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NASA Engages in Artemis Accords Workshop to Advance Exploration
NASA participated in the second international face-to-face workshop this week among Artemis Accords signatories, which featured space officials from two dozen nations focused on advancing the principles for the safe, peaceful, and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond. This year’s workshop was hosted by CSA (Canadian Space Agency) at their headquarters in Montreal May 21-23.
Since the Artemis Accords were created nearly four years ago, 39 countries have joined the United States in a voluntary commitment to engage in transparent and responsible behavior in space. The accords are meant to push humanity’s reach farther safely and sustainably into space than ever before and build on more than 23 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station.
“The Artemis Accords represent a shared vision for humanity’s exploration of space —one that transcends borders and fosters unity in our quest to expand our understanding of the cosmos,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, who participated virtually to jointly kick-off the workshop with CSA President Lisa Campbell. “The days of going to space alone are long over. We are in a new age where nations globally go to space to both explore deeper and gain better understanding about our place in the universe.”
During workshop, participants from 24 countries engaged in robust discussions and conducted a tabletop exercise centered on further defining and implementing key tenets, including considering views on non-interference, interoperability, and scientific data sharing among nations.
“The Artemis Accords are an important part of humanity’s future in space and Canada is very much committed to these principles. As we explore beyond Earth, we must do so in ways that are safe and sustainable, for the benefit of humanity and future generations. It was an honour to welcome brilliant minds from around the world to discuss how to conduct present and future space exploration activities safely, sustainably, and transparently through the application of the Artemis Accords,” said Campbell.
For example, during the workshop participants delved more deeply into topics such as non-interference and interoperability. These discussions build upon prior work such as an initial set of mission data parameters agreed to by the signatories last October. The data parameters identify necessary information about planned lunar surface missions including expected launch dates, the general nature of activities, and the landing location.
Sharing such information will support safer lunar operations by ensuring signatories respective missions do not inadvertently interfere with each other. Transparency and communication are keys to peaceful exploration, and the Artemis Accords signatories are committed to sharing information about their activities and outcomes through the United Nations of Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and other appropriate channels.
The commitments undertaken under the Artemis Accords, and the significant efforts by the signatories to advance implementation of these principles, are essential to the success of the Artemis campaign for NASA and its partners, as well as for the success of the safe and sustainable exploration activities of the other Accords signatories.
As the Artemis Accords workshop concluded May 23, participants reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the principles outlined in the Artemis Accords and to continue working collaboratively. The first workshop was hosted by Poland in 2023. Additional countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the weeks and months ahead. Signatory principals will gather again for face-to-face discussions on the margins of the International Astronautical Congress in October.
The United States and seven other nations were the first to sign the Artemis Accords in 2020, which identified an early set of principles that promote the beneficial use of space for all humanity, grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
For more information about the Artemis Accords, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords/
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Amber Jacobson / Jennifer Dooren
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov / jennifer.m.dooren@nasa.gov
Jennifer Scott Williams: Leading the Next Giant Leap in Space Exploration and Championing STEM Advocacy
Jennifer Scott Williams embodies leadership, innovation, and excitement for life. Her career has been a testament to her unwavering passion and versatility, navigating through various roles and significantly contributing to the agency’s milestones and evolution. In her 23 years at NASA, she has combined engineering, business, science communications, and leadership all into one.
Currently in the Center Director’s Office, Williams serves as NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche’s assistant for technical integration, supporting meetings such as readiness reviews for the International Space Station and Commercial Crew Programs. Her role also involves coordinating skip-level meetings for Dare | Unite | Explore and overseeing senior staff meetings to ensure that leadership remains informed about the activities happening across the center.
Official portrait of Jennifer Scott Williams. Credit: NASA/Josh ValcarcelShe also plays a role in the International Space Station Program’s Research Integration Office, ensuring crews aboard the space station have the tools they need to complete their research.
“Like many of our laboratories where astronauts conduct their research, understanding the engineering components of the facilities we use on board is crucial,” said Williams. “Understanding the science is also critical,” she added. “It adds meaning to our work when we help execute the science onboard and communicate the creative insights and results from the experiments conducted. Being a good communicator is extremely important and creativity makes that message real and mean something to the public.”
Jennifer Scott Williams (front) during a senior staff outreach event at the Remembering Columbia Museum in Hemphill, Texas.Her journey also included groundbreaking work on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, where she served as the instrumentation and communications officer on the Boeing Mission Operations Team. Her efforts established operational foundations that will shape its future space missions. Williams was instrumental in developing the vehicle communications systems, understanding its operations, creating simulations, coding, and comprehending the computer systems, addressing all the fundamental aspects necessary for the spacecraft.
Beyond her technical contributions, Williams is deeply committed to inspiring the next generation of explorers. She also managed the Minority University Research and Education Project, encouraging students of color to engage in STEM fields.
She led a team that collaborated with students, teachers, and educational institutions through the Pre-Service Teacher Program. Williams said that working in the Office of STEM Engagement was a new experience that became life-changing for her. “I really rediscovered a passion that I have for students and education,” she said. “I love being able to help interns navigate the NASA environment and help people of color be able to apply for NASA jobs. It takes all perspectives to accomplish our mission.”
Williams earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering from Spelman College and the Georgia Institute of Technology. She later received a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Houston. She belongs to the Spelman College National Alumni Association and holds a lifetime membership in the National Society of Black Engineers.
Jennifer Scott Williams’ headshot in the 2024 International Space Station calendar.Credit: NASA/Bill StaffordWilliams is an advocate for youth interested in pursuing STEM careers. Her advice is, “Come on and do it. We are out here,” she added “I love that we are embracing our differences instead of shunning differences because having people with different backgrounds, personalities, insights, and perspectives is what’s going to help us get back to the Moon.”
“For the Artemis Generation, we need creative minds,” she said. “We need artists, scientists, engineers, technologists, physicians, attorneys, and financial connoisseurs. This next generation is going to have to be open-minded thought seekers. They need to be willing to do things that we have never done before and take the risks so that we can put boots on the Moon and Mars.”
Jennifer Scott Williams with her family at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station on March 15, 2023.Williams also plays an integral role in Dare | Unite | Explore initiatives. She works with senior leadership to make sure the workforce has professional mobility and is able to get the training and resources for new opportunities. “We want to encourage employees to try new things, to learn, and to grow in different organizations,” she said. “Dare | Unite | Explore ensures that the Johnson workforce is fully supported in our efforts as we grow and develop and that our facilities and processes can support us and are in alignment with our future initiatives.”
“I never really thought I would work at NASA, but when I came here to interview, they put me in the shuttle simulator and I was hooked,” she said. “I encourage my children to pursue careers in STEM because it has been so beneficial to me throughout my life. The people that I have come across in my time here have been phenomenal. It makes me want to keep coming to work.”
Clare Luckey: Shaping the Future of Mars Missions and Inspiring the Artemis Generation
As a member of the Mars Architecture Team, Clare Luckey is one of the people at the forefront of designing the first crewed mission to the Red Planet. Her current work involves helping to develop the vision for the initial segment of Mars exploration missions. She also has been named one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 Class of 2024 in the Science category. Her commitment extends beyond the cosmos as she is deeply involved in community outreach, inspiring students to aim for the stars in space careers and encouraging diversity in STEM.
Starting her journey as an intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Operations in fall 2018, Luckey’s career trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. She began her career as a contractor at Barrios Technology, focusing on cargo integration for the International Space Station Program, then transitioned to a civil servant position in Center Operations by late 2020. Currently serving in the Exploration Mission Planning Office, Luckey’s role is critical not just in Mars exploration but also in the Artemis missions, where she contributes to Lunar Mission Planning in the Mission Analysis and Integrated Assessments team.
Official portrait of Clare Luckey. Credit: NASA/Josh ValcarcelLuckey’s innovative thinking is especially crucial as she navigates the complexities of planning travel to Mars. Her ability to compare and adapt strategies from near-term missions like Artemis to the long-term objectives of Mars colonization highlights her unique insight and adaptability. “Mars missions are more open to change because they are far in the future,” said Luckey. “We are still in the process of figuring out not only how to make decisions, but what decisions to make.”
Her influence extends far beyond engineering. Luckey’s engagement with global space leaders at the Space Symposium and her contributions as a panelist at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Science and Technology Forum exemplify her as a thought leader in aerospace. She also participated in the Space Generation Advisory Council, a board that advises the United Nations on next-generation space exploration concepts. “All of these opportunities have given me different insights into the larger space industry and space economy,” she said.
Clare Luckey, member of the Mars Architecture Team, shares her passion with NASA’s Johnson Space Center employees at the JSC Town Hall on Aug. 23, 2023.Credit: NASA/Riley McClenaghanReflecting on her journey, Luckey attributes her passion for space exploration to a middle school project, “Future Cities,” where she and her friends designed a futuristic Mars city. The project ignited her imagination and inspired her to think critically and creatively about the future. “It’s important to build the foundations of mathematics and science at a young age,” she said. “I am really passionate about getting other people who look like me involved in the space industry.”
Luckey’s involvement with the National Society of Black Engineers and her efforts to mentor and help students with school projects gives her great joy. “NASA can invest in the next generation by building a sustainable pipeline alongside sustainable space architecture,” she said. “You have to invest in communities and education so that kids grow up participating in a culmination of activities that make them want to be a part of NASA.” She believes that persistence, passion, and creativity are the top qualities for someone to excel in the space exploration industry.
As a vocal advocate for diversity in the space industry, Luckey emphasizes the importance of community and mentorship within NASA and beyond. “I try to reach out to people and build that community because it is important,” she said. “That’s one of the things that keeps people coming to work – no matter where you work. It’s not the work, it’s the people that keep you coming back. I work with a lot of great people that have built that NASA community.”
Clare Luckey at the NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop 2023, “To the Moon: The Next Golden Age of Human Spaceflight,” at the Galveston Island Convention Center on Feb. 8, 2023. Credit: NASA/Josh ValcarcelLuckey’s advice to aspiring space explorers is, “Just try. Even when you don’t think you’re capable or don’t think you know enough, you will learn as you go.” She also encourages students to search out opportunities and get involved at a young age. “There’s no wrong answer. Just do what you’re interested in, put effort into it, and you’ll end up where you want to go,” she said.
Her favorite part about working at NASA is the outlandishness of it all, she said. “People at NASA are really trying to build the future. The work we do here is amazing and not to be overlooked.” She is looking forward to the Artemis missions because this time is a completely new paradigm. “With Artemis, we’re going to the Moon to stay and to build sustainable architecture,” said Luckey. “We’re going to push forward. I am really excited to see how it turns out, and the international collaboration will be amazing for us.”
Her enthusiasm for the Artemis campaign and the future of international space collaboration shines through her work, envisioning a new era of lunar exploration and beyond. “I am grateful to be here,” she said. “The most important thing to me is to be humble and personable. I want to be someone that is approachable, helpful, and easy to learn from so that I can be a mentor to the next generation of students, in the same way that I had mentors.”
Clare Luckey, an engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.Credit: NASA/Bill StaffordHelen Ling, Changemaker
Helen Ling, seen here in a photo from Feb. 16, 1973, was influential in the inclusion of women in STEM positions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After majoring in Mathematics at the University of Notre Dame—the only woman to do so at the time—Ling joined her brother in working at JPL. She became a supervisor for the computing group in the 1960s, a team who was responsible for performing trajectory calculations.
Ling encouraged women within the computing group to attend night school to earn degrees that would allow them more professional opportunities within JPL. A pioneer for women’s rights in the workplace, Helen Ling was so admired in the computing group that those who worked under her lovingly referred to themselves as “Helen’s girls.” Many of “Helen’s girls” went on to become computer scientists and engineers within JPL thanks to the mentorship and guidance of Helen Ling.
Throughout her time at JPL, Ling developed software for the IRAS, Magellan, TOPEX/Poseidon, and Mars Observer missions, and retired in 1994.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Facility Systems Safety Engineer and Fall Protection Program Administrator Thu Nguyen
“I went back to school in 2016. So I had two kids that were three and five, and I was working full time, and I was doing the master’s program, taking two classes online. It took two years to get it done, and it was like a balancing act, and my kids had to watch the sacrifice in a sense. There were times when I had to take tests, and I was like, ‘OK, you’ve got to sit in the living room with your dad, or you’ve got to go to grandma’s house because I’ve got to take this test.’
“It was tough, but I had to get it done to show my kids that anything is possible. Things don’t get handed to you. You’ve got to work for them.
“And so, I made sure that when I graduated in August of 2018, we drove to the school, which is six hours away, so they could watch me walk across the stage and see, you know, the sacrifices I made so that we could be here. And so for them, it’s like – my little one, that’s what she wants to grow up to do: work for NASA and do safety like me. It’s cool.
“To them, I think it’s impactful, so they know that if you commit yourself and put the effort and work into it, you can do whatever you put your mind to. Both of my kids watched it, and they’re both in the STEM program at their school because they have a passion for math and science and want to try to make a difference in their own capacity.”
– Thu Nguyen, Facility Systems Safety Engineer and Fall Protection Program Administrator, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Image Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
Interviewer: NASA/Tahira Allen
Deputy Program Manager Vir Thanvi
“I had the privilege of being the very first project manager for [the] Near Space Network (NSN), and in my current role as deputy program manager for [the] Exploration and Space Communications Division, it is still in my portfolio. NSN is one of the [agency’s two] communication and navigation networks.
“When we see the volume and the variety of NASA, other agency, and commercial missions supported by the network, and the science being achieved, and the exploration being enabled — when you leave for the day, you feel accomplished that you contributed [to the] agency’s goal. You contributed toward [the] nation’s priorities, such as cislunar [exploration], and then you helped humankind by enabling the science and exploration.
“Without communication, every satellite in this space is a black box. So, just knowing that every single day we are flowing terabytes of data through relay and direct-to-earth services directly to our [missions], enabling the exploration and achieving the science — is a great sense of accomplishment.
“… Whatever role you are in, as long as you find a way to understand what mission, what goal, what objective you are contributing to, there is no bigger motivator than that.
“As a software programmer, normally you think that your job is to come in and write some code and solve some discrepancy reports and do the testing — and then you go home.
“But in the end, when you see that the program you are writing or fixing is something that controls the satellite that’s observing the sea levels and the sea temperatures or [controls] a capsule that is carrying astronauts, now you know you’re actually contributing to a bigger purpose, a bigger objective.
“I say that to my team, whenever I have an opportunity. I share with my team that they are enabling science and exploration for dozens of missions being supported by NSN. Initially it just seems like words, but once they start realizing [their contributions] are real, I can tell you those people don’t want to go anywhere. They just feel that sense of accomplishment.”
—Vir Thanvi, Deputy Program Manager, Exploration and Space Communications Projects Division, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Image Credit: NASA/Thalia Patrinos
Interviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos
NASA Marshall Team Supports Safe Travels for Space Station Science
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s payload technician Chris Honea, left, and quality assurance specialist Keith Brandon, right, on Feb. 29 carefully inspect the temperature sensors that help gather data and monitor progress during a crystals experiment. The zinc selenide-based crystals were grown on the International Space Station as part of an experiment to see how gravity affects their structure or growth, then de-integrated and inspected in Marshall’s Space Systems Integration & Test Facility (SSITF).By Jessica Barnett
During the International Space Station’s more than 25 years of operation, there have been more than 3,000 experiments conducted aboard the microgravity laboratory, and making sure scientific samples are kept safe through launch, spaceflight, experimentation, and the return trip to Earth takes a great deal of planning, testing, and preparation across NASA.
In February, team members at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, handled the de-integration of zinc selenide-based crystals grown on the space station as part of an experiment to study how a lack of gravity might affect the crystals’ growth and structure. The experiment was conducted using six sample cartridge assemblies heated up to 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,192 degrees Fahrenheit) inside the Materials Science Laboratory of the Materials Science Research Rack on the space station.
John Luke Bili, lead systems test engineer for the sample cartridge assemblies within Marshall’s Instrument Development, Integration, and Test Branch, begins the process by working with engineers, scientists, project personnel, and the experiment’s principal investigator to create an ampoule, or sealed glass vial, to use as a sample container.
“We’ll take the ampoule and do some ground testing, like a normal flight integration,” Bili said. “We’ll assemble it with the hardware we have, then we are responsible for completing different mitigation efforts to prepare for sealing the ampoule up and processing it at the required high temperatures.”
The team exposes the test article to extreme heat and pressure using a duplicate of the furnace on the space station, allowing them to also test the experiment’s software.
We have people in our branch that will write the code to run it on the space station automatically. We develop that code, then we work with Marshall’s Quality Department to test it.John Luke Bili
Lead Systems Test Engineer
The zinc selenide-based crystal experiment required six sample cartridge assemblies. After a month of preparation from Marshall’s team, the assemblies traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for a final round of packing before arriving at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch.
The assemblies launched on NASA’s SpaceX 24th commercial resupply services mission in December 2021 and NASA’s Northrop Grumman 19th commercial resupply services mission in August 2023. Each sample took about a week to process through the space station’s lab furnace. The samples were then brought back to Earth, with three of the six arriving at Marshall on Feb. 9, 2024.
While unpacking the crystal samples, team members took photos and notes of the tubes throughout the de-integration process in Marshall’s Space Systems Integration & Test Facility. The team includes technicians with 20 to 30 years of experience, ensuring samples safely travel to and from the station and helping expand access for researchers to explore microgravity, space exposure, and future missions in low Earth orbit.
An ampoule containing zinc selenide-based crystals rests on a table Feb. 29 in Marshall Space Flight Center’s Space Systems Integration & Test Facility. The ampoule was part of the sixth sample cartridge assembly retrieved from the International Space Station as part of an experiment to see how gravity affects the crystals’ structure or growth.“It’s really nice having that kind of experience when we’re working on the hardware that’s going in space,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of people that are very skilled machinists that are able to help us in a moment’s notice, we have people with a really good understanding of technical tolerances and stuff like that, and we have people with a lot of varying experience doing flight hardware integration and tests.”
For more than two decades, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
Learn more about the space station at:
https://nasa.gov/international-space-station/
Joel Wallace
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
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Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair
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Hubble Captures a Bright Spiral in the Queen’s Hair This Hubble Space Telescope image showcases the bright spiral galaxy NGC 4689. ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker, J. Lee, and the PHANGS-HST TeamThis NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the jewel-bright spiral galaxy NGC 4689, which lies 54 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. This constellation has the distinction of being the only one of the 88 constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as one named after the historical figure, Queen Berenice II of Egypt. The Latin word ‘coma’ references her hair, which means that NGC 4689 lies in the hair of a queen. Some people of Berenice’s time would have meant this quite literally, as the story goes that her court astronomer thought that a missing lock of Berenice’s hair had been catasterised (a word meaning ‘placed amongst the stars’) by the gods: hence the name of the constellation, Coma Berenices.
NGC 4689 holds an interesting — albeit less royal — place in modern astronomy. The universe is so incredibly vast that at a distance of 54 million light-years NGC 4689 is relatively nearby for a galaxy. This image includes data from two sets of observations, one made in 2019, the other in 2024 , and both are part of programs that observed multiple ‘nearby’ galaxies. The 2024 observing program is an interesting example of how Hubble — an extraordinarily productive telescope for more than three decades — and the James Webb Space Telescope complement each other. Observations collected by Webb stand to transform our understanding of how galaxies change and evolve over time, by providing infrared data at an unprecedented level of detail and clarity. However, ultraviolet and visible light observations from Hubble — such as those used to create this image — complement Webb’s observations. In this case, the Hubble data offer a more accurate assessment of the stellar populations of nearby galaxies, which is crucial to understanding their evolution. Hubble and Webb observations play an important role in developing our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve, and observations of NGC 4689 are a valuable part of that quest for knowledge. In fact, Hubble featured an image of the galaxy before, in 2020.
Text Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
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Rae Ann Meyer Named Deputy Director of NASA Marshall
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Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) Portrait: Rae Ann Meyer NASARae Ann Meyer has been selected as deputy director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, effective June 2.
In this role, Meyer will assist in leading Marshall’s nearly 7,000 on-site and near-site civil service and contractor employees and an annual budget of approximately $5 billion. She will also help guide the center as it continues to deliver vital propulsion systems and hardware, flagship launch vehicles, world-class space systems, state-of-the-art engineering technologies and cutting-edge science and research projects and solutions.
“I am thrilled to partner with Rae Ann in leading Marshall into this new era of space exploration,” said Center Director Joseph Pelfrey. “I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside her on Marshall’s executive leadership team for the last couple years, and her dedication, intelligence and care for our teams is unmatched. Marshall has a bright future with Rae Ann in this role.”
Meyer previously served as Marshall’s associate director from 2022-2024, where she led execution and integration of the center’s business operations, mission support enterprise functions, and budget management.
Throughout her NASA career, Meyer has served in multiple leadership positions at Marshall. She was previously deputy manager of Marshall’s Science and Technology Office. Named to the Senior Executive Service position in May 2019, she assisted in leading the organization responsible for planning, developing, and executing a broad range of science and technology investigations, programs, projects, and activities in support of NASA’s science, technology, and exploration goals. The office also leads the pursuit of new partnership opportunities with other government agencies and private industry. Meyer helped oversee an annual budget of more than $475 million and managed a diverse, highly technical workforce of approximately 300 civil service and contractor employees.
Among her other roles over the years, she was manager of Marshall’s Science and Technology Partnerships and Formulation Office from 2017-2019, worked a detail as technical advisor in 2016 for the Office of Strategy and Plans at NASA Headquarters in Washington, and was chief of key Engineering Directorate structure and flight analysis divisions at Marshall from 2007-2017. Meyer was manager of the Constellation Support Office in Marshall’s Science and Mission Systems Office from 2006-2007. She led Marshall’s In-Space Propulsion Technology Office from 2004-2006 and was assistant manager of the Space Transfer Technology Project from 2000-2002, managing in-space technology program funding at NASA centers nationwide. Meyer’s NASA career began in 1989 as a control mechanisms engineer in Marshall’s Propulsion Laboratory.
A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Meyer earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1989.
Learn more about Marshall’s work to support the nation’s mission in space at:
https://www.nasa.gov/marshall/
Lance Davis
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-640-9065
lance.d.davis @nasa.gov
Hannah Maginot
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-932-1937
hannah.l.maginot @nasa.gov
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NASA Selects Technology Transfer Services Contractor
NASA has awarded the Consolidated Agency Technology Transfer Services contract to Summit Technologies & Solutions, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia, to provide support for the agency’s Technology Transfer Program.
The performance-based firm-fixed price contract has a potential mission services value of $26 million and a maximum potential indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity value of $55 million. The contract begins on Saturday, June 1, with a one-year base period followed by four one-year option periods that may be exercised at NASA’s discretion.
Summit Technologies & Solutions will provide NASA tech transfer support at multiple centers including the agency’s headquarters in Washington, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Stennis Space Center in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, with the potential to support other agency field centers under the enterprise contract.
Under this HUBZone small business set-aside contract, the company will be responsible for supporting NASA’s mission to identify and protect NASA’s intellectual property with commercial potential and transfer those technologies to entrepreneurs, companies, universities, non-profits, business incubators and innovation ecosystems, and state and local governments to create jobs, promote economic development, create technological advantages for American companies, and improve life here on Earth.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
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Tiernan Doyle
Headquarters, Washington
202-774-8357
tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
Molly Porter
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-424-5158
molly.a.porter@nasa.gov
What is 3D-MAT?
The 3-Dimensional Multifunctional Ablative Thermal Protection System (3D-MAT) is a thermal protection material developed as a critical component of Orion, NASA’s newest spacecraft built for human deep space missions. It is able to maintain a high level of strength while enduring extreme temperatures during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere at the end of Artemis missions to the Moon. 3D-MAT has become an essential piece of technology for NASA’s Artemis campaign that will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon and prepare for human expeditions to Mars, for the benefit of all.
The 3D-MAT project emerged from a technical problem in early designs of the Orion spacecraft. The compression pad—the connective interface between the crew module, where astronauts reside, and the service module carrying power, propulsion, supplies, and more—was exhibiting issues during Orion’s first test flight, Exploration Flight Test-1, in 2014. NASA engineers realized they needed to find a new material for the compression pad that could hold these different components of Orion together while withstanding the extremely high temperatures of atmospheric re-entry. Using a 3D weave for NASA heat shield materials had been explored, but after the need for a new material for the compression pad was discovered, development quickly escalated.
This led to the evolution of 3D-MAT, a material woven with quartz yarn and cyanate ester resin in a unique three-dimensional design. The quartz yarn used is like a more advanced version of the fiberglass insulation you might have in your attic, and the resin is essentially a high-tech glue. These off-the-shelf aerospace materials were chosen for their ability to maintain their strength and keep heat out at extremely high temperatures. 3D-MAT is woven together with a specialized loom, which packs the yarns tightly together, and then injected with resin using a unique pressurized process. The result is a high-performance material that is extremely effective at maintaining strength when it’s hot, while also insulating the heat from the spacecraft it is protecting.
The 3D-MAT thermal protection material.NASAWithin three years, 3D-MAT went from an early-stage concept to a well-developed material and has now been integrated onto NASA’s flagship Artemis campaign. The use of 3D-MAT in the Orion spacecraft’s compression pad during the successful Artemis I mission demonstrated the material’s essential role for NASA’s human spaceflight efforts. This development was made possible within such a short span of time because of the team’s collaboration with small businesses including Bally Ribbon Mills, which developed the weaving process, and San Diego Composites, which co-developed the resin infusion procedure with NASA.
The team behind its development won the NASA Invention of the Year Award, a prestigious honor recognizing how essential 3D-MAT was for the successful Artemis flight and how significant it is for NASA’s future Artemis missions. The inventor team recognized includes Jay Feldman and Ethiraj Venkatapathy from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Curt Wilkinson of Bally Ribbon Mills, and Ken Mercer of Dynovas.
3D-MAT has applications beyond NASA as well. Material processing capabilities enabled by 3D-MAT have led to other products such as structural parts for Formula One racecars and rocket motor casings. Several potential uses of 3D-MAT in commercial aerospace vehicles and defense are being evaluated based on its properties and performance.
Milestones- Winner of NASA Invention of the Year Award in 2023
- Flown on Artemis I in 2022
- Being assessed for use by multiple Department of Defense and commercial aerospace entities
The 3D-MAT project is led out of NASA Ames with the support of various partners, including Bally Ribbon Mills, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Viginia, with the support of the Game Changing Development Program through NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.
Learn more- NASA release: First 3D woven composite for NASA thermal protection systems (March 29, 2016)
- NASA release: Advancements in Thermal Protection Materials Change the Game for Orion (April 3, 2015)
- NASA Spinoff release: 3D Weaving Technology Strengthens Spacecraft, Race Cars (2017)
- NASA Technology Transfer Program webpage: Multifunctional Ablative Thermal Protection System, 3D-MAT
- Technical paper: “Development of an Ablative 3D Quartz/Cyanate Ester Composite for the Orion Spacecraft Compression Pad,” by Feldman, J. D., Venkatapathy, E., Wilkinson, C., and Mercer, K. J SAMPE TP15-0195, Composites and Advanced Materials Expo, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX, Oct. 2015
Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom.
Share Details Last Updated May 23, 2024 Related TermsGalaxies Actively Forming in Early Universe Caught Feeding on Cold Gas
Researchers analyzing data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have pinpointed three galaxies that may be actively forming when the universe was only 400 to 600 million years old. Webb’s data shows these galaxies are surrounded by gas that the researchers suspect to be almost purely hydrogen and helium, the earliest elements to exist in the cosmos. Webb’s instruments are so sensitive that they were able to detect an unusual amount of dense gas surrounding these galaxies. This gas will likely end up fueling the formation of new stars in the galaxies.
“These galaxies are like sparkling islands in a sea of otherwise neutral, opaque gas,” explained Kasper Heintz, the lead author and an assistant professor of astrophysics at the Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. “Without Webb, we would not be able to observe these very early galaxies, let alone learn so much about their formation.”
“We’re moving away from a picture of galaxies as isolated ecosystems. At this stage in the history of the universe, galaxies are all intimately connected to the intergalactic medium with its filaments and structures of pristine gas,” added Simone Nielsen, a co-author and PhD student also based at DAWN.
Image: Galaxy Forming in the Early Universe (Artist’s Concept) This illustration shows a galaxy forming only a few hundred million years after the big bang, when gas was a mix of transparent and opaque during the Era of Reionization. Data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows that cold gas is falling onto these galaxies.In Webb’s images, the galaxies look like faint red smudges, which is why extra data, known as spectra, were critical for the team’s conclusions. Those spectra show that light from these galaxies is being absorbed by large amounts of neutral hydrogen gas. “The gas must be very widespread and cover a very large fraction of the galaxy,” said Darach Watson, a co-author who is a professor at DAWN. “This suggests that we are seeing the assembly of neutral hydrogen gas into galaxies. That gas will go on to cool, clump, and form new stars.”
The universe was a very different place several hundred million years after the big bang during a period known as the Era of Reionization. Gas between stars and galaxies was largely opaque. Gas throughout the universe only became fully transparent around 1 billion years after the big bang. Galaxies’ stars contributed to heating and ionizing the gas around them, causing the gas to eventually become completely transparent.
By matching Webb’s data to models of star formation, the researchers also found that these galaxies primarily have populations of young stars. “The fact that we are seeing large gas reservoirs also suggests that the galaxies have not had enough time to form most of their stars yet,” Watson added.
This is Only the StartWebb is not only meeting the mission goals that drove its development and launch – it is exceeding them. “Images and data of these distant galaxies were impossible to obtain before Webb,” explained Gabriel Brammer, a co-author and associate professor at DAWN. “Plus, we had a good sense of what we were going to find when we first glimpsed the data – we were almost making discoveries by eye.”
There remain many more questions to address. Where, specifically, is the gas? How much is located near the centers of the galaxies – or in their outskirts? Is the gas pristine or already populated by heavier elements? Significant research lies ahead. “The next step is to build large statistical samples of galaxies and quantify the prevalence and prominence of their features in detail,” Heintz said.
The researchers’ findings were possible thanks to Webb’s Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, which includes spectra of distant galaxies from the telescope’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph), and was released immediately to support discoveries like this as part of Webb’s Early Release Science (ERS) program.
This work has been published in the May 24, 2024 issue of the journal Science.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
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Research Paper: published in the May 24, 2024 issue of the journal Science.
Media ContactsLaura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Claire Blome cblome@stsci.edu, Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
Infographic: Era of Reionization Infographic
Article: How Webb Can Study the Early Universe
Video: Galaxies through Time
Video: Scientists’ Perspective: Science Snippets
Article: Galaxy Basics
Article: Galaxy Evolution
More Webb News – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/
More Webb Images – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/
Webb Mission Page – https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
Related For KidsVIDEO: Reading the Rainbow of Light from an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
En EspañolPara Niños : Qué es una galaxia?
Keep Exploring Related Topics James Webb Space TelescopeWebb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…
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Share Details Last Updated May 23, 2024 Editor Stephen Sabia Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov Related Terms
A Moonlit Moonwalk
NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, foreground, and Andre Douglas execute a nighttime simulated moonwalk in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona on May 16, 2024, as part of the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team Field Test 5 (JETT5). The test consisted of four simulated moonwalks that followed operations planned for Artemis III and beyond. During the test, two integrated teams worked together as they practiced end-to-end lunar operations. The field team consisted of astronauts, NASA engineers, and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, while a team of flight controllers and scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston monitored and guided their activities.
At the conclusion of each simulated moonwalk, the science team, flight control team, crewmembers, and field experts came together to discuss and record lessons learned. NASA will take these lessons and apply them to operations for NASA’s Artemis missions, commercial vendor development, and other technology development.
See more images from the JETT5 field test.
Image Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel
40 Years Ago: NASA Selects its 10th Group of Astronauts
On May 23, 1984, NASA announced the selection of its 10th group of astronauts. Chosen from nearly 5,000 applicants, the group comprised 17 astronaut candidates – seven pilots and 10 mission specialists – and included three women and one Hispanic American. They reported for duty on July 2 to begin their year-long training period to qualify as astronauts, following which they became eligible for flight assignments. As a group, they distinguished themselves, participating in a total of 51 spaceflights, two of them as space station expedition commanders. All members of the group completed at least one spaceflight, with two making a single trip into space, five making two trips, four going three times, four flying four times, one flying five times, and one making six trips.
The Group 10 NASA astronaut candidates pose for a group photo on their arrival day at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston – front row, Mark C. Lee, left, L. Blaine Hammond, James C. Adamson, Kenneth D. Cameron, Frank L. Culbertson, William M. Shepherd, Ellen L. Shulman, Michael J. McCulley, Kathryn C. Thornton, and C. Lacy Veach; back row, Sidney M. Gutierrez, Mark N. Brown, John H. Casper, G. David Low, James D. Wetherbee, Marsha S. Ivins, and Manley L. “Sonny” Carter.
On May 16, 1983, NASA announced the institution of an annual astronaut selection process. The agency accepted applications for the first round between Oct. 1 and Dec. 1, 1983, anticipating selection of six pilots and six mission specialists in the spring of 1984. NASA received 4,934 applications, selecting 128 candidates for interviews and extensive medical exams at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in February and March 1984 in groups of about 20. On May 23, 1984, NASA introduced the 17 new astronaut candidates, the third group of space shuttle astronauts. The newest class of astronaut candidates included Kenneth D. Cameron, John H. Casper, Frank L. Culbertson, Sidney M. Gutierrez, L. Blaine Hammond, Michael J. McCulley, and James D. Wetherbee as the seven pilot candidates; and James C. Adamson, Mark N. Brown, Manley L. “Sonny” Carter, Marsha S. Ivins, Mark C. Lee, G. David Low, William M. Shepherd, Ellen L. Shulman, Kathryn C. Thornton, and C. Lacy Veach as the 10 mission specialist candidates.
Left: Group 10 astronaut candidates. Right: Group 10 astronaut candidates during survival training in Washington State.
The 17 astronaut candidates arrived at JSC on July 2, 1984, to begin their one-year training and certification period. The training included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in space shuttle systems, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. They also received orientation tours at NASA centers. They completed the astronaut candidate training on May 30, 1985, and qualified for various technical assignments within the astronaut office and for space shuttle flight assignments.
The Group 10 patch, left, and Group 10 NASA astronauts James C. Adamson and Mark N. Brown.
The Group 10 astronauts called themselves The Maggots. The nickname apparently originated with Shepherd, inspired during an early aircraft survival school session by the term U.S. Marines use for new recruits. Carter led the design of the Group 10 patch, a diamond shaped insignia that included elements such as a space shuttle lifting off, 17 stars representing the astronauts, and the number 84 for the year of their selection.
Adamson, a flight controller at JSC when selected, called New York state home. He received his first spaceflight assignment in January 1986 as a mission specialist on STS-61N, along with fellow Maggots McCulley and Brown, a Department of Defense mission aboard Columbia then planned for September 1986. The January 1986 Challenger accident resulted in the suspension of all flight and crew assignments. In February 1988, NASA assigned Adamson as a mission specialist on STS-28, along with fellow Maggot Brown, a five-day classified Department of Defense (DOD) mission aboard Columbia in August 1989. For his second and final mission, Adamson flew as a mission specialist along with fellow Maggot Low on STS-43 in August 1991. During the nine-day flight aboard Atlantis, the crew deployed the fifth Tracking and Data Relay System (TDRS) satellite. Adamson accumulated 13 days 22 hours 21 minutes of spaceflight time on his two missions.
Brown, a native of Indiana, started working at JSC in 1980 in the flight activities section. He received his first spaceflight assignment in January 1986 as a mission specialist on STS-61N, along with fellow Maggots McCulley and Adamson, a DOD mission aboard Columbia then planned for September 1986. The January 1986 Challenger accident resulted in the suspension of all flight and crew assignments. In February 1988, NASA assigned Brown as a mission specialist on STS-28, along with fellow Maggot Adamson, a five-day classified DOD mission aboard Columbia in August 1989. He flew a second time in September 1991 aboard Discovery as a mission specialist on STS-48, a five-day mission to deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Brown logged 10 days 9 hours 27 minutes in space on his two missions.
Group 10 NASA astronauts Kenneth D. Cameron, left, L. Manley “Sonny” Carter, and John H. Casper.
A U.S. Marine test pilot from Ohio, Cameron received his first spaceflight assignment as the pilot on STS-37 in April 1991, a six-day mission aboard Atlantis to deploy the Gamma Ray Observatory. The flight also included the first U.S. spacewalk since 1985. He served as commander on his second mission, STS-56, in April 1993, the second Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) Earth observation mission aboard Discovery. In 1994, Cameron served as the first NASA Director of Operations in Star City, Moscow, working with Cosmonaut Training Center staff to set up a support system for astronaut operations and training for the Shuttle/Mir Program. He flew his third and final spaceflight as commander of STS-74, the second Shuttle/Mir docking mission in November 1995. During the eight-day Atlantis mission, the crew added the Docking Module to the Mir space station. Cameron accumulated 23 days 10 hours 10 minutes in space during his three spaceflights.
Before NASA selected Georgia-born Carter as an astronaut, he had played professional soccer, obtained a medical degree, flew as a Marine fighter pilot, and graduated test pilot school. He received his first spaceflight assignment in September 1985 as a mission specialist on STS-61I, a mission aboard Challenger planned for September 1986 to launch the Intelsat VI-1 communications satellite and retrieve the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF). The January 1986 Challenger accident resulted in the suspension of all flight and crew assignments. In November 1988, NASA assigned Carter to STS-33, a five-day classified DOD mission aboard Discovery in November 1989, flying with fellow Maggot Thornton. For his second spaceflight, NASA assigned Carter to STS-42, the first International Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission planned for January 1992. Tragically, Carter died in the crash of a commercial plane in April 1991, before he could return to space.
Georgia native Casper completed his first spaceflight as pilot of STS-36, a four-day classified DOD mission aboard Atlantis in February-March 1990 that flew at a 62-degree inclination, the highest of any American spaceflight. He commanded his second flight, STS-54, in January 1993, Endeavour’s six-day mission to deploy the sixth TRDS satellite. Casper next commanded STS-62 in March 1994, a two-week microgravity research mission aboard Columbia. He served as commander on his fourth and final flight, the 10-day STS-77 mission of Endeavour that deployed and retrieved the SPARTAN-207 payload that included an inflatable antenna. Over his four missions, Casper accumulated 34 days 9 hours 51 minutes of spaceflight time. Following his last mission, Casper served in management roles of increasing responsibility at JSC, including director of safety, reliability, and quality assurance. Following the February 2003 Columbia accident, Casper served in several positions to help NASA safely return the shuttle to flight, including as associate shuttle program manager.
Group 10 NASA astronauts Frank L. Culbertson, left, Sidney M. Gutierrez, and L. Blaine Hammond.
Culbertson, a native of South Carolina and naval aviator, flew his first mission as pilot of STS-38, a five-day classified DOD mission aboard Atlantis in November 1990. On his second spaceflight, he commanded STS-51, a 10-day mission aboard Discovery in September 1993 that deployed and retrieved a SPARTAN payload. Following his second flight, Culbertson served first as deputy in 1994 and then as program manager from 1995 until 1998 of the Shuttle/Mir Program, and then one year as deputy program manager for operations of the International Space Station Program before returning to active duty in the astronaut office. On his third and final spaceflight, Culbertson served as commander of Expedition 3 aboard the space station, a 128-day flight from August to December 2001. During his expedition, he participated in a 5-hour 4-minute spacewalk. He logged 143 days 14 hours 50 minutes in space during his three missions. After retiring from NASA, Culbertson served as an executive with Orbital Sciences Corporation, later bought by Northrup Grumman, to develop and operate the Cygnus cargo resupply vehicles to the space station.
New Mexico native Gutierrez completed his first spaceflight in June 1991 as the pilot of STS-40, the Spacelab Life Sciences-1 mission aboard Columbia. During the nine-day flight, the crew conducted 18 experiments in life sciences. On his second flight, he commanded STS-59, an 11-day mission in April 1994 aboard Endeavour. The Space Radar Laboratory-1 mission conducted studies dedicated to study of the Earth and its atmosphere. Over his two missions, Gutierrez accumulated 20 days 8 hours 3 minutes of spaceflight time.
Missouri native and U.S. Air Force test pilot Hammond flew his first spaceflight as pilot of STS-39, an unclassified DOD mission in April-May 1991. During the eight-day mission aboard Discovery, the seven-member crew that included fellow Maggot Veach conducted experiments to study atmospheric phenomena and deployed and retrieved a SPARTAN satellite. He flew again as pilot of STS-64 with fellow Maggot Lee, an 11-day flight aboard Discovery in September 1994, with the LIDAR in Space Technology Experiment as the primary payload. Hammond accumulated 19 days 6 hours 11 minutes in space over his two spaceflights.
Group 10 NASA astronauts Marsha S. Ivins, left, Mark C. Lee, and G. David Low.
Ivins, a native of Pennsylvania, began working at JSC in 1974, first as an engineer and later as a pilot in aircraft operations, before her selection as an astronaut. She completed her first spaceflight in January 1990 as a mission specialist on STS-32, an 11-day flight aboard Columbia. The five-person crew, including fellow Maggots Wetherbee and Low, launched the Syncom-IV-F5 communications satellite and retrieved the LDEF. Ivins returned to space for the second time in July 1992 aboard Atlantis. During the eight-day flight, the crew deployed the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) and conducted the first Tethered Satellite System test. On her third spaceflight in March 1994, Ivins flew with fellow Maggot Casper on STS-62, a 14-day microgravity research mission aboard Columbia. During her fourth spaceflight, STS-81 in January 1997, Ivins traveled to the Russian space station Mir. The 10-day Atlantis mission delivered Jerry M. Linenger to Mir and returned John E. Blaha to Earth. Ivins earned the honor as the first Maggot to visit two space stations, when on her fifth and final spaceflight on STS-98, she and her crewmates delivered the Destiny U.S. Laboratory module to the International Space Station. The February 2001 Atlantis mission lasted 13 days, with Ivins using the shuttle’s Remote Manipulator System, or robotic arm, to attach Destiny to the space station. On her five spaceflights, Ivins accumulated 55 days 21 hours 46 minutes in space.
A native of Wisconsin, Lee holds the honor as the first member of his class to receive a flight assignment, when in June 1985, NASA named him as a mission specialist on Challenger’s STS-61I mission planned for July 1986 to deploy the Intelsat VI-I and the Insat-1C communications satellites and run experiments in the Materials Science Lab-4. Three months later, NASA moved Lee and his entire crew to the STS-61M mission to launch the fourth TDRS satellite. The January 1986 Challenger accident resulted in the suspension of all flight and crew assignments. Assigned in March 1988, Lee made his first spaceflight aboard Atlantis on the four-day STS-30 mission in May 1989 to deploy the Magellan probe to Venus. He returned to space in September 1992 as a mission specialist aboard Endeavour on the seven-day STS-47 Spacelab-J mission. For his third flight, he served as a mission specialist on STS-64, Discovery’s 11-day mission in September 1994, with the LIDAR in Space Technology Experiment as the primary payload. During the flight with fellow Maggot Hammond, Lee participated in one spacewalk to evaluate the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) propulsive backpack. For his fourth and final spaceflight, STS-82, Lee took part in the second mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. During the 10-day flight aboard Discovery in February 1997, Lee participated in three of the five spacewalks to install two new state-of-the-art instruments in the telescope and perform other servicing to extend its on-orbit lifetime. Over his four spaceflights, Lee spent 32 days 21 hours 52 minutes in space, and in the course of his four spacewalks, he spent 26 hours and one minute outside.
Ohio-born Low, son of former NASA executive George M. Low, worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, from 1980 until his selection as an astronaut. His first spaceflight took place in January 1990, with fellow Maggots Wetherbee and Ivins, during Columbia’s STS-32 mission. The crew launched the Syncom-IV-F5 communications satellite and retrieved the LDEF during the 11-day mission. On his second mission, Low flew with fellow Maggot Adamson on STS-43, a nine-day mission aboard Atlantis in August 1991 to deploy the fifth TDRS satellite. Low flew his third and final mission aboard Endeavour’s STS-57 in June 1993. During the 10-day mission, the crew retrieved the EURECA free-flyer and Low participated in a 5-hour 57-minute spacewalk. During his three missions, Low accumulated 29 hours 18 hours 5 minutes of spaceflight time. Low died in March 2008.
Group 10 NASA astronauts Michael J. McCulley, left, William M. Shepherd, and Ellen L. Shulman.
Tennessee native, submariner, and U.S. Navy test pilot McCulley received his first spaceflight assignment in January 1986 as the pilot of STS-61N, along with fellow Maggots Adamson and Brown, a Department of Defense mission aboard Columbia then planned for September 1986. The January 1986 Challenger accident resulted in the suspension of all flight and crew assignments. Receiving his assignment in November 1988, McCulley flew his one and only space mission as pilot of STS-34, along with fellow Maggot Shulman Baker, the five-day Atlantis mission in August 1989 that deployed the Galileo probe to Jupiter. He spent 4 days 23 hours 39 minutes in space. McCulley retired from NASA in 1990, but remained active in the aerospace community working for several NASA contractors in executive positions until his retirement in 2007.
New York native and U.S. Navy SEAL Shepherd has the honor as the first Maggot to make it to space in December 1988, flying as a mission specialist on STS-27, a four-day classified DOD mission aboard Atlantis and the second shuttle flight following the Challenger accident. His second flight, STS-41 aboard Discovery, took place in October 1990. The four-day mission deployed the Ulysses probe to study the Sun’s polar regions. He flew a third time in October 1992, with fellow Maggots Wetherbee and Veach, on Columbia’s STS-52 mission, a 10-day mission to launch the second LAGEOS satellite and conduct microgravity experiments. From March 1993 to January 1996, Shepherd worked in the International Space Station Program Office, prior to his selection as commander of the first space station Expedition crew. The only Maggot to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, he flew aboard the station for 141 days between October 2000 and March 2001. Over his four spaceflights, Shepherd accumulated 159 days 7 hours 49 minutes in space, more than any other Maggot.
New York native and medical doctor Shulman, later using her married name Baker, began working at JSC in 1981 as a medical officer prior to her selection as an astronaut. She completed her first spaceflight, along with fellow Maggot McCulley, as a mission specialist on STS-34, the five-day Atlantis mission in August 1989 that deployed the Galileo probe to Jupiter. On her second flight, Baker flew as a mission specialist on STS-50, the first U.S. Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission, the first to use the shuttle’s Extended Duration Orbiter capabilities. During the 14-day mission in June-July 1992 aboard Columbia, the seven-member crew conducted scientific investigations in a number of disciplines. For her third and final spaceflight, she flew aboard STS-71, the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission. During the 10-day Atlantis flight in June-July 1995, the astronauts exchanged the Mir-18 crew, including Norman E. Thagard, the first American to live and work aboard Mir, with the Mir-19 crew, and conducted biomedical investigations inside a Spacelab module. Baker accumulated 28 days 14 hours 31 minutes of spaceflight time across her three missions.
Group 10 NASA astronauts Kathryn C. Thornton, left, C. Lacy Veach, and James D. Wetherbee.
With a doctorate in physics, Alabama native Thornton completed her first spaceflight, STS-33, in November 1989, with fellow Maggot Carter. The five-person crew conducted a five-day DOD classified mission aboard Discovery. On her second flight, Thornton served as a mission specialist on STS-49, Endeavour’s first flight. During the nine-day flight in July 1992, the astronauts retrieved and reboosted the Intelsat-VI-F3 communications satellite. Thornton participated in one of the four spacewalks on the flight, spending 7 hours 45 minutes outside to demonstrate tools and techniques for space station assembly. She served as a mission specialist on her third flight, STS-61, the first servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope to correct its optics and perform other servicing tasks, with Thornton participating in two of the five spacewalks. The 11-day flight aboard Endeavour took place in December 1993. In October-November 1995, Thornton flew her fourth and final mission, STS-73, the 16-day second U.S. Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab mission aboard Columbia. Across her four flights, Thornton accumulated 40 days 15 hours 13 minutes, and spent 21 hours 11 minutes outside on her three spacewalks on two different missions.
Calling Hawaii home, former Thunderbird pilot Veach came to work at JSC in 1982 as an engineer and research pilot before his selection as an astronaut. He flew his first spaceflight as a mission specialist on the STS-39 unclassified DOD mission aboard Discovery. Fellow Maggot Hammond served as pilot on that eight-day mission in April-May 1991. He completed his second and final mission on STS-52, along with fellow Maggots Wetherbee and Shepherd, a 10-day mission in October 1992 to launch the second LAGEOS satellite and conduct microgravity experiments. Across his two missions, Veach accumulated 18 days 4 hours 18 minutes of spaceflight time. He died of cancer in October 1995.
Hailing from New York State, U.S. Navy test pilot Wetherbee completed his first spaceflight as pilot on STS-32, an 11-day flight aboard Columbia in January 1990. Accompanied by fellow Maggots Ivins and Low, the seven-member crew launched the Syncom-IV-F5 communications satellite and retrieved the LDEF. In October 1992, he flew as commander on his second spaceflight, STS-52, a 10-day mission aboard Columbia to launch the second LAGEOS satellite and conduct microgravity experiments. Fellow Maggots Shepherd and Veach accompanied him on this flight. On his third mission, he commanded STS-63 in February 1995, the first mission to rendezvous with Mir. The eight-day Discovery flight also included Eileen M. Collins as the first woman shuttle pilot, and two spacewalks. In August 1995 and Wetherbee began serving as JSC’s deputy center director, returning to the astronaut office in December 1996 to train for and fly another mission. On Wetherbee’s fourth mission, he returned to Mir, this time to dock. During Atlantis’ 11-day STS-86 mission in September-October 1997, he commanded the crew who brought David A. Wolf to Mir and returned C. Michael Foale to Earth. Wetherbee resumed his duties as JSC deputy center director in December 1997, remaining in that position until March 2000. He completed his fifth flight to space on STS-102 in March 2001, visiting his second space station. As commander, he oversaw the transfer of the first research rack to the station and the exchange of the Expedition 1 and 2 crews, returning to Earth with fellow Maggot Shepherd. Wetherbee earned the honor as the first, and so far only, American astronaut to command five space missions when he flew for his sixth and final time in November-December 2002. During Endeavour’s 14-day STS-113 mission, the crew brought Expedition 6 to the space station and returned Expedition 5 to Earth, and delivered and installed the P1 truss segment. This marked the last successful mission before the Columbia accident. Over his six missions, Wetherbee accumulated 66 days 10 hours 20 minutes of spaceflight time.
Summary of spaceflights by Group 10 astronauts. Missions in italics represent flights the astronaut was assigned to but never flew.
The Group 10 NASA astronauts made significant contributions to America’s space program, helping to recover from the Challenger accident and greatly expanding the capabilities of the space shuttle. As a group, they completed 51 flights and spending 706 days, or nearly two years, in space. Their spaceflights took place from 1988 to 2002, spanning the period between the Challenger and Columbia accidents. Group members tested tools and techniques for the space station, while others visited space stations, adding modules to both Mir and the space station. Four of the group visited Mir, and four visited the International Space Station including two as expedition commanders. Two Group 10 astronauts visited both stations. Six of their group participated in Spacelab-class missions, and nine flew on DOD missions. Members of the group helped to launch one of NASA’s great observatories (GRO) and service another (Hubble), and sent spacecraft to study Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun’s poles. The group included the first U.S. born Hispanic American to not only travel in space but pilot and later command a shuttle mission, the first submariner in space, the first and so far only, American to command five space missions, the first to command a space station expedition, and the first to command both a shuttle mission and space station expedition.
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