Space Mission Briefings

Images of professionals in discussions and briefings about various space missions, featuring them speaking at podiums and addressing media, with a focus on space exploration.

In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Steven Goodman, NOAA's GOES-R program scientist, speaks to the media during a mission briefing on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation GOES satellites for NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It will launch to a geostationary orbit over the western hemisphere to provide images of storms and help meteorologists predict severe weather conditionals and develop long-range forecasts.

New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, CO gives remarks about the New Horizons mission during a briefing discussing small bodies missions, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.

In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Steven Goodman, NOAA's GOES-R program scientist, speaks to the media during a mission briefing on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation GOES satellites for NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It will launch to a geostationary orbit over the western hemisphere to provide images of storms and help meteorologists predict severe weather conditionals and develop long-range forecasts.

Brian Muirhead, Pre-project Manager of Mars Sample Return at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory answers a question by NASA Chief Scientist, Jim Green, after giving a keynote titled “Mars Sample Return Mission Concept Status” at the 70th International Astronautical Congress, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington.

In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, Vern Thorp, United Space Alliance's program manager for NASA missions, speaks to members of the media at a prelaunch news conference for Orbital ATK CRS-6 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.

At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Joe Pica, director of NOAAs National Weather Service Office of Observations, speaks to members of the media during a briefing focused on research planned for the Joint Polar Satellite System-1, or JPSS-1. Built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado, JPSS is the first in a series four next-generation environmental satellites in a collaborative program between the NOAA and NASA. Liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket is scheduled to take place from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 2 at 1:47 a.m. PST (4:47 a.m. EST), on Nov. 14, 2017.

NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen gives remarks during a briefing, Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. The briefing focused on the status of NASAs James Webb Space Telescope in its final weeks of preparing for its science mission, as well as overviews of planned science for Webbs first year of operations.

The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.

Jim Green (left), director, Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, speaks at a press conference about the upcoming launch to the moon of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011 in Washington. GRAIL's primary science objectives are to determine the structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, and to advance understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon. The mission will place two spacecraft into the same orbit around the moon which will gather information about the its gravitational field enabling scientists to create a high-resolution map.

During a prelaunch briefing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Jim Green, NASA Chief Scientist, speaks to members of the media. The presentation focused on NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018, atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg. The spacecraft will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface studying the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes.

NASA Chief Scientist, Jim Green, asks Brian Muirhead, Pre-project Manager of Mars Sample Return at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory a question after he gave a keynote titled “Mars Sample Return Mission Concept Status” at the 70th International Astronautical Congress, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington.

Chip Hardy, Kestrel Eye program manager for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, speaks to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for launch from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A on Aug. 14 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the company's 12th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

Robert Lightfoot, NASA Associate Adminstrator, delivers closing remarks at an Exploration Forum showcasing NASA's human exploration path to Mars in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.

Date: 05-21-14Location: Bldg 2, Studio BSubject: Expedition 40 ISS Science Amplification Briefing

In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Stephen Volz, director for Satellite and Information Services for NOAA, speaks to members of the media at a prelaunch news conference about National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's, or NOAA's, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES-S. The GOES series of satellites will significantly improve the detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly affect public safety, protection of property and the nation's economic health and prosperity. GOES-S is slated to lift off at 5:02 p.m. EST on March 1, 2018 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Chris Cianciola, Deputy Manager, SLS Program, participates in a prelaunch media briefing following completion of NASAs Flight Readiness Review for Artemis I on Aug. 22, 2022, at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I is scheduled to launch at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, 2022, from Kennedys Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orions heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

An audience member asks the panelists a question at the "New Horizons: The First Mission to the Pluto System and the Kuiper Belt" Event at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC Monday, August 25, 2014. Scientists discussed how the first images of Pluto and its moons would be captured by the New Horizons spacecraft during a five month long reconnaissance flyby study starting in the summer of 2015. New Horizons launched on January 19, 2006 and is scheduled to make its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Following the Flight Readiness Review for the STS-117 mission, NASA officials presented the decisions of NASA senior managers in a television conference. Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator of NASA Space Operations Mission, confirmed the launch time and date of Space Shuttle Atlantis at 7:38 p.m. EDT on June 8. Seen here is Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale (left) demonstrating the level of scrutiny engineers apply to inspecting the smallest of components that make up the shuttle system. This housing and bolt insert are part of the main engine low pressure oxidizer turbopump (LPOTP).

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the media receive an on activities in NASAs Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, Program, Space Launch System and Orion crew module for Exploration Test Flight 1. Speaking to the media is Larry Price, Lockheed Martin deputy program manager for Orion.Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry crews to space beyond low Earth orbit. It will provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orions first unpiloted test flight is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a Delta IV rocket. A second uncrewed flight test is scheduled for 2017 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, speaks during an event celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Explorer 1 mission and the discovery of Earth's radiation belts, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington. The first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, was launched from Cape Canaveral on January 31, 1958. The 30-pound satellite would yield a major scientific discovery, the Van Allen radiation belts circling our planet, and begin six decades of groundbreaking space science and human exploration. (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - During a news conference at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officials outlined the agencys plans for future human spaceflight, including and expedition to Mars. Participating in the briefing was John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. The briefing took place the day prior to launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission.MAVEN is being prepared for its scheduled launch on Nov 18, 2013 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Positioned in an orbit above the Red Planet, MAVEN will study the upper atmosphere of Mars in unprecedented detail.

Sebastian Mathea of the University of Oxford in England, speaks to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium. Mathea is principal investigator for the Crystallization of LRRK2 Under Microgravity Conditions experiment. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for launch from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A on Aug. 14 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the company's 12th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gives keynote remarks at the Challenger Center Annual Conference, Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at the Lockheed Martin Global Vision Center in Arlington, VA.

In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the media during a mission science briefing for the agencys Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. From left are: Aaron Ridley, CYGNSS constellation scientist in the Climate and Space Department at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Mary Morris, doctoral student in the Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. The eight CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data will help scientists probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Mike Bolger, program manager of Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, was one of several agency leaders who spoke to member of the news media about how the first flight of the new Orion spacecraft is a first step in the agency's plans to send humans to Mars. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

NASA Officials gather at Ames Research Center to discuss Spaceship development progress. Constellation is developing the Orion spacecraft and Ares rockets to support an American return to the moon by 2020. Speaker James Reuther, ARC, leader of the Advanced Development Thermal rotection Systems (heat shield) project for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

Gary Zank, Department of Space Sciences, Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomics Research (CSPAR), University of Alabama in Huntsville, speaks at a news conference on NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft officially is the first human-made object to venture into interstellar space. The 36-year-old probe is about 12 billion miles (19 billion kilometers) from our sun. New and unexpected data indicate Voyager 1 has been traveling for about one year through plasma, or ionized gas, present in the space between stars. A report on the analysis of this new data is published in Thursday's edition of the journal Science.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine delivers the keynote speech at the Humans to Mars Summit (H2M), Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at George Washington University in Washington. Bridenstine joined more than 20 NASA scientists and technologists at the three-day event sponsored by Explore Mars Inc. It brought industry, government and the scientific, entertainment and academic communities together to discuss technology developments, foster partnerships, and encourage students to pursue STEAM careers.

JPSS-2/LOFTID Prelaunch News Conference. Tim Walsh, director, NOAAs JPSS Program Office, NOAA, participates in a prelaunch news conference for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) and NASA Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 28, 2022. JPSS-2 is the third satellite in the polar satellite series and is expected to capture data to improve weather forecasts, helping scientists predict and prepare for extreme weather events and climate change. JPSS-2 is scheduled to launch at 2:25 a.m. PDT Tuesday, Nov. 1, on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Launching with JPSS-2 is NASAs LOFTID technology demonstration. After JPSS-2 safely reaches orbit, LOFTID will follow a re-entry trajectory from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate the inflatable h

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Mission Management Team Chair Mike Moses discusses the successful launch of space shuttle Discovery on the STS-128 mission. Liftoff from Launch Pad 39A was on time at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The first launch attempt on Aug. 24 was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. The second attempt on Aug. 25 also was postponed due to an issue with a valve in space shuttle Discovery's main propulsion system. The STS-128 mission is the 30th International Space Station assembly flight and the 128th space shuttle flight. The 13-day mission will deliver more than 7 tons of supplies, science racks and equipment, as well as additional environmental hardware to sustain six crew members on the International Space Station. The equipment includes a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Marshall Porterfield, division director, Space Life and Physical Sciences, HEOMD, briefs media representatives in Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium in preparation for the launch of the SpaceX CRS-4 mission to resupply the International Space Station. Porterfield is a member of the ISS Science Panel on Model Organisms.The mission is the fourth of 12 SpaceX flights NASA contracted with the company to resupply the space station. It will be the fifth trip by a Dragon spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory. The spacecrafts 2.5 tons of supplies, science experiments, and technology demonstrations include critical materials to support 255 science and research investigations that will occur during the station's Expeditions 41 and 42. Liftoff is targeted for an instantaneous window at 2:14 a.m. EDT.

In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona, Tucson, speaks to members of the media at a prelaunch news conference for the agencys Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

Douglas Hudgins, a Kepler Program Scientist, speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2010, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Scientists using NASA's Kepler, a space telescope, recently discovered six planets made of a mix of rock and gases orbiting a single sun-like star, known as Kepler-11, which is located approximately 2,000 light years from Earth.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine delivers a keynote speech at the sixth International Academy of Astronautics Planetary Defense Conference, Monday, April 29, 2019 at The Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park Maryland. The conference brings together experts from around the world to present the latest research on Near-Earth Objects and will highlight the development of the first-ever mission to demonstrate an asteroid defection technique for planetary defense, NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).

NASA Officials gather at Ames Research Center to discuss Spaceship development progress. Constellation is developing the Orion spacecraft and Ares rockets to support an American return to the moon by 2020. Speaker James Reuther, ARC, leader of the Advanced Development Thermal rotection Systems (heat shield) project for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- Michael Griffin, NASA administrator, answers a question during a media briefing held after the successful landing of space shuttle Endeavour to conclude the STS-123 mission. Endeavour landed on the second opportunity, on orbit 250, at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT. The STS-123 mission delivered the first segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre.

PHOTO DATE: 11-17-08LOCATION: Bldg 2N, 212SUBJECT: Photographic support for Media Services: Photograph STS-126 Flight Day 3 Mission Status Briefing.

Capacity Building Program Manager for NASA's Applied Sciences Program (Earth Science Division) Nancy Searby speaks during the 2018 Annual Earth Science Applications Showcase, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Every summer students and young professionals from NASAs Applied Sciences DEVELOP National Program come to NASA Headquarters and present their research projects. DEVELOP is a training and development program where students work on Earth science research projects, mentored by science advisers from NASA and partner agencies, and extend research results to local communities.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin delivers remarks during a NASA Update program atNASA Headquarters, Thursday, April 14, 2005, in Washington after being sworn in earlier that morning as NASA's 11th Administrator.

Charles Gay, Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate, talks during the Aquarius/SAC-D post-launch press conference on Friday, June 10, 2011 at the NASA Resident Office, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The joint U.S./Argentinian Aquarius/Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC)-D mission, launched earlier on Friday June 10, will map the salinity at the ocean surface, information critical to improving our understanding of two major components of Earth's climate system: the water cycle and ocean circulation.

Yuri's Night 2009 held at the California Acaemy of Sciences in San Francisco, California Ames voluntee and emcee David Morse.

Mike Roberts, deputy chief scientist for the ISS Program at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks to NASA Social participants during a Whats On Board science briefing at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceXs 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. NASAs Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Yuri's Night 2009 held at the California Acaemy of Sciences in San Francisco, California Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden.

JSC2011-E-060445 (30 June 2011) --- NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus, STS-135 mission specialist, responds to a question from a reporter during a preflight press conference at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gives keynote remarks at the Humans to Mars Summit, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine watches the "We Are NASA" film just after giving keynote remarks at the Humans to Mars Summit, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington.

The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.

In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, Stephanie Schierholz of NASA Communications, speaks to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the SpaceX CRS-15 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to be launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift off on the company's 15th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.

NASA Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Officer George Diller, moderates a post-launch press briefing, following the successful launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), NASAs first spacecraft dedicated to studying carbon dioxide, Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at the Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. OCO-2 will measure the global distribution of carbon dioxide, the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earths climate.

PHOTO DATE: 04-16-20LOCATION: Bldg. 2N, Press Conf. Room SUBJECT: NASA briefing previewing SpaceX mission to Space Station

Mark Riccobono, executive director of the Jernigan Institute of the National Federation of the Blind speaks at a ceremony where senior NASA officials presented the NFB with two Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollars that flew on Space Shuttle Atlantis' mission (STS-125) to the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009, Friday evening, July 31, 2009, at the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington.

Jennifer Fogarty, Chief Scientist for NASAs Human Research Program, is seen during a discussion titled “ISS-Moon-Mars: Using Spaceflight Platforms to Study and Simulate Future Missions” during the the 70th International Astronautical Congress, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington.

In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Matthew Kamlet of NASA Communications at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, speaks to members of the media at a news conference to discuss upcoming flight tests to study the effects of sonic booms. Kennedy is partnering with Armstrong, Langley and Space Florida for a program called SonicBAT for Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence. Starting in August, NASA F-18 jets will take off from the Shuttle Landing Facility and fly at supersonic speeds while agency researchers on the ground measure the effects of low-altitude turbulence on sonic booms. The study could lead to technology mitigating the annoying sonic booms making possible supersonic flights over populated areas.

Dr. Jim Green, NASAs Planetary Science Division Director and Head of Mars Program, discusses what we’ve learned from Curiosity and the other Mars rovers during a “Mars Up Close” panel discussion, Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington.

Tilman Spohn, HP3 investigation lead, Institute of Planetary Research (DLR), discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core.

International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory Workshop The ISS Lational Lab The Investor's Viewpoint

PHOTO DATE: 02-04-11LOCATION: Bldg 2SUBJECT: STS-134 press conference with Mark Kelly making announcement he is resuming his training for STS-134.

Kent Kellogg, SMAP project manager at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, speaks during a briefing about the upcoming launch of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, Thursday, Jan. 08, 2015, at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. The mission is scheduled for a Jan. 29 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and will provide the most accurate, highest-resolution global measurements of soil moisture ever obtained from space. The data will be used to enhance scientists' understanding of the processes that link Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles.

Michael Freilich, Director of the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters, speaks during the 2018 Annual Earth Science Applications Showcase, Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Every summer students and young professionals from NASAs Applied Sciences DEVELOP National Program come to NASA Headquarters and present their research projects. DEVELOP is a training and development program where students work on Earth science research projects, mentored by science advisers from NASA and partner agencies, and extend research results to local communities.

Artemis Human Landing System Announcement. NASA Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Jim Free gives remarks during an event announcing Blue Origin as the company selected to develop a sustainable human landing system for the Artemis V Moon mission, Friday, May 19, 2023 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. The human landing system will take astronauts to and from Gateway in lunar orbit to the surface and back to the lunar space station as part of NASAs return to the Moon for science, exploration, and inspiration.

In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, center director Bob Cabana spoke to members of the news media as the completed Orion spacecraft was being prepared for its trip from the Launch Abort System Facility to Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASAs Space Launch System rocket.

director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, Jim Green answers questions a press conference previewing Cassini's End of Mission, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Since its arrival in 2004, the Cassini-Huygens mission has been a discovery machine, revolutionizing our knowledge of the Saturn system and captivating us with data and images never before obtained with such detail and clarity. On Sept. 15, 2017, operators will deliberately plunge the spacecraft into Saturn, as Cassini gathered science until the end. The plunge” ensures Saturn’s moons will remain pristine for future exploration. During Cassini’s final days, mission team members from all around the world gathered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, to celebrate the achievements of this historic mission.

Dr. Jack Mustard, from Brown University, talks during a Mars Program Update where prominent scientists discussed evidence of water on Mars, current Program status, including the 7th Anniversary of the Mars rovers and the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory mission and previewing exciting discoveries to come, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

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Dr. Michael Freilich, director, Earth Science Division, NASA Headquarters, speaks about the benefits of studying the Earth at NASA's Earth Day event on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at Union Station in Washington, D.C.

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NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen, answers questions during an event where nine U.S. companies where named as eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The companies will be able to bid on delivering science and technology payloads for NASA, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. NASA expects to be one of many customers that will use these commercial landing services.

Michael Gazarik, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Technology gives a short presentation on NASA's human exploration path to Mars during a panel discussion moderated by PBS NewsHour's Miles O'Brien at the Humans to Mars Summit on April 22, 2014 at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden talks to the International Space Station's Expedition 25 crew from the Operations Support Building II at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The call to the station is part of a global celebration of 10 years of continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory. More than 196 people have visited the station, which has completed more than 57,000 orbits of Earth and traveled about 1.5 billion miles. The station is a venture of international cooperation among NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and 11 members of the European Space Agency (ESA): Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. More than 100,000 people in space agencies and contractor facilities in 37 U.S. states and throughout the world are involved in this endeavor.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. --- Mike Leinbach, NASA space shuttle launch director, answers a question during a media briefing held after the successful landing of space shuttle Endeavour to conclude the STS-123 mission. Endeavour landed on the second opportunity, on orbit 250, at 8:39:08 p.m. EDT. The STS-123 mission delivered the first segment of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre.

Veronica McGregor, JPL Media Relations Manager, NASA JPL, moderates a Mars InSight pre-landing briefing, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. InSight is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet at approximately noon PST (3 p.m. EST) on Nov. 26.

Tara Ruttley, International Space Station Program Scientist, talks about the benefits of conducting science experiments on ISS at a NASA Social exploring science on the ISS at NASA Headquarters, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 in Washington.

The inaugural Glenn Symposium focused on advancements in aerospace technology including power and propulsion, autonomy and communications, low boom supersonics, hypersonics, and more. Discussion also encompassed humans returning to the moon, including challenges associated with the 2024 mission.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 Post-Launch News Conference. Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, speaks to members of the news media during a postlaunch news conference for the SpaceX Crew-6 mission at Kennedy Space Centers NASA News Center in Florida on March 2, 2023. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon spacecraft Endeavour for NASAs Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station lifted off at 12:34 a.m. EST. Aboard Dragon are NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, spacecraft commander, and Warren Hoburg, pilot, along with mission specialists Sultan Alneyadi, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut, and Andrey Fedyaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut. Crew-6 is the sixth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the seventh flight of Dragon with people as part of the agencys Commercial Crew Program.

Dr. Dawn Sumner, Professor of Geology, UC Davis, speaks on a panel at the Ancient Earth, Alien Earths” Event at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC Wednesday, August 20, 2014. The event was sponsored by NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Smithsonian Institution and was moderated by Dr. David H. Grinspoon, Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. Six scientists discussed how research on early Earth could help guide our search for habitable planets orbiting other stars.

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Angelo Vourlidas, project scientist, Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation, at the Naval Research Laboratory, makes a comment during a Science Update on the STEREO mission at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announces the nine U.S. companies that are eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The companies will be able to bid on delivering science and technology payloads for NASA, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. NASA expects to be one of many customers that will use these commercial landing services.

Aaron Beeler, professor of chemistry at Boston University and principal investigator of the Flow Chemistry Platform for Synthetic Reactions on ISS study, addresses NASA Social participants during a Whats on Board science briefing at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 5, 2020. The briefing provided a closer look at some of the payloads launching on SpaceXs 20th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-20) mission to the International Space Station. The companys Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Stations Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:50 p.m. EST on March 6, 2020.

New Horizons co-investigator John Spencer of the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, CO, speaks about the flyby of Ultima Thule during an overview of the New Horizons Mission, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, agency and industry leaders spoke to members of the news media on International Space Station research and technology developments. Participants included Cheryl Nickerson of Arizona State University, and principal investigator for the Micro-5 experiment, and Samuel Durrance of the Florida Institute of Technology, principal investigator for the NR-SABOL experiment.

Moon to Mars Townhall. Director of Space Architectures Kurt Spuds Vogel delivers remarks during a Moon to Mars Town Hall, Thursday, May 18, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington.

William Shatner of Star Trek, is seen on a live feed from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, giving the order to send a message into deep space, during an event to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the launch of the Voyager 1 and 2 missions, Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Voyager 1 was launched September 5, 1977, with a mission to study Jupiter and Saturn, but now the twin Voyager spacecrafts are on a journey into interstellar space to search for the heliopause, a region never reached by any other spacecraft.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations addresses the media from the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the successful launch of space shuttle Discovery. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President Keiji Tachikawa is seated on the right. Shuttle Discovery lifted off at 6 21 a.m. EDT on April 5, 2010. The seven-member STS-131 crew will deliver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, filled with supplies, a new crew sleeping quarters and science racks that will be transferred to the International Space Station's laboratories. The crew also will switch out a gyroscope on the stations truss, install a spare ammonia storage tank and retrieve a Japanese experiment from the stations exterior. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station and the 131st shuttle mission overall.

A prelaunch media briefing on the status of the Artemis countdown is held on Aug. 28, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; Jeff Spaulding, Artemis I senior NASA test director; Melody Lovin, weather officer, Space Launch Delta 45. Artemis I is scheduled to launch Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT from Kennedys Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orions heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

In the Kennedy Space Centers Press Site auditorium, Kirk Shireman, manager of the International Space Station Program, left, and Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon Mission Management for SpaceX, speak to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the SpaceX CRS-15 Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to be launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift off on the company's 15th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.

NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen gives remarks during a briefing, Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. The briefing focused on the status of NASAs James Webb Space Telescope in its final weeks of preparing for its science mission, as well as overviews of planned science for Webbs first year of operations.

Dr. Michael Freilich, Earth Science Director, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, speaks at the Earth Science Town Hall at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) annual meeting, Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington.

Annemarie Eldering, project scientist for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, talks to NASA Social participants during a Whats On Board science briefing at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceXs 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. OCO-3 will be robotically installed on the exterior of the space stations Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit, where it will measure and map carbon dioxide from space to provide further understanding of the relationship between carbon and climate. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

In the Heroes and Legends exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Center Director Bob Cabana speaks during a ceremony honoring the memory of former NASA astronaut Richard Gordon. Having performed two spacewalks during Gemini XI in 1966, Gordon later served as command module pilot on Apollo 12 in 1969. Gordon died Nov. 6, 2017, at the age of 88.

Dr. Mark Kasevich, Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University presents a Director's Colloquium to Ames staff on 'Atom Interferometry'

Astrobiology Conference 2002

Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters, discusses the upcoming launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, at a press conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Monday, Oct. 28th, 2013. MAVEN is the agency's next mission to Mars and the first devoted to understanding the upper atmosphere of the Red Planet. (

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin addresses NASA employees and members of the media about the responsibilities of the NASA centers associated with the Constellation Program for robotic and human Moon and Mars exploration during a NASA Update on Wednesday, June 5, 2006, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Cassini interdisciplinary Titan scientist at Cornell University, Jonathan Lunine, speaks to NASA Social attendees about the Cassini mission, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017 at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Since its arrival in 2004, the Cassini-Huygens mission has been a discovery machine, revolutionizing our knowledge of the Saturn system and captivating us with data and images never before obtained with such detail and clarity. On Sept. 15, 2017, operators will deliberately plunge the spacecraft into Saturn, as Cassini gathered science until the end. The plunge” ensures Saturn’s moons will remain pristine for future exploration. During Cassini’s final days, mission team members from all around the world gathered at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, to celebrate the achievements of this historic mission.

Randy Lycans, vice president/general manager of NASA Enterprise Solutions, Jacobs, participates in a prelaunch media briefing on the role of industry in advancing human exploration on Aug. 26, 2022, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the agency prepares for launch of Artemis I scheduled for Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT from Kennedys Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orions heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

Psyche Prelaunch News Conference . Henry Stone, Psyche project manager, NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, participates in a Psyche mission prelaunch news conference at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Psyche is the first mission to explore an asteroid with a surface that likely contains substantial amounts of metal rather than rock or ice. Liftoff of NASAs Psyche spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, is targeted for 10:16 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 12, from Kennedys Launch Complex 39A.

Michael Kaiser, project scientist, Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) at Goddard Space Flight Center, makes a comment during a Science Update on the STEREO mission at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

Nuclear Emerging Technologies for Space, NETS 2022 Conference

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks during an Exploration Forum showcasing NASA's human exploration path to Mars in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.

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