NASA & STEM Learning Ecosystems: Opportunities & Benefits for Everyone

por admin | 25 septiembre, 2025 - 6:14 pm |25 septiembre, 2025 Astronomy

NASA & STEM Learning Ecosystems: Opportunities & Benefits for Everyone

2 min read

NASA & STEM Learning Ecosystems: Opportunities & Benefits for Everyone

STEM learning ecosystems are intentionally designed, community-wide partnerships that enable all Americans to actively participate in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) throughout their lifetimes. Lifelong STEM learning helps people build critical knowledge and skills, access economic opportunities, drive innovation, and make informed decisions in a changing world. STEM learning ecosystems draw on expertise and resources to provide access to these benefits for the entire community.

NASA’s Science Activation (SciAct) program, a competitively-selected network of collaborative projects that connect NASA science with people of all ages and backgrounds, includes new and growing STEM learning ecosystems in American communities from Alaska to Maine and creates free, high-quality resources that educators across the country can use to share the excitement of Earth and space science.

To further support connections among STEM learning ecosystems and NASA, the SciAct STEM Ecosystems project held a meeting in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 4-6, 2025. Approximately 100 educators, evaluators, subject matter experts, and other STEM learning facilitators from around the nation participated to share approaches, learn about resources, and build relationships. The gathering offered an opportunity to connect NASA SciAct teams with each other and with external networks and learning ecosystems for mutual benefit.

Meeting goals included sharing ways to create effective partnerships and engage learners in Earth and space science, discovering NASA resources and assets to use in STEM education efforts, and strengthening connections among participants. To accomplish these goals, meeting activities included plenaries, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities.

Led by Arizona State University, the SciAct STEM Ecosystems project is a collaboration among several regional partnerships/SciAct project teams: Arctic and Earth SIGNs, Learning Ecosystems Northeast, Rural Activation and Innovation Network, and the Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative. The project also partners with the National Informal STEM Education Network to create professional resources.

For those who were unable to attend in person, the STEM Ecosystems project makes a variety of resources available online: https://www.nisenet.org/stem-learning-ecosystems.

SciAct STEM Ecosystems is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number 80NSSC21M0007 and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/.

Meeting participants took advantage of opportunities to network and strengthen their relationships.

Emily Maletz/NISE Network

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Sep 25, 2025

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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams to Discuss Upcoming Launch, Mission

por admin | 25 septiembre, 2025 - 6:13 pm |25 septiembre, 2025 Astronomy

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NASA Astronaut Chris Williams to Discuss Upcoming Launch, Mission

NASA astronaut Chris Williams poses for an official portrait at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Credit: NASA

NASA will host a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 1, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to highlight the upcoming mission of astronaut Chris Williams to the International Space Station.

The news conference will stream live on NASA’s website and YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, targeted to launch Nov. 27 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, will carry Williams on his first flight, as well as Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev of Roscosmos, to the space station for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74.

Media interested in participating must contact the newsroom at NASA Johnson no later than 5 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. Media interested in participating by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom by 10 a.m. the day of the event.

Selected as a candidate in 2021, Williams graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He began training for his first space station flight assignment immediately after completing initial astronaut candidate training.

Williams was born in New York City, and considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Stanford University in California and a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research focused on astrophysics. Williams completed medical physics residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He was working as a clinical physicist and researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when he was selected as an astronaut candidate.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation enabling research not possible on Earth. For nearly 25 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, where astronauts have learned to live and work in space for extended periods of time. The space station is a springboard for developing a low Earth economy and NASA’s next great leaps in human exploration at the Moon under the Artemis campaign and Mars.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station

-end-

Jimi Russell / Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
james.j.russell@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

Shaneequa Vereen
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
shaneequa.y.vereen@nasa.gov

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NASA Glenn Reinforces Role in Aerospace Innovation During Ohio Space Week

por admin | 25 septiembre, 2025 - 12:07 pm |25 septiembre, 2025 Astronomy

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NASA Glenn Reinforces Role in Aerospace Innovation During Ohio Space Week

Four panelists sit next to one another on a stage with a dark-blue curtains, an American flag, and an Ohio flag behind them. Circular emblems of an Ohio Space Forum and a pilar from the Hope Memorial Bridge in Cleveland hang behind them.

Left to right: Moderator Brian Miske, Americas Space Leader, KPMG radio, with panelists Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator; Jacki Cortese, senior director, Civil Space: Blue Origin; and Robert Lightfoot, president, Lockheed Martin Space (former NASA associate administrator) discuss balancing innovation, risk, and readiness in space during the Ohio Space Forum.

Credit: NASA/Jef Janis

Ohio Space Week, Sept. 8–13, highlighted the state’s aerospace legacy and the role NASA’s Glenn Research Center has in advancing space technology.

The week kicked off with the American Astronautical Society’s Glenn Space Technology Symposium, Sept. 8–10, hosted by Case Western Reserve University. Experts, students, and industry leaders gathered to discuss emerging space technologies. NASA Glenn Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon delivered opening remarks, and astronaut Doug “Wheels” Wheelock gave a keynote on his spaceflight experience.

On Sept. 11, Team NEO hosted the Sixth Annual Ohio Space Forum at NASA Glenn, bringing together leaders from aerospace, government, academia, and research. The forum spotlighted Ohio’s leadership in space innovation, including advances in nuclear electric and nuclear thermal propulsion. Key participants included NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams, several local and state officials, and other community partners. 3News Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling emceed the event.

The City Club of Cleveland welcomed astronauts Williams and Wheelock for a presentation to the local community, Sept. 11, and Cleveland Guardians fans cheered as Williams threw out the first pitch during the game at Progressive Field later that day.

A mother and child in her arms look at a window that shows activity inside a portable wind tunnel. Two staff members on the other side of the tunnel set the controls to make it work. — NASA Glenn experts conduct a wind tunnel demonstration using a portable wind tunnel for visitors during Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

A mother and daughter look inside a clear case that contains a space helmet and other items used by astronauts through the years. — Visitors view items that are part of the “Evolution of the Spacesuit” exhibit during Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

An astronaut holds a bat and looks at the camera on the sidelines of a baseball stadium. — Astronaut Sunita Williams has fun on the sidelines before she throws out the first pitch prior to a Guardians game at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

An astronaut crouches beside a young boy wearing a cut-out astronaut helmet. His parents stand beside them and in front of a cosmic backdrop and pose for a photograph. — A family takes a photo with Astronaut Doug Wheelock during Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

Two toddlers sit on the ground inside a projected image of the NASA insignia and observe parts of the insignia covering their bodies. — Two young visitors at Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, share the NASA spotlight.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

Several hands-on aeronautic-focused activities are set up in a large open area with large glass windows and a view of the lake. — Guests interact with several aeronautics-focused exhibits in the Great Lakes Science Center promenade area on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, during Discovery Days.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

Two astronauts sit on stage in front of a backdrop that reads “The City Club of Cleveland.” To their right, the NASA Glenn center director stands at a podium and addresses the audience. Behind him is a screen with the astronauts’ photos and addresses the audience. — NASA Astronauts Doug Wheelock, left, and Sunita Willams at The City Club of Cleveland luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. NASA Glenn Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon stands at the podium and addresses the audience.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

A NASA Glenn staff member connects lighted tubes to a tower on a grid that contains a rocket on a Moon-like surface. Guests and another staff member stand around the grid. — Using the Lunar Habitat Power Grid model, NASA Glenn Research Center experts demonstrate how payloads will need power to achieve a viable human presence on the Moon during Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

An astronaut mascot stands behind large red letters spelling out “NASA.” — NASA Glenn Research Center’s astronaut mascot stands behind the NASA worm logo during Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

A NASA staff member stands behind a table containing two green tubes of liquid with bubbles while talking with two young visitors and their father. — During Discovery Days at Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, NASA Glenn Research Center experts share with visitors about primary fuel cells, which convert propellants into electricity, and regenerative fuel cells, which store electrical energy like rechargeable batteries.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

An astronaut stands at the bottom of a domed theater and waves at a crowd of seated students. — Astronaut Sunita Williams talks with students in Great Lakes Science Center’s DOME Theater during Discovery Days in Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025.

**Credit: NASA/Lily Hammel**

Discovery Days, the capstone of Ohio Space Week, welcomed nearly 5,000 visitors to Cleveland’s Great Lakes Science Center — home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center — on Sept. 12–13. This immersive event brought NASA beyond its gates and into the community, offering the public a firsthand look at major missions and cutting-edge technology.

Visitors explored interactive demonstrations and exhibits led by NASA Glenn experts, highlighting innovations that support NASA’s Artemis missions and future exploration of Mars and beyond, including developments in power, propulsion, and communications.

The astronauts were on hand during Discovery Days to talk with students and guests – inspiring the next generation of explorers through direct engagement and storytelling.

From the Wright brothers’ first flight to pioneering advancements in space exploration, Ohio has been at the forefront of aerospace innovation for generations. Ohio Space Week celebrated these deep-rooted contributions to the aeronautics and space industries, highlighting the people, institutions, and businesses that continue to shape the future of flight and exploration.

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Kelly M. Matter

NASA Glenn’s AeroSpace Frontiers Newsletter Takes a Bow

por admin | 25 septiembre, 2025 - 12:06 pm |25 septiembre, 2025 Astronomy

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NASA Glenn’s AeroSpace Frontiers Newsletter Takes a Bow

3 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

Since April 1999, the AeroSpace Frontiers (AF) newsletter has shared information monthly on NASA Glenn Research Center’s people, projects, and progress. If you were looking for news on any of these topics, there was a good chance you could read all about them in AF each month.

The newsletter has evolved in the last 26 years, changing with the times, to improve how and when we communicate with our audiences. From updating the hard copy layout to offering the issue online, we adjusted and enhanced AF to meet our customers’ needs.

As methods of sharing news and information are now available that allow us to reach you sooner, we are shifting our focus to these platforms and discontinuing our monthly newsletter. This September issue will be our last.

We hope you’ll stay connected with us through our official website and social media channels: Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. We thank you for your readership!

Before closing, we want to celebrate and reflect on the newsletter’s remarkable tenure (and interesting names) over the years.

Credit: NASA

The Story Behind the Name: A Look Back

While the center published a newsletter continually (with a brief pause in the early 1960s) since its opening in 1942, its name, layout, and content evolved over the decades. It began in 1942 as Wing Tips, an internal biweekly newsletter, and was later renamed Orbit in October 1958 as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics transitioned to NASA. In 1961, the center paused the newsletter’s publication to focus its resources on the early space program.

The publication reemerged in 1964 as Lewis News and expanded to a larger newsletter format in 1969, in conjunction with the Apollo 11 Moon landing. This format continued until 1995, when Lewis News moved to a monthly schedule with expanded, but physically smaller, issues as part of an overall effort to reduce spending.

Then, in 1999 – prior to the center being renamed NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center – employees and center management were surveyed for a new newsletter title that would not be tied to future changes in research activities or center names. The group selected AeroSpace Frontiers to represent the modernization of the newsletter’s appearance and its expanded subject matter. It was now a monthly news magazine that included a variety of graphics and photographs, as well as additional content that addressed audiences beyond the center.

About Our Amazing Editor

Portrait of editor Doreen Zudell, taken in 1990 at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. At that time, the center newsletter was known as Lewis News.

Credit: NASA 

Doreen Zudell has served as the editor of AeroSpace Frontiers (AF) since the first issue in 1999 and has been a driving force behind the publication ever since. In addition to writing and editing stories each month, she also has navigated many format changes over the years.

A woman takes notes on a large pad of paper as she faces a man wearing glasses and a tan suit. They stand in an indoor office space, and the man clutches a laptop in his left hand.

Editor Doreen Zudell interviews NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland in 2019.

Credit: NASA/Marvin Smith

“We appreciate Doreen’s knowledge, experience, and passion for sharing Glenn’s news and accomplishments with AF readers,” said NASA Glenn Office of Communications Director Kristen Parker. “Her compassion, journalistic flair, and dedication to putting employees’ needs first is evident in everything she does.”

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Kelly M. Matter

Glenn Highlights Space Exploration at Minnesota State Fair

por admin | 25 septiembre, 2025 - 12:06 pm |25 septiembre, 2025 Astronomy

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Glenn Highlights Space Exploration at Minnesota State Fair

1 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

Two people crouch down to stare into an enclosed clear, polyethylene case containing a piece of a Moon rock.

Visitors at the Minnesota State Fair get an up-close look at a Moon rock on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.

Credit: NASA/Christopher Richards

NASA brought the excitement of space exploration to the Minnesota State Fair from Aug. 21–24, offering exhibits and interactive experiences for the whole family. Led by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the agency showcased the future of space exploration and the technologies making it possible — from next-generation spacesuits to the Artemis missions that will return humans to the Moon.

A major attraction was Glenn’s “Suits and Boots” exhibit, along with an Apollo 15 Moon rock, which drew large crowds to the North End Event Center. Glenn staff, joined by Mike Lammers, deputy chief of the Flight Director’s Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, engaged with both media and fairgoers to highlight spacesuit advancements, Glenn’s unique role as the only NASA center in the Midwest, and upcoming plans for returning to the Moon and journeying to Mars through Artemis.

Mike Lammers, Minnesota native and deputy chief of the Flight Director’s Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, talks with visitors at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.

Credit: NASA/Christopher Richards

The team reached an estimated 57,000 people directly, with additional exposure through traditional and social media efforts.

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Kelly M. Matter

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