NASA Administrator’s Weekly Update – April 6, 2020

NASA Weekly Update – April 6, 2020

 

NASA’s can-do spirit is most often demonstrated on the launch pad, in the conference room and on the factory or lab floor. No one could have imagined the setting of a kitchen table or living room sofa as a place where our agency’s commitment to the mission would take place, and yet, this is what is happening all across the country. Our dynamic response over these past few weeks in reaction to COVID-19 while continuing the agency’s mission from our homes is remarkable. Agency leadership is eager to help answer any questions you might have. Please view the videos we recently posted on the NASA People website regarding some of the most asked questions.

 

·        Top News: The worm is back! The retro, red NASA design that graced agency clothing for years from the 1970s to the early 1990s is back to mark our next era of human space exploration. This design will be featured on the side of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 when we launch American astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The agency still is assessing how and where the NASA “worm” will be used beyond the Demo-2 test flight. And as a reminder, the “meatball” remains NASA’s primary insignia.

 

·        Next Up: This Thursday, April 9, Expedition 63 crew members will launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 4:05 a.m. EDT. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and his two Russian crew members will journey six hours to the International Space Station. You can view the docking and hatch opening live on NASA Television.

 

·        Shout Out: The challenges of ensuring teleworking options for our agency throughout the country are enormous. The outstanding work that NASA’s Chief Information Officer Renee Wynn and her team have done during this pandemic has allowed for our agency’s mission to continue. Everyone in OCIO deserves our agency’s gratitude for their great work.

 

Last week, we shared our vision for sustainability at the Moon after 2024 and how the Artemis program will pave the way for our future mission to Mars. The chart below illustrates our ambitious vision and many of the mission elements many of you are currently working on. 

 

Ad astra,

Jim Bridenstine