Launching a Mission to Study Earth’s Water on This Week @NASA – May 25, 2018

TL;DR

This week at NASA, the GRACE-FO mission launched to track Earth's water movement, the Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station, and NASA's Administrator testified about the agency's proposed budget to advance exploration and research.

Transcript

Tracking the movement of Earth’s water… Resupplying the International Space Station … And our Administrator testifies about the agency’s proposed budget – a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! “And liftoff of GRACE Follow-On …” The twin satellites for the GRACE Follow-On, or GRACE-FO mission, launched May 22 from California’s ... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 The GRACE-FO mission was launched to continue tracking Earth's water movement, building upon the work of the original GRACE mission.
• ❓ The Cygnus cargo spacecraft successfully resupplied the International Space Station with equipment, cargo, and supplies, supporting ongoing investigations and experiments.
• 🎟️ NASA's proposed budget emphasizes the objective of returning to the Moon for eventual human missions and utilizing lunar resources to advance exploration to Mars and beyond.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the purpose of the GRACE-FO mission?

The GRACE-FO mission aims to observe the movement of water and changes in Earth's mass to better understand our planet's dynamics and processes. It is a joint mission between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences.

Q: What did the Cygnus cargo spacecraft deliver to the International Space Station?

The Cygnus cargo spacecraft delivered about 7,400 pounds of equipment, cargo, and supplies to support more than 250 investigations underway on the International Space Station. It also carried new experiments, including emergency navigation research and ultra-cold atom research.

Q: What did NASA's Administrator discuss during his testimony?

During his testimony, NASA's Administrator, Jim Bridenstine, discussed the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification. He emphasized the objective of returning to the Moon with soft landings to establish American leadership and utilize lunar resources for future missions to Mars and beyond.

Q: When will NASA's Parker Solar Probe launch, and what is its mission?

The Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to launch on July 31 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Its mission is to travel closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before, studying the solar wind and heliophysics. The probe will carry a memory card mounted on a plaque with the names of over 1.1 million individuals.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• GRACE-FO, a joint mission between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences, launched twin satellites to observe Earth's water movement and changes in mass on and beneath the surface.

• The Cygnus cargo spacecraft successfully arrived at the International Space Station, delivering equipment, cargo, and supplies to support ongoing investigations and new experiments.

• NASA's Administrator, Jim Bridenstine, testified about the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification, emphasizing the objective of returning to the Moon to establish American leadership and ultimately reach Mars.