BEYOND EARTH NASA

NASA's new deputy administrator Col. Pam Melroy shares her vision for NASA's future. One of only two women to command a space shuttle, Melroy logged more than 38 days in space. She served as pilot on two flights, STS-92 in 2000 and STS-112 in 2002, and was the mission commander on STS-120 in 2007. All three of her missions were assembly missions to build the International Space Station. After graduating from United States Air Force Test Pilot School, Melroy logged more than 6,000 flight hours in more than 50 different aircraft. She is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Just Cause, with more than 200 combat and combat support hours.

Ten years ago, Atlantis rose from the launch pad on a plume of fire and parted the high clouds on its way to the International Space Station and to its place in history. The 11:29 a.m. EDT liftoff on July 8, 2011, marked the last time a space shuttle would climb from Kennedy's seaside launch complex to soar toward the heavens. The crew of four veteran astronauts aboard Atlantis -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim - set off on the STS-135 mission to deliver a stockpile of supplies and parts to the space station.

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station. Got a question or comment? Use #AskNASA to talk to us.

This concept animation shows just one of many potential concepts for how the first human landing site on Mars might evolve throughout the course of multiple human expeditions to the Red Planet over a decade or more.

On March 8, 2019, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft undocks from the lInternational Space Station, after nearly5 days aboard the orbiting laboratory during the company's Demo-1 mission for NASA's Commercial Crew Program and descends to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Just over 5 hours later, the uncrewed spacecraft splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida and is recovered by SpaceX teams.

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogenson discussed living and working in space during an in-flight interview August 31 with Danish media and the public. Mogenson launched on August 25 on the SpaceX Dragon "Endurance" as part of Crew-7 which is a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions.

NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is the United States government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. Established in 1958, NASA's missions include space exploration, scientific research, technology development, and aeronautics advancements. They have been involved in various iconic projects such as the Apollo moon missions, the Space Shuttle program, the Mars rovers, and the International Space Station (ISS).

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview July 5 with the Robot Brains Podcast. Hoburg is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency's Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

An international crew is preparing to launch to the International Space Station aboard NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos will perform research technology demonstrations, science experiments, and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory. Crew-7 is targeted to launch no earlier than 3:49 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. As part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program, Crew-7 marks the eighth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the seventh crew rotation mission to the space station since 2020 for NASA.