Improving the Architecture for the Mars Sample Return Mission… And try firing a solid rocket booster for our mega Moon rocket… some of the stories we have to tell you – This week at NASA! The benefits of Space Station Research and Development The 11th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference was held July 25-28 in Washington, DC. The conference was hosted by the American Astronautical Society and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, in partnership with NASA. The event coincided with the launch of the 2022 edition of the International Space Station Benefits for Humanity. The digital book, which is available online, is filled with examples of how people on Earth have benefited from research conducted in the microgravity environment of the space station. For more about the ground-breaking discoveries, the benefits to humanity, and how the agency and its commercial and international partners are maximizing research and development on the space station, see nasa.gov/stationbenefits. This image shows an idea for several robots that will work together to bring back to Earth samples collected from the surface of Mars by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Improving the Architecture of the Mars Sample Return Mission The Mars Sample Return Program is nearing completion of the conceptual design phase of the mission. The program has reviewed, evaluated and refined the mission architecture that will be used to return scientifically selected samples currently being collected to Mars by our Perseverance rover. Improvements to the mission architecture include the use of Perseverance to replace the Sample Fetch Rover as the primary means of transporting samples to the Sample Retrieval Lander. The program has also added two sample recovery helicopters, based on the design of our Ingenuity helicopter, which will provide a secondary capability to retrieve samples from the Martian surface. NASA and Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS), conducted the Flight Support Booster-2 (FSB-2) full-scale test at Promontory, Utah, on July 21 to support future flights of the large Moon rocket of NASA. The SLS uses two five-segment solid rocket boosters to help launch NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. A single rocket booster will fire during the FSB-2 test and evaluate improvements and new materials to the boosters for missions beyond Artemis III. Credit: NASA/Kevin O’Brien Booster engine firing test for a future Artemis mission Teams from NASA’s Space Launch System, or SLS Program, recently tested a ground-based version of a booster engine for the SLS Moon mega rocket at Northrop Grumman’s Promontory, Utah test facility. Engineers are using the test data to evaluate improvements and new materials to the boosters for missions after Artemis III. Together, two solid rocket boosters on the SLS will provide more than 75% of the initial thrust during an Artemis launch. The VIPER engineering test team uses lunar terrain simulators and hand-picked rocks to carefully shape the terrain to realistically mimic the actual features on the surface of the Moon’s South Pole. Credit: NASA VIPER Motors Through Moon-like Obstacle Course NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER prototype, recently faced its most realistic test yet of its ability to navigate the most difficult terrain it may encounter at the Moon’s South Pole. The VIPER team used the Simulated Lunar Operations or SLOPE Lab at our Glenn Research Center to create a variety of challenging terrain conditions. They also tested the prototype’s ability to use its wheels to “scoot” its way out of a stall. VIPER aims to be delivered to the Moon in November 2024 to search for water and other resources that could eventually be harvested to support human exploration on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Visitors to the 2022 Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, can find a wide range of aeronautical exhibits, activities and experts to engage with at the NASA booth. Credit: NASA NASA Technologies presented at AirVenture 2022 We participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 event. The NASA booth included exhibits and hands-on demonstrations showcasing aviation-inspired technology and the latest NASA research in aeronautics, space exploration, science and more. One of the goals of the annual event, often called the world’s largest aviation celebration, is to inspire the next generation of innovators. That’s what’s happening this week @NASA
