Latest news with #JohnsonSpaceCenter
Condé Nast Traveler
17-07-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
How I Travel: Taylor Jenkins Reid Uses Road Trips to Combat Writer's Block
Why the Johnson Space Center should be at the top of any Houston visitor's list: I spent the majority of my Houston trip doing a very long VIP tour of the Johnson Space Center, which was incredible. If anyone is interested in NASA or space exploration or specifically mission control and how it works, I highly recommend this tour and the one that I did into the Apollo-era mission control. We got to see not just the telemetry, but the desks and theater behind it. We went into the mission control of the current ISS, stood in the theater and looked out onto that floor. We also went into a decommissioned Space Shuttle, into the mid-deck and the payload bay. For anybody interested in NASA at all, it's such a great trip. A city on book tours that has really surprised her: I went to Ann Arbor for this past book, and I really loved it. One of the things about being on a book tour is that you don't really get to see that much of the space that you're in, necessarily. You go from the airport to the hotel to the event and back to the airport so quickly. One of the things I love to do on every book tour is [take in] the drive from the hotel to the location. Sometimes it's five minutes but other times it's 45 minutes and you get to see how the city changes, what parts are leafy and what parts are more congested. I loved driving through Ann Arbor. I think I hit it at the right moment, the top of June, which might just be a particularly beautiful time. I was really taken on that tiny car ride to the location, which was on the university campus. The buildings were beautiful, the architecture was beautiful. I went through some winding suburbs that were so green and lush. I remember thinking, I don't know, should I move to Ann Arbor?! Maybe I should.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A Connection to Austin: Former Medical Center Dr inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
Jun. 20—By Jed Nelson On May 31, the Kennedy Space Center held the 2025 U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Bernard Harris, a former Internal Medicine doctor at the Austin Medical Center, was one of two former NASA astronauts inducted. Though Harris's roots are planted deep in Texas, he spent three years in the mid 1980s as a resident in Austin practicing medicine. Born in Temple, Texas in 1956, Harris went on to achieve things most of us could only dream about. While in Austin, he discussed becoming an astronaut with co-workers. One co-worker, Diane Dammen of Austin, and an attendee of the induction ceremony, stated that they kiddingly gave him a hard time about it, but knew that if anyone could do it, it was Harris. "That was in the 80s," Dammen said. "I know some of the doctors and nurses remember him. He was great to work with." After leaving Austin, he traveled back to Texas where he completed his fellowship with the NASA Research Center in 1987. After the fellowship, he joined NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where he worked as a flight surgeon, scuba diver and licensed pilot. What Harris accomplished in the latter half of the 1980s was just the beginning. In 1990 he was selected to an astronaut crew, and in 1991 was made a mission specialist. In 1993, Harris made his first trip to space where he conducted various muscular skeletal experiments. In 1995, he made history. Harris became the first African American to perform a spacewalk in the STS-63 mission nicknamed the "near Mir,"which marked early cooperation between the Russian / American Space Programs. The mission achieved the first space rendezvous between an American Space Shuttle and Russia's space station. Harris was at NASA for 10 years, where he conducted research in musculoskeletal physiology and clinical investigations of space adaptation. He also developed in-flight medical devices to extend astronaut stays in space. Harris has also logged more than 438 hours and traveled over 7.2 million miles in space. All these accomplishments led to May 31, 2025 — the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony. A ceremony that Dammen and her husband, Dave, were invited to. "We were so surprised to receive an invitation to his induction," Dammen said. "We were so excited, there was no way we were not going to go." The lead-up to the ceremony was three days of meetings and panel discussions featuring not only Harris, but other successful astronauts with stories to tell. On day three family, friends and other astronauts gathered to recognize and celebrate the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees. With nearly 40 tables set up in the event center, each table had an astronaut assigned to it. "They (astronauts) were the nicest people," Dammen said. "Just so easy to be around and to talk to." Seeing Harris deliver a speech to the audience was something the Dammen's say they will never forget. To Diane, he is more than just a coworker, but a friend. "The experience was awe inspiring to us," she added. "We never expected to be at anything like that. It's something we won't ever forget." Today, Harris is the CEO and Managing Partner of Vesalius Ventures, Inc., a venture capital firm that invests in early to mid-stage Healthcare technologies and companies. He is president and founder of The Harris Institute/Foundation, a non-profit organization which serves socially and economically disadvantaged communities both locally and across the nation. He has been involved in math and science education for over 25 years through his philanthropy. Through his foundation, Harris strives to support the most underserved populations in education, health, and wealth.
Times of Oman
18-06-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
Omani teams start trip to NASA Space Apps Hackathon
Texas: The Omani teams shortlisted for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2024 have commenced their scientific visit to the United States with a tour of NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. This exchange programme is organised by the U.S. Embassy in Oman in collaboration with the University of Technology and Applied Sciences. The visit began with the Omani team exploring Space Center Houston, one of the premier scientific destinations in the U.S. The team toured the Independence Plaza, home to a full-scale replica of the NASA space shuttle mounted atop the historic shuttle carrier aircraft, and examined exhibition halls featuring original spacecraft, including the Apollo 17 command module. The team gained insights into daily life aboard the International Space Station through interactive exhibits before attending a cinematic screening titled The Moonwalkers, which documents the history of Apollo missions and connects them to the Artemis programme. The tour also included a visit to the historic Apollo Mission Control Center, where the team entered the restored control room that guided the first human moon landing. Additionally, the team explored Mars exhibits, engaged in virtual reality experiences, and learned about the evolution of spacesuits. Dr. Fatima Nasser Al-Harthy, team leader, stated that the visit to Johnson Space Center provided the team with a unique opportunity to engage with NASA's storied history and ambitious future. She emphasized that such experiences not only inspire participants but also foster a culture of scientific innovation among Omani youth. The team comprises distinguished students from several Omani educational institutions, including the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, the Military Technological College, and the German University of Technology in Oman. This visit reflects a forward-looking vision to empower Omani youth by exposing them to global experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also strengthens Oman's presence in international scientific forums, aligning with the nation's ongoing efforts to build a knowledge- and innovation-driven economy. -ONA
Times of Oman
18-06-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
Omani team starts trip to NASA Space Apps Hackathon
Texas: The Omani teams shortlisted for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2024 have commenced their scientific visit to the United States with a tour of NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. This exchange programme is organised by the U.S. Embassy in Oman in collaboration with the University of Technology and Applied Sciences. The visit began with the Omani team exploring Space Center Houston, one of the premier scientific destinations in the U.S. The team toured the Independence Plaza, home to a full-scale replica of the NASA space shuttle mounted atop the historic shuttle carrier aircraft, and examined exhibition halls featuring original spacecraft, including the Apollo 17 command module. The team gained insights into daily life aboard the International Space Station through interactive exhibits before attending a cinematic screening titled The Moonwalkers, which documents the history of Apollo missions and connects them to the Artemis programme. The tour also included a visit to the historic Apollo Mission Control Center, where the team entered the restored control room that guided the first human moon landing. Additionally, the team explored Mars exhibits, engaged in virtual reality experiences, and learned about the evolution of spacesuits. Dr. Fatima Nasser Al-Harthy, team leader, stated that the visit to Johnson Space Center provided the team with a unique opportunity to engage with NASA's storied history and ambitious future. She emphasized that such experiences not only inspire participants but also foster a culture of scientific innovation among Omani youth. The team comprises distinguished students from several Omani educational institutions, including the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, the Military Technological College, and the German University of Technology in Oman. This visit reflects a forward-looking vision to empower Omani youth by exposing them to global experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It also strengthens Oman's presence in international scientific forums, aligning with the nation's ongoing efforts to build a knowledge- and innovation-driven economy. -ONA
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NASA's Butch and Suni wrap up recovery after nine months in space
STORY: :: Once-stranded U.S. astronauts Butch and Suni talk about rehab after nine months in space :: Johnson Space Center, Houston :: May 28, 2025 :: Butch Wilmore, NASA Astronaut "I think initially we'll start from the very beginning, you know, pulling GS for 30 plus years. I don't have a great you know, I've got some issues in my neck. I can't turn my head all the way. But in space that goes away, you know, you don't have any stress on your body. No problem with my neck. We're still floating in the capsule in in the ocean, and my neck starts hurting while we're still, we haven't been extracted yet. So anyway, gravity stinks for a period and then that period varies for different people, but eventually you get over that neurovestibular balance type of issues and then your back is not used to holding up your structure. So the muscles tense up." :: Suni Williams, NASA Astronaut "Yeah. So that's that was really the first month to 45 days of that. And then we graduated and, you know, back to normal. And I felt though honestly, I was still tired, like all the little muscles are getting reengaged. And so it kept me being like not being able to wake up. Like normally I like to wake up early in the morning until about a week and a half ago. Then I'm like up at four in the morning. I'm like, aha, I'm back. So, you know, I think all of that just takes a little while to get back to gravity. Just like Butch said, it's just a little bit of a readaptation and and then, you know, we're here and we're feeling fine." Wilmore and Williams, who last year set off for an eight-day Starliner test flight that swelled into an nine-month stay in space, have had to readapt their muscles, sense of balance and other basics of Earth-living in a 45-day readaptation period standard for astronauts returning from long-term space missions. The astronaut duo have spent at least two hours a day with astronaut strength and reconditioning officials within NASA's medical unit while juggling an increasing workload with Boeing's Starliner program, NASA's space station unit in Houston and agency researchers. Propulsion system issues on Boeing's Starliner forced NASA to bring the capsule back without its crew last year and fold the two astronauts into its normal, long-duration rotation schedule on the ISS. While normal ISS missions last six months, with some lasting longer in contingency plans, Wilmore and William's mission extension was fraught with technical uncertainty at a high-stakes moment for Boeing, making the astronaut duo's condition a global spectacle.
