Fallen Heroes   

Webb Unveils Dark Side – An international team of astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has obtained an in-depth inventory of the deepest, coldest ices measured to date in a molecular cloud.

We’re testing a nuclear engine for future Mars missions  – Reducing transit time is a key component for human missions to Mars, as longer trips require more supplies and more robust systems. Using a nuclear thermal rocket not only allows for faster transit time, but will reduce risk for astronauts!

Small Steps, Giant Leaps Podcast–The 100th Episode! – From the groundbreaking images of the James Webb Space Telescope to the launch and splashdown of the Artemis I, 2022 is considered one of our most accomplished years. In this episode, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy discusses the agency's positive impact on humanity—and the people who make it happen.

Search and Rescue: Saving Earth-based Explorers – In 2022, NASA-developed Search and Rescue technologies enabled rescue personnel to save 397 lives in the U.S. region. Since 1979, NASA has provided technical expertise to the Cospas-Sarsat program, the international satellite-aided search and rescue effort. This technical expertise has led to the development of multiple emergency location beacon types.

Meet Emma Lehnhardt, Manager of Gateway’s Program Planning and Control Office, Johnson Space Center

“Advice I would give to my younger self is: ‘Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.’ I struggled with math in middle school and my parents joked, ‘Emma can’t do math.’ What started out as teasing wormed its way into my head until it became a personal truth: I was bad at math. In college I was interested in astronomy, but this ‘truth’ led me to pursue a liberal arts education instead.

“It took me a long time to understand that there are different ways to be good at math, and all you need to succeed is a curious mind and willingness to work hard.

“Today, I manage the business operations for the Gateway Program, including budget and workforce, cost and schedule analysis, procurement and contract management, lifecycle review, external audits, and much more.

“I am right where I need to be today and I don’t have any regrets about the path I took to get here.”

NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann makes her first spacewalk.  

She and fellow spacewalker Koichi Wakata (out of frame) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency installed a modification kit on the International Space Station's starboard truss structure. The kit will enable the future installation of the lab's next roll-out solar array.