Tag: Johnson Space Center

Johnson’s Paige Whittington Builds a Symphony of Simulations

NeRD

What do music ensembles and human spaceflight have in common? They require the harmonization of different elements to create an inspiring opus. NASA’s Paige Whittington has experience with both. As a principal flutist for Purdue University’s Wind Ensemble, Whittington helped fellow flutists play beautiful music together while pursuing her graduate degree. Now, as a space exploration simulation architect at Johnson Space Center in Houston, she strives for a cross-team harmony that can inform the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. “Simulation often sits at the intersection of several teams because…

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NASA Astronaut to Answer Questions from Students in Washington State

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NASA astronaut Anne McClain points a camera at herself and takes a “space-selfie” during a May 1, 2025, spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Credit: NASA NASA astronaut and Spokane, Washington, native Anne McClain will participate in an event with students from the Mobius Discovery Center located in her hometown. McClain will answer prerecorded questions submitted by students from aboard the International Space Station. Watch the 20-minute Earth-to-space call on the NASA STEM YouTube Channel. The event will take place at 1:25 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 27. Media interested…

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Station Nation: Meet Megan Harvey, Utilization Flight Lead and Capsule Communicator 

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Megan Harvey is a utilization flight lead and capsule communicator, or capcom, in the Research Integration Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She integrates science payload constraints related to vehicles’ launch and landing schedules. She is also working to coordinate logistics for the return of SpaceX vehicles to West Coast landing sites.  Read on to learn about Harvey’s career with NASA and more!  Megan Harvey talking to a flight director from the Remote Interface Officer console in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.…

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Andrea Harrington’s Vision Paves the Way for Lunar Missions 

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When future astronauts set foot on Mars, they will stand on decades of scientific groundwork laid by people like Andrea Harrington.   As NASA’s sample return curation integration lead, Harrington is helping shape the future of planetary exploration and paving the way for interplanetary discovery.   Official portrait of Andrea Harrington. NASA/Josh Valcarcel Harrington works in NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Division, or ARES, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she integrates curation, science, engineering, and planetary protection strategies into the design and operation of new laboratory facilities and sample…

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NASA, International Astronauts Address Students from New York, Ohio

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Astronaut Anne McClain is pictured on May 1, 2025, near one of the International Space Station’s main solar arrays. Credit: NASA NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi will answer prerecorded questions submitted by middle and high school students from New York and Ohio. Both groups will hear from the astronauts aboard the International Space Station in two separate events. The first event at 10:20 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 20, includes students from Long Beach Middle School in Lido Beach, New York. Media…

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NASA to Participate in Next Private Astronaut Mission Teleconference

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The Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left to right: ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Credit: Axiom Space NASA will join a media teleconference hosted by Axiom Space at 10:30 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, May 20, to discuss the launch of Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), the fourth private astronaut…

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Aubrie Henspeter: Leading Commercial Lunar Missions 

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As NASA partners with American industry to deliver science and technology payloads to the Moon, a dedicated team behind the scenes ensures every mission is grounded in strategy, compliance, and innovation. Leading that effort is Aubrie Henspeter, who advises all aspects of procurement for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative—one of the cornerstone projects supporting the Artemis campaign.  Official portrait of Aubrie Henspeter. NASA/Bill Stafford With 20 years at NASA, Henspeter brings multifaceted experience to her role as CLPS procurement team lead in the Lunar & Planetary Exploration Procurement…

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Nilufar Ramji: Shaping Johnson’s Giant Leaps Forward 

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A first-generation college graduate, Nilufar Ramji was blazing trails long before arriving at NASA. With her multifaceted expertise, she is helping shape the messaging behind humanity’s return to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  Ramji is currently on detail as the co-executive producer for NASA’s live broadcasts, ensuring the agency’s missions and discoveries are clearly and effectively communicated to the public. Through her work, she expands understanding of what space exploration means for all—and why it matters.  Official portrait of Nilufar Ramji. NASA/Josh Valcarcel Before stepping into her acting role, Ramji…

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NASA, International Astronauts to Connect with Students in Texas

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Expedition 72 Flight Engineers Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, and Don Pettit pose while inside the vestibule between the International Space Station’s Unity module and the Cygnus space freighter. NASA NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi will answer prerecorded questions about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from students in Mansfield, Texas, while aboard the International Space Station. The 20-minute space-to-Earth call will take place at 10:40 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 5, and…

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Robots, Rovers, and Regolith: NASA Brings Exploration to FIRST Robotics 2025 

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What does the future of space exploration look like? At the 2025 FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, NASA gave student robotics teams and industry leaders a first-hand look—complete with lunar rovers, robotic arms, and real conversations about shaping the next era of discovery.  Students and mentors experience NASA exhibits at the 2025 FIRST Robotics World Championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston from April 16-18. NASA/Sumer Loggins NASA engaged directly with the Artemis Generation, connecting with more than 55,000 students and 75,000 parents and mentors. Through…

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