New Gateway Installed onto Space Station on This Week @NASA – August 19, 2016

TL;DR

NASA astronauts installed a new docking port on the International Space Station for new U.S. Commercial Crew vehicles, completed the construction of a Crew Access Tower for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the commercial cargo resupply program, showcased progress on the Journey to Mars with a NASA Social event, reached a key milestone for the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), previewed the upcoming launch of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, and collected data on carbon dioxide and methane in the Midwest skies.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” Outside the International Space Station, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins of NASA installed the first of two International Docking Adapters onto the forward end of the station’s Harmony module, during a spacewalk on Aug. 19. “And with that, we have a new p... Read More

Key Insights

• 🚙 NASA is expanding the capabilities of the International Space Station by installing new docking ports for U.S. Commercial Crew vehicles.
• 💋 The completion of the Crew Access Tower for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft marks a major milestone in the development of the spacecraft.
• ❓ The agency is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the commercial cargo resupply program, which has been crucial in resupplying the International Space Station.
• 🇲🇭 The NASA Social event highlights the progress made on the Journey to Mars, showcasing robotic exploration of Mars and the development of the powerful Space Launch System.
• 👾 The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is progressing towards its next phase of development, demonstrating NASA's commitment to future deep space missions.
• 🦖 The upcoming launch of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft presents an exciting opportunity to study and collect samples from an asteroid.
• 🥃 The ACT-America campaign is collecting valuable data on carbon dioxide and methane movement in the skies over the Midwest, focusing on the agricultural heartland.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the purpose of the International Docking Adapters installed on the International Space Station?

The International Docking Adapters are installed to provide docking ports for new U.S. Commercial Crew vehicles, such as Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon, to transport U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

Q: What milestone did the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) recently achieve?

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) reached a key milestone known as Key Decision Point-B (KDP-B), which allows the mission to progress to the next phase of design and development for the mission's robotic segment.

Q: What is the purpose of the NASA Social event on the Journey to Mars?

The NASA Social event showcased the agency's progress on the Journey to Mars and included exhibits of NASA's robotic exploration of Mars, tours of manufacturing facilities, and a test firing of one of the RS-25 rocket engines that will power the Space Launch System (SLS).

Q: What is the significance of the commercial cargo resupply program's 10-year anniversary?

The commercial cargo resupply program's 10-year anniversary marked the return of American cargo resupply missions to U.S. soil and laid the foundation for the effort to return American launches of humans to space.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams and Flight Engineer Kate Rubins installed the first of two International Docking Adapters onto the International Space Station's Harmony module for new U.S. Commercial Crew vehicles.

• Engineers completed the construction of the Crew Access Tower for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, marking a major milestone.

• The agency's commercial cargo resupply program celebrated its 10-year anniversary, which paved the way for the return of American launches of humans to space.

• A NASA Social event provided insights into the progress on the Journey to Mars, featuring exhibits, manufacturing facility tours, and a test firing of the RS-25 rocket engine.

• The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) reached a key milestone (KDP-B), moving the robotic segment of the mission to the next phase of design and development.

• NASA previewed the upcoming launch of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which will rendezvous with an asteroid called Bennu to study and return a sample.

• The ACT-America campaign collected data on the movement of carbon dioxide and methane in the skies over the Midwest, focusing on the agricultural heartland.