#nasa

#nasa

Eileen Collins stated, 'The space shuttle flights were normally one to two weeks, and we were very busy. It seemed like we were always behind schedule. When I listen to music, I really get into it, so listening while I'm working doesn't work.'

"In his journey from the front lines to the emergency room to the stars, he has found purpose in being a part of something larger than himself - and he has shown a determination to leave the world better than he found it."

With the newest iPhones and Android devices at hand, the crew will be able to be a bit more spontaneous with image and video gathering, meaning that for those of us back home, these upcoming trips to space could end up being some of NASA's most well-documented journeys yet. Imagine how cool (or cringe-worthy) it will be if astronauts turn themselves into TikTok stars in zero gravity, or if they take ultra-wide-angle selfies in the spacecraft.

Particularly when it comes to stepping out of the spacecraft - the agency has yet to pick between Blue Origin and SpaceX's offerings in that regard - staying protected from the extreme temperature swings, space radiation, and lack of atmosphere is extremely challenging. That's not to mention the physical limitations of an extremely bulky spacesuit, which could physically tax astronauts even more than stepping outside of the International Space Station during a spacewalk.

Going into the appropriations process, the president called for a 24 percent year over year reduction to NASA's total operating budget. As part of that plan, the White House wanted to reduce the Science Mission Directorate's funding by nearly half, a move that would have forced NASA to cancel 55 ongoing and planned missions, including efforts like OSIRIS-APEX. The bill effectively rejects President Trump's plan, reducing NASA's total operating budget by just 1.6 percent year over year to $24.4 billion.

The Dynamic Test Stand (Building 4550) rises more than twice as high as the Propulsion and Structural Test Facility and for good reason-it was built to fit a fully assembled Saturn V (363 feet or 111 meters tall) for mechanical and vibrational trials. Described once as the tallest building in the state, the stand later was used to form the first complete space shuttle stack with a winged orbiter (the prototype "Enterprise"), external fuel tank, and solid rocket boosters.