Images From Comet’s Mars Flyby On This Week @NASA- October 24, 2014

TL;DR

This week at NASA, Mars-based spacecraft captured close-up views of comet Siding Spring, a partial solar eclipse was visible in the US and Canada, a spacewalk was conducted outside the International Space Station, and cargo craft launches were scheduled for resupply missions.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” Several Mars-based NASA spacecraft had prime viewing positions for comet Siding Spring’s October 19 close flyby of the Red Planet. Early images include this composite photo from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope – it combines shots of Mars, the comet, and a star background to illustrate Siding Sp... Read More

Key Insights

• ☄️ NASA's spacecraft captured unique views of the close flyby of comet Siding Spring by Mars, providing valuable data on the comet and its interaction with the planet.
• 👻 The visibility of the partial solar eclipse in the US and Canada allowed for public viewing and appreciation of celestial events.
• 🧑‍🚀 The spacewalk conducted by Expedition 41 astronauts showcased the importance of maintenance and hardware removal on the International Space Station.
• 🚀 The cargo craft launches, including the SpaceX Dragon and Orbital Sciences' Cygnus, highlight ongoing efforts to resupply the International Space Station and support scientific experiments.
• 💯 The initial confidence welds using NASA's Vertical Assembly Center tool demonstrate progress in assembling the Space Launch System rocket's core stage.
• 👨‍🚀 The visit of NASA's newest astronaut candidates to Glenn Research Center signifies ongoing preparations for future space missions to various destinations.
• 👨‍🔬 Ames Research Center's Open House event attracted a large number of participants, providing an opportunity to showcase NASA's research facilities to the public.

Questions & Answers

Q: What did the Hubble Space Telescope composite photo of Mars, the comet, and a star background illustrate?

The composite photo illustrates the distance between Mars and comet Siding Spring at its closest approach during the flyby.

Q: How close was the comet flyby to Mars compared to previous known comet flybys of a planet?

The comet Siding Spring flyby was much closer, at only about 87,000 miles from Mars, than any other known comet flyby of a planet.

Q: What was the purpose of the spacewalk conducted outside the International Space Station?

The astronauts conducted the spacewalk to remove experiment hardware on the Russian segment of the complex that was no longer needed and performed a detailed photographic survey of the exterior of the Russian modules.

Q: What were some of the activities undertaken by NASA's astronaut candidates during their visit to Glenn Research Center?

The astronaut candidates toured several facilities at Glenn Research Center and received technical training to prepare for missions to low-Earth orbit, an asteroid, and Mars.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA spacecraft captured images of the close flyby of comet Siding Spring by Mars, providing high-resolution views never seen before.

• A partial solar eclipse was visible in the US and Canada, marking the fourth and final eclipse of the year.

• Expedition 41 astronauts conducted a spacewalk to remove experiment hardware on the Russian segment of the International Space Station and performed a photographic survey of the exterior. Meanwhile, preparations were made for the unberthing and release of the SpaceX Dragon cargo craft.

• The first ring and barrel segments of NASA's Space Launch System rocket's core stage were loaded onto the Vertical Assembly Center tool for initial confidence welds.