Press Release

Feb. 12 ‘State of NASA’ Events Highlight Agency Goals for Space Exploration

By SpaceRef Editor
February 9, 2018
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NASA centers across the country, including the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, are opening their doors Monday, Feb. 12, to media and social media for ‘State of NASA’ events.

Activities include a speech from acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, and unique opportunities for a behind-the-scenes look at the agency’s work. These events follow President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal delivery to the U.S. Congress.

Events at NASA centers will include media tours and presentations on the agency’s exploration goals for the Moon, Mars and worlds beyond, the innovative technologies developed and under development, as well as the scientific discoveries made as NASA explores and studies Earth and our universe, and advancements toward next-generation air travel.

Lightfoot will provide a ‘State of NASA’ address to the agency’s workforce at 1 p.m. EST from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. His remarks will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website, https://www.nasa.gov/live. Following the presentation, NASA centers will host tours of their facilities for media and social media guests.

At Langley, the news and social media event will run from 1 to 5 p.m. and include:

* A look at the SAGE III flight control center. SAGE III is the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III studying Earth’s atmosphere from the International Space Station.

* A visit to the research aircraft hangar to see aircraft that are used in support of airborne research campaigns, as well as an inflatable heat shield that will enable landing on distant worlds.

* A view of the labs where sonic-boom testing is being done to lower their impact so that commercial aircraft can be developed to fly supersonically over land.

* A tour in a lab where inflatable space structures are being developed.

Media interested in attending the Langley event should contact Michael Finneran at 757-864-6110 or at michael.p.finneran@nasa.gov no later than noon EST Friday, Feb. 9.

Also on Monday, at 5 p.m. EST, NASA’s acting Chief Financial Officer Andrew Hunter will brief media during a teleconference on the agency’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal. To participate in this briefing, media must contact Karen Northon in the NASA Headquarters newsroom at karen.northon@nasa.gov no later than 3 p.m. Monday.

Audio and visuals from the media teleconference will be streamed live on NASA’s website at:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

The agency budget and supporting information will be available online at noon Monday at:

https://www.nasa.gov/budget

SpaceRef staff editor.