This Week @NASA: Remembering Fallen Heroes, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Ends Historic Mission

The Space Shuttle Columbia memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

Remembering our fallen heroes…

An agency town hall to talk safety…

And the end of a historic mission on Mars…

A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

Remembering Our Fallen Heroes

NASA’s annual Day of Remembrance observance at Arlington National Cemetery took place on January 25. The event honors the astronauts of Apollo 1; space shuttles Challenger and Columbia; and other members of the NASA family who lost their lives furthering the cause of exploration and discovery for the benefit all.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, answers a question from staff during the NASA Day of Remembrance Employee Safety Town Hall as NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, right, looks on, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA Leadership Hosts Employee Safety Town Hall

Earlier in the week, NASA hosted an employee safety town hall at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. During the event, NASA leadership discussed how the core value of safety embraced around the agency every day is the cornerstone to achieving mission success for NASA.

After its 72nd flight on January 18, 2024, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this color image showing the shadow of one of its rotor blades, which was damaged during touchdown. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Ends Mission on Mars

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet, has ended its mission after almost three years on the Red Planet. While landing during a recent flight, one or more of Ingenuity’s rotor blades sustained damage and the helicopter is no longer capable of flight. Ingenuity, which was designed to only perform up to five experimental test flights over 30 days, made 72 flights and flew more than 14 times farther than planned while logging more than two hours of total flight time.

The SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft carrying the four-member Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) crew is pictured approaching the International Space Station 260 miles above China north of the Himalayas. Credit: NASA

Third Private Astronaut Mission Arrives at Space Station

Axiom Mission 3, the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, docked to the orbital complex on January 20. The Axiom Space crew was welcomed aboard by the station’s Expedition 70 crew, including NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara. The Axiom Space astronauts are expected to remain on the space station until February 3.

That’s what’s up this week @NASA.