Astronaut Academy

We know the Moon contains water, but, could future astronauts access and make use of it? That’s the goal. At NASA, we’re actively trying to answer that question. Once it lands at the lunar south pole, our PRIME-1 — Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 – will robotically sample and analyze ice from beneath the lunar surface, contributing to our search for water on the Moon.

A commercial resupply mission heads to the space station, a key piece of hardware for a future Moon mission is on the move, and another spacecraft gets ready to spread its wings in deep space … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

On August 23, 2023, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully soft-landed on the Moon's south pole. This is a historic achievement for India, and it is a major milestone in the global exploration of space. The Chandrayaan-3 mission consists of a lander and a rover. The lander, Vikram, successfully touched down on the lunar surface at 6:03 PM IST. The rover, Pragyan, will soon be deployed to explore the lunar surface. The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to conduct a variety of scientific experiments, including searching for water ice on the Moon. The mission will also help to improve our understanding of the Moon's geology and history. The successful soft-landing of Chandrayaan-3 is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It is also a reminder of the importance of space exploration and the potential that it has to improve our understanding of the universe.

Where are the Moon rocks from the Apollo missions kept? When they’re not being studied by institutions or enjoyed by museumgoers, NASA has a specialized Lunar Sample Curation Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center to store and keep these otherworldly samples safe. Studying these samples helps us learn more about the origin of not only our moon, but our planet. Deputy Apollo Sample Curator (Sept 2019 – Dec 2022) Dr. Juliane Gross explains more about lunar sample curation.

Find out why July 2023 was a record-breaking month, a high-flying NASA aircraft is helping to study lighting, and making landings safe for flights of the future … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

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.

The Artemis II astronauts check out their ride to the Moon, practicing post-splashdown recovery operations for Artemis II, and the Webb Space Telescope checks out a record-breaking star … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!

When it comes to space, humans and robots go way back. We rely heavily on our mechanical friends to perform tasks that are too dangerous, difficult, or out of reach for us humans. We’re even working on a new generation of robots that will help us explore in advanced and novel ways.

In 2023, Pluto was in the spotlight more than ever before. The New Horizons mission, which reached Pluto in 2015, sent back stunning images and data that revealed a world much more complex than scientists had previously thought. This video takes a look back at the year's biggest moments for Pluto, from the New Horizons flyby to the discovery of new moons and rings.