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“Here’s some of the stories trending This
Week at NASA!”

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During meetings and public events at the International
Astronautical Congress (IAC), Oct. 12-16 in

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Jerusalem, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden
and several other NASA officials highlighted

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the agency’s recently released plan to send
astronauts to Mars in the 2030’s.

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They also emphasized the need for international
partnerships and cooperation to make a mission

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of this magnitude a reality, the importance
of harnessing enthusiasm for space exploration

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and the need to encourage young people to
develop the skills we’ll need for the Journey

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to Mars.

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Oct. 16 was a record-breaking day in space
for International Space Station Commander

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Scott Kelly.

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It gave him 383 total days in space -- the
most cumulative days in space by a U.S. astronaut

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– a record previously held by NASA’s Mike
Fincke.

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Kelly will break another record on Oct. 29
– his 216th consecutive day in space -- surpassing

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Michael Lopez-Alegria’s record for the single-longest
spaceflight by an American.

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Kelly’s time in space as part of the one-year
mission, helps us better understand the physical

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and mental effects of long duration spaceflight,
which is critical to NASA’s journey to Mars.

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During an Oct. 14 flyby, NASA’s Cassini
spacecraft passed within 1,142 miles of Saturn’s

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moon Enceladus to capture the first close-up
look at the plumes of icy spray situated in

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the moon’s North Polar Region.

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This is a prelude to an even closer flyby
on Oct. 28 when Cassini will get within 30

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miles of the moon’s southern polar region
for the most accurate measurements yet of

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the plumes’ composition.

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Dec. 3 is the targeted launch date for the
fourth commercial resupply services mission

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of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft to the
International Space Station.

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This will be the first flight of the company’s
enhanced Cygnus advanced maneuvering spacecraft,

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which can deliver more than 7,700 pounds of
cargo.

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The supply spacecraft is scheduled to lift
off aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas

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V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida at about 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

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NASA has awarded new Venture Class Launch
Services (VCLS) contracts to three companies

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-- Firefly Space Systems, Inc. of Cedar Park,
Texas, Rocket Lab USA, Inc. of Los Angeles

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and Virgin Galactic LLC of Long Beach, California.

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The launch vehicles developed by these companies
will be used to provide access to low-Earth

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orbit for small satellites, which currently
only make it to space as secondary payloads

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on other missions.

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Small satellites, including CubeSats, are
playing an increasingly larger role in exploration,

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technology demonstration, scientific research
and educational investigations at NASA.

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Soaring temperatures and heavy traffic did
not deter some 45,000 people from attending

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the recent 2-day Open House event at NASA’s
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

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JPL manages several NASA missions that have
captured the public’s attention recently.

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These include the Mars Science Laboratory’s
Curiosity rover, Dawn, the first spacecraft

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to visit a dwarf planet, Ceres, and the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has found key

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evidence that water does exist on present-day
Mars.

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NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden helped kick-off
the 2015 Combined Federal Campaign recently

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at headquarters.

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Each year, donations from NASA employees make
a positive impact on the lives of others who

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are less fortunate.

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There is a wide choice of approved local,
national and international charities to which

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employees around the agency can donate.

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The campaign ends Dec. 15.

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And that’s what’s up this week @NASA …