Space Station Astronauts Return Safely to Earth on This Week @NASA – December 11, 2015

TL;DR

Astronauts bid farewell and safely return from the International Space Station, new crew prepares for launch, Cygnus cargo craft delivers supplies, NASA's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory assesses potential of quantum computers, and JPL hosts the annual Invention Challenge.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” On Dec. 11 aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s Kjell Lindgren, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, bid farewell to crew members remaining on the station -- including Commander Scott Kelly, NASA’s one-year mission astronaut. The... Read More

Key Insights

• 👨‍🚀 Astronauts safely return after a long stay in space, marking the success of their mission.
• 👾 Preparations for future space station crew launches indicate the continuity of human presence in space.
• 👻 The enhanced Cygnus cargo craft enhances the space station's payload capacity, allowing for more supplies and equipment to support scientific investigations.
• 👾 Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize NASA's problem-solving capabilities for aeronautics, Earth science, and space exploration missions.
• 🤔 The Invention Challenge hosted by JPL encourages young minds to engage in STEM skills and promote creativity and strategic thinking.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who bid farewell and returned from the International Space Station?

Astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Oleg Kononenko, and Kimiya Yui bid farewell and safely returned from the International Space Station after a 141-day stay in space.

Q: When is the scheduled launch of the next three additions to the space station crew?

The launch of the next three additions to the space station crew, including NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, is scheduled for December 15.

Q: What did the Cygnus cargo craft deliver to the space station?

The Cygnus cargo craft delivered over 7,000 pounds of cargo, including science and research equipment, crew supplies, and vehicle hardware to support approximately 250 investigations during Expeditions 45 and 46.

Q: What is the purpose of NASA's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory experiment?

The purpose of NASA's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory experiment is to assess the potential of quantum computers in performing calculations that are difficult or impossible using conventional supercomputers, with the aim of improving NASA's ability to solve optimization problems for missions in various fields.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Oleg Kononenko, and Kimiya Yui bid farewell and safely returned from the International Space Station after a 141-day stay in space.

• Preparations are underway for the launch of the next three additions to the space station crew, including NASA astronaut Tim Kopra.

• The enhanced Cygnus cargo craft successfully arrived at the space station, delivering over 7,000 pounds of cargo to support various science and research investigations.

• NASA's Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Ames Research Center is conducting an experiment to assess the potential of quantum computers in solving difficult optimization problems for missions in aeronautics, Earth science, and space exploration.

• NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory hosted the annual Invention Challenge, where middle and high school teams demonstrated unique devices in a "Ball Fling Contest" to promote STEM skills.