National Aeronautics and PROGRAM PLAN 2019 Space Administration www.nasa.gov/sfa APOLLO 10 ASTRONAUTS PICTURED ON FRONT COVER (l-r): Lunar Module Pilot Eugene A. Cernan, Commander Thomas P. Stafford, and Command Module Pilot John W. Young 2019 SPACE FLIGHT AWARENESS PROGRAM PLAN NASA’s Vision, Mission, and Strategic Goals 1 Associate Administrator Message 3 History of Space Flight Awareness 4 Program Goals, Objectives, and Teams SFA Activities, Visits, and Products 5 SFA Awards 6 2019 Events 7 FY 2018 Metrics 8 SFA Members 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE 1 NASA’S VISION, MISSION, AND STRATEGIC GOALS THE VISION To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity. THE MISSION Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and bring new knowledge and opportunities back to earth. Support growth of the nation’s economy in space and aeronautics, increase understanding of the universe and our place in it, work with industry to improve America’s aerospace technologies, and advance American leadership. FOUR STRATEGIC THEMES • Discover • Develop • Explore • Enable Jim Bridenstine, Administrator STRATEGIC GOALS 1. Expand human knowledge through new scientific 3. Address national challenges and catalyze economic discoveries. growth. 2. Extend human presence deeper into space and to 4. Optimize capabilities and operations. the moon for sustainable long-term exploration and utilization. 1 HISTORY OF SPACE FLIGHT AWARENESS NASA established the Space Flight Awareness (SFA) Motivation and Recognition Program in 1963 during the Mercury and Gemini period, to infuse the space program with a renewed and strengthened consciousness of quality and flight safety. As NASA’s human space flight programs continued and developed, the NASA Centers increased the assistance they provided to the employees’ motivation programs of their contractors and other government agencies. SFA soon became the watchword of the American space program. The SFA Program played an integral and increasingly forceful safety role in the Saturn, Apollo Skylab and Apollo- Soyuz projects. By the time the Space Shuttle first flew, the program had expanded to include subcontractors providing critical hardware, software and services. As regular Space Shuttle missions grew in complexity and the International Space Station became a reality, the SFA Program evolved into one of the single most successful motivational initiatives within all federal and contractor departments and agencies. The future of space flight brings new opportunities and challenges for the SFA Program. To continue to be effective, the program must keep pace with an ever-changing environment of people, systems and processes that design, build, fly and support human space flight. For that reason, NASA and the contractor SFA Working Group work diligently to ensure an effective and valuable program. SFA continues to focus on excellence in quality and safety – for the lives of the astronauts, for mission success and for the success of America’s space program. 1 ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR MESSAGE 2018 was an exciting year. There • Through commercial partnerships - Northrop Grumman were many human spaceflight and SpaceX executed five successful cargo resupply accomplishments which would missions delivering more than 32,000 pounds of critical not have been possible without supplies to the International Space Station, while the the dedication and commitment SpaceX Dragon capsule also returned more than 7,800 of our NASA and contractor team. pounds of investigations and equipment to researchers Here are some ways in which we led human spaceflight on Earth. discovery to improve life on Earth in 2018: • NASA selected 13 companies to study the future of • Through research sponsored by the United States commercial human spaceflight in low-Earth orbit, including National Laboratory, crew members of Expeditions 54-58 long-range opportunities for the International Space Station. supported more than 100 new U.S. science investigations, which use the unique orbiting laboratory of International • NASA and its space station partners marked the Space Station (ISS) to prepare for future missions to the 20th anniversary of the launch and construction of the Moon and Mars and improve life on Earth. In February, first elements of the International Space Station. astronauts set a new record with a week of research that surpassed 100 hours. • NASA began operating a new space communication satellite to support more than 40 NASA missions in low- • Research conducted on station in 2018 included Earth orbit as well as astronauts living and working in plant growth experiments to understand how radiation space on the station, and will ensure communications and the lack of gravity forces affect plant development. support well into the next decade. This experiment and other life science research may help us to understand the materials needed for exploring the • NASA continued to update the space communication universe, the physiology of life in space and the basic and navigation networks that supported 83 missions, elements of the universe itself. returning data to Earth from the solar system, and beyond. This includes upgrading emergency communications • A testbed for technology, the space station now ground stations that support the space station as well as hosts the first combination 3D printer and recycler to refurbishing its Bermuda Tracking Station, which supports demonstrate a new in-space manufacturing capability launches from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in as well as Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Wallops Island, Virginia, and will support commercial Technology (BEST) to help identify microbes aboard crew launches to the space station and Orion/Space the space station, and the Bigelow Expandable Activity Launch System (SLS) missions to the lunar orbit from Module (BEAM). Florida. The Agency also issued a call for studies to explore designs that incorporate commercial elements • Nine U.S. astronauts were assigned to Commercial into future space relay services. Crew Program missions aboard the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon. Both companies have begun final • NASA completed the final test to qualify Orion’s testing of their spacecraft and associated systems, and parachute system for flights with astronauts, checking the first test flights are expected in 2019, a key step to off an important milestone on the path to send humans returning capability to launch astronauts to space from on missions to the Moon and beyond, and obtaining US soil. important data that can be used by our commercial partners. • Expedition 56 astronauts installed new cameras on • NASA completed a dry run test of a modified mobile the station in June to provide enhanced views of Boeing’s launcher, moving it atop crawler transporter-2 to Launch CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as they Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center. Pad 39B is the approach and dock to the station. launch complex from where the Orion spacecraft and 2 Space Launch System rocket will lift off on missions to Additionally, progress continues to be made on the Deep the lunar vicinity. This test run marked a major milestone, Space Exploration System that will incrementally build as the last time a crawler transporter and mobile launcher the Gateway during Exploration Missions around the rolled out together was in 2011. Moon. NASA’s Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket have already hit many major milestones bringing us closer • The European Service Module that will propel, power, to those missions, and have important tests scheduled and cool Orion during missions to the Moon arrived from in 2019 that will bring the system into the home stretch Germany to Kennedy Space Center in November to begin before its first integrated launch. For example, in late final outfitting, integration and testing with the crew spring of 2019. Orion will undergo a full-stress test of module and other Orion elements. The European Service the Launch Abort System during Ascent Abort Test 2 Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies (AA-2), at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. and industry including ESA’s prime contractor, Airbus, This testing will enable greater understanding of Launch and 10 European countries. Abort System technology and capabilities that are crucial to astronaut safety. At the end of the year, the While our list of 2018 accomplishments is stellar, we are SLS Core Stage “Green Run” test will occur at Stennis even more excited about our plans for 2019. On July 20, Space Center. This will be the first time all the core stage 2019, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, systems including the four powerful RS-25 engines, flight the first mission to land humans on the Moon. In the half computers, and avionics will work together as the rocket century since Apollo astronauts set their tentative first stage that will provide power and guidance, navigation and steps on the Moon, we have gained substantial new control needed to launch the SLS and Orion spacecraft knowledge of the lunar environment and resources, into orbit. preparing us for a sustainable presence on and around Earth’s nearest neighbor, and worlds beyond. I want to thank every human spaceflight member for your contributions to our mission success. Your commitment NASA is leading the effort for humans to walk on the is inspiring. Because of you, we have an expanding human Moon once again—this time with a reusable architecture presence in space beyond low Earth orbit in partnership an enduring cadence—before even more ambitious with nations, companies and innovators. Let’s continue missions to Mars. In the next decade, NASA and its to focus on the future, and work together in 2019 to reach partners will establish a foundational human presence new heights. on and around the Moon. In support of National Space Council’s Policy, NASA is building the “gateway” that will serve as an outpost/transport to deep space destinations.