U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris instructed NASA astronauts in the present day (Sept. 9) that she’s dedicated to fostering teamwork along with her fellow “space nerds” each on Earth and in orbit.
In a quick name to the International Space Station (ISS) this morning, Harris, who additionally chairs the National Space Council, spoke in regards to the significance of defending Earth and becoming a member of forces to satisfy different space objectives.
“Tell us what you are learning on the space station that is helping us be smarter around how we take care of Earth,” Harris mentioned to Expedition 67 astronauts Jessica Watkins, Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hinds. Harris spoke from Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston throughout a tour.
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Watkins mentioned the astronauts are studying numerous issues on the ISS. Examples embody, she mentioned, the best way to “grow plants without soil, and being able to use that back on Earth to help with food security.” Watkins additionally cited analysis about cell ageing, which may assist researchers “think about how we can help with immune cell aging back on Earth.”
Scheduling constraints and satellite connections reduce the scheduled name somewhat quick, however Harris will likely be on the space beat all through in the present day: She will chair her second National Space Council meeting, which is scheduled to start at 2:20 p.m. EDT (1820 GMT), based on the vice president’s schedule (opens in new tab). You can watch it stay right here at Space.com.
At the assembly, which is able to happen at JSC, Harris is predicted to reaffirm the NASA ISS extension to 2030, to provide extra particulars on new guidelines for industrial space actions, and to announce new regional coaching pilot packages by space corporations together with Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, based on info supplied by the White House on background.
The National Space Council, which helps form American space coverage, has already set out some priorities for the administration of President Joe Biden. The first assembly, which occurred final December, noticed Harris talk about addressing local weather change with satellites and scrutinizing the space junk problem. And this 12 months she has begun speaking in regards to the company’s Artemis program, which is concentrated on placing boots on the moon within the 2020s.
Harris additionally will launch an Interagency Roadmap (opens in new tab) in the present day centered on science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic (STEM), in an effort to spice up and diversify the nation’s space workforce, the White House said.
The vp has been busy on the space scene in latest weeks. She flew all the way down to Florida’s Space Coast for the deliberate Aug. 29 launch of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission to the moon, which was scrubbed as a consequence of a technical problem. (The subsequent alternative is not any ahead of Sept. 23).
While in Florida, Harris toured NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to view Artemis {hardware}, and in the present day her agenda features a tour of JSC. Her go to will deal with the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, the place crews and assist personnel alike practice for missions, NASA stated (opens in new tab).
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