May 4, 2024

This Week @NASA: SpaceX Crew-7 Mission Launches, Storm From Space, Lunar Exploration

Throughout a current training session for the Artemis II astronauts, information from NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was made use of to acquaint them with the lunar views theyll experience on their forthcoming objective around the Moon. (Illustration of an Artemis astronaut on the Moon.) Credit: NASA
A new team heads to the spaceport station …
A major storm found from space …
And a robotic spacecraft making it possible for human objectives to the Moon …

A few of the stories to inform you about– This Week at NASA!

During a recent training session for the Artemis II astronauts, data from NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was made use of to acquaint them with the lunar views theyll encounter on their upcoming objective around the Moon. On August 26, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft released to the International Space Station on NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 mission. Information from NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter or LRO was utilized during a recent training session to help acquaint the Artemis II astronauts with what they can expect to see from lunar orbit on their upcoming objective around the Moon. August 30 marked the forty-year anniversary of NASA astronaut Guy Bluford ending up being the first African American to fly in space. Bluford was a member of NASAs 1978 astronaut class, which included the first African Americans, the first Asian American, and the very first women astronauts.

NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 Mission Launches to the Space Station
On August 26, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched to the International Space Station on NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 mission. The next day, the four-person team, including NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, got to the orbital outpost and were welcomed aboard as part of the stations Expedition 69 crew. They will invest about six months conducting research study and innovation demonstrations on the area station to benefit life on Earth and future Artemis human expedition objectives to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
Astronaut photograph of Hurricane Idalia got on August 30, 2023. Credit: NASA
Cyclone Idalia Seen from the Space Station
External video cameras on the spaceport station captured views of significant Hurricane Idalia on August 30, not long after the storm made landfall near Keaton Beach, Florida as a Category 3 storm with winds of about 125 miles an hour. At the time, Idalia was moving north-northeast at about 18 miles an hour toward the southeast United States. Prior to landfall, the system had reached Category 4 storm status with winds of about 130 miles an hour.
Illustration of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credits: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Moon Orbiter Preparing Artemis Astronauts for Lunar Exploration
Data from NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter or LRO was used throughout a current training session to assist familiarize the Artemis II astronauts with what they can expect to see from lunar orbit on their approaching objective around the Moon. The training involved clinical visualizations to assist them identify lunar landmarks, geological functions, and locations of interest for future Artemis Moon landings. LRO has returned a treasure chest of scientific information throughout its fourteen years of observing the Moon.
In this image from September 5, 1983, Guion “Guy” Bluford checks out the sample pump on the continuous flow electrophoresis system (CFES) experiment in the middeck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle bus Challenger. Credit: NASA
August 30, 1983– Bluford Becomes First African American in Space
August 30 marked the forty-year anniversary of NASA astronaut Guy Bluford ending up being the very first African American to fly in area. He flew aboard the space shuttle bus Challenger on the STS-8 objective– the first night launch and night landing of the area shuttle bus program. Bluford belonged to NASAs 1978 astronaut class, which included the very first African Americans, the first Asian American, and the first females astronauts.
Thats whats up today @NASA!