceport’s Vibration Test Lab on Jan. 14, 2021, in preparation for the suborbital flight of NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, slated for later this year. From left are Gino Carro, a pressure vessels and systems engineer for the center’s Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract; Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for OSCAR; David Rinderknecht, NASA chemical engineer; and Malay Shah, NASA thermal/fluid analysis engineer. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space.
Barbara Brown, chief technologist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks to Kennedy employees inside the Florida spaceport’s Training Auditorium on Nov. 19, 2019, during Innovation Days. One of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy, Innovation Days highlights how employees at the multi-user spaceport are constantly looking for new solutions to challenges they face at work. Also part of Innovation Days was an innovation showcase, where nearly 50 exhibitors demonstrated new technologies and innovations. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy.
Kennedy Space Center employees are photographed at an innovation showcase, hosted by the Office of the Chief Technologist, on Nov. 19, 2019, in the Florida spaceport’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room. On the bottom right is Kathy Loftin, deputy chief technologist at Kennedy. Nearly 50 exhibitors gathered to participate in the center’s Innovation Days – one of several events throughout the year aimed at fostering and encouraging an innovative culture at Kennedy. Showcase participants included individuals from multiple directorates, programs and organizations throughout Kennedy. In addition to the showcase, employees had the opportunity to attend an overview presentation on NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS), hosted by HLS Program Manager Lisa Watson-Morgan.
Kennedy Space Center engineers conduct vibration tests inside the Florida spaceport’s Vibration Test Lab on Jan. 14, 2021, in preparation for the suborbital flight of NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, slated for later this year. From left are Gino Carro, a pressure vessels and systems engineer for the center’s Laboratory Support Services and Operations contract; David Rinderknecht, NASA chemical engineer; Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for OSCAR; and Malay Shah, NASA thermal/fluid analysis engineer. Beginning as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space.
A model of a tiny, wedge-shaped robot designed to explore subsurface oceans of icy moons, right, sits beside a large waterproof capsule containing electronics and sensors for testing below glacial ice at the Juneau Icefield in Alaska in July 2023. The model, about 5 inches (12 centimeters) long, was 3D-printed to show the final envisioned size of a futuristic NASA mission concept called SWIM, short for Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers. Led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory from spring 2021 to fall 2024, SWIM envisions a swarm of dozens of self-propelled, cellphone-size robots exploring the waters of icy moons like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's Enceladus. Delivered to the subsurface ocean by an ice-melting cryobot, the tiny robots would zoom away to look for chemical and temperature signals that could point to life. The capsule shown here contains the first generation of an ocean composition sensor built for the SWIM robots by a team at Georgia Tech. The final version of the sensor would enable each robot to simultaneously measure temperature, pressure, acidity or alkalinity, conductivity, and chemical makeup. During the Alaska field test, the team lowered the capsule through a borehole in the ice and measured pressure and conductivity down to a depth of 164 feet (50 meters). This field test was conducted as part of a JPL-managed project called ORCAA (Ocean Worlds Reconnaissance and Characterization of Astrobiological Analogs). Known as an analog mission, ORCAA is working to answer science questions and test technology in preparation for a potential future mission to explore the surface or subsurface of icy moons. ORCAA is funded by NASA's Planetary Science and Technology from Analog Research program. SWIM was supported by Phase I and II funding from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program under the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. JPL is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26424
Jim Mantovani, left, and A.J. Nick, with Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration and Research and Technology programs, unbox a CubeRover at the Florida spaceport on Oct. 9, 2020. The rover was delivered by Pittsburgh-based space robotics company Astrobotic, as part of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award from NASA. Nick will lead CubeRover testing in the coming months in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant at Kennedy’s Swamp Works. In 2019, NASA announced a $2 million Tipping Point award to develop more mature CubeRover’s payload interfaces and increase its capabilities.
Chemical Engineer David Rinderknecht prepares the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for thermal testing Jan. 26, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tests are in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year facilitated by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. The testing ensures the thermal environment of the payload won’t create additional hazards during flight and that OSCAR can successfully operate within the temperature range it may encounter as it performs tests in microgravity.
The Astrobotic CubeRover traverses the terrain in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design. Also in the bin is NASA’s Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR), a robotic platform designed to dig on the Moon. The regolith bin simulates the Moon’s surface.
The Astrobotic CubeRover traverses a trench in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design.
Chemical Engineer David Rinderknecht, left, and Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), prepare OSCAR for thermal testing Jan. 26, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tests are in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year facilitated by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. The testing ensures the thermal environment of the payload won’t create additional hazards during flight and that OSCAR can successfully operate within the temperature range it may encounter as it performs tests in microgravity.
Chemical Engineer David Rinderknecht, left, and Thermal/Fluid Analysis Engineer Malay Shah prepare the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for thermal testing Jan. 26, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tests are in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year facilitated by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. The testing ensures the thermal environment of the payload won’t create additional hazards during flight and that OSCAR can successfully operate within the temperature range it may encounter as it performs tests in microgravity.
Jaime Toro assembles the flight hardware for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
Chemical Engineer David Rinderknecht prepares the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for thermal testing Jan. 26, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tests are in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year facilitated by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. The testing ensures the thermal environment of the payload won’t create additional hazards during flight and that OSCAR can successfully operate within the temperature range it may encounter as it performs tests in microgravity.
Jim Mantovani, left, and A.J. Nick, with Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration and Research and Technology programs, unbox a CubeRover at the Florida spaceport on Oct. 9, 2020. The rover was delivered by Pittsburgh-based space robotics company Astrobotic, as part of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award from NASA. Nick will lead CubeRover testing in the coming months in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant at Kennedy’s Swamp Works. In 2019, NASA announced a $2 million Tipping Point award to develop more mature CubeRover’s payload interfaces and increase its capabilities.
The Astrobotic CubeRover traverses the terrain in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design.
The Astrobotic CubeRover traverses the terrain in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design. Also in the bin is NASA’s Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR), a robotic platform designed to dig on the Moon. The regolith bin simulates the Moon’s surface.
Taylor Whitaker, flight software engineer, monitors the progress of the Astrobotic CubeRover during its test run in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design.
A.J. Nick, with Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration and Research and Technology programs, unboxes a CubeRover at the Florida spaceport on Oct. 9, 2020. The rover was delivered by Pittsburgh-based space robotics company Astrobotic, as part of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award from NASA. Nick will lead CubeRover testing in the coming months in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant at Kennedy’s Swamp Works. In 2019, NASA announced a $2 million Tipping Point award to develop more mature CubeRover’s payload interfaces and increase its capabilities.
Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for OSCAR, prepares the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) for thermal testing Jan. 26, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tests are in preparation for a scheduled suborbital flight test later this year facilitated by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program. The testing ensures the thermal environment of the payload won’t create additional hazards during flight and that OSCAR can successfully operate within the temperature range it may encounter as it performs tests in microgravity.
A.J. Nick, left, and Jim Mantovani, with Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration and Research and Technology programs, unbox a CubeRover at the Florida spaceport on Oct. 9, 2020. The rover was delivered by Pittsburgh-based space robotics company Astrobotic, as part of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award from NASA. Nick will lead CubeRover testing in the coming months in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant at Kennedy’s Swamp Works. In 2019, NASA announced a $2 million Tipping Point award to develop more mature CubeRover’s payload interfaces and increase its capabilities.
Team members assemble the flight hardware for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Annie Meier, Gino Carro, Evan Bell and Jamie Toro. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
Team members Malay Shah, left, and Evan Bell assemble the flight hardware for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
Astrobotic employee Troy Arbuckle, at right, Planetary Mobility lead mechanical engineer, and NASA employee A.J. Nick, with Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration and Research and Technology programs, observe the Astrobotic CubeRover during its test run in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design.
Jaime Toro assembles the flight hardware for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
From left, team members Annie Meier, Malay Shah and Jamie Toro assemble the flight hardware for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
Jim Mantovani, left, and A.J. Nick, with Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration and Research and Technology programs, unbox a CubeRover at the Florida spaceport on Oct. 9, 2020. The rover was delivered by Pittsburgh-based space robotics company Astrobotic, as part of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award from NASA. Nick will lead CubeRover testing in the coming months in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory’s regolith bin, which holds approximately 120 tons of lunar regolith simulant at Kennedy’s Swamp Works. In 2019, NASA announced a $2 million Tipping Point award to develop more mature CubeRover’s payload interfaces and increase its capabilities.
Astrobotic employees Troy Arbuckle, at left, Planetary Mobility lead mechanical engineer, and Taylor Whitaker, flight software engineer, prepare the Astrobotic CubeRover for its test run in the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory regolith bin at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2020. The regolith bin simulates the mechanical properties of the Moon’s surface. NASA and Astrobotic employees put the CubeRover through a series of more than 150 mobility tests over several days to evaluate and improve wheel design.
From left, team members Malay Shah, Gino Carro and Evan Bell assemble the flight hardware for NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
Trent Smith, Veggie project manager, Exploration Research and Technology Programs, is in the Veggie Laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 27, 2018. Next to him are zinnia flowers grown from seeds germinated in the Veggie plant growth system on the International Space Station. The seeds were returned to Earth and researchers in the SSPF planted them in the Veggie control unit and grew the colorful flowers.
Members of NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, team pause for a photo with the flight hardware on Oct. 10, 2019, in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Gino Carro, Tom Cauvel, Jaime Toro, Evan Bell, Malay Shah and Annie Meier. OSCAR is an Early Career Initiative project at the spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. A prototype has been developed, and the team is in the process of constructing a new rig for a suborbital flight test.
A close-up view of a zinnia flower grown in the Veggie Laboratory in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Nov. 27, 2018. Seeds from zinnias growing on the space station were returned to Earth. Researchers in the SSPF planted the seeds in the Veggie control unit and grew the colorful flowers.
A Kennedy Space Center employee works on assembling the flight hardware of NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR – an Early Career Initiative project at the Florida spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications and ensure waste is no longer biologically active. A prototype has already been developed, and a team of Kennedy employees are in the process of constructing a new rig for suborbital flight testing.
Kennedy Space Center employees assemble the flight hardware of NASA’s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR – an Early Career Initiative project at the Florida spaceport that studies technology to convert trash and human waste into useful gasses such as methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By processing small pieces of trash in a high-temperature reactor, OSCAR is advancing new and innovative technology for managing waste in space. OSCAR would reduce the amount of space needed for waste storage within a spacecraft, turn some waste into gasses that have energy storage and life support applications and ensure waste is no longer biologically active. A prototype has already been developed, and a team of Kennedy employees are in the process of constructing a new rig for suborbital flight testing.