Following the shadow of the total solar eclipse…
A NASA astronaut returns safely from the space station…
And NASA’s lunar-roving robot gets some new hardware…
A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
Covering the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
NASA provided extensive coverage of the April 8 total solar eclipse from various locations across North America as the Moon’s shadow traveled from Mexico, across the U.S. from Texas to Maine, and through parts of Canada. In addition to views from the ground, views of Earth from a NASA science aircraft, and even from the International Space Station showed the Moon’s shadow passing over cities and towns situated along the path of totality.
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun.
NASA Astronaut Loral O’Hara Returns From Space Station
On April 5, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and two crewmates boarded a Soyuz spacecraft and undocked from the International Space Station. The next day, the trio made a safe, parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan.
O’Hara spent six months aboard the station supporting NASA’s Artemis campaign and working on various scientific activities. This was her first spaceflight.
VIPER Robotic Moon RoverTeam Raises Its Mighty Mast
The team building NASA’s lunar-roving VIPER robot recently installed its mast. Rover drivers and researchers will use the suite of instruments affixed to the mast, along with several science payloads, to scout the South Pole region of the Moon during the rover’s upcoming mission.
VIPER seeks to help us better understand the origin of water and other resources in that region prior to sending astronauts to the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign.
NASA’s DC-8 Completes Final Mission
NASA’s DC-8 aircraft was welcomed back to the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center recently after completing its final mission. As the largest flying science laboratory in the world, the DC-8 has been used to support the agency’s Airborne Science missions since 1987.
It has helped collect data for countless scientific projects conducted by the global scientific community. The DC-8 will be retired to Idaho State University, where it will be used to train future aircraft technicians.
That’s what’s up this week @NASA!
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