Exp 28 Pre-Launch _ Launch

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is America’s civil space program and the global leader in space exploration. The agency has a diverse workforce of just under 18,000 civil servants, and works with many more U.S. contractors, academia, and international and commercial partners to explore, discover, and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity. With an annual budget of $23.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2021, which is less than 0.5% of the overall U.S. federal budget, NASA supports more than 312,000 jobs across the United States, generating more than $64.3 billion in total economic output (Fiscal Year 2019).
At its 20 centers and facilities across the country – and the only National Laboratory in space – NASA studies Earth, including its climate, our Sun, and our solar system and beyond. We conduct research, testing, and development to advance aeronautics, including electric propulsion and supersonic flight. We develop and fund space technologies that will enable future exploration and benefit life on Earth.
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Active Astronauts: Eligible for flight assignment.
Management Astronauts: Currently employed at NASA but are no longer eligible for flight assignment.
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Virtual Guest Program NASA Virtual Guest Ops

"Asteroid City" cast asking NASA about the OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission. OSIRIS-REx is a NASA spacecraft mission designed to study and collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. However.
As of my last update in September 2021, NASA has been studying the possibility of mining asteroids for resources, particularly valuable minerals and metals that could be used for space exploration and even back on Earth. This concept is often referred to as asteroid mining.
One of the key missions related to asteroid mining was the OSIRIS-REx mission, which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer. OSIRIS-REx was designed to study the near-Earth asteroid Bennu and collect a sample from its surface. While the primary goal of OSIRIS-REx was to better understand the origins of our solar system and the role of asteroids in that process, the mission also carried implications for future asteroid mining.
Asteroids are rich in various resources, including precious metals, water ice, and other minerals. These resources could potentially be used to support future space exploration missions by providing raw materials for spacecraft construction, fuel production, and life support systems.
NASA's interest in asteroid mining is part of a broader effort to develop sustainable space exploration and utilization strategies. The agency, along with private companies in the space industry, has been exploring the technical, economic, and ethical aspects of mining asteroids.
Since my information is not up-to-date, I recommend checking the latest news and updates from NASA or reputable space-related sources for any recent developments in asteroid mining or related missions