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Image taken by the New Horizons spacecraft on July 14, 2015, looking back at Pluto after the flyby. This first look at Pluto’s atmosphere in infrared wavelengths was made with data from the New Horizons Ralph/Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) instrument. Photo Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI
Expanding the Horizons of Knowledge

The annual public lecture held during Space Science Week examined a discovery that transformed understanding of our solar system and prioritized a mission to Pluto.

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Abandoned in Place
Academy Bookshelf: Abandoned in Place

A new book by photographer Roland Miller memorializes elements of America’s early space program while capturing the spirit of exploration that continues to drive NASA today.

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Scott Kelly, the first NASA astronaut to spend 12 months in space, shows the world he arrived home safely just moments after returning from the One Year Mission on the International Space Station. Photo Credit: Bill Ingalls
Examining Evidence Reports to Mitigate Risk

As NASA forges ahead on the journey to Mars, it is supported by the National Academies in investigating human health risks associated with manned deep space exploration.

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NASA APPEL FY15 Annual Report
Academy FY 2015 Annual Report Released

How does APPEL support achievement at NASA? Find out in the Academy’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Annual Report.

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Presenters Vernell Jackson (left), Systems Resource Manager in the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate at Goddard Space Fight Center (GSFC), and Cynthia Simmons (center), Associate Division Chief of the GSFC Instrument Systems and Technology Division, talk with Virtual Project Management Challenge moderator Ramien Pierre (right) about how to get a project back on track with schedule and cost. Photo Credit: NASA
Mission Impossible: Getting a Project Back on Track

In a recent Virtual Project Management (PM) Challenge, Cynthia Simmons and Vernell Jackson discussed how they rescued a project that was over budget and behind schedule.

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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly participated in an extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on November 6, 2015, as part of the One Year Mission on the International Space Station. The EVA lasted nearly eight hours. Photo Credit: NASA
One Giant Leap for Human Spaceflight

After spending a year on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Scott Kelly believes a long-duration crewed mission to the red planet is possible.

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This image depicts seasonal water flows, known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), on a steep slope of the Valles Marineris on Mars. The presence of water, such as RSL, qualifies a Martian region as "uncertain" or "special," indicting the potential for terrestrial organisms to proliferate. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Mars Special Regions Redefined

NASA’s journey to Mars includes robotic exploration of the red planet as well as eventual crewed missions. For both approaches, planetary protection is a critical issue.

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Project pilot Thomas McMurtry stands in front of the F-8 SCW in 1972. Photo Credit: NASA
This Month in NASA History: The SCW Broke the Transonic Efficiency Barrier

Forty-five years ago this month, the first flight of NASA’s F-8 Supercritical Wing Project marked the start of increased speed and fuel efficiency across the aviation industry.

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STTR
STTR Drives Development of Actionable Technologies

A recent National Academies report assessed the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, which advances technology through the support of NASA and other federal agencies.

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