Status Report

NASA Weekly Update from the Administrator– Nov. 9, 2020

By SpaceRef Editor
November 9, 2020
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Nothing beats the thrill of launching our astronauts from American soil on American-made rockets to the International Space Station. This signals our continued drive to expand humanity’s technological and scientific knowledge. This week we get to do this and more!
 
  • Top News: Last week, we released an announcement for proposals asking American businesses to submit ideas to visually bring the public with us aboard Artemis II, targeted for 2023. New technology and processes will be critical to visually capture our historic missions. Our new era of exploration will cover more of the Moon than ever before, and we want the American people to have a front row seat for every discovery.
 
  • Next Up: This Saturday, Nov. 14, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is targeting launch at 7:49 p.m. EST from the Kennedy Space Center as the first crew rotation mission on a commercial spacecraft. The four astronauts arescheduled to dock with the International Space Station at 4:20 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. NASA TV will provide coverage of launch and docking. You can also attend the launch as a virtual guest by signing up here.
 
  • Shout Out: The USA Staffing announcement last week by NASA’s Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) and the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) is a game changer in talent acquisition agencywide. NASA’s exploration future depends on the acquisition and retention of the brightest minds. Thank you to Chief Human Capital Officer Jane Datta, NSSC Executive Director Anita Harrell, and your teams for the incredible effort produced to see this through!
 
The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft is encapsulated in its payload fairing (pictured below) and preparing for launch next week on Nov. 21. This U.S.-European spacecraft will collect critical data on global sea level changes and precise information on atmospheric models. 
 
Ad astra,
Jim Bridenstine

SpaceRef staff editor.