Masten Space Systems’ Xodiac lander completes a tethered flight test at the Mojave Air & Space Port. Xodiac is one of several suborbital vehicles used to flight test NASA-sponsored technologies supported by the agency’s Flight Opportunities program.

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.

This artist concept shows a robot with legs that have microspine grippers, which could potentially explore a rocky surface, such as an asteroid, in microgravity.

Scientists at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory have developed a tool for grappling non-cooperative objects that incorporates gecko-like adhesives. The adhesives are reusable and can be turned on and off.

This is a hopping/tumbling robot called Hedgehog that scientists at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory will test on a parabolic aircraft flight.

Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), performs ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

Members of the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) team perform ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

A member of the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) team performs ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), performs ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

Jaime Toro, an aerospace/mechanical engineer and member of the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) team, performs ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), performs ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

A member of the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) team performs ground testing 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. Begun as an Early Career Initiative project, OSCAR evaluates technology to make use of trash and human waste generated during long-duration spaceflight.

Two spacecraft engineers stand with three generations of Mars rovers developed at NASA JPL, Pasadena, Ca. Front and center is a flight spare of Sojourner, left is a working sibling to Spirit and Opportunity, right is test rover Curiosity.

Two spacecraft engineers stand with three generations of Mars rovers developed at NASA JPL, Pasadena, Ca. Front and center is a flight spare of Sojourner, left is a working sibling to Spirit and Opportunity, right is test rover Curiosity.

NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this view of a crater informally named Freedom 7 shortly before the 50th anniversary of the first American in space: astronaut Alan Shepard flight in the Freedom 7 spacecraft.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Professor Russ Westphal works on the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS) attached to the wing of a Beechcraft Beech 200 Super King Air aircraft. The BLDS was attached to the aircraft with removable adhesives for a flight test at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Professor Russ Westphal, left, and NASA Armstrong’s Technology Transfer Officer Benjamin Tomlinson remove the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS) sensor attached to the wing of a Beechcraft Beech 200 Super King Air. The BLDS was flight tested at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center to showcase rapid and flexible flight-testing capabilities.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo professors Russ Westphal, left, and Aaron Drake posed next to NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Beechcraft Beech 200 Super King Air aircraft. On the King Air’s wing is the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS), a sensor developed by Cal Poly and Northrop Grumman. BLDS was flown at NASA Armstrong as a step towards creating a process allowing universities, small businesses and other interested parties to quickly test flight technologies.

Masten Space Systems’ technicians prepare their Xodiac rocket to flight test Honeybee Robotics pneumatic sampler collection system, PlanetVac, in Mojave Desert.

Masten Space Systems’ Xodiac rocket flight tests Honeybee Robotics pneumatic sampler collection system, PlanetVac, in Mojave Desert.

NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this stereo view of a crater informally named Freedom 7 shortly before the 50th anniversary of the first American in space: astronaut Alan Shepard flight in the Freedom 7 spacecraft. You need 3D glasses.

California's NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Carla Thomas takes photos on January 31 of the rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth's shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

California's NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Carla Thomas takes photos on January 31 of the rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth's shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Lauren Hughes takes photos of the Super Blue Blood Moon eclipse from California’s Trona Pinnacles Desert National Conservation for the Jan. 31 of the total lunar eclipse that provided a rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth’s shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

California's NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Carla Thomas takes photos on January 31 of the rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon will pass through Earth's shadow and take on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

California’s NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s photographer Carla Thomas takes photos on January 31 of the rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth’s shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Lauren Hughes takes photos of the Super Blue Blood Moon eclipse from California’s Trona Pinnacles Desert National Conservation for the Jan. 31 of the total lunar eclipse that provided a rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth’s shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Lauren Hughes takes photos of the Super Blue Blood Moon eclipse from California's Trona Pinnacles Desert National Conservation for the Jan. 31 of the total lunar eclipse that provided a rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth's shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

California's NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Carla Thomas takes photos on January 31 of the rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth's shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

Masten Space Systems’ technician making adjustments to NASA’s autonomous landing technologies payload on Masten’s Xodiac rocket.

UP Aerospace employees preparing their SpaceLoft rocket to carry NASA technologies for testing in microgravity

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign on Feb. 27, 2023.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign on Feb. 27, 2023.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign on Feb. 27, 2023.

NASA Administrator Bridenstine talks to press at Scaled Composites hangar at Mojave Air & Space Port in California. He talks about X-planes and their future and the Flight Opportunities program as well as commercial space partnerships with the agency.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign on Feb. 27, 2023.

NASA Administrator Bridenstine talks to press at Scaled Composites hangar at Mojave Air & Space Port in California. He talks about X-planes and their future and the Flight Opportunities program as well as commercial space partnerships with the agency.

Pictured is a dual position Saturn I/IB test at the T-Stand at Marshall Space Flight Center. This stand was built to test two articles at the same time, thus providing engineers at MSFC with the opportunity to compare identical burns.

NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo gives remarks during an event where NASA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation signed a Space Act Agreement to collaborate and expand STEM opportunities for Latino K-12 and university students and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo gives remarks during an event where NASA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation signed a Space Act Agreement to collaborate and expand STEM opportunities for Latino K-12 and university students and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Krisdon Manecke and Danielle Burleson of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) view the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse at the Marshall Space Flight Center’s viewing opportunity at the activities building. The Huntsville area experienced 97 percent occultation, nearly a complete blocking out of the sun by the orbit of Earth's moon. The next opportunity to view a solar eclipse in the eastern and central United States will occur in April 2024.

NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo gives remarks during an event where NASA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation signed a Space Act Agreement to collaborate and expand STEM opportunities for Latino K-12 and university students and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo gives remarks during an event where NASA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation signed a Space Act Agreement to collaborate and expand STEM opportunities for Latino K-12 and university students and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, at the NASA Headquarters Mary W. Jackson Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, social media participants were given an opportunity to go inside the spaceport's Vehicle Assembly Building. They were given an opportunity to see the Orion spacecraft currently being prepared for its first flight test, Exploration Flight Test EFT-1. The social media participants gathered at the Florida spaceport for the launch of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, or TDRS-L spacecraft. Their visit included tours of key facilities and participating in presentations by key NASA leaders who updated the space agency's current efforts. Photo credit: NASA_Dan Casper

California’s NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center photographer Ken Ulbrich takes photos of Super Blue Blood Moon eclipse making a time-lapse composition of the event on January 31. The total lunar eclipse provided a rare opportunity to capture a supermoon, a blue moon and a lunar eclipse at the same time. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit and appearing 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second full moon of the month, this moon is also commonly known as a blue moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The super blue moon passed through Earth’s shadow and took on a reddish tint, known as a blood moon. This total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. The Moon passes directly behind the Earth into its umbra (shadow).

Space shuttle Endeavour and its host NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft fly by the Golden Gate Bridge in 2012 on its way to the Los Angeles International Airport and an overland journey to the California Science Center. Californians looked up at the morning sky Sept. 21 to catch a glimpse of Endeavour. The final leg of Endeavour’s flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, offered many people an opportunity to witness the historic flight. Space shuttle Endeavour and its host NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft fly by the Golden Gate Bridge in 2012 on its way to the Los Angeles International Airport and an overland journey to the California Science Center. Californians looked up at the morning sky Sept. 21 to catch a glimpse of Endeavour. The final leg of Endeavour’s flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, offered many people an opportunity to witness the historic flight.

Samuel J. Scott, Administrative Operations Specialist, Acquisition Division; Mary W. Jackson, Federal Women's Program Manager, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs; Fabiola C. Martin, Contract Specialist, Acquisition Division; and Gilbert A. Haynes, Head of the Experimental Avionics Section, Flight Electronics Division, represented Langley recently at the annual National Football League Players' Association Youth Camp in Culpepper, Va. The camp offered four two-week sessions with approximately 60 youngsters attending each session. Serving as role models to minority youth from the Washington, D.C. area, the Langley employees each attended a session for one day discussing their careers and providing information on opportunities at Langley, as part of the community outreach effort of the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs. This was the first year that Langley participated in the camp's activities. Published in the Langley Researcher, August, 28, 1981 page 2.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy shows he is ready to enter the orbiter Endeavour, which is in an Orbiter Major Modification period. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign. Prior to deploying the plane, NASA research pilot Jeff Borton provides ground checks of the aircraft on Feb. 27, 2023.

iss069e000660 (April 1, 2023) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen conducts research operations for the Foams and Emulsions physics experiment that observes the dispersion of bubbles and droplets in liquids that may lead to newer, more advanced space research and expanded commercial opportunities in space.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy takes a turn on a screw on Endeavour. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy is ready to exit Endeavour after watching and talking to workers inside. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Center Director Jim Kennedy (left) takes an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Here he prepares to don a bunny suit in the Orbiter Processing Facility before entering the orbiter Endeavour, which is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

STS104-309-003 (12-24 July 2001) --- Astronaut James F. Reilly, STS-104 mission specialist, moves toward aft flight deck windows on the Space Shuttle Atlantis for a viewing opportunity. Reilly is one of five NASA astronauts aboard the Atlantis who will be participating in work on the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign. Prior to deploying the plane, NASA research pilot Jeff Borton provides ground checks of the aircraft on Feb. 27, 2023.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under workers’ watchful eyes in the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy (center) takes a turn on a screw on Endeavour. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy is ready to don the final part of the “bunny suit” before entering the orbiter Endeavour, which is in an Orbiter Major Modification period. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under a worker’s watchful eyes in the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) takes a turn on a screw on Endeavour. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside Endeavour, in the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy (foreground) learns from workers how they do their work. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

Marshall Space Flight Center employees view the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse at the center’s activities building. The Huntsville area experienced 97 percent occultation, nearly a complete blocking out of the sun by the orbit of Earth's moon. The next opportunity to view a solar eclipse in the eastern and central United States will occur in April 2024.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy pauses in his “bunny suit” -- clean room apparel -- before entering the orbiter Endeavour, which is in an Orbiter Major Modification period. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under a worker’s watchful eyes in the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) takes a turn on a screw on Endeavour. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Under a worker’s watchful eyes in the Orbiter Processing Facility, Center Director Jim Kennedy (right) takes a turn on a screw on Endeavour. Kennedy is taking an opportunity to learn first-hand what workers are doing to enable Return to Flight. Endeavour is in an Orbiter Major Modification period.

Steve Shih, NASA associate administrator for Diversity & Equal Opportunity, addresses NASA team members during a Nov. 6 mentoring event at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center. Shih discussed ways for team members on both sides of the mentoring equation to get the most out of the experience.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign. Prior to deploying the plane, NASA research pilot Jeff Borton provides ground checks of the aircraft on Feb. 27, 2023.

iss057e074529 (Nov. 9, 2018) --- Expedition 57 Flight Engineer Serena Auñón-Chancellor is pictured mixing protein crystal samples to help scientists understand how they work. Proteins crystallized in microgravity are often higher in quality than those grown on Earth and present opportunities for the development of new drugs to treat disease.

Robert Wilson of the Solar/Solar terrestrial Studies team at the National Space Science and Technology Center, a joint research and collaborative think tank partnership of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and the Marshall Space Flight Center, adjusts his telescope which is set up as a viewing opportunity for MSFC employees prior to the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse event. The Huntsville area experienced 97 percent occultation, nearly a complete blocking out of the sun by the orbit of Earth's moon. The next opportunity to view a solar eclipse in the eastern and central United States will occur in April 2024.

STS-87 Commander Kevin Kregel holds the crew patch in front of Columbia’s entry hatch at Launch Pad 39B during Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. The crew of the STS-87 mission is scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay

With the theme of “Mission, People, Partners,” NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Director Jody Singer outlined how the center’s priorities align with the agency’s strategic plan in the first Marshall Association luncheon of the year March 14 in the Activities Building. The Marshall Association offers opportunities to network and share ideas with colleagues and members of the Marshall community. The Marshall Association offers opportunities to network and share ideas with colleagues and members of the Marshall community. Membership is open to NASA employees, retirees, contractors and community members. Membership dues support the annual scholarship program and other events throughout the year.

NASA’s C-20A with Generation Orbit’s hypersonic testbed attached is chased by the agency’s F-18 jet for safety and photography.

In the skies above NASA Armstrong in Southern California, Generation Orbit’s hypersonic pod is flight tested on agency C-20A.

NASA’s C-20A with Generation Orbit’s hypersonic pod attached undergoes flight test overs skies of Armstrong Flight Research Center.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

jsc2017e011403 (01/30/2017) --- Marshal Space Flight Center Director Todd May tries out the NASA Mark III advanced space suit picture opportunity which is part of the NASA Future Flight exhibits and activities attracting thousands of people attending the Houston Texas Super Bowl events at Discovery Green Jan. 30, 2017. NASA and the Johnson Space Center have many attractions in their Future Flight area for the estimated 100,000 visitors a day throughout the Super Bowl week ending February fifth.

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.

The Morgan County Economic Development Association and the City of Decatur, in Partnership with the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), hosted a business forum on, How to Launch Your Business with NASA, Wednesday, October 18, 2017, at the Alabama Center for the Arts in downtown Decatur, AL. The event was open to all businesses allowed them to connect with Senior NASA representatives and their prime contractors. The program guided businesses through the process of working with NASA as a supplier, subcontractor, and/or a service provider. The Marshall Space Flight Center’s projected procurement budget in FY 2018 is approximately $2.2 billion and numerous procurement opportunities are available for small business participation each fiscal year. The program included Todd May, Director of Marshall Space Flight Center; Johnny Stephenson, Director of Marshall Space Flight Center’s Office of Strategic Analysis and Communication; David Brock, Small Business Specialist with Marshall Space Flight Center; and Lynn Garrison, Small Business Specialist Technical Advisor with Marshall Space Flight Center. Additionally, there was a prime contractor panel consisting of representatives from five NASA prime contractors. The event included a dedicated networking session with those prime contractors. The “Launch Your Business With NASA” event provides those in attendance the opportunity to network with key Marshall Space Flight Center procurement and technical personnel, and representatives of several major Marshall Space Flight Center prime contractors.Arts.

Kevin Kregel, commander of the STS-87 crew, participates in a news briefing at Launch Pad 39B during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Selected by NASA in 1992, Kregel is a veteran of two space flights (STS-70 and 78) and has logged over 618 hours in space. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-87 is scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from pad 39B at KSC

Steven Lindsey, the pilot of the STS-87 crew, participates in a news briefing at Launch Pad 39B during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A major in the U.S. Air Force, Lindsey became an astronaut in May 1996. This is his first flight on the Space Shuttle, but he previously has logged more than 2,700 hours of flying time in 49 different types of aircraft. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-87 is scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from pad 39B at KSC

In the Space Station Processing Facility, (from left) David Bethay, Boeing/ISS Florida Operations; Charlie Precourt, deputy manager of the International Space Station Program; and Tip Talone, director of Space Station and Payload Processing, give an overview of Space Station processing for the media. Members of the media were invited to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the launch of the first element of the International Space Station by touring the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at KSC. Reporters also had the opportunity to see Space Station hardware that is being processed for deployment once the Space Shuttles return to flight. The facility tour also included an opportunity for reporters to talk with NASA and Boeing mission managers about the various hardware elements currently being processed for flight.

Members of the media (at left) were invited to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the launch of the first element of the International Space Station by touring the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at KSC. Giving an overview of Space Station processing are, at right, David Bethay (white shirt), Boeing/ISS Florida Operations; Charlie Precourt, deputy manager of the International Space Station Program; and Tip Talone, director of Space Station and Payload Processing at KSC. Reporters also had the opportunity to see Space Station hardware that is being processed for deployment once the Space Shuttles return to flight. The facility tour also included an opportunity for reporters to talk with NASA and Boeing mission managers about the various hardware elements currently being processed for flight.

Members of the media (at right) were invited to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the launch of the International Space Station by touring the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at KSC. Giving an overview of Space Station processing are, at left, David Bethay (white shirt), Boeing/ISS Florida Operations; Charlie Precourt, deputy manager of the International Space Station Program; and Tip Talone, director of Space Station and Payload Processing at KSC. Reporters also had the opportunity to see Space Station hardware that is being processed for deployment once the Space Shuttles return to flight. The facility tour also included an opportunity for reporters to talk with NASA and Boeing mission managers about the various hardware elements currently being processed for flight.

Photograph taken November 8,1984. Student Symposium Meeting Left to right Vivian Merritt, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Mary Jackson, Manger, Federal Woman’s Program, guest speaker Mr. James Jennings, and Katherine Johnson, Flight Dynamics and Control Division. Jennings’ career has included management and analyst positions at the Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Headquarters. He is known for his ability to work with people and get things done. Jennings is a member of numerous professional and community organizations. He has served as Chairman of the KSC Combined Federal Campaign and Savings Bond Drive. Jennings has received numerous awards during his NASA career including an Equal Employment Opportunity Award in 1975, an Exceptional Service Medal in 1988, the Equal Employment Opportunity Medal in 1989, and an Outstanding Leadership Medal in 1994. Jennings also received the Distinguished Service Award in 1989 and the President's Award in 1999 from the Space Coast Chapter of the Federally Employed Women. He was conferred the rank of Meritorious Executive in 1997, and received the 1999 Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.

Photograph taken November 8,1984. Student Symposium Meeting Left to right Vivian Merritt, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Mary Jackson, Manger, Federal Woman’s Program, guest speaker Mr. James Jennings, and Katherine Johnson, Flight Dynamics and Control Division. Jennings’ career has included management and analyst positions at the Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Headquarters. He is known for his ability to work with people and get things done. Jennings is a member of numerous professional and community organizations. He has served as Chairman of the KSC Combined Federal Campaign and Savings Bond Drive. Jennings has received numerous awards during his NASA career including an Equal Employment Opportunity Award in 1975, an Exceptional Service Medal in 1988, the Equal Employment Opportunity Medal in 1989, and an Outstanding Leadership Medal in 1994. Jennings also received the Distinguished Service Award in 1989 and the President's Award in 1999 from the Space Coast Chapter of the Federally Employed Women. He was conferred the rank of Meritorious Executive in 1997, and received the 1999 Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.

The Node 2 and other hardware undergoing processing for transport to the International Space Station are made available to photographers in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF). Members of the media were invited to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the launch of the first element of the International Space Station by touring the SSPF. Reporters had the opportunity to see Space Station hardware that is being processed for deployment once the Space Shuttles return to flight, as well as talk with NASA and Boeing mission managers about the various hardware elements currently being processed for flight.

Space shuttle Endeavour and its host NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft fly over Disneyland in 2012 on its way to the Los Angeles International Airport, and an overland journey to the California Science Center. Californians gazed at the morning sky Sept. 21 looking to see Endeavour over their community. The final leg of Endeavour’s flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, offered many people an opportunity to witness the historic flight.

STS009-05-0153 (28 Nov. - 8 Dec. 1983) --- Though STS-9 was the space shuttle Columbia's sixth spaceflight, it was the first opportunity for an onboard galley, some of the results of which are shown in this 35mm scene on the flight deck. The metal tray makes for easy preparation and serving of in-space meals for crew members. This crewman is seated at the pilot's station on the flight deck. The actual galley is located in the middeck. Photo credit: NASA

NASA's Ares I-X rocket is seen on launch pad 39b at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday, Oct. 26, 2009. The flight test of Ares I-X, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009, will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.

KIM WHITSON, DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AT THE MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA, SPEAKS TO THE NASA / MARSHALL SMALL BUSINESS ALLIANCE MEETING ON SEPT. 18 AT THE DAVIDSON CENTER FOR SPACE EXPLORATION AT THE U.S. SPACE & ROCKET CENTER. MORE THAN 450 REPRESENTATIVES FROM SMALL BUSINESSES DISCUSSED POTENTIAL SUB-CONTRACTING OPPORTUNITIES WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM MARSHALL CENTER, JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, STENNIS SPACE CENTER AND THE NASA SHARED SERVICES.