NASA Weekly Update from the Administrator – Aug. 17, 2020
This week the agency’s COVID-19 Response leadership and I will record a town hall to answer your questions and provide an update on the status of the agency. If you’d like to submit a question, please visit https://www.nasa.gov/townhall before the submission window closes tomorrow, Aug. 18, at noon EDT. You’ll receive a NASA INC message with a link to the video once it is available for viewing Thursday, Aug. 20.
- Top News: Our team at Kennedy Space Center has recently started to install the adapter that will connect the Orion spacecraft to the Space Launch System rocket. This is one of the final remaining hardware operations before we launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon!
- Next Up: This Wednesday, Aug. 19, is #NationalAviationDay. All day, @NASAaero will feature #PilotsPerspective stories from our NASA colleagues – research pilots, astronauts, and private pilots. Join me in celebrating our legacy – the first “A” in “NASA” – and the spirit of flight that drives all of us at NASA to innovate, explore, and transform.
- Shout Out: Tomorrow, Aug. 18, John W. “Jack” Boyd will retire, after joining NASA’s predecessor, NACA, 73 years ago. Once serving as the associate center director for Ames and currently as senior advisor to the center director, Jack’s early research in aerodynamics contributed to more efficient supersonic flight, such as the development of conical camber and canard configurations. As associate administrator for management, he helped realign headquarters to meet the challenges and the development of the Space Shuttle Program and what would eventually become the International Space Station. I am grateful for all of Jack’s contributions from NACA to NASA and wish him the best! Thank you, Jack, and happy 95th birthday!
Last week, NASA and SpaceX announced a date of no earlier than Oct. 23 for the Crew-1 mission to the space station, the first operational flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The access commercial spaceflight offers to more people, more science, and more companies than ever before will spur economic growth in low-Earth orbit and beyond.
Ad astra,
Jim Bridenstine
