NASA

WASHINGTON — Sierra Space, the aerospace firm best known for its spaceplane designed for NASA cargo missions, is going all in on defense. The Colorado-based company on June 11 announced the formal launch of Sierra Space Defense, a division focused on national security programs. The business unit will be led by Erik Daehler, a former Lockheed Martin executive who has been building the defense portfolio behind the scenes. “We’re officially introducing the defense tech business that we’ve been building up in stealth mode for the last two and a half years, and formalizing it in our organization,” Daehler told SpaceNews. Focus on satellite buses and components Formed in 2021 as a commercial space spinout of defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sierra Space initially...

Space Center Houston is beyond proud to congratulate Aymette “Amy” Medina Jorge, a five-year Space Center Houston SEEC ambassador on her Blue Origin flight. Medina, a longstanding educator and returning participant to the center’s annual Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC), embarked on Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-32 flight alongside her five crewmates earlier today, May 31. Born in Puerto Rico, Medina Jorge carries deep Spanish roots and has a mission to carry that forward. In 2024, she received the Cheri Brinley Outstanding Educator Award from SEEC at Space Center Houston, an honor that recognizes educators’ contributions to space exploration education. In 2023, she received the AIAA and Challenger Center Trailblazing STEM Educator award. This award recognizes e...

Not long after midnight on Dec. 7, 1972, the last crewed mission to the Moon, Apollo 17, lifted off with three astronauts: Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans.Experience the Apollo 17 launch and follow the mission in real time.ALTMeet the CrewLet’s meet the astronauts who made the final Apollo trip to the Moon, including the first scientist-astronaut.Gene Cernan: In 1972, Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan had two space flights under his belt, Gemini 9 in June 1966, and Apollo 10 in May 1969. He was a naval aviator, electrical and aeronautical engineer and fighter pilot.Ron Evans: Apollo 17 Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans was selected as a member of the 4th group of NASA astronauts in 1966. Like Cernan, he was an electrical and aeronautical engineer, and naval ...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force awarded BAE Systems a $1.2 billion contract for 10 missile-tracking satellites for a constellation in medium Earth orbit.The contract was awarded to BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems on May 29 through a firm fixed price Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement, the Space Systems Command said June 2 in a news release.The program is known as Resilient Missile Warning Tracking Epoch 2, which marks the second phase of the Space Force’s program to develop a missile-tracking network in medium Earth orbit (MEO). The constellation is intended to help defend against evolving missile threats, particularly hypersonic weapons that have become a key focus for U.S. defense planners.BAE Systems Space and Mission Systems, based in Broomfield, Colorado, was f...

10 High School Teams Compete to Create the Next Best Dish for Astronauts in Space HOUSTON, TEXAS (APRIL 7, 2025) – Each year, Space Center Houston hosts the HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) Culinary Challenge Finals, where the top ten high school teams compete to create the next best dish for space to support astronauts. The challenge, which celebrates its 10th year, began with 64 teams worldwide, narrowing down to the top 10 performing teams to compete at the space and science museum. The dishes are judged by 24 experts, including food scientists from the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Food Lab, astronauts, guest chefs, NASA administrators, and scholarship partners. Joining as a guest judge is Emmanuel Chavez, Houston’s Michelin-starred chef ...