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NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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A world-wide space leader

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite into orbit. While it was a dummy payload, with very few scientific or military instruments on board, it stroke fear to non-communist countries around the world.

On the other side of the world, what was believed to be the Western Super power, the United States, was struggling to keep up with the Soviet Union. So in 1958, Congress drafted and approved the National Aeronautics and Space Act. It was then signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on July 29, 1958. With that, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was created.

NASA’s goal since then has been to develop new technologies for both use in our atmosphere and in space. It was also designed to lead the nations new civil space program in openness, a contrast to the Soviet Union.

Since then the agencies has grown and now leads the world in both funding and number of projects it can run. NASA has become the organizer of other space agencies to collaborate to do bigger things than what we could do on our own, as well as be the champion of commercial space applications. (Sometimes.)

NASA is headquartered in Washington DC, and the current administrator is former US Senator Bill Nelson.

Space Exploration

Since the agencies beginning, space exploration has been NASA’s primary mission. Beginning with Project Mercury, to Gemini, Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and now Artemis, NASA leads the world in expanding exploration of space.

International Space Station

Arguably the largest ongoing space mission that NASA is involved in is the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is a habitable modular space station involving five space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA. Construction of the orbital laboratory began on November 20, 1998.

NASA’s four enduring strategic goals are as follows:

  • Expand human knowledge via new scientific discoveries
  • Extend human presence deeper into space for sustainable, long-term utilization
  • Address national issues and catalyze economic growth
  • Optimize capabilities and operations

The Artemis Program

Currently, NASA’s major space exploration program is a daring adventure to return humanity to the Moon. The plan consists of the agency’s SLS rocket and Orion space capsule. The program originally started as a fully public program but has since switched over to using the growing commercial space sector to help develop parts of the program.

Artemis consists of multiple programs and contracts to meet its goal of returning humanity back to Moon sustainably and to stay this time. To do that, NASA has taken a big bet that in the future there will be a commercial market for access to the Moon.

NASA developed the primary launcher for crew, SLS and Orion, while it has partnered with the commercial industry for everything else. Contracts have been signed for NASA to purchase lunar landers, spacesuits, rovers, and resupply services commercially rather than owning the systems itself.

Eventually, NASA could be just one of many customers served by these services it helped create.

The global alliance pioneering NASA’s Lunar Gateway

NASA’s Lunar Gateway program represents a pivotal initiative under the agency’s leadership, aimed at facilitating sustainable human and robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars. This program is characterized by its emphasis on international and commercial partnerships, establishing a strategic outpost orbiting Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor to support scientific research, lunar surface expeditions, and deeper space ventures.

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NASA ushers in new era of space exploration with newest class of astronauts

In a ceremony at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the agency introduced its latest class of astronauts, 10 graduates ready to take humanity further into space as part of the Artemis program. Selected from over 12,000 hopefuls in 2021, these astronauts have completed rigorous training and are now poised for missions that could span from stays aboard the International Space Station or trips to the lunar surface and beyond.

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The story of Odysseus: America’s first lunar landing since Apollo

Over the last few weeks we’ve been following the travels of Intuitive Machine‘s IM-1 mission. The first of its kind lander made several firsts, the biggest being bringing the commercial market to the lunar surface for the first time. While the mission has ended for now, there’s a lot to talk about good old Odysseus.

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Earth-based surgeons control robot aboard ISS in historic experiment

In an experiment conducted over the weekend, surgeons stationed on Earth achieved a significant milestone by remotely controlling a small robot to perform surgery aboard the International Space Station. This highly anticipated event, involving the cutting of rubber bands as part of a surgical simulation, marks the first surgery of its kind in orbit that plays a giant leap in the development of space surgery capabilities. 

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For one last time a Space Shuttle has been lifted into launch position

Monday evening Space Shuttle Endeavour was lifted and installed onto its final resting spot which it should be rather familiar with. For the first time since the Space Shuttle’s retirement a full Shuttle stack has been assembled in launch position. However, this one won’t be rolling out to any launch pad any time soon.

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Artemis 2 gets a 10 month delay over Orion safety concerns

NASA announced in a stacked press conference that the agency is delaying its much anticipated Artemis 2 mission over safety concerns with the Lockheed Martin Orion spacecraft. Now slated for a September 2025 launch date, the delay also extends to Artemis 3 which is planned to liftoff one year after Artemis 2.

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Hubble placed in safe mode after continued gyro troubles [U: Back up]

NASA stated that it has paused scientific operations on the Hubble Space Telescope while its in a self imposed safe mode after it experienced yet again more gyro issues. This isn’t the first time Hubble has experienced this sort of trouble and it only seems to be getting worse as the space observatory ages.

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Reasons to be thankful for NASA this Thanksgiving

Through the year we in the media and the public regularly take shots at NASA and criticize them on a number of issues. While that’s our job to keep the agency accountable, sometimes it can sound like continued negativism.

So like what many of you here in the US will be doing tonight around the dinner table, here are three reasons I’m thankful for NASA this year.

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Thanksgiving in space over the years

For 20 years there has been a human presence in space on board the International Space Station (ISS). In those 20 years plenty of astronauts have made the sacrifice to be away from family and friends during Thanksgiving to continue the world’s push for new scientific discovery. Even though they are in space and remain busy, they still get the chance to celebrate the holiday.

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