The Marshall Star for February 7, 2024

17 Min Read

The Marshall Star for February 7, 2024

NASA Administrator Announces New Marshall Space Flight Center Director

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on Feb. 5 named Joseph Pelfrey director of the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center, effective immediately. Pelfrey has served as acting center director since July 2023.

“Joseph is a respected leader who shares the passion for innovation and exploration at NASA Marshall. As center director, he will lead the entire Marshall workforce, which includes a world-renowned team of scientists, engineers, and technologists who have a hand in nearly every NASA mission,” said Nelson. “I am confident that under Joseph’s leadership, Marshall will continue to make critical advancements supporting Artemis and Moon to Mars that will benefit all humanity.” 

NASA Marshall is one of the agency’s largest field centers, and manages NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, where some of the largest elements of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis campaign are manufactured. The center also is responsible for the oversight and execution of an approximately $5 billion portfolio comprised of human spaceflight, science, and technology development efforts. Its workforce consists of nearly 7,000 employees, both civil servants and contractors. 

“Marshall is renowned for its expertise in exploration and scientific discovery, and I am honored and humbled to be chosen to lead the center into the future,” said Pelfrey. “We will continue to shape the future of human space exploration by leading SLS and human landing system development for Artemis and leveraging our capabilities to make critical advancements in human landing and cargo systems, habitation and transportation systems, advanced manufacturing, mission operations, and cutting-edge science and technology missions.”

Prior to joining NASA, Pelfrey worked in industry, supporting development of space station payload hardware. He began his NASA career as an aerospace engineer in the Science and Mission Systems Office, going on to serve in various leadership roles within the International Space Station Program, the Marshall Engineering Directorate and the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration and Evolution Office. He also served as manager for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project at Marshall and the Exploration and Space Transportation Development Office in the Flight Programs and Partnerships Office.

Appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2016, Pelfrey served as the associate director for operations in Engineering, later becoming deputy manager and subsequently manager for Marshall’s Human Exploration Development and Operations Office. He was appointed as Marshall’s deputy center director in April 2022.

Pelfrey received a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University in 2000.

Learn more about Pelfrey.

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NASA to Demonstrate Autonomous Navigation System on Moon

By Rick Smith

When the second CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) delivery is launched to the Moon in mid-February, its NASA payloads will include an experiment that could change how human explorers, rovers, and spacecraft independently track their precise location on the Moon and in cis-lunar space.

Demonstrating autonomous navigation, the Lunar Node-1 experiment, or LN-1, is a radio beacon designed to support precise geolocation and navigation observations for landers, surface infrastructure, and astronauts, digitally confirming their positions on the Moon relative to other craft, ground stations, or rovers on the move. These radio beacons also can be used in space to help with orbital maneuvers and with guiding landers to a successful touchdown on the lunar surface.

“Imagine getting verification from a lighthouse on the shore you’re approaching, rather than waiting on word from the home port you left days earlier,” said Evan Anzalone, principal investigator of LN-1 and a navigation systems engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “What we seek to deliver is a lunar network of lighthouses, offering sustainable, localized navigation assets that enable lunar craft and ground crews to quickly and accurately confirm their position instead of relying on Earth.”

The system is designed to operate as part of a broader navigation infrastructure, anchored by a series of satellites in lunar orbit as being procured under NASA’s Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation Systems project. Together, future versions of LN-1 would utilize LunaNet-defined standards to provide interoperable navigation reference signals from surface beacons as well as orbital assets.

Currently, navigation beyond Earth is heavily reliant on point-to-point services provided by NASA’s Deep Space Network, an international array of giant radio antennas which transmit positioning data to interplanetary spacecraft to keep them on course. These measurements typically are relayed back to Earth and processed on the ground to deliver information back to the traveling vehicle.

But when seconds count during orbital maneuvers, or among explorers traversing uncharted areas of the lunar surface, LN-1 offers a timely improvement, Anzalone said.

The CubeSat-sized experiment is one of six payloads included in the NASA delivery manifest for Intuitive Machines of Houston, which will be launched via a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Designated IM-1, the launch is the company’s first for NASA’s CLPS initiative, which oversees industry development, testing, and launch of small robotic landers and rovers supporting NASA’s Artemis campaign.

The Nova-C lander is scheduled to touch down near Malapert A, a lunar impact crater in the Moon’s South Pole region.

LN-1 relies on networked computer navigation software known as MAPS (Multi-spacecraft Autonomous Positioning System). Developed by Anzalone and researchers at Marshall, MAPS was successfully tested on the International Space Station in 2018 using NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation testbed.

Engineers at Marshall conducted all structural design, thermal and electronic systems development, and integration and environmental testing of LN-1 as part of the NASA-Provided Lunar Payloads project funded by the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. Anzalone and his team delivered the payload in 2021, having performed the payload build during the COVID pandemic. Since then, they refined the operating procedures, conducted thorough testing of the integrated flight system, and in October 2023, oversaw installation of LN-1 on Intuitive Machines’ lander.

The payload will transmit information briefly each day during the journey to the Moon. Upon lunar touchdown, the LN-1 team will conduct a full systems checkout and begin continuous operations within 24 hours of landing. NASA’s Deep Space Network will receive its transmissions, capturing telemetry, Doppler tracking, and other data and relaying it back to Earth. Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and at Morehead State University in Kentucky also will monitor LN-1’s transmissions throughout the mission, which is scheduled to last approximately 10 days.

Eventually, as the technology is proven and its infrastructure expanded, Anzalone expects LN-1 to evolve from a single lighthouse on the lunar shore into a key piece of a much broader infrastructure, helping NASA evolve its navigation system into something more akin to a bustling metropolitan subway network, wherein every train is tracked in real time as it travels its complex route.

“Spacecraft, surface vehicles, base camps and exploratory digs, even individual astronauts on the lunar surface,” Anzalone said. “LN-1 could connect them all and help them navigate more accurately, creating a reliable, more autonomous lunar network.”

Marshall’s LN-1 team is already discussing future Moon to Mars applications for LN-1 with NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program – which oversees more than 100 NASA and partner missions. They’re also consulting with the European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, aiding the push to unite spacefaring nations via an interconnected, interoperable global architecture.

“Eventually, these same technologies and applications we’re proving at the Moon will be vital on Mars, making those next generations of human explorers safer and more self-sufficient as they lead us out into the solar system,” Anzalone said.

NASA’s CLPS initiative enables NASA to buy a complete commercial robotic lunar delivery service from leading aerospace contractors. The provider is responsible for launch services, owns its lander design, and leads landing operations. Learn more here.

Smith, an Aeyon/MTS employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Marshall Wraps Up Mentoring Month with Mega Meal, Mentoring Panel

By Jessica Barnett

There was no shortage of opportunities in January to learn about the benefits of mentoring from those who have experienced them firsthand. In fact, there was so much to share, team members at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center kept the celebration going through the first week of February.

“It was so great to see so many from our workforce out and excited about mentorship,” said Selina Salgado, who serves as the Mentoring Program coordinator at Marshall. “At every event throughout the month and when reading through the highlights, I was encouraged by the engagement and commitment that the Marshall team showed for development.”

This year’s events included Meals with Mentors, in which team members could have lunch and chat with mentors from a variety of backgrounds and departments, and an in-person mentoring panel Feb. 6 featuring Marshall Chief Financial Officer Rhega Gordon and two of her mentees, Marshall Sustainability Coordinator Malene McElroy and program specialist Kim Henry.

Marshall also participated in the launch for AMPED (Agencywide Mentoring Pilot for Engagement & Development), which pairs mentors and mentees together using the MentorcliQ platform. Civil servants can sign up for AMPED now through Feb. 19.

Marshall team members can also participate in MERGE, a NASA-built mentoring application that allows users to create and view profiles to identify potential mentors or mentees. MERGE is recommended for casual, informal, or short-term mentoring relationships, as well as shadowing opportunities. Civil servants and contractors can sign up at any time.

In addition to in-person events and showcasing new options for finding a mentor or mentee, there were weekly tips to help team members get the most out of their mentorship journey and interviews with mentors and mentees, who shared their experiences, advice, and more.

“Our hope was that employees would reengage with mentorship, find value in their current relationships, or provide resources and guidance to help those who were new to the world of mentoring,” Salgado said.

Marshall team members can start or continue their mentorship journey by visiting the Marshall Mentorship Program page on Inside Marshall.

Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Mission Success is in Our Hands: Ashley Marlar

By Wayne Smith

Mission Success is in Our Hands is a safety initiative collaboration between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Jacobs. As part of the initiative, eight Marshall team members are featured in new testimonial banners placed around the center. This is the fourth in a Marshall Star series profiling team members featured in the testimonial banners. The next Mission Success is in Our Hands Shared Experience Forum will be Feb. 22 and will feature Robert Conway, deputy director of NASA’s Safety Center. The 11:30 a.m. event will be in Activities Building 4316 for Marshall team members.

Ashley Marlar is the Jacobs Space Exploration Group team lead of Operations Engineering Support at Marshall, responsible for managing a team of four Jacobs Transportation engineers supporting the center’s Transportation and Logistics Engineering Office. Marlar and her team develop and execute detailed plans, procedures, and engineered lift analyses to transport NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) flight hardware and test articles, as well as hardware for various other programs and projects at Marshall.

She has worked at Marshall for eight years, including six years with Jacobs, starting her career as a transportation and logistics engineer. A native of Hazel Green, Alabama, Marlar is a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville where she earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering.

Question: How does your work support the safety and success of NASA and Marshall missions?

Marlar: The thorough coordination and detailed planning of each hardware movement is absolutely critical to the safety of the hardware and the personnel handling it, and the success of the mission. We must anticipate risks and consider contingency plans. Whether it’s offloading a welded component from the delivery truck, installing a test article into a structural test stand, or shipping the SLS core stage on the barge Pegasus from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center, we meticulously plan every step of the operation to ensure the hardware is delivered without mishaps or delays.

Question: What does the Mission Success is in Our Hands initiative mean to you?

Marlar: To me it means every individual plays a vital role in making our missions safe and successful. We all contribute to NASA’s success by bringing our unique skills and perspectives to the table. And we are all responsible for the safety of ourselves and each other by having the courage to speak up and ask questions.

Question: Do you have a story or personal experience you can share that might help others understand the significance of mission assurance or flight safety?

Marlar: One of the things we do to help ensure mission safety is perform dry runs, like dress rehearsals, for many of our major moves. For example, we utilized the core stage Pathfinder vehicle to practice our transportation methods and iron out all the little details of our procedures without risking the actual core stage flight unit. We repeatedly practiced installing the Pathfinder onto ground support equipment, lifting and rotating it from horizontal to vertical orientation, and installing it into the B2 test stand at Stennis Space Center. Then we did everything in reverse. We did this multiple times to identify any challenges, safety issues, or workflow inefficiencies we might face when it came time to perform these tasks with the real thing, and then made many procedural changes and some hardware changes to mitigate those risks and resolve numerous issues. All of this paid off in a big way when we transported, lifted, and tested the flight core stage flawlessly.

Question: How can we work together better to achieve mission success?

Marlar: Mission success is a team effort and a shared responsibility. I think it’s vital to encourage and empower everyone to speak up and share their ideas and concerns as well as hold each other accountable. We should continue to reinforce the importance of communication and engagement, particularly as we emerge from a pandemic. 

Question: Do you have anything else you’d like to share?

Marlar: My primary goal is to make sure my team gets home safe and sound at the end of the day. As important and grand as our mission is, our biggest asset is our people. We are a collective of many pieces in a large puzzle, but every piece is equally important to the whole.

Smith, a Media Fusion employee and the Marshall Star editor, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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NASA Taps Alabama A&M University to Host Break the Ice Lunar Challenge

By Savannah Bullard

NASA has selected Alabama A&M University’s Agribition Center in Huntsville to host the final level of the agency’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge, using indoor and outdoor space to ground test the finalists’ solutions.

The challenge opened in 2020 to find novel solutions for excavating icy lunar regolith and delivering acquired resources in extreme environmental conditions. In alignment with NASA’s Moon to Mars objectives, the challenge aims to develop technologies that could support a sustained human presence on the Moon.

Throughout the challenge, competitors have designed, built, and independently tested robots that could theoretically withstand the harsh environments inside permanently shadowed regions of the lunar South Pole. The six finalists who succeeded in Phase 2: Level 2 of the challenge were announced in December 2023.

“We were looking for a unique set of criteria to house the Break the Ice Lunar competition, so we partnered with Jacobs Space Exploration Group in finding a facility,” said Denise Morris, NASA Centennial Challenges program manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “Alabama A&M is a good fit for this challenge because of the on-site capabilities they have and being close to NASA facilities makes logistics much easier.”

Located a few miles east of the Alabama A&M University campus, the Agribition (agriculture + exhibition) Center is managed by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System with support from the university and its College of Agricultural, Life, and Natural Sciences. Its indoor arena features a large dirt space, typically equipped to support rodeos and other agricultural expos. Outside, the center sits on roughly 40 acres of land, offering plenty of green space to build the competition’s complex infrastructure.

The final Phase 2: Level 3 testing will occur June 10-12, 2024. There are two components that each team will focus on mastering: excavation and transportation.

Six identically sized concrete slabs will be set up inside the arena for the finalists’ robots to dig. The slabs, measuring 300 cubic feet, will have qualities similar to a permanently shadowed crater located at the Moon’s South Pole. A gravity-offloading crane and pulley system will lift the excavators while working, simulating the one-sixth gravity experienced on the Moon.

Each team will have one hour to dig as much material as possible or until they reach the payload capacity of their excavation robot. Up to three top-performing teams will earn an opportunity to test their solution inside one of the thermal vacuum chambers located at Marshall, which can simulate the temperature and vacuum conditions at the lunar South Pole.

Outside the Agribition Center, challenge teams will take turns on a custom-built track outfitted with slopes, boulders, pebbles, rocks, and gravel to simulate the lunar surface. This volatile surface will stretch approximately 300 meters and include several twists and turns for more intermediate handling.

Each team will get one hour on the track to deliver a payload and return to the starting point. Times, distances, and pitfalls will be recorded independently.

“These two testing methods address the excavation and transportation of large quantities of icy regolith, which are some of NASA’s current top technology gaps,” said Naveen Vetcha, NASA challenge manager at Jacobs Space Exploration Group. “This competition has enabled teams to develop lightweight, energy efficient, reliable and durable hardware, all while performing well in Moon-like conditions like reduced gravity and complex terrain.”

The total prize purse is $1.5 million, with the first-place winner taking home $1 million and the second-place winner receiving $500,000.

The Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is a NASA Centennial Challenge led by Marshall, with support from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Centennial Challenges are part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program under NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Ensemble Consultancy supports challenge competitors.

Bullard, a Manufacturing Technical Solutions Inc. employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Mars, Venus Appear Very Close to Each Other this Month

By Lauren Perkins

February is a great month for the early rising skygazers. Venus has been bright in the morning sky all year, rising just before the Moon.

In the minutes before dawn this week, Venus will rise to the upper left of the waning crescent Moon and will be joined by Mars. Over the coming weeks, Venus will shift towards Mars until they appear to merge into one another, just a half a degree apart, on Feb. 22.

To view this planetary illusion, you’ll need to find a place with a clear view of the western horizon – few to no tall trees or buildings.

For more skygazing opportunities, including observing spiral galaxy M81, check out the video from Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s monthly “What’s Up” video series.

Perkins, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.

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Lee Mohon

Astronaut Bruce McCandless Performs the First Untethered Spacewalk

Astronaut Bruce McCandless II approaches his maximum distance from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger in this 70mm photo from Feb. 7, 1984. While testing out the nitrogen-propelled, hand-controlled back-pack device called the manned maneuvering unit (MMU) for the first time, McCandless’s fellow crewmembers aboard the reusable vehicle photographed him. The MMU allowed crews to move outside of the cargo bay and perform activities away from the safety of the spacecraft. “It may have been one small step for Neil,” he proclaimed, “but it’s a heck of a big leap for me.”

Learn how this and other iconic photos from the STS-41B mission came to be.

Image Credit: NASA

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Monika Luabeya

50 Years Ago: Skylab 4 Astronauts Return From Record-Breaking Spaceflight

The longest spaceflight up to that time ended on Feb. 8, 1974, when Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after their 84-day mission aboard Skylab, America’s first space station. During their stay, they carried out a challenging research program, including biomedical investigations on the effects of long-duration space flight on the human body, Earth observations using the Earth Resources Experiment Package, and solar observations with instruments mounted in the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). To study newly discovered Comet Kohoutek, scientists added cometary observations to the crew’s already busy schedule, including adding a far ultraviolet camera to Skylab’s instrument suite. The astronauts conducted four spacewalks, a then-record for a single Earth orbital mission.

Left: View from the Skylab 4 Command and Service Module (CSM) shortly after undocking from Skylab. Middle: Skylab during the final fly around, with the CSM’s shadow visible on the solar array. Right: Distant view of Skylab as the crew departed.

Carr, Gibson, and Pogue spent the first week of February 1974 finishing up their experiments, preparing the station for uncrewed operations, and packing their Command Module (CM) with science samples and other items for return to Earth. On Feb. 8, they closed all the hatches to Skylab and undocked their CM. Carr flew a complete loop around Skylab, the crew inspecting the station, noting the discoloration caused by solar irradiation. The sunshade installed by the Skylab 3 crew appeared to be in good condition. Finally, Carr fired the spacecraft’s thrusters to separate from the station. Three and a half hours after undocking, they received the go for the deorbit burn and fired the Service Module’s (SM) main engine. After 84 days in weightlessness, the burn felt like “a kick in the pants” to the astronauts. They separated the CM from the SM, but when Carr tried to reorient it with its heat shield forward for reentry, nothing happened! Carr switched to a backup system and corrected the problem, caused by an inadvertent flipping of the wrong circuit breakers. Reentry took place without incident, the two drogue parachutes opened at 24,000 feet to slow and stabilize the spacecraft, followed by the three main parachutes at 10,000 feet to slow the descent until splashdown.

Left: Splashdown of Skylab 4, ending the longest crewed mission to that time. Right: The Skylab 4 Command Module in the apex down or Stable II position.

Splashdown of Skylab 4 took place 176 miles from San Diego and three miles from the prime recovery ship the helicopter carrier U.S.S. New Orleans (LPH-11). The mission of 84 days 1 hour 16 minutes set a human spaceflight duration record for that time. Carr, Gibson, and Pogue had orbited the Earth 1,214 times and traveled 70.5 million miles. The CM first assumed a Stable II or apex down orientation in the water. Balloons at the top of the spacecraft inflated within minutes to right it to the Stable I or apex up position. In Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, flight controllers met the splashdown with mixed feelings – elation at the conclusion of the longest and highly successful mission and sadness at the end of the Skylab program with an upcoming prolonged hiatus in human spaceflights until the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in July 1975. The three major television networks chose not to carry the splashdown live, the first American splashdown not covered live since the capability began with the Gemini VI mission in 1965. The networks deemed the event not newsworthy.

Mission Control at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston shortly after the Skylab 4 splashdown.

Left: Recovery helicopter from the U.S.S. New Orleans about to drop swimmers into the water. Middle: Swimmers attach an inflatable collar around the Skylab 4 Command Module (CM). Right: Sailors lift the CM onto an elevator deck on the New Orleans.

Within 40 minutes of splashdown, recovery teams had placed an inflatable collar around the spacecraft and lifted it aboard the New Orleans. Seven minutes later, they had the hatch open and flight surgeons quickly examined the three astronauts, declaring them to be healthy.

Left: Aboard the U.S.S. New Orleans, Edward G. Gibson emerges first from the Skylab 4 Command Module (CM). Middle: William R. Pogue stands after emerging from the CM. Right: Skylab 4 crew members Gibson, left, Pogue, and Gerald P. Carr seated on a forklift platform after emerging from the CM and on their way to the medical facility.

Gibson, riding in the spacecraft’s center seat, emerged first, followed by Pogue. Carr exited last, befitting his role as commander. They walked the few steps to a platform where they could sit and wave to the cheering sailors. A forklift picked up the entire platform with the astronauts, and transported them to the Skylab mobile medical facilities aboard the carrier. Extensive medical examinations of the astronauts continued throughout landing day while the carrier sailed toward San Diego.

Left: Skylab 4 Commander Gerald P. Carr enjoys a cup of coffee during medical testing aboard the U.S.S. New Orleans. Right: During a break from medial testing, the Skylab 4 astronauts mingle with some of the crew aboard the New Orleans.

Medical exams revealed Carr, Gibson, and Pogue to have withstood the rigors of weightlessness better than the previous two Skylab crews despite having spent more time in space. They attributed this to their increased exercise regimen, including the use of the Thornton treadmill, and better nutrition, an assertion backed up by flight surgeons and scientists. While on board ship, they had limited contact with the staff, all of whom wore protective masks when in close proximity to the crew to maintain the strict postflight medical quarantine.

Left: From aboard the U.S.S. New Orleans, Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, left, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue wave to the crowd assembled dockside at North Island Naval Air Station (NAS) in San Diego. Middle: Carr, top, Gibson, and Pogue board a U.S. Air Force transport jet at North Island NAS that flew them to Houston. Right: Carr, Gibson, and Pogue aboard the transport jet on their way to Houston.

Carr, Gibson, and Pogue remained aboard the New Orleans until completion of the landing plus 2-day medical exams. The ship had arrived at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego the morning of Feb. 9, and the astronauts participated in a dockside welcoming ceremony while remaining on the carrier. The next day, the trio left the carrier and boarded a U.S. Air Force transport jet that flew them to Ellington Air Force Base in Houston.

Left: At Ellington Air Force Base in Houston, Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, bottom, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue descend the steps from the U.S. Air Force jet that had flown them from San Diego. Middle: Pogue, left, Gibson, and Carr hug their wives for the first time in more than three months. Right: On the podium at Ellington, Carr, left, Gibson, and Pogue address the welcoming crowd.

Upon deplaning at Ellington, Carr, Gibson, and Pogue reunited with their wives, JoAnn, Julia, and Helen, respectively, whom they had not seen in three months. Director of JSC Christopher C. Kraft introduced them to the several hundred well-wishers who turned out to welcome the astronauts back to Houston.

Left: Gerald P. Carr, left, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue address reporters at their postflight press conference on Feb. 22. Middle: President Richard M. Nixon speaks to the assembled crowd at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during the ceremony where he presented the Skylab 4 astronauts, sitting on the podium with their wives, with the Distinguished Service Medal on March 20, 1974. Right: In April 1974, the Skylab 4 astronauts address the assembled employees in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The astronauts soon returned to work at JSC for a series of debriefings about their mission. During a press conference on Feb. 22, they showed a film of their experiences aboard Skylab and answered reporters’ questions. During a visit to Texas, on March 20, President Richard M. Nixon stopped at JSC to award Carr, Gibson, and Pogue the Distinguished Service Medal in a ceremony attended by thousands of employees and visitors.

Left: The Skylab 4 Command Module on display at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. Image credit: courtesy Oklahoma History Center. Right: The Crew-1 astronauts aboard the space station talk with Skylab-4 astronaut Edward G. Gibson.

Following splashdown, the U.S.S. New Orleans delivered the CM to San Diego, from where workers trucked it to its manufacturer, the Rockwell International facility in Downey, California, for postflight inspection. NASA transferred the Skylab 4 CM to the National Air and Space Museum in 1975, where it went on display the following year when the Smithsonian Institution inaugurated its new building. After more than 40 years (1976 to 2018) on display there, in 2020, the NASM loaned the spacecraft to the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. The Skylab 4 CM held the record for the longest single flight for an American spacecraft for 47 years until Feb. 7, 2021, when the Crew Dragon Resilience flying the SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station broke it. To commemorate the event, the four-person crew of Crew-1 held a video conference with Gibson from the space station.

Left: The Skylab 4 rescue vehicle returns to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Feb. 14, 1974. Middle: Workers in the VAB destack the Skylab rescue spacecraft Command and Service Module-119 (CSM-119) from the SA-209 Saturn IB rocket. Right: The Skylab 4 CSM-119 rescue spacecraft on display in the KSC Apollo/Saturn V Center.

The Skylab 4 SA-209 Saturn IB rocket on display at the Visitor Center’s Rocket Garden at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket is topped with the Facility Verification Vehicle Apollo Command and Service Module.

The Skylab Rescue Vehicle’s rocket (SA-209) and spacecraft (CSM-119), on Launch Pad 39B since Dec. 3, 1973, returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Feb. 14, 1974. Workers destacked the vehicle, keeping the components in storage at KSC. Managers designated SA-209 and CSM-119 as the backup vehicle for the July 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Engineers used the spacecraft to conduct lightning sensitivity testing in KSC’s Manned Spacecraft Operations Building’s high bay in September 1974. Following ASTP, NASA retired both the rocket and spacecraft, eventually putting them on display. Visitors can view the SA-209 Saturn IB in the Rocket Garden of KSC’s Visitor Center and the CSM-119 in the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC.

Left: Illustration of a possible Skylab reboost mission by a space shuttle. Middle: Track of Skylab’s reentry over Australia. Right: Managers, flight directors, and astronauts monitor Skylab’s reentry from Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Two days before leaving Skylab, the Skylab 4 crew boosted the station into a higher 269-by-283-mile orbit, assuming it would remain in space until 1983. By then, NASA hoped that space shuttle astronauts could attach a rocket to the station to either boost it to a higher orbit or safely deorbit it over the Pacific Ocean. But delays in the shuttle program and higher than expected solar activity resulting in increased atmospheric drag on the station ultimately thwarted those plans. It became apparent that Skylab would reenter in mid-1979, forcing NASA to devise plans to control its entry point as much as possible by adjusting the station’s attitude to influence atmospheric drag. On July 11, 1979, during its 34,981^st orbit around the Earth, engineers in JSC’s Mission Control sent the final command to Skylab to turn off its control moment gyros, sending it into a slow tumble in an effort to ensure that Skylab would not reenter over a populated area. Skylab’s breakup resulted in most of the debris that survived reentry falling into the Indian Ocean, with some pieces falling over sparsely populated areas of southern Western Australia. 

Left: The Skylab postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service. Image credit: courtesy Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Right: Skylab 2 Commander Charles “Pete” Conrad, center, accepts the Collier Trophy from Vice President Gerald R. Ford, right, as Skylab 4 Commander Gerald P. Carr, left, and Skylab 3 Commander Alan L. Bean look on.

The scientific results returned during the 171 days of human occupancy aboard Skylab remain some of the most significant in the history of spaceflight. The medical studies on the astronauts represent the first comprehensive look at the human body’s response to long-duration spaceflight. The ATM solar telescopes took more than 170,000 images for astronomers, while Earth scientists received 46,000 photographs. The Skylab program received many accolades. The U.S. Postal Service honored it by releasing a stamp in the program’s honor on May 14, 1974, the 1-year anniversary of Skylab’s launch. The National Aviation Association awarded its prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy to the nine Skylab astronauts and to Skylab Program Director William C. Schneider for “proving beyond question the value of man in future explorations of space and the production of data of benefit to all the people on Earth.” Vice President Gerald R. Ford presented the award on June 4, 1974.

Left: The Skylab backup flight unit on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Image credit: courtesy NASM. Right: The Skylab trainer on display at Space Center Houston.

Possible plans for launching the Skylab backup flight unit never materialized due to budget constraints. That unit is on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The training units of the various Skylab modules are on display at Space Center Houston, JSC’s official visitors center.

Left: Soviet cosmonauts Georgi M. Grechko, left, and Yuri V. Romanenko during their record-breaking 96-day mission aboard Salyut 6. Right: NASA astronaut Norman E. Thagard during his American record-breaking 115-day flight aboard Mir.

As for the record for longest spaceflight, Skylab 4’s 84-day mark held for four years, when Soviet cosmonauts Yuri V. Romanenko and Georgi M. Grechko surpassed it, spending 96 days aboard the Salyut 6 space station from December 1977 to March 1978. As an American record it held up longer, broken by NASA astronaut Norman E. Thagard during his 115-day flight aboard the Russian space station Mir between March and July 1995. Operational lessons learned from Skylab proved invaluable for the Shuttle-Mir and International Space Station programs.

For more insight into the Skylab 4 mission, read Carr’s, Gibson’s, and Pogue’s oral histories with the JSC History Office.

With special thanks to Ed Hengeveld for his expert contributions on Skylab imagery.

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Nuevos astronautas de Artemis se gradúan y la NASA hará la cobertura

Read this release in English here.

La NASA rendirá homenaje a la nueva generación de candidatos a astronautas para el programa Artemis durante su acto de graduación, a las 10:30 a.m. hora del este del miércoles 5 de marzo en el Centro Espacial Johnson de la agencia en Houston.

Después de completar más de dos años de capacitación básica, estos candidatos recibirán sus “alas” y serán elegibles para vuelos espaciales, incluyendo asignaciones a la Estación Espacial Internacional, futuros destinos comerciales y misiones a la Luna y, más adelante, misiones a Marte.

La promoción de estudiantes que comenzaron sus estudios en 2021 incluye a 10 candidatos de la NASA, así como a dos candidatos de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos (EAU) del Centro Espacial Mohammed Bin Rashid, quienes han estado entrenando junto a los candidatos de la NASA.

Después de la ceremonia, a las 11:45 a.m. hora del este, la NASA tendrá una sesión de preguntas y respuestas con los estudiantes y los medios de comunicación presentes. Quienes sigan la sesión en las redes sociales pueden hacer preguntas usando la etiqueta #AskNASA. Los recién graduados también estarán disponibles para entrevistas con los medios de comunicación en persona y de manera remota.

Tanto la ceremonia como la sesión de preguntas y respuestas serán transmitidas en vivo por NASA+, NASA Television y el sitio web de la agencia. Aprende en este enlace (en inglés) cómo puedes ver la transmisión de NASA TV a través de diferentes plataformas, incluidas las redes sociales.

Los periodistas no estadounidenses que quieran participar de forma presencial deberán solicitar sus credenciales antes de las 5 p.m. hora de la zona central (CT) del miércoles 21 de febrero a la sala de redacción del Centro Espacial Johnson, llamando al teléfono +1 281-483-5111 o enviando un correo electrónico a jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. Los periodistas estadounidenses que deseen participar en persona deben solicitar sus credenciales comunicándose con la sala de redacción del centro Johnson antes de las 5 p.m. CT del jueves 29 de febrero. Todos los medios interesados en obtener una entrevista en persona o en forma remota con los astronautas deberán solicitar sus credenciales antes de las 5 p.m. CT del 29 de febrero, comunicándose con la sala de redacción del centro Johnson.

Los candidatos a astronauta de la NASA son:

Nichole Ayers, mayor de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos, es nativa de Colorado y se graduó en el año 2011 de la Academia de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos en Colorado Springs, Colorado, con una licenciatura en matemáticas y una especialización en ruso. Más tarde obtuvo una maestría en matemáticas computacionales y aplicadas de la Universidad Rice en Houston. Ayers tiene más de 200 horas de combate y más de 1.400 horas de tiempo total de vuelo en el T-38 y en el avión de combate F-22 Raptor. Ayers, una de las pocas mujeres que ha pilotado el F-22, lideró en 2019 la primera formación de este avión compuesta exclusivamente por mujeres en combate.

Marcos Berríos, mayor de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos, creció en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Berríos trabajó como ingeniero aeroespacial para la Dirección de Desarrollo de la Aviación del Ejército de Estados Unidos en el aeródromo federal de Moffett en California y como piloto de helicópteros de búsqueda y rescate de combate para la Guardia Nacional Aérea de California. Es piloto de pruebas y tiene una licenciatura en ingeniería mecánica del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts en Cambridge, Massachusetts, y una maestría en ingeniería mecánica, así como un doctorado en aeronáutica y astronáutica de la Universidad de Stanford en Palo Alto, California. Berríos ha acumulado más de 110 misiones de combate y 1.400 horas de vuelo en más de 21 aeronaves diferentes.

Chris (Christina) Birch creció en Gilbert, Arizona, y se graduó de la Universidad de Arizona en Tucson, con títulos en matemáticas y bioquímica y biofísica molecular. Después de obtener un doctorado en ingeniería biológica del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts, dio clases de bioingeniería en la Universidad de California en Riverside, y de escritura y comunicación científicas en el Instituto de Tecnología de California en Pasadena. Posteriormente, dejó la academia para convertirse en ciclista de pista en el equipo de la selección nacional de Estados Unidos.

Deniz Burnham considera a Wasilla, Alaska, su hogar. Expasante en el Centro de Investigación Ames de la NASA en Silicon Valley, California, obtuvo una licenciatura en ingeniería química de la Universidad de California en San Diego y una maestría en ingeniería mecánica de la Universidad del Sur de California en Los Ángeles. Burnham es una líder con experiencia en la industria de la energía, y ha gestionado proyectos de perforación en plataformas petroleras durante más de una década, incluyendo el Ártico en Alaska, el norte de Alberta en Canadá y Texas. Burnham sirvió en la Reserva de la Marina de Estados Unidos como oficial del servicio de ingeniería. Es piloto privada licenciada con las siguientes calificaciones: avión monomotor de tierra y mar, avión de instrumentos y helicóptero-rotor.

Luke Delaney, mayor retirado del Cuerpo de Marines de Estados Unidos, creció en Debary, Florida. Tiene una licenciatura en ingeniería mecánica de la Universidad del Norte de Florida en Jacksonville, y una maestría en ingeniería aeroespacial de la Escuela Naval de Postgrado en Monterey, California. Delaney es un aviador naval que ha participado en ejercicios en toda la región del Pacífico asiático y realizó misiones de combate en apoyo de la Operación Libertad Duradera. Como piloto de pruebas, efectuó vuelos de evaluación de integración de sistemas de armas y se desempeñó como instructor. Delaney trabajó recientemente como piloto de investigación en el Centro de Investigación Langley de la NASA en Hampton, Virginia, donde apoyó misiones científicas aéreas. Incluyendo su carrera en la NASA, Delaney ha registrado más de 3.900 horas de vuelo en 48 modelos de aviones a reacción, de hélice y de ala giratoria.

Andre Douglas es nativo de Virginia. Obtuvo una licenciatura en ingeniería mecánica de la Academia de la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos, una maestría en ingeniería mecánica y en arquitectura naval e ingeniería marina de la Universidad de Michigan en Ann Arbor, una maestría en ingeniería eléctrica e informática de la Universidad Johns Hopkins en Baltimore y un doctorado en ingeniería de sistemas de la Universidad George Washington en Washington. Douglas sirvió en la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos como arquitecto naval, ingeniero de salvamento, asistente de control de daños y oficial de cubierta. Recientemente fue miembro sénior del personal del Laboratorio de Física Aplicada de la Universidad Johns Hopkins en Laurel, Maryland, trabajando en robótica marítima, defensa planetaria y misiones de exploración espacial para la NASA.

Jack Hathaway, comandante de la Marina de Estados Unidos, es oriundo de Connecticut. Obtuvo licenciaturas en física e historia de la Academia Naval de Estados Unidos y completó sus estudios de posgrado en la Universidad de Cranfield en Inglaterra y en la Escuela Profesional de Guerra Naval de Estados Unidos. Como aviador naval, Hathaway voló y fue desplegado con el Escuadrón de Caza y Ataque 14 de la Marina a bordo del USS Nimitz y el Escuadrón de Caza y Ataque 136 a bordo del USS Truman. Se graduó de la Escuela de Pilotos de Prueba del Imperio en Wiltshire, Inglaterra, apoyó al Estado Mayor Conjunto en el Pentágono y, más recientemente, fue asignado como futuro oficial ejecutivo del Escuadrón de Caza y Ataque 81. Tiene más de 2.500 horas de vuelo en 30 tipos de aeronaves, más de 500 aterrizajes en portaaviones y ha volado en 39 misiones de combate.

Anil Menon, teniente coronel de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos, nació y creció en Minneapolis. Fue el primer médico de la tripulación de vuelo de SpaceX, ayudando a llevar al espacio a los primeros seres humanos que viajaron con esta empresa, durante la misión Demo-2 de SpaceX para la NASA, y desarrollando una organización médica para apoyar a los sistemas humanos durante futuras misiones. Antes de eso, sirvió en la NASA como médico de la tripulación de vuelo para diferentes expediciones de transporte de astronautas a la Estación Espacial Internacional. Menon es un médico especializado en medicina de emergencia en ejercicio activo con formación en medicina rural y aeroespacial. Como médico, fue socorrista durante el terremoto de 2010 en Haití, el terremoto de 2015 en Nepal y el accidente del Salón Aeronáutico de Reno de 2011. En la Fuerza Aérea, Menon apoyó a la 45.^a Ala Espacial como médico de la tripulación de vuelo y a la 173.^a Ala de Combate, donde realizó más de 100 salidas en el avión de combate F-15 y transportó a más de 100 pacientes como parte del equipo de transporte aéreo de cuidados críticos.

Christopher Williams creció en Potomac, Maryland. Se graduó de la Universidad de Stanford con una licenciatura en física y obtuvo un doctorado en física del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts, donde dedicó sus investigaciones a la astrofísica. Williams es físico médico certificado, y completó su formación como residente en la Escuela de Medicina de Harvard en Boston, antes de unirse al cuerpo docente como físico clínico e investigador. Recientemente trabajó como físico médico en el Departamento de Oncología Radioterápica en el hospital Brigham and Women’s y en el Instituto de Investigación contra el Cáncer Dana-Farber en Boston. Fue el físico principal del programa de radioterapia adaptativa guiada por resonancia magnética de ese instituto. Su investigación se centró en el desarrollo de técnicas de orientación por imagen para tratamientos contra el cáncer.

Jessica Wittner, teniente comandante de la Marina de Estados Unidos, es originaria de California y cuenta con una distinguida carrera en servicio activo como aviadora naval y piloto de pruebas. Tiene una licenciatura en ingeniería aeroespacial de la Universidad de Arizona en Tucson y una maestría en ingeniería aeroespacial de la Escuela Naval de Postgrado de Estados Unidos. Wittner fue comisionada como oficial naval mediante un programa de preparación para reclutas y ha servido operativamente volando aviones de combate F/A-18 con el Escuadrón de Caza y Ataque 34 en Virginia Beach, Virginia, y el Escuadrón de Caza y Ataque 151 en Lemoore, California. Graduada de la Escuela de Pilotos de Pruebas Navales de Estados Unidos, también trabajó como piloto de pruebas y oficial de proyectos con el Escuadrón de Pruebas y Evaluación Aérea 31 en China Lake, California.

Los candidatos a astronauta de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos son:

Nora AlMatrooshi, nacida en Sharjah, la primera mujer astronauta emiratí y árabe, fue seleccionada en el segundo grupo de candidatos a astronauta de los EAU y forma parte de la promoción de candidatos a astronautas de la NASA de 2021 que reciben su formación en Estados Unidos. AlMatrooshi tiene una licenciatura en ingeniería mecánica de la Universidad de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos y completó un semestre en la Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas de Vaasa en Finlandia. Es miembro de la Sociedad Estadounidense de Ingenieros Mecánicos y anteriormente trabajó como ingeniera de tuberías en la National Petroleum Construction Co. Durante su trabajo allí, contribuyó a importantes proyectos de ingeniería para las empresas Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. y Saudi Aramco, y se desempeñó como especialista técnica. También fue vicepresidenta del Consejo Juvenil de la Empresa Nacional de Construcción Petrolera durante tres años.

Mohammed AlMulla, nacido en Dubai, también fue seleccionado en el segundo grupo de candidatos a astronauta de los EAU y forma parte de la promoción de candidatos a astronauta de la NASA de 2021 que reciben su formación en Estados Unidos. A los 19 años, obtuvo una licencia de piloto comercial de la autoridad de seguridad de la aviación civil de Australia, lo que lo convirtió en el piloto más joven de la policía de Dubai. A los 28 años, estableció otro récord al convertirse en el instructor más joven de esta misma organización después de recibir su licencia de entrenador de pilotos. AlMulla obtuvo una licenciatura en derecho y economía en 2015 y una maestría ejecutiva en administración pública de la Escuela de Gobierno Mohammed Bin Rashid en 2021. Con más de 15 años de experiencia, también se desempeñó como jefe del Departamento de Capacitación del Centro del Ala Aérea de la Policía de Dubai.

Todos los candidatos a astronautas han completado su capacitación en caminatas espaciales, robótica, sistemas de estaciones espaciales, dominio del jet T-38 y el idioma ruso. En la ceremonia, cada candidato recibirá un pin de astronauta, lo que marcará su graduación de la capacitación básica y su elegibilidad para ser seleccionado para volar en el espacio.

La NASA continúa su trabajo a bordo de la estación espacial, el cual ha mantenido más de 23 años consecutivos de presencia humana. La agencia también permite el desarrollo de nuevas estaciones espaciales comerciales donde los integrantes de la tripulación continuarán realizando actividades científicas en beneficio de la exploración de la Tierra y el espacio profundo.

Como parte de la campaña Artemis de la NASA, la agencia establecerá las bases para la exploración científica a largo plazo en la Luna, pondrá en la superficie lunar a la primera mujer, a la primera persona no blanca y al primer astronauta de sus socios internacionales, y se preparará para las expediciones humanas a Marte en beneficio de todos.

Encuentra fotos adicionales de los candidatos a astronautas y más acerca de su formación aquí:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmXdVHhc

-fin-

Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov

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Roxana Bardan

New Artemis Generation Astronauts to Graduate, NASA Sets Coverage

Lee esta nota de prensa en español aquí.

NASA will honor the next generation of Artemis astronaut candidates to graduate at 10:30 a.m. EST Tuesday, March 5, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

After completing more than two years of basic training, these candidates will earn their wings and become eligible for spaceflight, including assignments to the International Space Station, future commercial destinations, missions to the Moon, and eventually, missions to Mars.

The 2021 class includes 10 NASA candidates, as well as two United Arab Emirates (UAE) candidates from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center who have been training alongside the NASA candidates.

After the ceremony, at 11:45 a.m., NASA will host a Q&A session with students and media in the audience. Those following the session on social media may ask questions using #AskNASA. The new graduates also will be available for in-person and remote media interviews.

Both the ceremony and Q&A session will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

International media must request credentials to participate in person by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, from the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. U.S. media wishing to participate in person must request credentials no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, to the Johnson newsroom. All media seeking an in-person or remote interview with the astronauts must request credentials by 5 p.m. Feb. 29, from the Johnson newsroom.

NASA’s astronaut candidates are:

Nichole Ayers, major, U.S. Air Force, is a native of Colorado who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a minor in Russian. She later earned a master’s degree in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University in Houston. Ayers has more than 200 combat hours and more than 1,400 hours of total flight time in the T-38 and the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. One of the few women to have flown the F-22, in 2019 Ayers led the first ever all-woman formation of the aircraft in combat.

Marcos Berríos, major, U.S. Air Force, grew up in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Berríos worked as an aerospace engineer for the U.S. Army Aviation Development Directorate at Moffett Federal Airfield in California and as a combat search and rescue helicopter pilot for the California Air National Guard. He is a test pilot who holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as a doctorate in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Berríos has accumulated more than 110 combat missions and 1,400 hours of flight time in more than 21 different aircraft.

Chris (Christina) Birch grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, and graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson, with degrees in Mathematics and Biochemistry and Molecular biophysics. After earning a doctorate in biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she taught bioengineering at the University of California in Riverside, and scientific writing and communication at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. She subsequently left academia to become a track cyclist on the U.S. National Team.

Deniz Burnham calls Wasilla, Alaska, home. A former intern at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California in San Diego, and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Burnham is an experienced leader in the energy industry, having managed drilling projects on oil rigs for over a decade, including the Arctic in Alaska, Northern Alberta in Canada, and Texas. Burnham served in the U.S. Navy Reserves as an engineering duty officer. She is a licensed private pilot with the following ratings: airplane single engine land and sea, instrument airplane, and rotorcraft-helicopter.

Luke Delaney, major, retired, U.S. Marine Corps, grew up in Debary, Florida. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Delaney is a naval aviator who participated in exercises throughout the Asia Pacific region and conducted combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As a test pilot, he executed flights evaluating weapon systems integration, and he served as an instructor. Delaney most recently worked as a research pilot at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, where he supported airborne science missions. Including his NASA career, Delaney has logged more than 3,900 flight hours on 48 models of jet, propeller, and rotary wing aircraft.

Andre Douglas is a Virginia native. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, a master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a doctorate in Systems Engineering from the George Washington University in Washington. Douglas served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect, salvage engineer, damage control assistant, and officer of the deck. He most recently was a senior staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland, working on maritime robotics, planetary defense, and space exploration missions for NASA.

Jack Hathaway, commander, U.S. Navy, is a native of Connecticut. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Physics and History from the U.S. Naval Academy and completed graduate studies at Cranfield University in England and the U.S. Naval War College. A naval aviator, Hathaway flew and deployed with Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron 14 aboard the USS Nimitz and Strike Fighter Squadron 136 aboard the USS Truman. He graduated from Empire Test Pilots’ School in Wiltshire, England, supported the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, and was most recently assigned as the prospective executive officer for Strike Fighter Squadron 81. He has more than 2,500 flight hours in 30 types of aircraft, more than 500 carrier arrested landings, and flew 39 combat missions.

Anil Menon, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force, was born and raised in Minneapolis. He was SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the company’s first humans to space during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission and building a medical organization to support the human system during future missions. Prior to that, he served NASA as the crew flight surgeon for various expeditions taking astronauts to the International Space Station. Menon is an actively practicing emergency medicine physician with fellowship training in wilderness and aerospace medicine. As a physician, he was a first responder during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and the 2011 Reno Air Show accident. In the Air Force, Menon supported the 45th Space Wing as a flight surgeon and the 173rd Fighter Wing, where he logged more than 100 sorties in the F-15 fighter jet and transported over 100 patients as part of the critical care air transport team.

Christopher Williams grew up in Potomac, Maryland. He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and a doctorate in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his research was in astrophysics. Williams is a board-certified medical physicist, completing his residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston, before joining the faculty as a clinical physicist and researcher. He most recently worked as a medical physicist in the Radiation Oncology Department at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He was the lead physicist for the institute’s MRI-guided adaptive radiation therapy program. His research focused on developing image guidance techniques for cancer treatments.

Jessica Wittner, lieutenant commander, U.S. Navy, is a native of California with a distinguished career serving on active duty as a naval aviator and test pilot. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona in Tucson, and a master’s in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Wittner was commissioned as a naval officer through an enlisted-to-officer program and has served operationally flying F/A-18 fighter jets with Strike Fighter Squadron 34 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Strike Fighter Squadron 151 in Lemoore, California. A graduate of U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, she also worked as a test pilot and project officer with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 in China Lake, California.

UAE’s astronaut candidates are:

Nora AlMatrooshi, born in Sharjah, the first Emirati and Arab woman astronaut, was selected in the second group of UAE astronaut candidates and is part of NASA’s astronaut candidate class of 2021 undergoing training in the U.S. AlMatrooshi holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University and completed a semester at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences in Finland. She is a member of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and previously worked as a piping engineer at the National Petroleum Construction Co. During her time there, she contributed to significant engineering projects for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Saudi Aramco and served as a technical specialist. She also was vice president of the Youth Council at the National Petroleum Construction Company for three years.

Mohammed AlMulla, born in Dubai, also was selected in the second group of UAE astronaut candidates, and is part of NASA’s astronaut candidate class of 2021 undergoing training in the U.S. At 19 years old, he had obtained a commercial pilot’s license from Australia civil aviation safety authority, making him the youngest pilot in Dubai Police. At age 28, he set another record by becoming the youngest trainer in the same organization after receiving his pilot trainer license. AlMulla earned a bachelor’s degree in Law and Economics in 2015 and an executive master’s in Public Administration from the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in 2021. With more than 15 years of experience, he also served as the Head of Training Department of the Air Wing Centre at Dubai Police.

All astronaut candidates have completed training in spacewalking, robotics, space station systems, T-38 jet proficiency, and Russian language. At the ceremony, each candidate will receive an astronaut pin, marking their graduation from basic training and their eligibility to be selected to fly in space.

NASA continues its work aboard the space station, which has maintained more than 23 consecutive years of human presence. The agency also is enabling the development of new commercial space stations where crew members will continue conducting science to benefit Earth and deep space exploration.

As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will establish the foundation for long-term scientific exploration at the Moon, land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, and prepare for human expeditions to Mars for the benefit of all.

Find additional photos of the astronaut candidates and their training here:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmXdVHhc

-end-

Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Courtney Beasley
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
courtney.m.beasley@nasa.gov

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Roxana Bardan