NASA & USDA teams to plant seeds Today on This Week @NASA – October 9, 2015

TL;DR

NASA and USDA signed an agreement to collaborate on engaging youth in STEM activities, including agriculture literacy and food science.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” During an Oct. 5 event at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “People’s Garden” in Washington, NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman and USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden signed an Annex to an interagency agreement the two signed in June. The Annex encourages collaborative efforts by the a... Read More

Key Insights

• 😋 NASA and USDA are collaborating to engage youth in STEM activities related to agriculture literacy and food science.
• 🛟 CubeSats launched by NASA serve various testing purposes for satellite control, communication, and data transfer accuracy.
• 🧑‍🚀 NASA is developing safe and efficient exit procedures for astronauts from the Orion spacecraft after splashdown landings.
• 😒 The In Situ Resource Utilization Challenge aims to explore the use of planetary resources for construction in space.
• 👻 NASA's Startup NASA Initiative allows start-up companies to license patented NASA technology without upfront payment.
• ❓ A Hall of Fame has been established at NASA's Glenn Research Center, inducting individuals who made significant contributions to the agency.
• 🔒 October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, prompting employees to prioritize online security.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the purpose of the Annex signed by NASA and USDA?

The Annex encourages collaborative efforts between NASA and USDA to engage youth in STEM activities, specifically focusing on agriculture literacy and food science. This collaboration aims to foster interest and learning in these fields among young students.

Q: What is the objective of launching CubeSats by NASA?

The CubeSats launched by NASA serve various purposes. The NASA-funded CubeSat will test the accuracy of pointing during high-speed laser data transfer, while the NASA-sponsored CubeSats will test new satellite control systems, Earth observations, amateur radio communications, and an X-Band radio science transponder.

Q: What were the findings of the tests conducted by NASA for astronaut exits from the Orion spacecraft?

During the testing at Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, support personnel worked on different exit strategies for the crew. The lessons learned from these exercises will help evaluate the layout of equipment inside the spacecraft that could affect the recovery process.

Q: What is the goal of NASA's In Situ Resource Utilization Challenge?

NASA aims to figure out how astronauts can utilize resources from other planets, particularly Mars, for off-Earth construction. The challenge encourages the public to share ideas on using surface-based materials like regolith or crushed basalt for this purpose.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman and USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden signed an Annex to an interagency agreement, aiming to engage youth in STEM activities.

• Four NASA-sponsored CubeSats and a NASA-funded CubeSat were launched as part of the NROL-55 mission, testing new satellite control and communication systems and laser data transfer.

• NASA conducted tests to develop safe and efficient procedures for astronauts to exit the Orion spacecraft after splashdown landings in the Pacific Ocean.