Jessica Gaskin, an astrophysicist in the Science Research Office of NASA‘s Marshall Space Flight Center, has been appointed to lead a team of agency researchers who aim to develop a successor platform for the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

NASA said Monday Gaskin works with various researchers worldwide to determine the potential design, size, instruments and launch vehicle requirements of the X-ray Surveyor mission.

She was named co-principal investigator on the High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun project in 2012.

The Marshall X-ray astronomy group includes Chandra Project Scientist Martin Weisskopf, who is also the senior scientist on the X-ray Surveyor mission.

X-ray Surveyor is one of four NASA missions that the National Research Council will consider for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey that will work to aid future astrophysics research investment efforts.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko have launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian made space rocket headed to the International Space Station.

NASA said Wednesday the three Expedition 49 participants will conduct more than 250 science investigations in areas such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences, and technology development throughout the course of the four-month mission.

Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft has also carried more than 5,100 pounds of science and research equipment including a variety of cargo deliveries that will be used in the ISS laboratory along with Orbital ATK‘s Cygnus spacecraft.

Cygnus also includes payloads that will be used to study the effect of lighting on sleep and daily rhythms, evaluate fires in space, discover a new method of neutron measurement and collect health-related data.

The crew members will also receive a Japanese cargo craft shipment of new lithium ion batteries that will replace nickel-hydrogen batteries currently used to store electrical energy as well as SpaceX‘s 10th commercial resupply ship and two Russian Progress deliveries for food, fuel, supplies and research.

NASA noted that Kimbrough, Ryzhikov and Borisenko will remain in the space station until February while Expedition 49 Commander Anatoli Ivanishin and flight engineers Kate Rubins and Takuya Onishi of NASA and Japan’s aerospace exploration agency will return to Earth Oct. 30.

A federal task force has published a report to help prevent natural gas leaks after one such incident occurred at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in California.

The Energy Department said Tuesday the Interagency Task Force on Natural Gas Storage Safety’s report includes lessons from the Aliso Canyon leak; analysis of 400 U.S.-based underground natural gas storage wells; and recommendations to prevent and mitigate the risks of future leaks.

DOE added the report recommends for facility operators to eliminate “single point of failure” designs; conduct risk assessments; establish transition plans to address high-risk infrastructure; and implement safety and reliability procedures while facilities undergo design modernization.

The task force studied the stability of wells at natural gas storage facilities; the impact of leaks on public health and environment; and energy reliability concerns in case of future leaks, DoE noted.

DOE said the task force held three public workshops to obtain input from local and state level stakeholders such as gas storage operators and state regulators.

The White House formed the task force in response to the Aliso Canyon leak and the energy secretary led the panel comprised of representatives from the departments of Transportation, Commerce, Interior and Health and Human Services; the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.‘s board of directors is scheduled to conduct an open session meeting on Wednesday to discuss various public policies.

FDIC said in a Federal Register notice published Monday it plans to discuss the temporary waiver of appraisal requirements for certain flood-affected areas in Louisiana and review regulations transferred from the former Office of Thrift Supervision.

The board will also meet to tackle proposed rules to implement requirements of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012  as well as interagency enhanced cyber risk management standards.

The agency said the meeting is in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act and will be broadcast live via webcast.

An online survey from the U.S. Postal Service‘s inspector general indicates a majority of U.S. residents support the concept of drone-delivered packages than those who do not with an additional large group of respondents have yet to decide.

USPS ‘ IG surveyed 1,465 U.S. residents that are aged 18 to 75 years old in efforts to determine public opinion on drone delivery, according to a report published Oct.11.

Respondents expect drone delivery to be offered within the next 5-10 years and the public’s primary concern is drone malfunction, USPS’ IG said.

The survey also showed that exposure to information on drone delivery drives interest in the concept and respondents regard one-hour delivery as the technology’s most interesting application.

USPS’ IG noted it may be too early to launch drone delivery since the service could impact overall brand positivity.

Association with drone delivery could help optimize the Postal Service’s ratings in terms of innovation, USPS’ IG said.