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By Space Force
The U.S. Space Force celebrates its fifth year of existence securing the nation’s interest in, from and to space.
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By NASA
4 Min Read Lagniappe for October 2024
Explore the October 2024 issue, highlighting an update for the historic ASTRA project at NASA Stennis, and more! Explore Lagniappe for October 2024 featuring:
NASA Stennis Set to Continue ASTRA Mission with Sidus Space NASA Stennis Completes Key Test Complex Water System Upgrade NASA Stennis Leaders Visit Capitol Hill NASA Stennis Hosts Safety and Health Day
Gator Speaks
The news in September about the historic NASA Stennis ASTRA (Autonomous Satellite Technology for Resilient Applications) payload mission brings wonderful encouragement to this ‘ol Gator!
Gator SpeaksNASA/Stennis I know great potential when I see it, and the continuation of the center’s first-ever in-space autonomous systems payload mission aboard an orbiting satellite with Sidus Space, Inc. has just that.
The historic mission highlights the can-do attitude shared by all at NASA Stennis.
The center has a storied history of pushing the boundaries for what is possible. If there is a way to get something done, the folks at NASA Stennis will discover it.
ASTRA is no different and represents a first in this particular space (pun intended!) of autonomous systems work at NASA Stennis.
This is a first step toward fulfilling part of the center’s strategic plan to design autonomous systems to help accelerate the development of intelligent aerospace systems and services for government and industry.
Such work could contribute to enhanced efficiency, improved safety, scalability to meet demands, and much more. The potential is ASTRA-nomical. See what I did there?
Potential is not developed over night, which makes ASTRA even more intriguing. The mission could run for up to four years while gathering valuable data along the way.
The ASTRA mission is an exciting leap forward for NASA Stennis to learn what is possible and perhaps open doors for a future that unlocks new frontiers.
One thing this Gator has learned to be true is the brighter the future, the more we must believe in ourselves, and I believe in the NASA Stennis Autonomous Systems Laboratory team.
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NASA Stennis Top News
NASA Stennis Set to Continue ASTRA Mission with Sidus Space
NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, announced Wednesday it will continue its historic in-space autonomous systems payload mission aboard an orbiting satellite through a follow-on agreement with Sidus Space, Inc.
Read More About the ASTRA Mission NASA Stennis Completes Key Test Complex Water System Upgrade
For almost 60 years, NASA’s Stennis Space Center has tested rocket systems and engines to help power the nation’s human space exploration dreams. Completion of a critical water system infrastructure project helps ensure the site can continue that frontline work moving forward.
Read More About the Upgrades to the Test Complex Water System Center Activities
NASA Highlights Program with Southern University Law Students
Representatives from the Office of General Counsel for NASA’s Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared Services Center Office near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi speak and visit with students at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge Sept. 4 to promote a new externship partnership beginning next spring between the agency and school. NASA Office of General Counsel Director Ron Bald and office representatives Davin Rieke, Jeff Renshaw, Cary Tolman, and Nathan Jermyn engaged in an hour-long panel discussion attended by approximately 40 students. NASA Stennis Office of STEM Engagement representative Louis Thompson also supported the event. In addition to the panel participation by the NASA legal team, the agency representatives met with students before and after the panel discussion to answer questions and share experiences from their legal careers. Participants reported that students expressed high interest in the externship program that the Office of General Counsel plans to launch in the spring 2025 semester. NASA Stennis representatives said they look forward to a strong partnership with Southern University as a minority-serving institution and HBCU (Historically Black College and University). NASA and Southern University Representatives from the Office of General Counsel for NASA’s Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared Services Center Office near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi speak and visit with students at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge Sept. 4 to promote a new externship partnership beginning next spring between the agency and school. NASA Office of General Counsel Director Ron Bald and office representatives Davin Rieke, Jeff Renshaw, Cary Tolman, and Nathan Jermyn engaged in an hour-long panel discussion attended by approximately 40 students. NASA Stennis Office of STEM Engagement representative Louis Thompson also supported the event. In addition to the panel participation by the NASA legal team, the agency representatives met with students before and after the panel discussion to answer questions and share experiences from their legal careers. Participants reported that students expressed high interest in the externship program that the Office of General Counsel plans to launch in the spring 2025 semester. NASA Stennis representatives said they look forward to a strong partnership with Southern University as a minority-serving institution and HBCU (Historically Black College and University). NASA and Southern University University of Mississippi Leadership Visit NASA Stennis
Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET), a public-private partnership between Mississippi Development Authority, NASA, and Mississippi’s research institutions, hosted a visit for University of Mississippi leadership on Sept. 4 to NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The visit showcased the center’s federal assets and the role Mississippi Enterprise for Technology plays in supporting industry and driving sustained economic development of the region and state. Pictured, from left to right, are: Davis Pace, president and CEO of MSET; William Kneip, director of External Relations and assistant to the Chancellor for Executive Affairs, University of Mississippi; Amy Lewis, executive director of Federal Relations, University of Mississippi; John Bailey, director of NASA Stennis; Dr. Glenn Boyce, chancellor of the University of Mississippi; Hughes Miller, senior director of Industry Engagement, University of Mississippi; and Dr. John Higginbotham, vice chancellor of Research and Economic Development, University of Mississippi. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Leaders Visit Capitol Hill
NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, left, and NASA Stennis Director John Bailey stand near the United States Capitol during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. It marked the first visit to Capitol Hill for the leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center since being named to their current roles. Following conversations with Mississippi and Louisiana congressional representatives and staffers, Bailey and Powell attended the Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal ceremony. The awards recognized the women who contributed to the U.S. space race, including the NASA mathematicians who helped land the first astronauts on the Moon under the agency’s Apollo Program. NASA Stennis, established in the 1960s, tested first and second stages of the Saturn V rocket for Apollo missions to the Moon. The south Mississippi NASA center continues supporting the NASA mission by testing engines and stages to help power the agency’s Artemis campaign to return astronauts to the Moon and beyond. NASA NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, left, and NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, right, meet with U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.NASA NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, left, and NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, right, meet with U.S. Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.NASA NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, right, meets with U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.NASA NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, center, and NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, right, meet with Dr. Timla Washington, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, during a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.NASA NASA Stennis Director John Bailey, near left, and NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell, near right, meet with Semaj Redd, operations and legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi, and Reed Craddock, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi. The leaders from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, spoke with congressional representatives and staffers about NASA legislation, current and future work at NASA Stennis, and the growing number of commercial aerospace companies at the NASA Stennis Federal City.NASA Contractor Leadership Team Visits NASA Stennis
Afognak Native Corporation Board of Director members and Alutiiq, LLC executives stand at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) during a visit to NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 19. The board members and executives visited the site to learn about laboratory services provided by Alutiiq Essential Services at NASA Stennis since 2020. Afognak is an Alaskan Native corporation focused on serving the needs of its native Alaskan people. Alutiiq, LLC operates as a subsidiary of the corporation to provide a variety of services to federal entities. Alutiiq Essential Services operates as a subsidiary of Alutiiq, LLC. Shown at the test stand during the Sept. 19 visit are, left to right: Ian Neumann, Alutiiq executive; John Monaccio, Alutiiq Essential Services president; Autumn Sellers, Alutiiq executive; Loretta Nelson, director; Marci Orth, director; Wade Hall, director; Shane Mendel, Alutiiq Essential Services program manager at NASA Stennis; Erik Olsen, director; Alan Hines, Alutiiq Essential Services executive. NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Hosts Space Flight Awareness Meeting
Representatives of NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program are shown at the Thad Cochran Test Stand (B-1/B-2) on Sept. 25. The Space Flight Awareness program manager and working group had its annual meeting this year at NASA’s Stennis Space Center to review plans for 2025. NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program recognizes outstanding job performances and contributions by civil servants and contract employees and focuses on excellence in quality and safety in support of human space flight.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Hosts NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo
Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. NASA/Lacy Thompson Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel Representatives from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, inspire the Artemis Generation by conducting STEM engagement activities Sept. 14 during NASA Day at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Nearly 2,800 visitors had the opportunity to learn about NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. NASA is going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. Audubon Zoo/Chelsea Creel NASA Stennis Hosts Safety and Health Day
NASA’s Stennis Space Center hosts the annual Safety and Health Day event on Sept. 26. The yearly event, organized by the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment. The event concluded with employees visiting various safety exhibits in the Roy S. Estess Building, which also provided an opportunity to receive health screenings.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Deputy Director Christine Powell thanks all employees for attending the annual Safety and Health Day event in the StenniSphere Auditorium at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. Powell noted the NASA Stennis workforce contributed to the NASA mission while holding safety – a NASA core value – as a top priority.NASA/Danny Nowlin Former NASA astronaut Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg shares how safety is critical to human space flight by sharing personal experiences from her time working with the Space Shuttle Program during the annual Safety and Health Day in the StenniSphere Auditorium at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. The yearly event is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Director Gary Benton, right, presents a token of appreciation to keynote speaker and former NASA astronaut Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg at the annual Safety and Health Day in the StenniSphere Auditorium at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. The yearly event is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis employees visit booths with safety and health information in the Roy S. Estess Building during the annual Safety and Health Day at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. The yearly event is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment and provided the opportunity for a health screening.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis employees visit booths with safety and health information in the Roy S. Estess Building during the annual Safety and Health Day at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. The yearly event is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment and provided the opportunity for a health screening.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis employees visit booths with safety and health information in the Roy S. Estess Building during the annual Safety and Health Day at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. The yearly event is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment and provided the opportunity for a health screening.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Stennis employees visit booths with safety and health information in the Roy S. Estess Building during the annual Safety and Health Day at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Sept. 26. The yearly event is a reminder to the NASA Stennis workforce about the importance of a safe work environment and provided the opportunity for a health screening.NASA/Danny Nowlin NASA Connects with Artemis Generation at College and Career Fair
Employees from NASA’s Stennis Space Center participate in U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson’s Annual College and Career Fair on Oct. 2 at the Washington County Convention Center in Greenville, Mississippi. The college and career fair welcomed high schoolers, college students, and the public to the event. Participants could visit the NASA exhibit area to gain insight into NASA Stennis, America’s largest rocket propulsion test site, and the opportunities for students to undertake meaningful work. In an accompanying photo, Rep. Thompson (left to right) is shown with NASA Stennis employees Britton Fortenberry, Louis Thompson, and Dawn Davis. As NASA explores more of the Moon than ever before through the Artemis campaign, the Artemis Generation will contribute to make an impact on humanity for the benefit of all.NASA/Stennis Employees from NASA’s Stennis Space Center participate in U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson’s Annual College and Career Fair on Oct. 2 at the Washington County Convention Center in Greenville, Mississippi. The college and career fair welcomed high schoolers, college students, and the public to the event. Participants could visit the NASA exhibit area to gain insight into NASA Stennis, America’s largest rocket propulsion test site, and the opportunities for students to undertake meaningful work. In an accompanying photo, Rep. Thompson (left to right) is shown with NASA Stennis employees Britton Fortenberry, Louis Thompson, and Dawn Davis. As NASA explores more of the Moon than ever before through the Artemis campaign, the Artemis Generation will contribute to make an impact on humanity for the benefit of all.NASA/Stennis Employees from NASA’s Stennis Space Center participate in U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson’s Annual College and Career Fair on Oct. 2 at the Washington County Convention Center in Greenville, Mississippi. The college and career fair welcomed high schoolers, college students, and the public to the event. Participants could visit the NASA exhibit area to gain insight into NASA Stennis, America’s largest rocket propulsion test site, and the opportunities for students to undertake meaningful work. In an accompanying photo, Rep. Thompson (left to right) is shown with NASA Stennis employees Britton Fortenberry, Louis Thompson, and Dawn Davis. As NASA explores more of the Moon than ever before through the Artemis campaign, the Artemis Generation will contribute to make an impact on humanity for the benefit of all.NASA/Stennis Employees from NASA’s Stennis Space Center participate in U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson’s Annual College and Career Fair on Oct. 2 at the Washington County Convention Center in Greenville, Mississippi. The college and career fair welcomed high schoolers, college students, and the public to the event. Participants could visit the NASA exhibit area to gain insight into NASA Stennis, America’s largest rocket propulsion test site, and the opportunities for students to undertake meaningful work. In an accompanying photo, Rep. Thompson (left to right) is shown with NASA Stennis employees Britton Fortenberry, Louis Thompson, and Dawn Davis. As NASA explores more of the Moon than ever before through the Artemis campaign, the Artemis Generation will contribute to make an impact on humanity for the benefit of all.NASA/Stennis > Back to Top
NASA in the News
9 Phenomena NASA Astronauts Will Encounter at Moon’s South Pole – NASA Science NASA’s Europa Clipper NASA, Boeing Welcome Starliner Spacecraft to Earth, Close Mission – NASA NASA Engagement Platform Brings Experts to Classrooms, Communities – NASA NASA Shares Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Remarks – NASA NASA’s Spanish-language Podcast Returns for New Season – NASA NASA’s Artemis II Crew Uses Iceland Terrain for Lunar Training – NASA Science > Back to Top
Employee Profile: Bridget Moody
Bridget Moody has the future in mind every day she works for NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Bridget Moody stands at NASA’s Stennis Space Center where she is the technical lead for the NASA Stennis Environmental and Health Services Office. Along with supporting the NASA mission at NASA Stennis, Moody supports commercial companies by helping them determine environmental requirements and obtain required permits.NASA/Danny Nowlin Read More About Bridget Moody > Back to Top
Looking Back: A First for Women in Space
Forty years ago this month, NASA demonstrated in real time that there is space for everybody. An image from Oct. 11, 1984, shows astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan checking the latch of an antenna in the space shuttle Challenger’s open cargo during her historic extravehicular activity (spacewalk). The 13th flight of the Space Shuttle Program, STS-41G, was the first flight to include two women, Sullivan and Sally Ride. Ride has become the first American woman to fly to space in June 1983. A little more than a year later, Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space. NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, tested space shuttle main engines for 34 years, from 1975 to 2009. The testing included hot fires of the flight engines that helped power this historic moment. To honor this time in space history, watch Space for Women on the agency’s new streaming platform – NASA+. The film features interviews with NASA employees and shows the variety of positions held by women in the agency.NASA The official portrait of Astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan from 1984. NASA/Johnson > Back to Top
Additional Resources
STEM: NASA Astro Camp Community Partners Program (fox8live.com) Catching up with Stennis Space Center’s new director – WXXV News 25 (wxxv25.com) New and Notables: John Bailey – Biz New Orleans Good Things with Rebecca Turner – SuperTalk Mississippi (interview with NASA Stennis employees Lee English Jr. and Noah English) Certifying Artemis Rocket Engines – NASA (Houston We Have a Podcast segment featuring NASA Stennis engineers Chip Ellis and Bradley Tyree) NASA Stennis Overview – Going Further video Subscription Info
Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail).
The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin.
To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address.
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6 min read Lagniappe for July 2024
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Article 2 months ago 7 min read Lagniappe for September 2024
Article 4 weeks ago View the full article
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Two NASA employees, Howard Chang and Bradley Williams, were named as two of the “20 under 35 of 2024” by the Space and Satellite Professionals International. The award recognizes outstanding young professionals in the space industry.
Photos courtesy of Bradley Williams and Howard Chang The annual list of “20 Under 35” features 20 employees and entrepreneurs to keep your eye on in coming years. They were selected from nominations submitted by the membership and evaluated by the same panel of judges who name winners of the Promise Awards.
Howard Chang is an Assistant Chief Counsel at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Bradley (Brad) Williams is the Acting Associate Director for Flight, Heliophysics Division, NASA Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, Washington.
“I’m honored to be named in this year’s cohort,” Chang said. “I saw how SSPI connects people across the space and satellite industry—across generations, countries, and even disciplines—to build up the space economy of the future. And I can’t express enough thanks to all my NASA colleagues for their support and kindness—especially Deputy Chief Counsel Amber Hufft for her time and mentorship this year.”
“It is an absolute honor to be recognized by SSPI on the 20 under 35 list of 2024,” said Williams. “I feel privileged to have benefitted from the opportunities I’ve had so far in my career. I want to thank the numerous mentors through the years who have provided me guidance and lessons learned and especially my colleagues and the leaders at NASA who have recognized my contributions and supported my growth potential as a leader.”
About Howard Chang
Howard Chang serves as the lead attorney for NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility’s commercial, nonprofit, and interagency partnerships in Wallops Island, Virginia. He also focuses on legal issues involving Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), small UAS, real property transactions, government contracts litigation and administration supporting NASA Goddard, and partnerships involving the Goddard Institute for Space Studies located at Columbia University, New York, NASA commended Chang with an individual merit award in recognition of his superior support to the Goddard Space Flight Center during his first six months.
In addition to his legal work, Chang contributes substantially to thought leadership in space law and policy. He has authored articles for The Federalist and the International Institute of Space Law on topics from the Apollo 8 mission to the travaux preparatoires of the Principles Declaration of 1963—the precursor to the Outer Space Treaty. He is a frequent speaker on matters of space law. He will be presenting at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy on the Wolf Amendment and the future of the International Space Station. In Milan, he will present in his capacity as an Advisor for the Georgetown University Space Initiative. He continues to serve as a guest lecturer on space policy for law schools and undergraduate space courses as well.
Chang previously worked at an international firm in its aerospace finance and space law practices, engaging in litigation, transactional, regulatory, and policy work for aerospace and space companies. In addition, he worked on white-collar criminal defense, internal corporate investigations, congressional investigations, trial litigation, appellate litigation, and national security matters.
About Bradley Williams
Bradley Williams is the acting Associate Director for Flight Programs in the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, Washington where he oversees more than a dozen missions in operations and approximately another dozen missions in different stages of development.
Previously, Williams was a Program Executive in the Heliophysics Division where his assignments included IMAP, TRACERS, HelioSwarm, the Solar Cruiser solar sail technology project, and Senior Program Executive of the NASA Space Weather Program.
Before joining NASA, he was the Director of Civil Space Programs at Terran Orbital Corporation, where he led the spacecraft development for both commercial and NASA technology demonstration missions and assisted with the growth of the science mission portfolio.
Previously at the University of Arizona, he worked with faculty and research teams to identify proposal opportunities and develop spaceflight proposals. Williams was a vital member of the OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS) team. He also served as the Deputy Payload Manager on GUSTO, the first of its kind, balloon-borne observatory.
He has been recognized for his achievements being named a Via Satellite Rising Star in 2024 and has been awarded the Robert H. Goddard Engineering Team Award, NASA Group Achievement Award, and asteroid (129969) Bradwilliams named in his honor.
The “20 Under 35“ are honored each year at SSPI’s Future Leaders Dinner. At the Dinner, SSPI presents the three top-ranked members of the 20 Under 35 with a Promise Award, recognizing them as leaders of their year’s cohort, and honors the Mentor of the Year for fostering young talent, both within his or her organization and throughout the industry. The 2024 “20 Under 35” will be honored at the Future Leaders Celebration on October 21, 2024 during Silicon Valley Space Week.
Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
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Last Updated Oct 03, 2024 EditorJamie AdkinsContactRob Garnerrob.garner@nasa.gov Related Terms
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By NASA
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft approaching the International Space StationCredits: NASA Media accreditation is open for the next launch to deliver NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station. This launch is the 31st SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the orbital laboratory for the agency and will lift off on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Wednesday, Oct. 30, to launch the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Credentialing to cover prelaunch and launch activities is open to U.S. media. The application deadline for U.S. citizens is 11:59 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Oct. 15. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
Credentialed media will receive a confirmation email upon approval. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. For questions about accreditation, or to request special logistical support, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. For other questions, please contact NASA’s Kennedy Space Center newsroom at: 321-867-2468.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitor entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo o Messod Bendayan a: antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov o messod.c.bendayan@nasa.gov.
Each resupply mission to the station delivers scientific investigations in the areas of biology and biotechnology, Earth and space science, physical sciences, and technology development and demonstrations. Cargo resupply from U.S. companies ensures a national capability to deliver scientific research to the space station, significantly increasing NASA’s ability to conduct new investigations aboard humanity’s laboratory in space.
In addition to food, supplies, and equipment for the crew, Dragon will deliver several new experiments, including the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment, to examine solar wind and how it forms. Dragon also delivers Antarctic moss to observe the combined effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity on plants. Other investigations aboard include a device to test cold welding of metals in microgravity, and an investigation that studies how space impacts different materials.
Crews have occupied the space station continuously since November 2000. In that time, 280 people from 23 countries have visited the orbital outpost. The space station is a springboard to NASA’s next great leap in exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis, and ultimately, human exploration of Mars.
Learn more about NASA’s commercial resupply missions at:
https://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-
Claire O’Shea / Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Stephanie Plucinsky / Steven Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-876-2468
stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov / steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov
Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Oct 03, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is depicted receiving a laser signal from the Deep Space Optical Communications uplink ground station at JPL’s Table Mountain Facility in this artist’s concept. The DSOC experiment consists of an uplink and downlink station, plus a flight laser transceiver flying with Psyche.NASA/JPL-Caltech The Deep Space Optical Communications tech demo has completed several key milestones, culminating in sending a signal to Mars’ farthest distance from Earth.
NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration broke yet another record for laser communications this summer by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA’s Psyche spacecraft about 290 million miles (460 million kilometers) away. That’s the same distance between our planet and Mars when the two planets are farthest apart.
Soon after reaching that milestone on July 29, the technology demonstration concluded the first phase of its operations since launching aboard Psyche on Oct. 13, 2023.
“The milestone is significant. Laser communication requires a very high level of precision, and before we launched with Psyche, we didn’t know how much performance degradation we would see at our farthest distances,” said Meera Srinivasan, the project’s operations lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Now the techniques we use to track and point have been verified, confirming that optical communications can be a robust and transformative way to explore the solar system.”
Managed by JPL, the Deep Space Optical Communications experiment consists of a flight laser transceiver and two ground stations. Caltech’s historic 200-inch (5-meter) aperture Hale Telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, acts as the downlink station to which the laser transceiver sends its data from deep space. The Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory at JPL’s Table Mountain facility near Wrightwood, California, acts as the uplink station, capable of transmitting 7 kilowatts of laser power to send data to the transceiver.
This visualization shows Psyche’s position on July 29 when the uplink station for NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications sent a laser signal about 290 million miles to the spacecraft. See an interactive version of the Psyche spacecraft in NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System.NASA/JPL-Caltech By transporting data at rates up to 100 times higher than radio frequencies, lasers can enable the transmission of complex scientific information as well as high-definition imagery and video, which are needed to support humanity’s next giant leap when astronauts travel to Mars and beyond.
As for the spacecraft, Psyche remains healthy and stable, using ion propulsion to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Exceeding Goals
The technology demonstration’s data is sent to and from Psyche as bits encoded in near-infrared light, which has a higher frequency than radio waves. That higher frequency enables more data to be packed into a transmission, allowing far higher rates of data transfer.
Even when Psyche was about 33 million miles (53 million kilometers) away — comparable to Mars’ closest approach to Earth — the technology demonstration could transmit data at the system’s maximum rate of 267 megabits per second. That bit rate is similar to broadband internet download speeds. As the spacecraft travels farther away, the rate at which it can send and receive data is reduced, as expected.
On June 24, when Psyche was about 240 million miles (390 million kilometers) from Earth — more than 2½ times the distance between our planet and the Sun — the project achieved a sustained downlink data rate of 6.25 megabits per second, with a maximum rate of 8.3 megabits per second. While this rate is significantly lower than the experiment’s maximum, it is far higher than what a radio frequency communications system using comparable power can achieve over that distance.
This Is a Test
The goal of Deep Space Optical Communications is to demonstrate technology that can reliably transmit data at higher speeds than other space communication technologies like radio frequency systems. In seeking to achieve this goal, the project had an opportunity to test unique data sets like art and high-definition video along with engineering data from the Psyche spacecraft. For example, one downlink included digital versions of Arizona State University’s “Psyche Inspired” artwork, images of the team’s pets, and a 45-second ultra-high-definition video that spoofs television test patterns from the previous century and depicts scenes from Earth and space.
This 45-second ultra-high-definition video was streamed via laser from deep space by NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration on June 24, when the Psyche spacecraft was 240 million miles from Earth. NASA/JPL-Caltech The technology demonstration beamed the first ultra-high-definition video from space, featuring a cat named Taters, from the Psyche spacecraft to Earth on Dec. 11, 2023, from 19 million miles away. (Artwork, images, and videos were uploaded to Psyche and stored in its memory before launch.)
“A key goal for the system was to prove that the data-rate reduction was proportional to the inverse square of distance,” said Abi Biswas, the technology demonstration’s project technologist at JPL. “We met that goal and transferred huge quantities of test data to and from the Psyche spacecraft via laser.” Almost 11 terabits of data have been downlinked during the first phase of the demo.
The flight transceiver is powered down and will be powered back up on Nov. 4. That activity will prove that the flight hardware can operate for at least a year.
“We’ll power on the flight laser transceiver and do a short checkout of its functionality,” said Ken Andrews, project flight operations lead at JPL. “Once that’s achieved, we can look forward to operating the transceiver at its full design capabilities during our post-conjunction phase that starts later in the year.”
More About Deep Space Optical Communications
This demonstration is the latest in a series of optical communication experiments funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Technology Demonstration Missions Program managed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Development of the flight laser transceiver is supported by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, L3 Harris, CACI, First Mode, and Controlled Dynamics Inc. Fibertek, Coherent, Caltech Optical Observatories, and Dotfast support the ground systems. Some of the technology was developed through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program.
For more information about the laser communications demo, visit:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dsoc
NASA’s Optical Comms Demo Transmits Data Over 140 Million Miles The NASA Cat Video Explained 5 Things to Know About NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications News Media Contacts
Ian J. O’Neill
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-354-2649
ian.j.oneill@jpl.nasa.gov
2024-130
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Last Updated Oct 03, 2024 Related Terms
Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) Jet Propulsion Laboratory Psyche Mission Space Communications & Navigation Program Space Operations Mission Directorate Space Technology Mission Directorate Tech Demo Missions Explore More
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