Making Human Settlement of Space a Reality on This Week @NASA – October 14, 2016 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

President Obama outlines the importance of sending humans to Mars by the 2030s, while NASA announces initiatives to develop habitation systems and allow companies to add modules to the International Space Station. NASA also participates in the White House Frontiers Conference and provides an update on operations after Hurricane Matthew.

Key Insights

• 👾 President Obama emphasizes the importance of sending humans to Mars and long-term stays on the planet for space exploration.
• 👾 NASA selects companies to develop habitation systems and engage in public-private partnerships to enable sustainable human presence in space.
• 🏛️ NASA's participation in the White House Frontiers Conference highlights the agency's role in building U.S. capacity in science and technology.
• ❓ NASA's Kennedy Space Center resumes operations after Hurricane Matthew with minimal damage.
• 👾 Testing of the service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft and completion of the liquid hydrogen tank for SLS showcase progress in preparation for future deep space missions.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” An Oct. 11 opinion article written by President Barack Obama and published by CNN, outlined a vision for the future of space exploration. In it, the president echoed the words in his 2015 State of the Union address about the importance of sending humans on a roundtrip mission to Mars by the 2... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is President Obama's vision for the future of space exploration?

President Obama's vision includes sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and developing technology for long-term stays on the planet.

Q: How is NASA supporting the vision outlined by President Obama?

NASA selects six companies to develop habitation systems for deep space missions and plans to allow companies to add modules to the International Space Station.

Q: What was the focus of the White House Frontiers Conference?

The conference focused on building U.S. capacity in science, technology, and innovation, with discussions on new technologies and goals for the 21st century and beyond.

Q: How did Hurricane Matthew impact NASA's Kennedy Space Center?

Hurricane Matthew caused isolated roof damage, downed power lines, and limited water intrusion, but there were no reports of injuries. The center resumed operations after a few days.

Q: What recent testing has been conducted by NASA engineers?

Engineers at Glenn Research Center tested a full-size version of the service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft to ensure its ability to withstand the forces it will encounter during launch.

Q: What progress has been made at Michoud Assembly Facility?

Teams have finished welding the liquid hydrogen tank, the largest cryogenic fuel tank in the world, which will be used for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion's first spaceflight test.

Q: What is the purpose of the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)?

ASRS, a joint-partnership between NASA and the FAA, provides aviation professionals a confidential way to report potential risks, resulting in over 1.6 million reports and contributing to safety improvements.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• President Obama emphasizes the goal of sending humans to Mars and developing technology for long-term stays on the planet.

• NASA selects six companies to develop habitation systems for deep space missions.

• NASA plans to allow companies to add their own modules to the International Space Station.

• NASA participates in the White House Frontiers Conference, focusing on building U.S. capacity in science and technology.

• NASA's Kennedy Space Center resumes operations after Hurricane Matthew with minimal damage.

• Engineers at Glenn Research Center test a full-size version of the service module for NASA's Orion spacecraft.

• The liquid hydrogen tank for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) is completed at Michoud Assembly Facility.

• NASA congratulates the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) on its 40th anniversary, which has contributed to safety improvements in aviation.