Tag Archives: Orion

NASA has formed plans that would guide activities composing Artemis, an effort to revive manned space exploration. The space agency said Tuesday its updated Artemis plans lay down current progress, key missions and partnerships essential to the program.

Catherine Koerner, formerly director at Johnson Space Center's human health and performance directorate, has been tapped to serve as program manager for NASA's Orion initiative. Koerner has succeeded Mark Kirasich, who has been assigned to lead NASA's advanced exploration systems division. 

NASA has completed the first four green run tests of its Space Launch System rocket's core stage in preparation for four more tests in the series. The effort's assigned team ran the fourth test with gaseous nitrogen and helium as a more efficient alternative to the liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellants intended for the conclusive hot-fire test.

Susan Motil, a 31-year NASA veteran, has been named deputy director at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Motil has succeeded Marla Perez-Davis, who assumed the role of director in January 2020. Motil will help Perez-Davis plan, organize and oversee the center's agency-level initiatives and projects under her new role.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued an audit stating that NASA’s acquisition management procedures are under the former's "high risk" list due to potential program delays and cost increases for the third consecutive year.

Northrop Grumman, NASA and Lockheed Martin have successfully completed the third and final qualification test of the Attitude Control Motor (ACM) integrated into NASA’s Orion spacecraft Launch Abort System (LAS), Northrop Grumman announced on Thursday. 

The Government Accountability Office has recommended that NASA come up a document stating its rationale for how it selected its lunar architecture and lunar programs and develop a cost estimate for the moon landing mission in 2024.

NASA has officially opened one of the three permanent ground stations of the Near Earth Network’s Launch Communications Segment that will provide services to support future space explorations including the Artemis moon landing mission. 

The space agency said Wednesday the Kennedy Uplink Station, located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will work with companion ground stations Ponce De Leon and Bermuda to facilitate communications for Artemis launch missions. 

NASA's Kennedy Space Center has accepted delivery of hardware that would help personnel prepare for the Space Launch System's first Moon mission with the Orion spacecraft. The space agency said Saturday it will use the core stage pathfinder to train lift crews in handling hardware of the SLS rocket. Pathfinders are full-scale mock-up models that have the shape and size of their corresponding SLS components.

The Senate Appropriations’ commerce, justice and science subcommittee passed a spending bill that would authorize $22.75 billion in fiscal year 2020 funds for NASA, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.