{"id":768810,"date":"2023-10-11T11:48:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T15:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=768810"},"modified":"2023-10-11T11:48:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T15:48:25","slug":"the-marshall-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=768810","title":{"rendered":"The Marshall Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

Agency Leadership Talks NASA 2040, Artemis, Budget at Marshall Town Hall<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Jessica Barnett<\/em><\/p>\n

From funding to historic achievements to the future of NASA, there was no shortage of topics for discussion during the latest Marshall Town Hall.<\/p>\n

Marshall team members joined in person and online as Acting Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, and Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails shared their goals for Marshall and the agency\u2019s future and answered questions from the audience in Activities Building 4316 on Sept. 18.<\/p>\n

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\"NASA<\/figure>
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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, far left, talks to Marshall team members during a Town Hall on Sept. 18 in Activities Building 4316. Joining him on the event stage, from left, are Marshall Acting Center Director Joseph Pelfrey, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, NASA Associate Administrator Robert Cabana, and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Charles Beason<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Pelfrey kicked off the town hall by welcoming agency leaders and showering praise on the Marshall team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see the accomplishments of what we\u2019re doing as an agency and see so many parts of that have a Marshall fingerprint,\u201d Pelfrey said. \u201cIt\u2019s an honor to have our leadership team here to share some of the things going on within our agency and how Marshall fits into those plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nelson followed Pelfrey\u2019s speech with another round of praise, calling Marshall team members \u201cwizards who make the impossible possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going back to the Moon to learn, to live, to create, to invent, in order for us to go to Mars and beyond, to discover those far, distant cosmic shores,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cAnd Marshall is very much a part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

That work is being supported in part by NASA 2040, a strategic agency initiative aimed at driving meaningful changes that will allow the agency to realize its long-term vision for what leaders want the agency to be in 2040.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I think it\u2019s NASA\u2019s role to do really hard things that only NASA can do,\u201d Swails said. \u201cWhen we talk about 2040 and we talk about our mission strategy, how we do make sure we have an operating model that best sets us up for a future that aligns to mission goals? How do we make sure we have an institution that frankly reflects how amazing and incredible our mission is?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Cabana,<\/figure>
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Cabana, right, responds to a question during the Q&A portion of the Marshall Town Hall. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Charles Beason<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Swails then presented the plan to achieving those goals which included a seven-part list of workstreams with associated teams and leaders focused on supporting the workforce, infrastructure, and technologies critical to keeping NASA a leader in science, aeronautics, and space exploration.<\/p>\n

In addition to her speech, Swails held meetings Sept. 22 to further discuss NASA 2040. Cabana stressed the importance of such meetings and listening sessions during his portion of the town hall, encouraging Marshall team members to seize the opportunity to attend and offer feedback.<\/p>\n

Agency leaders also shared how Marshall is key to not just the initiative\u2019s success but the success of NASA\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that we articulate and emphasize the science, technology, and impact we have,\u201d Melroy said. \u201cI\u2019m personally excited, as I see the incredible science you work on here with ISS, what new discoveries we\u2019re going to get with Artemis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melroy and Cabana noted Marshall\u2019s work on nuclear propulsion, with Artemis, and with the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not making a difference for Marshall Space Flight Center, the state of Alabama, or even the United States,\u201d Cabana said. \u201cYou\u2019re making a difference for humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A Marshall team member poses a question to agency leaders during the Q&A portion of the Town Hall. <\/div>\n
NASA\/Charles Beason<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cabana provided an update on the Artemis program, telling audience members that Artemis II is still on track for its launch next year and work is underway to prepare for Artemis III\u2019s launch in 2025. He encouraged Marshall team members to be active participants and promote an inclusive environment as the agency continues toward 2040.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are doing is too critical not to give it our very best and have that environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Also critical, however, is ensuring NASA has the budget for its goals. Nelson, a former U.S. senator, said he isn\u2019t sure what those currently in Congress will decide, but he remains confident that NASA will be just fine.<\/p>\n

He said there\u2019s talk of NASA receiving level funding, which has caused angst among some, but that NASA\u2019s international reach has made it favorable on both sides of the political aisle.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s going to be all right,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cThere will be some bumps along the way on this budget; it is a sign of the times. I wish it were not that way, but I can tell you that NASA brings people together, and NASA unites, not just in domestic politics but around the world as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Marshall Wins Award for Most Funds Raised During 2022 Combined Federal Campaign<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Jessica Barnett<\/em><\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center was recently awarded for raising more funds than any other large federal agency in the Greater Tennessee Valley Zone during the 2022 CFC (Combined Federal Campaign).<\/a><\/p>\n

The CFC serves as the federal government\u2019s only sanctioned charity fundraiser event, with civilian, military, contract, and postal employees all encouraged to contribute to the charity of their choice during the annual campaign.<\/p>\n

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\"Erin<\/figure>
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Erin Richardson, center, chair of the 2022 Combined Federal Campaign at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center, holds Marshall\u2019s award for raising more funds than any other large federal agency in the Greater Tennessee Valley Zone during the campaign. Standing with her, from left, are Marshall Associate Director, Technical, Larry Leopard and Marshall Associate Director Rae Ann Meyer.<\/div>\n
NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Marshall kicked off the 2022 campaign last October with a charity fair, giving potential donors a chance to learn about some of the charities that benefit from CFC donations. \u00a0Erin Richardson, a materials science manager at Marshall who served as chair of the 2022 campaign, said the goal was more than just raising funds \u2013 it was about raising awareness of CFC and increasing participation in the campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ended up contributing the most out of any large agency in the Greater Tennessee Valley, which is our CFC zone,\u201d Richardson said, adding the win came as a surprise given some of the obstacles they faced.<\/p>\n

Those obstacles included inflation and economic concerns among potential donors, balancing virtual and in-person campaigning after the pandemic, and it being the first time Richardson and many of her co-campaigners had served as CFC leaders at Marshall.<\/p>\n

Looking back on it now, she said, there were certainly some lessons learned. Richardson said she\u2019s optimistic for the 2023 campaign, which will be chaired by Angela Lovelady, a lead budget analyst at Marshall.<\/p>\n

\u201cAngela is a step above,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cShe has an intense passion and heart for it, and I think she\u2019ll be a great lead for CFC.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Marshall<\/figure>
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Marshall team members raised more funds than any other large federal agency in the Greater Tennessee Valley Zone during the 2022 Combined Federal Campaign. Overseen by the Office of Personnel Management, CFC is the official workplace giving campaign for federal employees, contractors, and retirees. <\/div>\n
NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Marshall team members who wish to match that enthusiasm will have plenty of ways to do so when the 2023 campaign kicks off Oct. 17. Donors can contribute financially via credit or debit card payment or PayPal, with some team members able to donate a portion of their paycheck during the campaign period. Donors can also contribute their time at a participating charity, with each volunteer hour counted toward the overall fundraising goal.<\/p>\n

All campaigns start after Sept. 1 and end before mid-January of the following year. Each donation must be designated for a specific participating charity. In the Greater Tennessee Valley Zone, there are 69 charities currently listed as active CFC participants, from community health clinics and animal rescues to veteran and social justice groups.<\/p>\n

By participating in CFC each year, Marshall can show its support to the people all over the world, including the millions of U.S. taxpayers who make NASA\u2019s mission possible, Richardson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe benefit so much as federal employees from taxpayers,\u201d she said. \u201cSome people will never get the opportunity to come through Gate 9 or see a launch or understand what we do, but we wouldn\u2019t be able to do the job we are doing without them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about CFC and see the list of participating charities in your community by visiting https:\/\/cfcgiving.opm.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Barnett, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Ceremony Marks Opening of NASA Educational Display at New Orleans Airport<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Representatives from NASA\u2019s Michoud Assembly Facility joined elected officials and other community leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of a NASA educational display Sept. 26 at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

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From left, \u00a0New Orleans Airport Director Kevin Dolliole, New Orleans Director of Economic Development Jeff Schwartz, Space Launch System Stages Element Office Resident Management Office Manager Gregg Eldridge, Congressman Carter\u2019s District Director Demetric Mercadel, Michoud Director Lonnie Dutreix, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Judge Michael Bagneris, New Orleans & Co. Executive Vice-President Alice Glenn, New Orleans Business Alliance Interim President Louis David, and GNO Inc. Senior Vice-President of Business Development Josh Fleig cut the ribbon at the NASA educational display ribbon-cutting ceremony at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans.<\/div>\n
NASA\/Michael DeMocker<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The exhibit is a collaboration between NASA, the city of New Orleans, and regional economic development organizations to educate visitors on the role Michoud has played in the production of manned spacecraft and Michoud\u2019s impact on economic development for the region. The exhibit is located near the airport\u2019s baggage claim on the first floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Michoud serves as America\u2019s \u201crocket factory,\u201d manufacturing and assembling NASA\u2019s\u00a0SLS<\/a>\u00a0(Space Launch System) core stages and\u00a0Exploration Upper Stage<\/a>, and the\u00a0Orion<\/a>\u00a0crew module. Michoud is managed by NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n

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Start Your Engines: NASA to Begin Critical Testing for Future Artemis Missions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

NASA will begin a new RS-25 test series Oct. 5, the final round of certification testing ahead of production of an updated set of the engines for the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The engines will help power future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.<\/p>\n

A series of 12 tests stretching into 2024 is scheduled to occur on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA\u2019s Stennis Space Center. The tests are a key step for lead SLS engines contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, to produce engines that will help power the SLS rocket, beginning with Artemis V.<\/p>\n

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\"RS-25<\/figure>
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Crews bring RS-25 developmental engine E0525 to the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA\u2019s Stennis Space Center on Aug. 30 for the upcoming certification test series. The first test of the 12-test series is Oct. 5 at Stennis.<\/div>\n
NASA \/ Danny Nowlin<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201c<\/strong>NASA and our industry partners continue to make steady progress toward restarting production of the RS-25 engines for the first time since the space shuttle era as we prepare for our more ambitious missions to deep space under Artemis with the SLS rocket,\u201d said Johnny Heflin, liquid engines manager for SLS at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center. \u201cThe upcoming fall test series builds off previous hot fire testing already conducted at NASA Stennis to help certify a new design that will make this storied spaceflight engine even more powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

For each Artemis mission, four RS-25 engines, along with a pair of solid rocket boosters, power the SLS rocket, producing more than 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Following a \u201ctest like you fly\u201d approach, all 12 tests in the new series are scheduled for at least 500 seconds, the same amount of time the engines must fire during an actual launch.<\/p>\n

The 12-test series will use developmental engine E0525 to collect data for the final RS-25 design certification review. The engine features a second set of new key components, including a nozzle, hydraulic actuators, flex ducts, and turbopumps. The components match design features of those used during the initial certification test series completed at the south Mississippi site in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cTesting a second set of hardware during this next phase of our certification test series will give us repeatability to ensure we have sound processes for building our new engines,\u201d said Mike Lauer, RS-25 deputy program manager at Aerojet Rocketdyne. \u201cThe successful testing of the brand-new certification engine proved our engineering was sound \u2013 that the new design is capable of meeting requirements at operating extremes and durations. This next test series will help confirm our manufacturing processes will reliably create production engines that will meet these same requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Operators will fire the engine at power levels varying between 80% and 113% to test performance in multiple scenarios. The first four Artemis missions are using modified space shuttle main engines that can power up to 109% of their rated level. New RS-25 engines will power up to the 111% level to provide additional thrust. Testing up to the 113% power level provides a margin of operational safety.<\/p>\n

The longest test of the new series is planned for 650 seconds. Crews will conduct a gimbal test of the engine to ensure it can pivot as needed to help SLS maintain stability and trajectory during flight. The Oct. 5 test is scheduled for 550 seconds and will fire the RS-25 engine up to 111% power level.<\/p>\n

Overall, a total of 6,350 seconds of hot fire is planned for the series. With completion of the campaign, it is anticipated all systems will be \u201cgo\u201d to produce 24 new RS-25 engines using the updated design for missions beginning with Artemis V.<\/p>\n

\u201cTesting at the historic Fred Haise Test Stand is critical to ensure that our astronauts fly safely,\u201d said Chip Ellis, project manager for RS-25 testing at NASA Stennis. \u201cThe test team takes great care to ensure these engines will operate as designed to launch NASA payloads and astronauts to the Moon and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through Artemis, NASA will use innovative technologies and collaborate with commercial and international partners to explore more of the Moon than ever. The agency will use what is learned on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap of sending the first astronauts to Mars.<\/p>\n

Marshall manages the SLS Program.<\/p>\n

\u203a Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chandra Rewinds Story of Great Eruption of the 1840s<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A new movie made from over two decades of data from\u00a0NASA\u2019s Chandra X-ray Observatory<\/a>\u00a0shows a famous star system changing with time. Eta Carinae contains two massive\u00a0stars\u00a0(one is about 90 times the\u00a0mass\u00a0of the Sun and the other is believed to be about 30 times the Sun\u2019s mass).<\/p>\n

In the middle of the 19th century, skywatchers observed as Eta Carinae experienced a huge explosion that was dubbed the \u201cGreat Eruption.\u201d During this event, Eta Carinae ejected between 10 and 45 times the mass of the Sun. This material became a dense pair of spherical clouds of gas, now called the Homunculus nebula, on opposite sides of the two stars. The Homunculus is clearly seen in\u00a0a composite image<\/a>\u00a0of the Chandra data with optical light from the Hubble Space Telescope (blue, purple, and white).<\/p>\n

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A summed image generated by adding data together reveal important hints about Eta Carinae\u2019s volatile history. This includes the rapid expansion of the ring, and a previously unknown faint shell of X-rays outside it. The image on the left emphasizes the bright X-ray ring, and the image on the right shows the same data but emphasizing the faintest X-rays.<\/div>\n
(NASA\/SAO\/GSFC\/M. Corcoran et al.)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A new time-lapse sequence contains\u00a0frames\u00a0of Eta Carinae taken with Chandra from 1999, 2003, 2009, 2014, and 2020. Astronomers used the Chandra observations along with data from ESA\u2019s XMM-Newton to watch as the stellar eruption from about 180 years ago continues to expand into space at speeds up to 4.5 million miles per hour. The two massive stars produce the blue, relatively high energy\u00a0X-ray\u00a0source in the center of the ring. They are too close to each other to be seen individually.<\/p>\n

A bright ring of X-rays (orange) around the Homunculus nebula was discovered about 50 years ago and studied in previous Chandra work. The new movie of Chandra, plus a deep, summed image generated by adding the data together, reveal important hints about Eta Carinae\u2019s volatile history. This includes the rapid expansion of the ring, and a previously unknown faint shell of X-rays outside it.<\/p>\n

This faint X-ray shell is highlighted in an additional graphic showing the summed image. The image on the left emphasizes the bright X-ray ring, and the image on the right shows the same data but emphasizing the faintest X-rays. The shell is located in between the two contour levels, as labeled.<\/p>\n

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