U.S. spacewalks continue on ISS on This Week @NASA

TL;DR

NASA astronauts continue spacewalks to prepare for new docking ports, while Earth Science missions provide significant insights into carbon dioxide, rain and snowfall, ocean winds, and aerosol particles.

Transcript

“Here’s some of the stories trending This Week at NASA!” On Feb. 25, International Space Station Commander Barry Wilmore and Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA continued rigging power and data cables during the second in a series of three spacewalks to prepare for installation of two new docking ports for the future arrival of U.S. commercial crew... Read More

Key Insights

• 👶 NASA astronauts are actively preparing the International Space Station for the arrival of new U.S. commercial crew spacecraft.
• 🎟️ The MMS mission will provide unprecedented insights into the universal process of magnetic reconnection.
• 🧑‍🏭 The Earth Science missions have significantly increased the agency's ability to monitor and understand various environmental factors.
• 🤽 The SMAP mission plays a crucial role in furthering our understanding of Earth's water, energy, and carbon cycles.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are NASA astronauts doing during the spacewalks?

The astronauts are rigging power and data cables to prepare for the installation of new docking ports for U.S. commercial crew spacecraft. This will enable future arrivals of these spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Q: What is the objective of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission?

The MMS mission aims to provide the first three-dimensional view of magnetic reconnection, a process in which magnetic fields connect and disconnect, releasing explosive energy that can accelerate particles close to the speed of light.

Q: What have the Earth Science missions launched by NASA in the past year achieved?

The missions have resulted in the largest one-year increase in the agency's fleet of Earth-observing spacecraft in over a decade. They have provided new views of global carbon dioxide levels, precipitation, ocean winds, and aerosol particles in the atmosphere.

Q: What is the purpose of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission?

The SMAP mission aims to provide global measurements of soil moisture, which in turn improves our understanding of Earth's water, energy, and carbon cycles.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA astronauts are conducting a series of spacewalks to rig power and data cables for the installation of new docking ports for U.S. commercial crew spacecraft.

• The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, launching on March 12, aims to provide a three-dimensional view of magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon that releases explosive energy.

• NASA's Earth Science missions, launched over the past 12 months, have resulted in a significant increase in data and imagery, including new insights into global carbon dioxide levels, precipitation, ocean winds, and aerosol particles.