This Week @NASA: Work to Do Outside Space Station, Perseverance Completes Mars Sample Depot

By NASAFebruary 5, 2023

NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Nicole Mann is pictured in her Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or spacesuit, during her first spacewalk. She and fellow spacewalker Koichi Wakata (out of frame) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency installed a modification kit on the International Space Station's starboard truss structure that will enable the future installation of the orbiting lab's next roll-out solar array. Credit: NASA

Work to do outside the space station …

Honoring a pair of former astronauts …

And a milestone on MarsMars is the second smallest planet in our solar system and the fourth planet from the sun. It is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Iron oxide is prevalent in Mars' surface resulting in its reddish color and its nickname "The Red Planet." Mars' name comes from the Roman god of war." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">Mars …

A few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASAEstablished in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">NASA!

Spacewalk Positions the Space Station for More Power

On February 2, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata conducted a spacewalk to finish installing hardware needed for the International Space StationThe International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft in orbit around the Earth that serves as a research laboratory and spaceport for international collaboration in space exploration. It was launched in 1998 and has been continuously occupied by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts from around the world since 2000. The ISS is a joint project of five space agencies: NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles), and provides a unique platform for scientific research, technological development, and human space exploration." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">International Space Station's next roll-out solar arrays. The arrays – to be installed on a future spacewalk – are an upgrade to the station's power system.

Former NASA astronauts Robert Behnken, left, and Douglas Hurley, right, are seen after being awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremony in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023 in Washington. Former astronauts Behnken and Hurley were awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for their bravery in NASA's SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 to the International Space Station in 2020, the first crewed flight as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Former Astronauts Receive Congressional Honor

On behalf of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris awarded former NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on January 31. In 2020, Hurley and Behnken became the first astronauts to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Perseverance's Three Forks Sample Depot Selfie: NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie with several of the 10 sample tubes it deposited at a sample depot it is creating within an area of Jezero Crater nicknamed "Three Forks." Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Perseverance Completes Mars Sample Depot

On January 29, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover successfully deposited the last of 10 planned sample tubes onto the Martian surface – completing the first sample depot on another world. To learn about plans to return the samples to Earth for study one day visit mars.nasa.gov/msr.

NASA Spinoff 2023 Cover. Credit: NASA

NASA's 2023 Spinoff Publication

The latest edition of NASA's Spinoff publication features more than 40 companies that have used NASA technology, research, and funding for commercial products that benefit people around the globe. Spinoff 2023 is available to read and download at spinoff.nasa.gov.

That's what's up this week @NASA …