NASA Features Exploration, Science at International Space Conference 

NASA will participate in the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Antalya, Türkiye, from Monday, Oct. 5, to Friday, Oct. 9, highlighting America’s leadership in human exploration to the Moon and Mars, advancing responsible exploration under the Artemis Accords, world-changing science, and support for the commercial space sector. 

The IAC, organized by the International Astronautical Federation, is hosted this year by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA). 

The NASA delegation, led by NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, will take part in plenary sessions, technical discussions, and media engagements throughout the week. 

Monday, Oct. 5  

• 3 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. TRT): “One-to-One with Heads of Space Agencies” featuring Anderson  
• 9:30 a.m. EDT (4:30 p.m. TRT): “Transforming the Speed of Science with a New Model for Earth Observation Cooperation: International and Commercial Fleets with More Rapid Mission Development” with keynote speaker Karen St. Germain, division director, Earth Science Division, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate 

Tuesday, Oct. 6 

• 4:45 a.m. EDT (11:45 a.m. TRT): “Artemis II Mission Results: The Industry Perspective” featuring Jeremy Parsons, Artemis program manager, NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate 

Wednesday, Oct. 7  

• 3:15 a.m. EDT (10:15 a.m. TRT): “Space Manufacturing Technology: Driving the Next Revolution in Biotechnology, Advanced Materials, and Human Exploration” featuring Fathi Karouia, senior research scientist, Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, exobiology branch, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley 
• 4:35 a.m. EDT (11:35 a.m. TRT): “From Observation to Decision – Cracking the Last Mile Challenge” with St. Germain  
• 5 a.m. EDT (12 p.m. TRT): Artemis Accords news conference with Anderson and Major General Roberto Melgar Sheen, director of the Peruvian Space Agency (CONIDA) 
• 8 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. TRT): “Trusted AI on Mars” featuring Steve Chien, technical fellow and senior research scientist in the Artificial Intelligence Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California 
• 9:35 a.m. EDT (4:35 p.m. TRT): “NASA’s Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Release” featuring Anderson, Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator, NASA’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, and Dr. Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate 

Thursday, Oct. 8  

• 10:45 a.m. EDT (5:45 p.m. TRT): “Pioneering Organ-Chip Research in Space to Advance Precision Health” featuring Dr. Lisa Carnell, division director, Biological and Physical Sciences, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate  

Friday, Oct. 9 

• 3 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. TRT): “What It’s Like to Be an Astronaut” with NASA astronaut Chris Williams at NASA’s exhibit

How to Attend/Watch 

A full agenda for this year’s IAC is available online for registered media. To view select events, visit the International Astronautical Federation YouTube channel.  

In addition to the events outlined above, NASA will have an exhibit featuring the agency’s contributions to space exploration, celebrating the U.S. Freedom 250 commemoration, and U.S. leadership in space exploration, science, and technological innovation.

NASA’s exhibit booth number is in Hall 1 at NEST Convention Centre. 

To learn more about NASA international partnerships, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/oiir

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George Alderman / Elizabeth Shaw  
Headquarters, Washington 
202-358-1600 
george.a.alderman@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov

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Lauren E. Low

NASA Adds Blue Origin New Glenn 9×4 to Launch Services Contract

In accordance with a contract on-ramp clause, NASA has added Blue Origin’s New Glenn 9×4 launch service to the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract. The New Glenn 9×4 launch service will be available to NASA’s Launch Services Program Office to use for future missions.

The NLS II contracts are multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with an ordering period through June 2030, and an overall period of performance through December 2032. The NLS II contracts include an on-ramp provision that provides an opportunity annually for new launch service providers to compete for future missions and allows existing contractors to introduce launch vehicles not currently on their NLS II contracts.

The NLS II contracts support the goals and objectives of the agency’s Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, Science Mission Directorate, and the Research and Technology Mission Directorate. Under the contract, NASA also can provide launch services to other government agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NASA’s Launch Services Program Office at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the NLS II contracts. For more information about NASA visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

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

Leejay Lockhart
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-747-8310
leejay.lockhart@nasa.gov

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Jennifer M. Dooren

NASA Sets Crew-13 Launch, Docking Coverage

NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch, launch, and docking activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission to the International Space Station.

Live coverage will stream through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Crew‑13 is scheduled to launch at 11:10 a.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with docking planned for about 7 p.m. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov to the International Space Station for a long-duration science mission.

Any events in person are only open to previously credentialed media. Call details are available to media upon request.

NASA’s Crew-13 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Wednesday, Sept. 30

5 p.m.: Prelaunch news conference with the following participants:

• Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator, Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
• Dana Weigel, manager, Low Earth Orbit Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
• Mathieu Caron, director, Astronauts, Life Sciences, and Space Medicine, CSA
• William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
• Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron

Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour prior to the beginning of the news conference at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Thursday, Oct. 1

9:20 a.m.: Launch coverage begins

11:10 a.m.: Launch

Following the conclusion of launch coverage, NASA will provide audio-only discussions between Crew-13, the space station, and flight controllers during Dragon’s transit to the orbital complex.

12:45 p.m.: Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:

• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
• Dr. Lori Glaze, associate administrator, Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
• Dana Weigel, manager, Low Earth Orbit Program, NASA Johnson
• Mathieu Caron, director, Astronauts, Life Sciences, and Space Medicine, CSA
• Julianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science and Dragon Programs, SpaceX

Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom no later than one hour prior to the beginning of the news conference at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

NASA’s live Crew-13 coverage returns with rendezvous and docking streaming on a variety of platforms. The planned 7-hour, 50-minute trip from launch to docking on Oct. 1 will be the fastest by a U.S. spacecraft in space station history.

5:20 p.m.: Arrival coverage begins

7 p.m.: Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module

8:45 p.m.: Hatch opening followed by welcome remarks

All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on real-time operations after launch. Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operational information.

Once aboard the station, the crew members will conduct a brief handover with the agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, which is expected to begin its return to Earth no earlier than Monday, Oct. 5. NASA will share additional details on Crew-12’s return after Crew-13’s arrival.

Media accreditation

The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.

Live launch video coverage

NASA will provide a live video feed of Space Launch Complex 40 approximately six hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-13 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA+, approximately two hours prior to launch. Once the feed is live, find it online at: http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom.

Media who need access to NASA live video feeds may subscribe to the agency’s media resources distribution list to receive daily updates and links.

Audio-only coverage

Launch audio also will be available on Launch Information Service and Amateur Television System’s VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and KSC Amateur Radio Club’s UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public may register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

NASA website launch coverage

Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming at 9:10 a.m. on Oct. 1, and blog updates as the countdown milestones occur.

On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the commercial crew blog.

Watch, engage on social media

Follow the Crew-13 mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by following and tagging these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @Space_Station, @ISS National Lab, @SpaceX

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab, @SpaceX

NASA has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is opening access to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities. For more than 25 years, people have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon as we prepare for Mars.

For more information about the Crew-13 mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crew-13/

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

Steven Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones / Joseph Zakrzewski
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov / joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov

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Jessica Taveau

Crew-13 Rocket and Spacecraft at Launch Pad

Ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launch, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are vertical at the launch pad of Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in this Sept. 27, 2026, photo.

NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station for a long-duration science mission on Oct. 1.

Image credit: SpaceX

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HQ Web Team

NASA Opens Applications for Second Season of ORBIT Student Challenge

2 Min Read

NASA Opens Applications for Second Season of ORBIT Student Challenge

Following a successful inaugural year of ingenuity and career building, NASA ORBIT (Opportunities in Research, Business, Innovation, and Technology) has officially returned for a second season to bring university and college student innovation to the forefront of Earth technology development and deep-space exploration.

Registration for the 2026–2027 challenge is open through Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, through the NASA STEM Gateway.

Expanded for its second season with up to $500,000 in total prize funding, NASA’s ORBIT invites student teams to explore their boldest ideas and invent their brightest solutions. Through the competition, students must conduct targeted research, conceptualize early models, and perform feasibility analyses to refine their proposals. Top-performing teams earn a spot at the in-person Pitch Showcase to present their solutions to a panel of expert judges, who select award recipients based on their presentations and interactive Q&A sessions.

ORBIT has two challenge tracks for teams to choose from. Participants in the ORBIT Earth track must select a NASA-owned patent and develop novel commercial or nonprofit applications addressing critical terrestrial problems. Whether reimagining drones for reduced noise pollution or designing improved medical technology for better patient care, students must demonstrate clear pathways to public benefit.

The ORBIT Space focuses on next-generation space exploration technology designed to support NASA’s Artemis program and future initiatives to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Teams competing in this track develop viable concepts for power, communications, navigation, living solutions, astronaut health and well-being, and more.

Projects that successfully unite the goals of both the Earth and Space tracks can also qualify for a special Integration Bonus, but this season also introduces two new specialty recognitions: the Faculty Advisors’ Choice Award, celebrating professionalism and cross-team communications, and the Next Steps Award, recognizing teams with the strongest roadmaps to continuing their project development after the conclusion of the challenge.

Together with core prizes, ORBIT celebrates student excellence and drives key technical solutions while building a pipeline of interdisciplinary talent. The challenge provides students with immersive experience in NASA’s core missions, direct access to agency mentors, and industry-ready skills that bridge academia and aerospace careers.

For complete competition details, eligibility requirements, and official rules, visit: https://nasaorbit.org/

Registration is open until Nov.16, 2026, through the NASA STEM Gateway.

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Sandra May